Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2
by GLG-3883
Summary: It's been just over a year since the team broke up to both continue aiding Goblin Slayer, and the frontier of course, but also to raise a family in the Sword Maiden's hometown. Now, they must reunite to face a series of some of the greatest threats the world has ever known. Rated M for dark/adult themes; the same as the series itself is known for.
1. Prologue

**Hello my good people and welcome to the sequel to Goblin Slayer: The Team. I gave it a sarcastic eternity to give my adoring fans time to give me input on a possible sequel, and after a good deal of planning...here you go. You may recall that the first story I wrote was a what-if scenario, which for the record is what should be the real deal if it were up to me, with all due respect to the original creator...anyway, the 1st act of this involved the original team Priestess had been part of having a 5th member: the Ranger, who eventually becomes their leader and leads them all to become Silver Ranked beasts they deserved to be. Now...Goblin Slayer WILL make an appearance later on, but the 1st quarter or so will focus on some of Ranger's missions, with some of his teammates and other people thrown into the mix here and there. I also intend to throw in references to what happened in the 1st act...so, there's that. There will also be goblin blood to shed as Ranger goes, especially later on, so like with the 1st act...I WILL include Goblin Slayer later on so...please, cut me some slack. Now...let's get this adventure rolling shall we?**

* * *

Over the course of the year since their wedding, life in Water Town was a plesant, but unusual change of pace from the perspective of the newlyweds. Ranger found work around town in various places, especially within the guild; he was asked about his time as an adventurer by some people both inside and outside the guild, trained some aspiring adventurers with some methods he grew up with, but never for too long, mixed with sharing some of his experiences fighting monsters, especially goblins.

He remembered the time Sword Maiden was torn up over people not being likely to believe her plight since she helped defeat the Demon Lord, yet a type of monster as pitiful as goblins petrified her. He never betrayed her secret for obvious reasons, but he was practically obligated to at least make her secret easier to believe on the off-chance it came out. She wasn't just the archbishop, she was a personal friend of the team's, and he looked after his friends, especially since she's the one who blessed his and Fighter's marriage. On top of that...goblins were abominations that needed to be addressed seriously, and the number of people not taking them seriously was disturbing beyond words, and Ranger had to at least strike a blow.

In addition to his services to the guild in the city, he did various odd jobs around his neighborhood, from delivering supplies, to sending messages, to even learning a thing or two about how to cook the city's cuisine simply because he felt like it. He even tried some recipes alongside his wife. Speaking of whom...he spent every waking moment at her side while she was carrying his child, unless he was needed elsewhere; she even shooed him away once or twice; bless his heart for not wanting his pregnant wife to be left alone, even when she was antsy or had those infamous cravings pregnant women tended to get. Some things he would always be willing to do, like massage her when she needed one, stand by her side when she went out to get some air, especially when she encountered people who either greeted them, asked about the baby, or even asked to feel her abdomen to see how it was coming along.

Obviously they asked her consent before touching her, sometimes she gave it, sometimes she would rather not. She tried not to take it personally...but she was a bit concerned about what her pregnancy would do to her body in the long run, but Ranger assured her that whatever happened to her not only could be undone given enough time...but he would not stop loving her if she were somehow crippled, even if it were permanent Supreme forbid. Her body was significantly stronger than an average woman's so she should be fine, but as the child's father, and her husband, he was obligated to help her along in any way he could, and he felt that way too.

* * *

Storm Mage also stayed in Water Town to keep an eye on any demon activity; some demons even had the nerve to track Ranger and Fighter, only for Storm Mage to get involved and stop them dead in their tracks. His Silver Rank spoke for itself; Assassin, Werewolf, and Storm Mage's brother Summoner, were all Bronze Ranks, and they kept the town demon-free without much issue. Storm Mage eventually drew the Sword Maiden's eye and was given her blessing as an official agent of the Supreme...which made him even more of a nightmare for whatever demons prowled the town. He even asked Her Grace why demons would prowl a town sacred to the Supreme God, and her reasoning was that finding a way to cripple the church would make it easier for he Demon Lord to rise again, which has to be extremely tempting for any demons seeking glory or credit in their ranks. The demons that monitored Ranger, Fighter, and their child made Storm Mage monitor the family closer than almost every other part of Water Town.

Storm Mage had to admit that the Sword Maiden was as majestic as Ranger described her; he even had to suck in a breathe when he first heard her voice and saw her face. Sword Maiden even got back in touch with her original self and tied her hair into a ponytail similar to the one Fighter used to have, unless Her Grace had to look like the archbishop at the right time. She sometimes even had her hair braided like Fighter's as tribute to the two spouses she blessed.

Even when Her Grace explained that goblins dug their revolting fingers into her...Storm Mage's resolve to serve her only strengthened. Whether or not they could be together was anyone's guess, and he was hardly chaste himself; she was violated by goblins, he was involved in at least one orgy with priestesses of the Love Goddess. Two different ends of the stick, but as far as he was concerned, it was a distinction without a difference, at least on that one side of the story. He found her being away to be with this Goblin Slayer person somewhat of an annoyance as a result...even though she had others things to do as well.

But he had a task to do, and he doubted her status as archbishop allowed her to be involved with anyone to the fullest anyhow, so his only option was to swallow his feelings and stick to his demon hunting, and maybe even consult with the Love Goddess over where things could go for him in regards to his love life's destination. He had a thing for Witch in the past, but she's clearly more interested in Spearman despite his flaws, Sword Maiden is more interested in Goblin Slayer...who as Storm Mage saw first hand, has not only Guild Girl and Cow Girl, both of whom were quite lovely in their own right pursuing him.

Regardless...he knew firsthand that getting one's hopes up only to have them dashed was mental suicide, and...he could just do what Ranger and Fighter did, and take his time with Her Grace, show that he gives a damn about her, maybe even throw in some amusement, and if any goblins dare show their faces in the sewers again, he could wipe them out for her. Besides, Goblin Slayer couldn't be everywhere at once, and even if Storm Mage wasn't jealous of him...goblins elsewhere needed to be wiped out as well; heading to one place to eliminate the goblins there when Goblin Slayer could be saving the lives and mental health of those on the frontier, especially in rapid succession, was a pretty good point.

He actually ran his willingness to keep an eye peeled for goblins by her at one point, which was met with a simple "thank you", but her discomfort with the very subject was still there in the back of her mind, not that he could blame her. He only heard the stories and witnessed the goblins at the battle at the farm use captured girls as an act of psychological warfare, but...if even half of what she told him about her ordeal was true, then he envied her strength; a lesser woman would've gone mad, or even killed herself by now.

She may no longer be chaste, but she was still more pure than he could ever be; he's been under the influence of greed itself for years, which led him to not only throw away his virginity in an orgy, but also steal from countless people, even if they were corrupt themselves, try to live in as much luxury as he could, which included eating off gold plates, and even murdered people for money like a common assassin before betraying his employers when he found out who they really were and took their possessions as well. It was part of why he became a demon hunter aside from his family ordeals with demons, and now...here he was, kneeling before the archbishop herself, pouring his heart out to her over a period of months whenever the precious little time allowed it, looking to repair the damage he caused, and faintly hoping they could be more than just lady and servant...but only fate could tell...

* * *

His three demon hunter companions made trips to Water Town to give Storm Mage a hand if needed, and they even shared some information on the War God with Ranger when he asked, and they all shared that they love fighting the good fight, but had to exercise the discipline required to keep a level head in the chaos of battle, even and especially when they add to the chaos themselves. That applies even more to the fact that they had to turn off their bloodlust, no matter how extreme it got when the battle was over. Assassin even hinted that she enjoys fighting demons even more than she enjoys mating with Werewolf, since apparently...werewolves unironically tend to mate like beasts. A little strong on the "too much information" side, but it was sort of fitting since it makes her position with the War God cleared, and...well, the Love Goddess, who happens to be his divine spouse condones sexual relations between people who have a spiritual, or emotional bond like Ranger has with Fighter.

Regardless, the three condoned that Ranger should pursue the War God's path since Ranger had done countless things to earn his favor, from helping fellow warriors train, to learning various forms of combat, especially from such a young age, massacring the Demon Lord's lackeys, to acknowledging the War God and Love Goddess' marriage and paying tribute to it with his own. Ranger and Fighter even looked into the Love Goddess' teachings and found that Storm Mage's info was solid: the Love Goddess _does_ teach about passion between people in just about every form: friendship, sexuality, family bonds, love between people who treat each other like family, like Fighter and Warrior...it all fits. Even her miracles involve drawing power from bonds of love, even between people you don't know.

By sharp contrast, the War God's miracles involve raw destruction, like the miracle of Immolation which creates a flame at the target's location that cannot be extinguished by normal means, and will consume everything around it, even water and other flames, until the caster tells it to stop. Others gave the caster themselves power to cause destruction, like the infamous Army of One miracle give the caster Platinum level strength, speed, defenses, and magical power for as long as the caster can keep up the mental strain, but as a result, the War God only gave this miracle to his most loyal and competent worshipers. Considering that Ranger both heard of, and even got to witness the Hero's power first-hand when she and Sword Maiden teamed up to defeat a beast known as the Hecatoncheir when Sword Maiden graced him with a vision of the battle...it was quite a sensation just thinking about receiving the Army of One miracle.

Even without any miracles aside from Smith and eventually Immolation, Ranger found the War God's teachings/secrets about discipline to be priceless; he even learned the Art of Silent Wrath, or tranquil fury for those less in-the-know. It's a combination of a berserker's frenzy, and a zen practitioner's calm, the result was the ability to transfer all of one's power and speed into a single blow with near-pinpoint accuracy, which means that Ranger's already aggressive and brutal yet fluid and subtle style...was able to do that description even greater justice. On top of that, he recalled several times where he lost his temper over something, even and especially if it was hellish, like the time he beat a goblin within an inch of it's life after catching it red-handed violating a woman...after he shot a shaman between the legs with a crossbow.

The secret to tranquil fury was that one had to let go of how satisfying it was to get revenge, which is yet another form of lust to avoid, namely bloodlust. As difficult as it was to do, it was also fitting to get let your actions speak for themselves, especially since wrath tends to lead someone to sacrifice defense for offense, offense that goes to waste if one loses their life in battle. It was written by a priest of the War God that one only has power over their own mind, and nothing else, and one's power over the world around them is tied directly to their power over their mind, especially in a battle.

Ranger even learned some magic types that only servants of the War God are supposed to know, which included forming weapons out of liquefied metal like how Revenant did with his scythes...may he rest in peace. Assassin even showed off her knife-throwing skills being linked to her ability to teleport her knives back into her sheathes, and she helped Ranger train his tranquil fury skill by using yet another trick used by servants of the War God: pressure point striking. There are parts of the body where, if they're struck hard enough, will cause either pain, difficulty moving, or in extreme cases, subtle attacks on one's health itself. Assassin simply danced around Ranger weaving in and out of his moves which frustrated him at first, then he meditated on how he should keep control of his mind and stop expecting things to go well in extreme situations.

Assassin eventually took it up a notch by hitting Ranger in weak spots while his eyes were closed, which broke his self-control entirely and madehim charge at Assassin and she kept weaving around his uncoordinated attacks, and kept hitting him until he stopped attacking her...then he finally let go of his expectations and desire for control and started attacking her with the same level of coordination as she used. Granted all this training took the better part of a month thanks to how many interruptions there were, what with his wife carrying his child and his friends stopping by every now and then. He even caught both Cow Girl and Guild Girl watching him, but he told them he'd be fine and to not ask too many questions since business between servants of the War God was sacred and was kept secret for a reason.

* * *

As for his old teammates...true to her word, Wizard formed a portal between the frontier and Water Town, and they dropped by several times a week unless work kept them busy. Ranger's parents even moved to the frontier, including his mother, who now worked at the temple giving potions to those who needed them, and Ranger's father trained new adventurers like how Ranger was trained, with Warrior giving a hand, mostly with demonstrations and sparring, with the occasional renovation here and there. Wizard also got her younger brother involved, and the two helped train some adventurers in magic's use, and Wizard's brother was completely floored with the Gold Rank spells his sister was able to use in addition to what they learned at the academy.

Warrior took a nearly instant disliking to Wizard's brother thanks to how harsh he was to the trainees, but Wizard got him in-line; it seemed that Ranger rubbed off on her as well. Wizard's brother got involved in enchanting, alchemy, trapping, and especially summoning like his sister did; his favorite spells, aside from fire magic, was summoning spirit animals to fight for him, from bears to rip things open, to wolves to swarm foes, to birds to fly around and shoot magic bolts at foes, to mice and squirrels to scout with. Even Warrior who had to seriously get used to his future brother-in-law had to admit he was going to be a strong asset to the guild.

Wizard and Warrior weren't married, but they were still in a committed relationship; Ranger even caught the two aggressively kissing against a wall in their old apartment and jokingly told them to get a room, only to be reminded of the time he was in bed with Fighter at that elven village after they fought the ogre a year ago. Wizard was even able to break down some of the magic she studied and taught Ranger the Life Sight, and Repair spells. In return, Ranger showed her the idea of turning one's weapon into liquid and store it in their outfit, which turns out to be a form of alchemy, which is the only school of magic she has yet to perfect.

She even learned some illusion magic, with included inducing different emotions, especially rage and terror in her foes. As it turned out, illusion magic can be used in positive ways, like curing PTSD, but that was just as controversial as using negative emotion magic; emotions are extremely personal and reaching into someone to control their feelings is easier to abuse than it had a right to be. Wizard is one of the few people that was confirmed to be trustworthy with that kind of power. Ranger was more interested in that kind of magic, but swore that he would only use it in emergencies, or if his foes really deserve to feel certain ways; he would gladly make a horde of goblins blind with rage or fear and tear each other apart; it was a cowardly trick used on cowardly creatures.

When Ranger and Warrior were alone once while the ladies were having a baby shower for Fighter, Ranger asked how things were between Warrior and Wizard, and...they were having about as much luck as he had with Fighter; Ranger not only caught Warrior making out with Wizard...but Warrior was also fondling and squeezing her breasts. Ranger had seen Wizard naked when she was used for the Resurrection miracle that restored his body after he caught fire that one time underneath Water Town, and according to Warrior, while Fighter was still more muscular, Wizard was still swollen in all the right places. It's a well-known fact that different body types appeal to different people, and Wizard's clearly appealed to Warrior: slender but strong, soft and supple but still decently lean. Ranger could also see that Warrior bulked up quite a bit over the months, and just like Wizard, Warrior grew his hair out and each one had matching ponytails and bangs similar to his own, but that wasn't tribute; it was pure coincidence. She even joked to Warrior once about putting a spell on him, but Warrior said she already did a long time ago...Ranger had to admit that was a smooth-as-honey line indeed.

Priestess stuck with Goblin Slayer like she said she would, and it seemed her presence alone was enough to keep demonic forces at bay, probably out of fear; she _did_ help defeat a demon general afterall. She also healed and empowered the trainees if they needed it during training, when she wasn't doing so with Goblin Slayer's own team composed of High Elf Archer, Dwarf Shaman, and Lizard Priest of course. The four of them were nearly inseparable, especially on quests. She was practically a younger version of the Sword Maiden, and not just because of their similar looks; the two were like mother and daughter nowadays, and even had similar powers.

Her Grace even called Priestess to the Tempe of Law during one of her visits and helped turn the Temple into a conduit for the Supreme's power, although the most that could accomplish at this point was to make Storm Mage's demon hunts easier. Who knows? It may eventually become strong enough to blast the Demon Lord back into Hell with history's most powerful Holy Smite miracle someday, but that's a wildly hopeful goal if there ever was one. Ranger also debated whether or not to give Priestess the War God's blessing to add to her power but, not only is she already strong enough in her own right...she's too gentle-spirited to be an agent of the War God.

As for the other adventurers: Heavy Warrior and Female Knight were in an out-in-the-open relationship now, and even included Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric, who were both Sapphire Ranks now, due in no small part to Warrior and Wizard's training regime, and the equipment they had in store for them. A regime that was making the town's economic heart pound like a drum by the way; coin was flowing into the guild's pockets and by default, into the pockets of adventurers by the dozen, which in turn led to them buying more equipment, which was given to Wizard to enchant, who turned to Warrior to train in their use. Even some veterans asked for help once in a while. Ranger's father put his knowledge of how each weapon worked to use as well, especially by showing Warrior how to use non-enchanted ones, who then taught others how to use the enchanted ones. Ranger's mom even gave out potions if she couldn't outright sell them; blasphemous or not, asking for coin in return for items was a necessity. Coin made the world go round as the saying went.

Wizard's brother eventually got in on the action not wanting to be upstaged by his sister, and he studied her spells alongside some aspiring mages, and even some warriors of all types to be hybrids. Even some martial artists who wanted to be mages as well joined in, including a Rhea Fighter whom it was hinted that Wizard's brother had a thing for. It was almost too good to be true; goblins even tunneled up into he middle of town, attacked the training grounds, injured several adventurers who had to put their new skills and weapons to work, and Ranger's mom had to give them all Wizard's life potions to heal/cure their ailments. Luckily no one died, but the damage to the people's minds was already done: if goblins could tunnel into the middle of town...what else could they do?

Wizard and Warrior's equipment didn't change that much either, aside from the fact that Warrior was able to use an item that uses space magic to store an entire arsenal of enchanted weapons, which includes a glaive similar to the one Wizard uses, a pair of throwable axes, each with a spike and hook on them, like a halberd, which thanks to alchemy, can be liquefied and turned into a polearm version. Wizard still has her trusty glaive, and hired Spearman to continue her training in her spare time, and Warrior got in on the action too. Both of them put in heavy work when the goblins invaded the town too. Wizard used husks of her summoned elementals to enhance items as well, especially her and Warrior's armor. Warrior also put his lightning hammer to use every time he needed some magic to use in ranged combat.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter still had their original gear, especially his twin swords which he sacrificed to the War God, and got a replacement set of swords with leaf-shaped blades that must've been three and a half ft long. Perfectly designed for stabbing, slicing, and chopping into hard materials, especially since these had their dragon and demon blood replaced with blood from the War God himself...which made them not only nearly unbreakable and self-maintaining, but also sharp enough to carve through stone with ease.

The blades were also able to be charged with heat to not only make them anti-cold, but also makes them burn through their target as well as cut through it, not to mention the glow was both beautiful and...pretty intimidating; he almost felt sorry for anyone he'd hit with them. He still had his metal crossbow Wizard transmuted for him and it was still as functional as ever. He believed he could eventually liquefy the swords and crossbow and make other weapons with them, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

Wizard even tried to use alchemy on them...but her efforts were flatout rejected by the blades; the War God did not take kindly to his work being used for the sake of greed, even if it's this petty. Wizard could however try to give Fighter's arm and leg blades a similar enchantment, although...nothing could be promised. Wizard was even able to turn Ranger's armor into a mix of a form-fitting leather-like material with the metal mixed right into it, which made it deceptively flexible, as well as durable as it should be, some cloth pieces and armor plates attached to it to not only add to the aesthetic, but also the function. Fighter was given something similar, but of course, they would have to wait until she gave birth to try it out.

When she finally gave birth, it was luckily in the middle of a visit...so the ladies stayed with her to help set things up for the delivery, and Ranger rushed to get the doctor they were checking in with. Ranger himself had to leave the manor they were living in to get some air; he had faith she could handle the pain, but hearing her screams wore on his heart overtime, especially since it took several hours for her labor to end. Thank holiness he nearly mastered discipline thanks to the demon hunters. He was just about to come back inside when Cow Girl came out to get him instead. When he returned...Fighter, his love and life, was holding their newborn daughter in her arms, one who would have at least one other sibling if it was possible. Priestess was even kind enough to use a Healing miracle on Fighter to help with the strain of childbirth, and even bless the baby on the Sword Maiden's behalf.

Through it all however, Ranger never stopped looking at his new daughter, and recalled what Fighter had to endure since he's known her, from the countless goblins they butchered, to the two men who hit on Fighter that one time, to the other horrors they went through in Hell. Then he realized that if he and Fighter could handle all that darkness, then their daughter would be able to as well, given enough training, and of course there's his parents who would check up on their new granddaughter whenever possible, the friends she'll make as she grows up, and the team Ranger was surrounded by, along with the gods watching over this moment that were no doubt celebrating.

Imagine their surprise when Storm Mage showed up a few days later and said the Sword Maiden wanted to see them, and the delight in the Sword Maiden's face when she held the child; one would think she was the mother herself. It was clear she was taking this all _very_ personally. She flatout said that she sees the love between Ranger and Fighter as evidence of the Supreme's presence on Earth being as firm as it should be, and what could be more just than the marriage between two strong and benevolent adventurers who served the country and maybe the world in more ways than one?

She condoned Ranger's desire to follow the War God specifically so he can disperse justice to the world's enemies, especially goblins and the Evil Sect if and when it came to that. Her Grace even asked Storm Mage's Bard friend, and the elven Songstress he works with and apparently is infatuated with to help watch over the baby. This could be especially helpful for the baby's naptime; who better to do a lullaby or two than a pair who does this for a living? Some children of the neighbors even stopped by to check on the baby, with supervision of course.

* * *

When Fighter recovered from the strain of childbirth in full, she and Ranger got back into training together, and Fighter was relieved to no longer have to haul around another person inside her belly. She did lose some flexibility and strength, but she was back in action in no time, especially with Ranger there to massage her, carry her if needed, but didn't even consider groping her unless she said it was alright; her body was still a tad raw from her pregnancy, and it would take time to ween herself off of it. His respect for her never ceased to touch her heart; just the knowledge that he was there for her sped up her recovery, and he proved it even more whenever he held her, kissed her, and whispered reminders of his promises to her in her ear. He also put his new and improved cooking skills to use and fed her all the fish she could stomach, with some other things added to the mix as well; fish might be healthy but it gets old after a while. It was good for them to be able to train together again, although she was still a tad sore between the legs and had an issue getting up after stretching, it was nothing a life potion couldn't fix. Thanks to Priestess for healing her, even if it wasn't perfect.

Fighter tried her new suit on and it fit her like a glove; it emphasized her figure while still leaving a good deal to the imagination, it could withstand quite a bit of punishment that she barely felt when Ranger kicked her without his armor on to give her a chance to get used to it, and didn't slow her down when she tried her more advanced moves. Her arm and leg blades were taken to a statue of the War God to be blessed after a blood sacrifice from Ranger himself, and they were given the same heat enchantment and Fighter put them to use by shearing straight through a stone pillar with a hook-punch and a roundhouse kick followed by an axe kick one after the other. She also tried her hand at pressure point training, but didn't dare test that on her husband, so she was given a special dummy by Assassin to get a feel for where on a foe's body to hit for maximum impact. She was even able to learn which pressure points to hit if she wanted the opposite effect, like if someone had a headache she could get rid of, but using this skill in combat is less risky since in that case, you actually want your foe to go down. But of course, she would only use this skill in serious fights; using a potentially lethal skill normally was downright uncivilized.

A dwarven caravan even appeared about a month after Fighter gave birth, and Ranger offered to demonstrate a new technology: a revolver. It worked by having a special lever called a hammer strike a special powder inside a metal case in each chamber in the revolving cylinder to expel the slug of the case at a speed so high the slug couldn't be seen, let alone dodged unless the user's aim was off, or the target was too far away. The recoil and ear-splitting sound were something that would take serious getting used to, but Ranger could definitely see it coming in handy if things got too nasty, especially since the ammo, and the gun itself were the priciest things Ranger ever got: 500 gold for the gun, and 100 silver for each bullet, and that's including a discount for helping to test the weapon. With his new gun, swords, and armor, and old crossbow, he believed he'd be ready for anything.

Little did he know...he'd put his new toy to use sooner than he thought...

* * *

_In the eyes of a ranger, t__he unsuspecting stranger, h__ad better know the truth of wrong from right._

_'Cause the eyes of a ranger are upon you. A__ny wrong you do, he's gonna see. W__hen you're in Texas, look behind you, c__ause that's...where the ranger's...gonna be..._

* * *

**For those of you that don't know...Chuck Norris himself is behind those lines, and according to what I read, he sang that himself on the show Walker: Texas Ranger, and...well, it has "Ranger" in the lyrics so I thought it would be an appropriate tribute. To those of you who say this is just one big information dump, I do apologize for that, but what am I supposed to do? go through a year's worth of material before getting to the good stuff? I really don't want to do that thank you very much. Anyway, guns are now a thing in the Goblin Slayer universe, and let's face it: guns aren't too farfetched all-things-considered: they were made by dwarves, who are famous for being crafty, they're not easy to make and pricey as such, are rare as well, can and will become necessary, and above all, are going to be treated as a weapon, not a plot device, so if any of you want something like a minigun, it will not be without good reason. Anyway, I hope you're all ready for what comes next in my take on Goblin Slayer. Rate, review, and share, the whole spiel and stay tuned for what comes next.  
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	2. Chapter 1 Part I

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I'm sure you're all wondering what was up with that little cliffhanger at the end with Ranger's revolver being used sooner than he thought. Well, FYI, that revolver is yet another Darksiders reference; the horseman of War gets his own pistol in the 1st game at some point, and since Ranger follows the War God, I thought it would be fitting. For those of you that forgot, Ranger even wears a red cloak nowadays; the horseman of War is also known as the Red Rider...parallels much? Anyway, on with the show...**

**Review response: Telling and showing is a delicate balance, but the show already covered the things I didn't show in the first act, so that wasn't needed...AS I SAID ALREADY people, please pay attention. As for the prologue, I already apologized for dumping info, but I refuse to go through a year's worth of stuff, and break the consistency with differences so it wouldn't be so jarring.  
**  
****Taking risks is sometimes unavoidable, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Even if none of that was a factor, which it is...I cannot show each and every part of a sequence, and the times where I could've, nothing came to mind, and I can't write but I don't have. I promise to get better about that later on, but chances are, it won't be flawless.  
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**But for those of you who already did what you should've done, more power to you, but those that didn't...please, acknowledge the method in the madness; you'll save alot of time, effort, and grief, in this story, and in life itself, and I epicly fail to see how that's a disservice. I take full responsibility for my errors because that's the smartest and most ethically sound way to go about it, and lots of people agree, but I can never be responsible for everything that goes wrong, nor will I try.**

**A good chunk of what I explained by the way is already covered by the GS Light Novels, like Wizard's brother and Rhea Fighter, or Hecatonchier, but somethings will get away from me here and there, but those are on the table as well. As if that balance I mentioned wasn't delicate enough...**

**Don't get me wrong, I'm not offended, I'm concerned things might go too far south, especially when it's easy to avoid.  
**

* * *

It was the middle of a patch of scorched earth roughly a mile wide, with the exception of a mountain with a portal to the Astral Plane leading down a path. Butchered demons and chaos creatures were scattered every which way, in the distance a series of clanging sounds and roars were heard...

A figure in bulky, blood red armor and wielding twin swords, each one larger than the figure himself, was dancing through a crowd of various eldritch abominations craving through their diamond-hard flesh like a hot knife through melted butter, which was fitting since the swords glowed with the heat of the sun. The figure's movements weren't even human; he twisted, bent, maneuvered, and ran in ways that a normal human would never be able to. When he was done, and the butchered corpses of the monsters brave and foolish enough to face him were thrown about in every direction, he looked into the distance to see a massive mountain-sized centipede crawling around a burnt forest, then he rushed down the mountain he was fighting on with speed that would make a horse green with envy, then he jumped clear over a crater, punched a meteor to pieces like it was made of rotten wood as it came down on his head. When he reached the centipede, he summoned a horse out of a raging fire he lit while running, merged his twin swords into a single massive blade and craved the insect in two as he plunged the blade into it's mouth and continued running until the body was completely severed.

When he was done, he rushed towards a fortress in the distance, jumped off the horse which rammed into the wall as the figure ran straight up the wall, leaving small holes in the wall with each step, vaulted over the wall, rolled across the ground chopping two inhuman guards in half with one swing to each side, then he plunged the sword into the ground hard enough to make it shatter...than phantom copies of his blade popped out of the ground and impaled the guards who charged at them before vanishing and incinerating the corpses they impaled. He then merged the sword into his gauntlets and punched one of the larger guards so hard his body literally popped like a crushed watermelon. When the smaller, more agile guards got close, they too were smashed under the figure's mighty fists, if they weren't pulled apart, slammed into each other, or thrown into the walls around them.

A roar was heard and a demonic dragon flew overhead, and the moment it circled back around, the figure launched a harpoon with a chain out of his gauntlet, yanked the dragon down to the ground with enough force to collapse the ceiling of the fortress into the main hall below and he ripped off the dragon's head with brute force alone, then hurled it into the wall with enough force to bring it down on top of a few of the survivors of the ceiling's collapse. The figure then turned his right gauntlet into a revolver and shot down the guards that rushed into the chamber; the revolver didn't even need to be loaded between shots and a few of the guards dropped dead every second until they all ceased to live, then the royal took off down a hall with the figure in hot pursuit with his revolver turned back into a gauntlet. Eventually, the royal was corned in a pastry and the figure' shadow darkened the room...

The figure then walked towards the terrified royal with his gauntlets turning into his swords again, heated them, and as the figure crossed his arms to chop the royal in three pieces, his screams echoed through the outside world...

* * *

Ranger snapped his eyes open in the middle of the night, and looked around in his bed to see that Fighter was no longer sleeping next to him, so he slipped on his pants, went out to look for her, and when he found her...she was breastfeeding their daughter. Ranger then stood back and watched them. Witnessing such a pure moment between his two favorite females in the world helped restore balance to his mind, heart, and lungs. Eventually, Fighter placed their daughter in her crib, then spotted her husband standing there...shirtless and as handsome as he was when they met.

"What are you doing up?" Figher whispered seriously, and curiously.

"I just woke up from a...pretty intense dream. But seeing you be there for our daughter is something I could _not_ pull myself away from." Ranger said.

"You did what she did _plenty_ of times, and she needs my milk more than you do." Fighter teased as they walked back to bed.

"I rarely agree more, especially since I don't even try to coax it out of you." Ranger said as the two stripped and got into bed with her on top of him.

"Don't worry, I'll have plenty for _both_ of my babies." Fighter teased again which made Ranger squeeze her butt.

"I'll bet you will...and I'm sure the brood of children we have in the future will thank you as well." He said.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Fighter said before she kissed him deeply once, then another time just to make it sink in, then he wrapped his arms around her and they kissed deeply yet again, before Ranger broke the kiss several seconds after flipping them over.

"Wait, how is your womb?" He asked.

"Not well enough for us to shag again unfortunately. But like I said in the bathhouse: if you can handle burning, I can handle this." Fighter said with a sigh; she was clearly itching for him to be inside her again, despite the agony of labor.

"And I love you all the more for it. Did I ever tell you I love you?" Ranger asked softly as he stroked her silky hair.

"Every day when I was pregnant. You _definitely_ showed your love." Fighter said.

"And it's _still_ not enough, and I don't think it ever will be. I still can't believe you had to shoo me away from the house just to leave you be." Ranger said.

"Hey, you had to hold other people's hands too. Like you can't hold your team's hands either." Fighter said.

"Wow...you remember that?" Ranger asked amused.

"Yeah, Wizard was so offended when you first said that when we met..." Fighter said with a laugh.

"We also got on each other about how you had no weapons, and I was a "walking armory". Ranger said with a smile which Fighter laughed at.

"Could we be any less subtle...? Although...to be fair, the fact you had a ranged weapon, namely that crossbow...that probably saved us more trouble than it had a right to." Fighter said softly.

"I remember. Goblins show their faces, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam! Five down. I can hear Goblin Slayer counting them right now." Ranger said proudly and Fighter cut off his memory lane trip with a laugh before Ranger sighed. "Then that hob showed up...man, seeing you get your foot nearly crushed was not fun."

"It was even less fun if it was happening to you. I thought that giant sack of shit was going to tear my leg off." Fighter said seriously.

"But he didn't. I put that hob down where it belonged, dragged you back to safety, and I'd do that over and over if I have to. I even checked your leg to see how bad it was...I don't know if you noticed, but I was pretty flustered since I was checking your body for an injury; I'd be even more flustered if I knew what you looked like under that robe." Ranger said before snickering.

"You're such a perv..." Fighter teased.

"That _just_ dawned on you? We're married and have a child for the Supreme's sake. Plus I've groped you who-knows-how-many times, not that you mind right?" Ranger teased, and the two then had a decent laugh after that statement, especially Fighter who kissed his cheek.

"Bless your father for giving that crossbow to you." Fighter said dreamily.

"Technically he's _your_ father too...just like yours is now mine..." Ranger said seriously then softly, and hugged her naked and plump-yet-toned form against his bulk as she teared up somewhat. "He would be delighted to see our daughter..."

"And I'm delighted to be her mother..." Fighter whispered against her husband's chiseled pecs, and stayed there until she got a grip and Ranger was gracious enough to dry her tears with his thumbs. "May I ask about your dream?"

"Well...it was by far the most intense dream I ever had...it involved a figure wearing blood red armor slaughtering monsters by the hundreds, if not thousands, by himself, and he did things a human being should _never_ be able to do."" Ranger said hesitantly.

"Such as?" Fighter asked with concern.

"Remember how outlandishly strong the Revenant was at the farm?" Ranger asked, to which Fighter nodded. "Things like that, only...this guy destroyed an entire fortress with power similar to the magic I learned from the War God, only...he was clearly a _master_."

"Holy shit..." Fighter whispered.

"I have no idea if it was a vision of the future or past, but it felt so real, it might as well have been either. For all I know, that was the War God himself." Ranger said.

"That's unlikely. Since when do the gods come down to Earth. Well...the Death God does, but, he lives here." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"Maybe...oh whatever. If it's important I'll learn more. We have some sleep to catch..." Ranger said as he pulled Fighter close.

"Right, good night my love." Fighter said as she snuggled into him even more.

"Good night beautiful." Ranger whispered against her hair.

* * *

The next morning, about three hours after sunrise, Ranger checked on his baby daughter, and she was unironically sleeping like a baby, and he watched her through the bars of her crib, then reached through when she finally woke up and spotted him . Then she clutched his fingers with her own, wrapping her entire hand around one of his fingers, then he caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Good morning daughter. I know you had quite an eventful few weeks of life, but I promise you, things will pick up from here. You may even acquire as much, if not more greatness than myself and your mother. I look forward to watching you grow, and to see the children you yourself will have with the man you no doubt will love as much as your mother loves me." Ranger said softly before picking the girl up and holding her close. "But that will happen when it happens; for now...just focus on your growth." He then stood there holding his daughter, then put her back down, and stayed there by her side, until one of the servants showed up.

"Sir? Storm Mage is here to see you." The servant said, and Ranger sucked in a breathe.

"I must go daughter...I love you dearly." Ranger whispered then went to the front to see Storm Mage.

"Her Grace wants to talk to you; I think it's about a mission." Storm Mage said seriously.

"What kind?" Ranger asked.

"She didn't say, nor did I ask. You may want to say good-bye to your family and get your gear together before going." Storm Mage said.

"Yeah yeah, I hear you..." Ranger said as if insulted, then went back inside and saw Fighter getting out of bed, not even bothering to cover herself. "Her Grace wants to see me.

"Well...can't keep her waiting." Fighter said as Ranger got his stuff then started stretching. He didn't know if it was intentional, but he got some...pretty good views of her best sides...then she noticed him pausing his dress-up to look her over "Seen enough?"

"I will never see enough of you...and don't call me a perv again; I'm allowed to check out those goods." Ranger teased.

"And unless there's a shortage, like when I was pregnant...you'll _always_ be able to get a taste." Fighter said before licking her lips; she knew full-well that drove him nuts.

"Careful, if you keep that up, we'll have a second child before you know it..." Ranger said with his voice lowering a bit.

"Just go see Her Grace before I get out of this bed..." Fighter playfully snapped, as Ranger put his crossbow on his back.

"See ya..." Ranger said as he turned to leave.

"Hey! Aren't you forgetting something?" Fighter teased as she sat up with a smirk on her face, while she held herself up with her hands on the bed, behind her back and even bent a leg to add some spice, before he walked over, removed his gauntlets and slammed his lips against hers while holding her up with one hand, and fondling her breasts with the other as she moaned into their kiss while holding onto his shoulders and running her hands through his hair. He eventually lowered her onto the bed and much to her delight, as her husband ran his hand up and down her thick, creamy leg.

"Will these goods of yours ever stop being so _sweet_...?" Ranger asked with lust in his voice.

"Only when you say they aren't..._boss_." Fighter teased before pulling him into another deep, noisy kiss before Ranger reluctantly pulled away.

"I will come back before too much longer..." Ranger said before leaving her.

* * *

Storm Mage led Ranger to the Temple of Law and found Sword Maiden there in all her glory and she smiled the moment Ranger showed up and bowed to him, to which he bowed deeper.

"Your Grace..." Ranger said softly.

"Ranger. Thank you for arriving so quickly. I have a quest for you, and it _cannot_ wait." Sword Maiden said.

"Goblins?" Ranger asked seriously.

"Not likely; I've received reports of strange activity going on in the northern part of the kingdom, but nothing was said of goblins." Sword Maiden said.

"Strange activity...sounds like an investigation quest to me." Ranger said. He remembered Guild Girl saying that investigation quests were unpredictable, and this was probably not likely to hold any good surprises like the one his team took where they met Abbot, and the old man was kind enough to demonstrate the power of a Gold Rank and give them some strong gear that benefits them all to this day.

"That's right. Storm Mage needs to remain here to act as my enforcer, and your wife should stay to look after you daughter, not to mention that the others are still at the frontier facing their own challenges. Supreme watch over them." Sword Maiden said.

"So that just leaves me...is there anything I should be aware of?" Ranger asked.

"Well...how much do you know of the North?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Other than it's got mild summers, bitingly cold winters, werewolves, and a whole bunch of others undesirable creatures roaming the wilderness? Not much." Ranger said.

"I see. Aside from what you said, the guild has a stronger presence there than one would think; there's been almost no major activity there until now, because of not only the vast number of strong adventurers there, but also the fierce warrior spirit inhabiting the land itself some say. The people there would sooner die fighting than become victims; some even kill themselves by hanging as a shortcut to Heaven." Sword Maiden said.

"How does that work?" Ranger asked confused.

"I believe it's because their Chief God once did the same thing to acquire knowledge from the dead, because hanging is supposedly an unpleasant way to die and it requires a great deal of bravery as such, or both. Regardless, the Northerners shouldn't give you too much trouble; they may be fierce, but they also value honor and heroism, not unlike yourself, and if you make it clear that you are there to help them, they will surely aid in any way possible, from hospitality, to directions, to fighting by your side if possible." Sword Maiden said.

"I do like the sound of that. Wait, how far am I traveling?" Ranger said.

"Not far my good sir, not far at all..." A voice came from above surprising only Ranger...and it belonged to a child-sized angel, or cherub. But...they were the handmaids of the Supreme God, why was one of them here?

"Are...are you-?" Cherub cut Ranger off.

"What? You fought through a legion of demons, on their home turf nonetheless, but seeing an angel floors you? You humans never cease to amaze..." Cherub said.

"Well...may I ask why a cherub is fluttering about in front of me right now?" Ranger asked with curiosity.

"I believe the good Sword Maiden here should have that honor." Cherub said while motioning to her.

"This good cherub contacted me in a dream last night and mentioned that something...big was on it's way, and whatever is going on in the north is or will be the cause of it, and you were a prime candidate for this quest, so he also intends to go with you." Sword Maiden said.

"So...I'm going on an investigation quest...to find out what big thing is going to happen...and I'm going to have a cherub with me?" Ranger summarized which made Sword Maiden nod. "I'm sorry, but won't that be a bit...odd for the northerners?"

"Not a problem my good sir..." Cherub said as he disappeared in a poof of blue smoke as Ranger looked around. "Down here!" Ranger looked down to see a fist-sized golden cage with the cherub inside it.

"How did you do that?" Ranger asked in awe as he picked up the cage.

"I simply weaved the fabric of reality into something more suitable for the situation." Cherub said simply.

"But what are you doing exactly?" Ranger asked.

"Hitching a ride on your belt. What does it look like I'm doing?" Cherub asked.

"O.k...let me back up: since when can you wrap the fabric of reality?" Ranger asked.

"Ranger...you may be blessed by the War God but that only excuses some of your ignorance. But to answer you...all angels can do this to at least some degree. In fact, under the Supreme's orders, the archangels created the Earth, sky, seas, even the stars, and easily too. Granted they haven't been as strong as they were at the time since, but it's still a feat in and out of itself. The most impressive thing I did was restore a mountain range and...you would not believe how much of a pain that was." Cherub said.

"O.k...I have a reality-bending angel with me who can do pretty much anything, this is hardly fair to my foes." Ranger said.

"Not so fast, I have a code to follow: I am not to interfere in your task in any way that isn't absolutely necessary. I can talk to you yes, but my reality control is off the table unless the world is doomed without me." Cherub said.

"I see..." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"The absolute most I'm allowed to do for you is help your progress with the powers of the War God, and send you there and back with teleportation, but this is ultimately something for _you_ to do." Cherub said.

"I guess that'll help enough." Ranger said.

"Also...I can do this." Cherub said as his cage vanished like it wasn't there and then reappeared hovering in mid-air. "If things get too nasty, I'll return to Heaven and reappear when the fight's over. Actually...might do that regardless, but I'll still be that voice in your head should you need me. Don't worry, I'll try not to annoy you too badly."

"So...you showed me you can form a cage, and shrink yourself to boot, and now you're saying you'll go to Heaven and back despite having that power?" Ranger summarized which made the cherub groan.

"There's that _adorable_ tendency among humans to summarize the obvious again. I might have second thoughts like humans, but there's a reason for the first thoughts as well, namely...a demonstration of my reality control. Capiche'?" Cherub said.

"Hey, you might be who-knows-how-old, but...I'm not used to encountering supernatural creatures that can wrap reality. I am pretty damn smart by human standards, but that's just it." Ranger said.

"Oh relax, I was just testing you. Even bad things can lead to good things, and it's my job to help people do that, even if they have to figure it out themselves. Like my talking-down-to-humans act just now." Cherub said with a smile.

"Right...and not just getting to the point instead of delaying an urgent quest?" Ranger asked seriously.

"Actually...I stopped time outside of this room, and no one is close enough to notice how long or short this meeting is taking. We literally have all the time in the world, and it's well-spent if you ask me, but we should still get going; stopping time isn't as fun as you'd think." Cherub said.

"Right...well, unless you have any more "lessons" for me, I'll be on my way back home first, then it's off to the north for me." Ranger said.

"May the Supreme see you through good Ranger." Sword Maiden said with a small bow which Ranger returned deeper before leaving and the Cherub vanished and resumed time after leaving.

"By the way, that dream you had last night? It was about the War God's champion, or, the Destroyer as he was called back then. And that armor? The Apocalypse Armor, a pretty ironic name since it's supposed to _stop_ the apocalypse, which it did when the forces of chaos got too strong to contain and the Destroyer had to step in, and as you can probably guess, he became a Platinum Rank either before or after, I keep getting that part mixed up." Cherub's voice was heard saying.

"Why was I shown that battle?" Ranger thought.

"Because there's a chance you might get either the same power, or similar powers at some point, but the Supreme has been pretty tight-lipped, even towards us angels about that fact." Cherub said which made Ranger stop walking. If he was going to become the next Destroyer...what would he destroy, why, and when? "In fact, I left something out: I'm authorized to give your Wizard friend the power to make a lesser version of the Apocalypse armor, with the same tools, but not the same power; there is only one Apocalypse Armor, and the War God himself has it."

"What am I supposed to tell my wife...?" Ranger asked.

"Whatever you trust her with. And FYI, I've looked at just about every woman on Earth; only a handful would suit you better, but I know you...even if you found one of them, you'd still stick with her. That kind of loyalty justifies everything the Sword Maiden thinks about you two." Cherub said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Ranger said half-seriously as he neared his home.

* * *

"This has got to be the most insane situation I've ever heard of." Fighter said in disbelief.

"You know I would never make this up." Ranger said seriously.

"But...you becoming the War God's champion, that's...while I would love to see how much havoc you would wreak on the right people, just the idea is alot to take in." Fighter said.

"There's no guarantees; just because the chance is there doesn't mean it'll actually happen. Destiny only tells what may be, not what will be." Ranger said.

"I remember you saying that when the old man sent us the first letter. Even though he stopped by every now and then...I really miss him sometimes." Fighter said.

"So do I, but at least he's giving Warrior and Wizard a hand. They might even have Gold Ranks just around the corner, and if things pick up for us, we might as well." Ranger said.

"And Platinum?" Fighter asked half-jokingly.

"Come on, we'd have to do something that's mind-blowing even by Gold Rank standards just to have a chance." Ranger deadpanned.

"Right..." Fighter said as she leaned on Ranger's chest on their bed and they hugged each other tightly. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too..." Ranger whispered into her braided hair. "But I _will_ come back; I don't care if I have to tear through half the total number of goblins in the world, I will come back."

"I believe you." Fighter said before kissing him deeply and softly."Put the skills you learned from me to use?"

"Of course." Ranger said before pointing to his ponytail and bangs. "I even have this to remember you by. Wow, even when we're apart, we're right next to each other." The latter statement brightened his wife's face, on which he planted a kiss. "I love you."

"And I love you..." Fighter whispered as the cherub overhead made a portal in the middle of the room and Ranger reluctantly let go of his beloved Fighter and entered the portal.

* * *

When he exited the portal, he was struck by a biting cold wind, which Cherub rectified by giving him a fur coat, and while he was at it, he put a strange spell on Ranger's armor.

"What did you do?" Ranger asked.

"Try to melt your swords." Cherub said.

"How?" Ranger asked.

"Think about them melting and turning into a weapon type, and insist that it happens." Cherub said, and Ranger pulled his swords, did what Cherub said and his swords liquefied and turned into a set of gauntlets ideal for punching which made Ranger's heart and lungs race; he almost wished he had some goblins to smash but got a grip thanks to his discipline training. "If someone asks, say it's alchemy; it technically is."

"Right..." Ranger said before looking around. He was in a clearing in the middle of some woods, with a town on the other side of a river with a bridge between the two sides.

"You should start there; you'll find the rest of your trek on your own from here on out. You know the drill; you get too stuck or something serious needs your attention and it's not getting it, I'll be there." Cherub said. "

"But that's all I'm getting, I get it." Ranger said as the Cherub vanished and he made his way to the town.

* * *

When he got there, he noticed how busy the place was. The people were constantly at work with their various tasks: woodcutting, hauling in fish, bringing meats, cheese, and harvests, fixing and building things, socializing with other people, and of course, hawking goods for sale. He noticed a guild hall on the far side of town, a tavern on the another. He checked out the guild hall first, which didn't have that many people, but since it was just before afternoon, they must all be out questing. His idea was confirmed when the quest board was nearly empty, and the staff said it was full before he arrived. Unfortunately no one knew anything about stranger activities, which was pretty odd, but they pointed him to the tavern to see if the locals knew anything.

He then checked out the tavern next, and it was full of people who weren't associated with the guild swapping stories, joking, listening to the bards play, some even flirting with wait staff, which assumed Ranger to a degree. He even saw a girl pull a man into a backroom and they practically slammed the door behind them which he could not take seriously to save his life.

"Can I help you?" The bartender asked.

"I heard there were some strange activities going on here?" Ranger said as a girl came out of her room and got a bit to eat. She looked a bit like Fighter, only younger and slightly less "developed". She had the same black hair and eyes, but she looked less lively and confident. Her outfit was that of an herbalist; she even had some special plants he recognized as herbs sticking out of her pouch.

"There were some sightings of werewolves and some larger beasts, but some of the local Silver Ranks already took them out. Maybe something happened further north?" Bartender said.

"Further north here I come." Ranger said and the girl snapped to look at him, put her leftovers in her pouch and went up to him.

"Excuse me, sir? I...I'm heading that way as well, could you please take me with you?" She asked.

"Are you afraid of the beasts that roam these lands?" Ranger asked seriously.

"Not to the extreme, but...it's better safe than sorry, and I noticed you're Silver Rank yourself; I'd feel much safer if you came with me." Herbalist girl said.

"O.k. let's go." With that, the two made their way out of town after the girl got on her own horse from the stable, they traveled along the river and he decided to break the ice. "May I ask why you were here and where you came from?"

"I'm from the next town we're bound to come across. As for why I was here...I was visiting my grandparents in the woods, who were also herbalists themselves, then...we heard a voice, one that didn't even sound human. My grandparents urged me to leave, and when I did...a man stopped by, and threatened to kill them if they mentioned what the man was doing to anyone." Herbalist Girl said.

"What was he doing?" Ranger asked urgently.

"I don't know, but I don't trust him at all." Herbalist girl said with fear in her voice.

"What did he look like?" Ranger asked.

"He wore a black robe with purple and red markings on it, wore a large hood, and he himself had a decent-sized beard." Herbalist Girl said.

"I see...well, if I ever find him, I'll wring some answers out of him." Ranger said.

"You don't mean you'll torture him do you?" Herbalist girl asked.

"I prefer not to, but I'll do what I must. Can't say I'd feel guilty if he's part of the Evil Sect." Ranger said.

"Evil Sect?" Herbalist Girl asked before thinking. "That would actually make sense."

"Let's just keep going shall we?" Ranger said and the two pressed on until they stopped to rest for a while.

* * *

Ranger used the Life Sight spell Wizard taught him and saw the river had some large catfish swimming near the shore, which he shot with his crossbow until he had three; each one large enough to feed them both with some leftovers. He then cut the fish apart, started a fire and flavored each piece with spice he brought with him, and some he bought in town, before the two chowed down.

"What gods do you pray to?" Ranger asked after swallowing some fish.

"The Earth Mother. You?" Herbalist Girl said.

"The Supreme God, but mostly the War God." Ranger said before taking a bite. "The Love Goddess sometimes, but her husband wants more to do with me than she does."

"That explains your aura." Herbalist Girl said which made Ranger look at her funny. "You seem like the kind of person who would either want to be in battle as often as possible, or has been in battle more than you should've been."

"You're mostly right in the second account, but...the first isn't far off either. There were times where I was in a fight I didn't want to be in, but I disliked the option of running and leaving the people to their fates even more. The War God knows this, which is why he favors me." Ranger said.

"I thought the War God encouraged people to fight for glory?" Herbalist Girl wondered.

"Not true; fighting for glory is a pipedream. The only reason one should ever fight is if something bad is happening, or if someone needs your help. Otherwise...fate is not on your side." Ranger said before continuing to eat his fish, then goes for another as Herbalist Girl watched and ate her own fish slower.

"The Earth Mother must be the opposite of the War God." Herbalist Girl said thoughtfully.

"She is." Ranger said. "I know a priestess who saved my life and a few of my teammates who also worships the Earth Mother; she once told me that the Earth Mother got on her for using the miracle of Purify on a goblin shaman who had tainted blood, but needed it to survive. She doesn't take kindly to her miracles being directly used to end lives. The War God outright encourages his miracles being used to end lives."

"Have you done so before?" Herbalist Girl asked cautiously.

"No, but I'm more than willing to do so if I need to. But let's speak of something lighter. if you please." Ranger said.

"Such as?" Herbalist Girl asked.

"Well, what are your friends and family like?" Ranger asked.

"My mother no longer lives with us; she and my father divorced about a year ago. My father works with some hunters, and my older sister is carrying my future nephew or niece right now." Herbalist Girl said.

"That's lovely. About a month ago, my wife gave birth to my daughter." Ranger said.

"You have a family yourself?" Herbalist Girl asked.

"You sound surprised." Ranger said.

"Well...no offense, but I never thought the War God's followers and the idea of a family went together." Herbalist Girl said.

"I wasn't always one of his followers. I actually obtained some of his power recently, while my wife was pregnant." Ranger said.

"I...don't think I've ever seen his power in action." Herbalist Girl said.

"Pray you never do." Ranger said seriously as he looked at the sunset. "We should get some sleep..."

* * *

"Hey Ranger! Wake up!" Cherub's voice was heard and Ranger woke up just after he fell asleep and looked around to see his companion was no longer in her sleeping bag, which made him use his Life Sight spell and his heart sank...she was being carried through the woods by a pair of small figures, and he gathered his arms and rushed after them.

When he got to them...his fears were confirmed: goblins. The pair reached their laughing brothers and got to work tearing the clothes off of her unconscious body. Ranger immediately pulled his revolver and fired, making the goblins yell in pain and cover their ears...except for the shaman who had a huge hole in his hip. Ranger then pulled his swords, rushed into the crowd of about two dozen goblins and craved through their bodies like they weren't even there; he barely even felt any resistance as he worked them over. The few that died from their wounds were the lucky ones; Ranger intentionally let his swords hit non-vital organs to make sure his victims would stay alive as long as possible. Death was too easy for these creatures. He even heated his blades to cauterize their wounds, which stopped their bleeding, and made them suffer even more. Ranger knew the pain caused by burns first-hand, but still felt satisfied making goblins feel it.

The shaman tried to cast lightning at him, only for him to throw a newly-formed knife at the shaman and hit's him right in the side of the head. He then gathering the barely-alive goblins, threw them all into a pile then checked on Herbalist Girl. She had a small gash on the back of her head, but she was still alive. He then used a Repair spell to restore what little clothing was removed from her admittedly beautiful body. It was even more insulting to think she'd die from hypothermia or even frostbite on top of these creatures violating her. When he was done treating her, he placed her against one of the nearby structures and turned back to the mass of dying goblins.

"Lord of the Sword, Master of the Mace. Raze my foes with the destructive power of chaos. Immolation!" Ranger prayed and a burst of fire exploded from his hand and engulfed the goblins, who all took less than a minute to be reduced to a pile of ash, with Ranger watching their final moments of life being spent in total agony with nothing but antipathy in his face. Even the smell of charred goblin flesh did nothing to deter his gaze.

When his work was done, he turned to Herbalist Girl, who was still breathing faintly, picked her up, cradled her in his arms and walked back to camp before pouring some healing potion directly on her wound which made it stop bleeding, and completely heal in less than a minute. Now all he could do is get some sleep himself...if he could.

* * *

**I'll bet you weren't expecting a goblin massacre so soon eh? Anyway...goblins getting their hands on a girl who looks like Ranger's wife, while he's around equals automatic death sentence. But why are goblins here? Who was the man Herbalist Girl mentioned? Stay tuned to find out...**


	3. Chapter 1 part II

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I forgot to mention: that scene where Ranger and Herbalist Girl talk about the gods they worship was inspired by the 1980's Conan the Barbarian movie where Conan and his mongol companion do the same thing, only the differences are...pretty in-your-face. Plus, Ranger got to shoot some fish with his crossbow...as if he wasn't manly enough he used a crossbow to fish with; if that's not manly I don't know what it. Wait until Fighter hears about that eh? Anyway, what the hell are goblins doing here, and why didn't Her Grace tell Ranger sooner? Let's find out...**

**Review Response: Yeah, the War God has some nice timing doesn't he? That dream could very well be an omen, or build-up to some cataclysmic event to come, but there's only one way to find out...**

**I doubt Herbalist Girl would be much help, especially since if Ranger wasn't there...well, let's not go there. But since he was there, he got to test the miracle of Immolation, after he gave those little green shitgrains what for. Chances are she wouldn't even notice since she was clobbered, out cold, and had some minor head trauma to boot; good thing our big, red, hero was there to show what he learned from Goblin Slayer eh? Even when GS isn't there...he's there.**

**As for Navi? I never played any of the Zelda games, but after looking into the lore a bit...you have a point, but since Cherub can warp reality itself, he's probably much stronger; reality control is quite possibly the most overpowered ability there is, except maybe fate control, but his "I'm not allowed to do this" shtick is there to keep him from breaking the plot, for obvious reasons; what's the point of Ranger being there if Cherub can pull stunts that would make Platinum Ranks green with envy? Cherub said himself "this is ultimately something for YOU to do". You ever play a video game where someone is there to help you, but they only show up if you call them, or if you SERIOUSLY need them? This is like that only...it's Goblin Slayer.**

* * *

Come morning, Herbalist Girl woke up with a splitting headache, and saw that the sun was starting to rise, but her Ranger companion wasn't there. She looked around and spotted him shooting more fish...and he looked like hell.

"Ranger...?" She called softly, and Ranger stopped to look at her with his droopy eyes, then went back to fishing. "Are you alright?"

"I couldn't sleep last night." Ranger groaned as he shot a fish.

"Is something wrong?" Herbalist Girl asked.

"How's you head?" Ranger asked.

"I have a small headache, but I'll get past it. Are you alright?" Herbalist Girl asked.

"Are you hungry?" Ranger asked.

"Ranger...please answer me first." Herbalist Girl said and Ranger looked right at her.

"No, I had to fight off some goblins last night, you hit your head in the process, I'm hungry myself, I want some more food for the way and I can't _fucking_ sleep!" Ranger snapped which made Herbalist Girl flinch before Ranger calmed down a bit. "Sorry...I'm a bit on-edge..."

"I get it...wait, goblins attacked us and hit me on the head?" Herbalist Girl asked seriously which made Ranger stop and take the two small ones he managed to catch back to camp.

"Yes...and you were an inch away from becoming their next victim." Ranger said grimly.

"What...? What does that even mean?" Herbalist Girl asked in horror.

"Listen to me...goblins are said to be the weakest monster type, and while that's debatably true, they're also sadistic beyond words." Ranger said with his hate barely being concealed. "They torture every single man they can get ahold of until they're dead...but those are the lucky ones; women either suffer the same fate, or they're forced to become breeding stock for them. Words cannot express how happy I am to have been with you at the time..."

"They would've...no that...if you hadn't been there..." Herbalist Girl trailed off.

"Don't...don't even start that. I _was_ here. Now...do you recall anything?" Ranger asked.

"I got up, I went behind a tree to...relieve myself, and...now I'm here." Herbalist Girl said.

"The two that captured you must've bashed you with a rock. Then I used the miracle of Immolation to punish them and those other abominations they call brothers." Ranger said.

"How often have you encountered this kind of thing...?" Herbalist Girl asked urgently.

"More often than is probably good for me...if it wasn't for my wife, I would've gone mad...and you, my dear girl, look alot like her; I had as much chance of allowing you to go through that kind of hell as I had of allowing it to happen to her." Ranger said.

"But...while I'll admit I find you easy to look at, especially since that fishing you did was pretty...intense, in the right way too...I just met you." Herbalist Girl said honestly.

"Nevertheless, I did what I did out of hatred for the goblins, but also out of compassion for you; love and compassion might be similar, but they're still different. In my case...they're apparently equal as well. Now...we should continue before I pass out." Ranger said, and with that, Herbalist Girl got on her horse, with Ranger behind her, and they rode to the next town which they reached about an hour later.

* * *

It wasn't much different from the first town, only this one had walls, towers, guards and a town hall for a lord, or jarl as they're called in this part of the country, to live in. He would be best off getting an audience with the jarl to get the best answers.

He first decided to check into an inn to get some proper sleep. He didn't say it to Herbalist Girl, but he couldn't sleep not only because he was not used to sleeping in a bag...but because he missed having his wife sleeping next to him. Even when he wasn't touching her fleshiest body parts, just her body's heat, silkiness, and especially her motions, made his before-sleep phase much smoother to get past. He missed her in more ways than one, but there were people counting on him, and he came too far to back out. Herbalist Girl looking like Fighter both encouraged him, and made him miss his real wife all the more...as if he wasn't exhausted enough.

When they reached the inn, it was practically exploding with people, and Ranger had to wait for the owner to finish with some customers before he could have his turn. He kept Herbalist Girl in front of him at all times. Sure his presence alone was probably enough to discourage any men who thought with the wrong head to try something funny with her, but he still felt quite protective of her, for obvious reasons. After he finally got a chance to talk to the owner, he bought a room for a few hours to get some shut-eye. The owner assumed the two were romantically involved, but Ranger quickly dismissed that by saying he has a family with another woman, and he put some silver coins down and went to sleep while Herbalist Girl worked on her journal.

"Girl? How old are you?" Ranger asked as he started removing his armor.

"16. You?" She asked.

"20..." Ranger said as he laid down. He knew she was looking him over, but he made it clear he was not interested in her.

* * *

"Ranger? Are you hungry?" Herbalist Girl asked when she woke Ranger up at twilight.

"Not very, but yes. Why?" He asked only to smell bread, melted cheese, pork chops and some ale on the side on the table in their room.

"I bought some different food for us to feast on. Sorry there isn't more; that's all I could afford." Herbalist Girl said.

"It'll do." Ranger said as he sat up and stretched. "Grab my feet please." He then did a few hand-stand push-ups with Herbalist Girl keeping him from falling, then he twisted his feet out of her grip and put his underarmor back on, before sitting down to eat...with her watching him the whole time. "Well, are you going to eat your fill, or just stare at me?" Herbalist Girl then looked away blushing, then rushed to the table to eat. When they were done, Ranger put his armor and weapons on, and went to see if the jarl was excepting visitors, luckily, he was, and the guards let the pair inside.

"Good lord? I am here to investigate some rumors." Ranger said with a bow.

"On who's authority I might ask?" The Jarl asked.

"The Sword Maiden's." Ranger said which made the whole court gasp and murmur among themselves.

"A Silver Ranked adventurer sent by the one and only Sword Maiden. This is an interesting occasion indeed." The Jarl said as he stood from his throne. "Come with me. The girl with you should stay here." The two men went upstairs to a back room. "Over the past two weeks, some people have mysteriously disappeared without a trace. At first it was the people no one thought would be missed. Beggars, drunkards, prostitutes, you name it, but then...more noteworthy people started vanishing, including a local priestess."

"Any suspects?" Ranger asked.

"Suspects? The culprit is confirmed to be a pack of vampires! But...without the priestess, no one can track them, let alone fight them." Jarl said

"And that's where I come in." Ranger said.

"Have you dealt with vampires before?" Jarl asked.

"Worse; I've dealt with a revenant." Ranger said.

"A revenant? A servant of the Death God? Are you serious?" Jarl asked with his face going pale.

"I haven't fought him, but I saw his powers, and if these vampires have a leader that's as strong as he is, which I seriously doubt, then I should be able to match him, or at least give him a hard time."

"A Silver Rank matching a vampire leader equal to a Platinum Rank in terms of raw power...that's quite a claim." Jarl said as he crossed his arms.

"My good lord...myself and eight other adventurers faced a demon general in the bowels of Hell itself and won. Four of them helped me face down a dragon ourselves, and an ogre with a different group of four adventurers, and I myself have the blessing of the War God, and Supreme God on my side. These vampires are going to die, by my hand, or by the hand of another should I merely weaken them." Ranger said firmly.

"You had better not be ideally boasting; my hold itself could be on the line." Jarl said seriously.

"I speak nothing but the truth my good lord." Ranger said.

"Jarl...address me as Jarl." He said.

"My apologizes Jarl." Ranger said with a small bow. "Do you have any leads for me to follow?"

"On the second week, I had my guards and a few scouts look around for any evidence of vampire attacks, and the results were...overwhelming. Countless bodies were found with a series of bites marks on their necks, as if they were ravaged by wolves with human mouths. Clearly the bite of a vampire." Jarl said.

"And this was allowed for two weeks?" Ranger asked sharply.

"It wasn't _allowed_ mind you; I had my guards look into it, but there was nothing to find, and none of the victims were particularly noteworthy to be frank, so I devoted my time and effort to running my hold. But when the priestess failed...I knew something had to be done. Unfortunately...I know not where to start looking for the source of these attacks." Jarl said.

"I know someone who can help us, well...me at least. But I will need some time." Ranger said.

"I hope it isn't too much time. Every minute counts here." Jarl said.

"It will not. Please have faith good Jarl." Ranger said as he turned to leave, but stopped at the last moment. "Wait...what about the goblins in this region?"

"Goblins? I can't say there was that much goblin activity. Why?" Jarl asked.

"That girl I'm with was captured and nearly raped by a pack of them." Ranger said seriously.

"Raped? So the rumors _are_ true...I will alert the guild, and my guards to take better care in their patrols." Jarl said.

"Speaking of your guards, I couldn't help but notice the number of them, and how they're spread." Ranger said.

"Impressive aren't they? You can count the number of crimes we had within these walls over a past month with the fingers on one hand, and even then, the ones responsible didn't get away with it." Jarl said proudly.

"That is quite impressive good Jarl." Ranger said with a small bow. "What about the Evil Sect?"

"Heh, I have no doubt the vampires are in league with them, especially the fabled vampire queen; many think she's a myth, but she had the nerve to visit me in my chambers alone, and...she tempted me to give her a child. When I refused...she vowed vengeance. "No one refuses the queen" she told me." Jarl said with a sigh.

"You think these vampire attacks are that vengeance?" Ranger asked.

"I can't be sure, but it's impossible to ignore how likely it is. Just promise me you'll end these vampires. Too many lives were lost as it is." Jarl said.

"I swear on my wife's ring, I will stop at nothing to see these vampires brought to justice. I must leave you now." Ranger said.

"Godspeed veteran." Jarl said as Ranger left.

* * *

"May I ask?" Herbalist Girl asked.

"Not here, not now." Ranger said as they left, and when they reached an alleyway, he sat her down on a crate. "His Highness believes vampires are at work in this hold. Several bodies were found with human-sized bites on their throats, but the teeth were those of an animal. I intend to go after them when the sun goes down, but I cannot do that with you at my side. Do you live here?"

"Yes, not far either. But...I want to say thanks for saving me. I can't imagine what would've-" Ranger cuts Herbalist Girl off.

"Stop. That's a terrible place for the mind to go. I've been there before, and it nearly broke me; my wife had to pick up the pieces for me, and I love her all the more for it, but..you clearly do not have that luxury." He said as he took her hand. "There's no way the Love Goddess blessed you the way she did only for a pack of worthless goblins to throw it away like it was trash. At least, not while a servant of her divine husband is with you."

"Your wife is a lucky woman..." Herbalist Girl whispered.

"So I keep being told." Ranger said which made the younger girl smile. "How much do you know about goblins?"

"I only heard the rumors, but...I didn't know how much to believe." Herbalist Girl said honestly.

"Chances are, the rumors are all true. There isn't a single diabolical act that they're above committing, from butchering or burning people alive, to making others watch, or forcing women to breed with them, and they laugh all the while." Ranger said.

"How many cases of this have you seen?" Herbalist Girl asked cautiously.

"Probably more than is good for me. But...as a consequence, part of me loves fighting goblins; no matter how badly I treat them, it always feels right." Ranger said.

"Are you sure the War God isn't twisting you?" Herbalist Girl asked nervously.

"I thought that way long before I worshiped the War God, but even if I didn't, I know to turn my bloodlust off when the battle is won, even if he didn't condone treating your foes like they deserve; those goblins lived like devils, and deserve to be treated like devils. As an elf I traveled with once said: they deserve every arrow they get, or in my case, every burn. Anyway, let's get you home." Ranger said as she stood up and she led the way to her home.

"I have to let my parents know what happened. Don't worry I won't say too much. Good luck out there." Herbalist Girl said before opening the door.

"Good luck to this hold." Ranger said as his travel companion went inside, and he went to the temple to have a chat with his Cherub friend in a private place, when he could find it. "Where should I look...?"

"One vampire is going to stalk this town tonight, I'll let you know where he is, then you chase him back to his base, but of course, do not let him spot you, or you'll have a serious fight on your hands. I know what you can do, and what they can do; if you fight them all toe-to-toe, you'll be dead in no time." Cherub said seriously.

"Stealthy approach..got it." Ranger said before heading to the temple's fountain knelt before it, took out a vial, and filled it with holy water. He didn't know much about vampires, but knew that just like demons, they were weak against holy magic, and holy water qualified; Priestess used to put holy water on her staff to make her miracles a nightmare for the demonic forces they encountered. "Now all I have to do is wait..."

* * *

That night, he heard a whooshing sound, pulled his crossbow just in case, then went outside, and looked around being careful not to make any noise, then he spotted a black-cloaked figure on a roof, then he whooshed to another in a cloud of dark red smoke, and he recognized the house the vampire was checking out as that of the Herbalist Girl he was with, then he shot a bolt at it, hit it in the arm, then the vampire tore it out, dashed over to him, and Ranger had _just_ enough time to morph his gauntlets into bigger ones and punched the vampire in the gut hard enough to make it spit up blood, and he backed away from Ranger who intentionally walked towards it slowly and the vampire turned into dark red smoke and whooshed away, and Ranger went after it making sure to stay out of the open, and when he went across a bridge that led into the woods, he made sure to keep the vampire just within view; there was no sense risking being seen, heard, or even sniffed out. Just like goblins, vampires have above-average noses. Eventually, Ranger spotted the vampire go into a cave, probably to warn his boss about his presence...this just got alot harder.

* * *

"A cave...how predictable. Well, let's have a look-see..." Ranger said before he crouch-walked up the cave mouth, looked around inside, and saw two guys, each one wearing armor and carrying axes. They must be the vampires' enslaved guards; they looked like either adventurers or outlaws. Either way, he resolved to just knock as many out as possible and kill or free as many as he could. But first, he shot the vampire that just came out of a coffin and bit into one of the guards for a bloody breakfast.

Both guards then looked at the dead body, then walked towards him, and when they were in range, he hit them both on the neck just hard enough to short-circuit their vagus nerves and knock them then tried his Life Sight spell to see how many vampires there were...just his luck, since vampires are undead, the only signatures were those of their slaves and captives; none of the vampires were visible. After a brief sigh, he carefully walked ahead, took his bolt from the dead vampire and carefully moved on. He then went down a tunnel, and entered a cavern with the scout from earlier talking to a vampire sitting in a larger chair wearing steel plate armor; that was clearly the boss. Ranger then weighed his options...

Eleven vampires, plus the six enslaved guards, and the captives. The vampires were by far the greatest threat, and as established, a direct assault would leave him dead or...wishing he was dead. He needed a distraction, but what? He could shoot the boss vampire with his gun, but it would have to hit the chest, which even with a larger target, was literally a longshot. He only had three bullets left, and they were for emergencies, like when Herbalist Girl was ensnared by goblins. Besides, the noise would stun the vampires, but as soon as they recovered,they would turn the place inside out looking for where the shot came from. Immolation had a similar problem; yes it would incapacitate several of them, but the fear factor speaks for itself; the ones who aren't burned would try to find out who cast the flames so they wouldn't be next. Speaking of fear, he could cast a Fear or Rage spell, but that would cause too much of the wrong kind of chaos. Even holy water was a stretch. He might be able to either poison any vampires that bit him, or even deter them from biting him if he drank it, but he could also drench his weapons in it, even though he didn't have too much. Then it hit him: do all of those things in one move!

He commenced the attack by putting some holy water on his gun, took aim, and shot the boss in the left side of the chest, not the side his heart was on, but thanks to the holy water, the boss gave off holy light as his body decayed rapidly. The vampires covered their ears in response to the shot's noise, and stared in horror as their master decayed before their eyes.

"Lord of the Sword, Master of the Mace. Raze my foes with the destructive power of chaos. Immolation!" Ranger prayed and a burst of fire exploded from his hands and six of the vampires burst into flames, and the five remaining vampires backed up and looked around in terror, only for the three that spot Ranger to get a holy water-covered bolt through their chests one by one. The two survivors screamed in rage and dashed towards him giving him _just_ enough time to morph his gauntlets into bigger ones, grab them by the face, and smash their heads into the ground. He then noticed a cage overhead, and morphed a harpoon-and-chain, pulled the cage down and crushed the burning vampires under it's weight. The enslaved guards came out and the spell slowly wore off.

"What the...?" One of them said.

"Are we freed? Finally?" Another asked.

"Apparently." A third said before looking at Ranger. "Thank you so much. We thought we'd be stuck here for the rest of our lives."

"Don't mention it, just help as many prisoners as you can find down that way. I'll take the other." Ranger said.

"Alright, let's move it." The first guard said as they all went down to get the people as Ranger looked over the corpse of the dead boss, took a golden, jeweled necklace that looked like it could be worth quite a bit of money, then took off his armor, grabbed a bag from the nearby supply pile and stashed the bosses' goods in it.

"Really now?" Cherub said jokingly.

"The spoils of war." Ranger said simply.

"Right...always the War God's bidding with you isn't it?" Cherub asked.

"Hey, if I helps me, and the people, who cares?" Ranger asked.

"True...enough." Cherub said as Ranger hide his goods in a cage as he went the other way, and looked over the people chained to the wall, or in cages. Some had evidence of being fed on by the vampires, others were scared shitless, others had tears going down their cheeks. Ranger's heart went out to them, but all he could do was set them free. Eventually...he found a cage with a middle-aged woman in a priestess' robes...with bites marks covering her, from her neck, to her arms, to her legs, to her torso. Ranger then knelt by her corpse and saw the Supreme God amulet around her neck and knew this was the priestess the jarl mentioned.

"I really hoped you'd be alive sister." Ranger said. This was his first quest all over again... "I cannot believe once-civilized people would treat other people like animals. Even goblins have a better leg to stand on; at least they are _naturally_ vile." He then took he amulet off her neck and held it to his lips. "Dear Supreme...may the Death God take the soul of this, your servant, to your holy kingdom, and give her all the rewards she has earned. I do not expect you to aid my quest of justice, retribution, or whatever it should be called, but should you bestow whatever miracles you see fit to give me, I will not question your judgement." He then stood up, put the amulet in his pocket and pulled his crossbow. "O.k. vampire queen...you want a war? You've _got_ a war..."

Just as he says that, a vampiress drops down from the ceiling, sinks her fangs into his neck, he then splashes her in the face with his holy water vial, she lets him go and covers her face with her hands as she smokes and screams in agony, then Ranger stabs her several times in the torso in a fit of rage until she dies, then he checked his neck and it sinks in...he was just bitten by a vampire...

* * *

**Well shit... Anyway, you may have noticed a minor Van Helsing vibe from this chapter, well get used to it because I'm just getting started. Also...out with the Conan the Barbarian reference, and in with a Metal Gear Solid vibe, because come on, Ranger sneaking around, and especially knocking out those two guards has Solid Snake written all over it. That's especially fitting since, as a wise man said/implied: knowing the hero is outgunned, outmanned, and outmatched increases the tension and makes fighting smarter than everyone else makes it more interesting, and since vampires are said to be x6 stronger and faster than an elite athlete, which Ranger is by the way, he had to outsmart the vampires, or die. Mostly due to instilling fear.; look at Batman, he's all about instilling fear, although...Heaven forbid he gets thrown into the Goblin Slayer universe. Nonetheless, instilling fear in your foes tends to swing the odds in your favor, and those vampires got the worst kind: several things they're not prepared for, one after the other, and not being able to stop them until it's too late...anyway, be sure to Rate, Review, Share, and stay tuned for the next part of this vampire hunting spree...  
**


	4. Chapter 1 part III

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. It seems that Ranger is developing a bit of a greedy streak if he's looting corpses for their goods eh? That's something an Orange Lantern would do. For those of your unaware: my favorite fictional concept...period, is the Lantern Corps from DC Comics, and it's not even a contest; there's a Lantern Corps for each color of the rainbow and each one follows a different emotion: red is Wrath, orange is Greed, yellow is Fear, green is Willpower, blue is Hope, indigo is Compassion, and violet is Love. There's also a Black Lantern Corps for either dead people, or once-dead/undead people; Revenant was a shoo-in for the Black Lantern Corps since he was undead himself. There's also a White Lantern Corps of Life which requires someone master EVERY emotion, and guess what? Ranger has just now mastered the last two emotions: Greed and Fear; he's been demonstrating his mastery of the other emotions...ALOT in the first act, but now it's come full circle. Anyway, I'm sure some of you are asking where the rest of his team is, well to that I say: Patience grasshopper, patience. They and Goblin Slayer are on their way.**

**Review Response: Yeah...Herbalist Girl got off pretty easy to say the least, but this is Ranger we're talking here; you might as well say he's Goblin Slayer's protege, only...Ranger is perfectly willing to hunt other things beside goblins. Yes, Goblin Slayer kills other things too, but they were just in his way. Ranger is willing to actively go after other things, like vampires.**

**Speaking of vampires, the Jarl probably either tried to send a message to the king or church and failed, he got the message out, but it didn't mean jack shit, or he was threatened into keeping his mouth shut. Let's see for ourselves shall we?**

**For those of you that haven't figured it out: the North is supposed to have a Scandinavian vibe to it, from the environment, to the reference to Odin Sword Maiden made, what with the suicide-by-hanging thing, and the lord being called a jarl. Speaking of Sword Maiden: it makes sense for Ranger dropping her name would get him some cred ready? I mean, the lady's famous for crying out loud, and not just somewhat.**

**Anyway...OMG, Ranger was bitten by a vampire, whatever will he do...?**

* * *

Ranger drank a life potion Wizard made which restored his stamina, gave him a temporary strength boost, which wasn't needed, but was still welcome, and most importantly, healed his bite and restored some lost blood. But that doesn't solve the bigger problem: it's a well-known fact that vampires usually become vampires because another vampire bit them...and one just bit him!

"That's quite a bite you took there..." Cherub said with a raised eyebrow after appearing.

"I'm in no mood for stupid jokes...!" Ranger snapped.

"Well excuse me mister. I was going to tell you that you have 24 hours to get your butt, and the body it's attached to, to a priest to be cured of your vampirism, but then throw you a bone by curing it myself, but if you're going to be like that, you can hoof it back to the temple to be cured yourself...unless you want to become a vampire yourself?" Cherub said playfully.

"No...nor will I ever want to." Ranger said firmly.

"Let me guess: your family?" Cherub asked.

"Yes...a life without a natural end is worth nothing without my wife; my hope for my daughter is to forge her own path when she's ready, but Fighter...I never want to leave her side..." Ranger said softly.

"All the more reason to get going." Cherub said and Ranger got up from the wall he was sitting by, grabbed his bag and encountered the adventurers the vampires enslaved who had seven captured people with them who all looked like hell.

"What happened to you?" One of the men asked.

"I was bitten by a vampire; I need to get back before I turn." Ranger said seriously.

"So were these people, let's go." The man said.

"Wait, what's in that bag?" Another asked.

"The boss' armor; I intend to give it to the smith so he can get use out of it." Ranger said.

"Get use out of it? You say that like you're just going to give it to him." The other man said.

"Yes. I have plenty of coin, and I have no desire for a reward aside from the coin I'll get from this necklace." Ranger said as he showed the jeweled necklace in his pocket.

"Now that's got to be worth more than one piece of copper." Another man said.

"Yes, but it's mine, and it's not up for discussion, and don't even think about trying to take it. None of you are strong enough." Ranger said seriously.

"Hey, you took down a pack of vampires and lived. You've proven you have grit." A third man said with some fear in his voice.

"Good, now let's get this people back home." Ranger said as he led the group outside, and back to the small city while breathing hard. His condition wasn't bad, but it was pretty daunting, even with his unnaturally strong will and love for Fighter...and their daughter spurring him forward, the very idea of his family being cut off from him was enough to drain him, but like the cherub said: all the more reason to get going.

* * *

"Help!" Ranger cayelled when he entered the temple, and a priest showed up right away.

"What is it?" He asked as Ranger sat down.

"A vampire bit me; I need a cure." Ranger said.

"Wait here." The priest said as he went to get a glass of holy water. "Drink this." Ranger downed the glass and the priest put his hand on his neck. "Hear me O merciful Earth Mother, cleanse this your child of the muck in his body. Purify!" The place Ranger was bitten glows with some holy light and Ranger sucked in a breathe as he felt more at ease now; the vampirism in his body was purged.

"Thank you brother. I thought this was a temple to the Supreme." Ranger said.

"Oh no, we have followers of the Supreme here every now and then, but this temple is mostly devoted to the Earth Mother." The priest said.

"I have a teammate who's a priestess of the Earth Mother. She saved my life several times too." Ranger said.

"Well, you must be honored." The priest said.

"You have no idea. She even healed my wife after she gave birth to our daughter." Ranger said.

"I'm certain Her Benevolence was smiling on your friend that day." The priest said.

"If not her, I certainly was." Ranger said as a pregnant woman came out.

"Your wife was healed after giving birth? She's quite lucky indeed." She said in awe.

"Have you given birth before?" Ranger asked.

"No, this will be my first." The woman said as she stroked her belly.

"Well, just a fair warning: only getting burned hurts worse than giving birth; my mother and my wife both said so." Ranger said and the woman lifted her leg up to her hand-level and lifted her dress to show her calf that had a burn scar.

"A torch fell off of the wall and hit my leg when I was nine, and I remember the pain quite well. If what you say is true, I think I can handle labor." The woman said.

"I myself caught fire nearly a year ago, and it took the Sword Maiden herself to restore my body." Ranger said which floored both people around him.

"The archbishop herself?" The priest asked in awe.

"Yes, she's the one who sent me here. And not only did she restore my body, she specifically asked me to let her bless my marriage." Ranger said.

"You are one of the most fortunate men I have ever met." The priest said.

"Also one of the least." Ranger said somberly as he points to the War God's mark on his shoulderpad. "There's a reason the War God favors me so strongly: I was both bred for, and marred by the horrors of war."

"Well...you've proven that you're here to help us, especially by chasing away that vampire, saving those people, and destroying their captors." The woman said.

"Right. I also confess to some selfishness." Ranger said as he pulled out the jeweled necklace he took from the vampire boss. "I intend to see this as my reward, but I'll be more than happy to donate something if you need it."

"Yes, thank you. We need all the support we can get sir." The priest said honestly.

"The armor is up for grabs, once the smith is done with it-" Ranger stopped talking then went to the armor. "Why didn't I do this before?" He then removed the breastplate, used Repair on it, and looked over his work. "Perfect."

"You know magic too?" The woman asked.

"Some. Repair, Life Sight, and some emotion-inducing spells, but that's all." Ranger said.

"Emotions like...?" The priest asked.

"Fear and rage, but only if it's fitting. The War God condones justice like the Supreme God does, especially in combat." Ranger said.

"Just promise you will stick to that method fairly." The priest said seriously.

"If I don't, I'll risk invoking the wrath of the War God; who in their right mind would do that?" Ranger asked seriously before turning to the woman. "Would you like an escort somewhere?"

"Yes please, I'm on my way to see my sister, an aspiring apothecary." The woman said.

"Wait...I escorted a girl who has the same black hair you do here... and she said her older sister was carrying a child..."" Range said.

"You know her? This will be quite a tale..." The woman said.

* * *

After escorting the woman home, and it turned out she was Herbalist Girls' older sister confirmed, Ranger left but was asked to return to stay the night, and he accepted. He then went off to sell the necklace for about 100 gold and give the armor to the smith in exchange for a mace that caught Ranger's eye. Wasn't a very good exchange money's worth-wise, but Ranger didn't give _half_ a damn. He then checked in with the jarl who was getting ready for bed, but stopped when Ranger dropped by.

"Do you know what time it is?" The jarl asked.

"I'm sorry good jarl, but you must know something." Ranger said.

"You went after some vampires and escorted some people home, I'm aware. There's 30 gold over there with your name on it." The jarl said before yawning. "Come back in the morning for some more instructions, or information, or whatever is it you seek." With that he went into a large room, closed the door and that was it. Ranger sighed, took he bag of coin and left the jarl's hall and returned to H.G.'s home for dinner...which was fairly mundane; all that happened was that Ranger recalled his assault on the goblins, and then the vampires, which earned him a thanks from the three family members.

H.G.'s sister turned out to be married to one of the guards in the jarl's hall, and she herself was an acolyte of the temple, which made their father's hunting career both fitting, and ironic. Priestess once said that the Earth Mother condones respect for nature, but also that people reap the bounty nature provides. After they were done, Ranger was given a spare room and went to sleep...after swallowing how much he missed having his wife next to him; her ample, strong, and warm body being next to his own would probably put him to sleep if he was in danger of being ripped apart. Without her, it was like a bed was barely worth looking for. Despite Herbalist Girl's resemblance to his beloved...it wasn't the same. Nevertheless, he needed sleep, and his body has been through enough, so the choice was made for him...

* * *

When he woke up, it was just before sunrise, and he had to check in with the jarl as soon as he could, so he went outside, and noticed a red cloud enter the jarl's chamber through the window, and he climbed up the wall with some morphed claws on his gauntlets, then he heard voices...

"I know you sent him after us. Who else could." The vampire inside said.

"I didn't send him! He went on his own accord." The jarl said.

"These humans chose poorly to have a liar as their leader. Now. tell me where he is, or I'm going to have quite a feast on my hands, and if you're lucky, I'll be nice enough to kill you first!" The vampire said.

"I'm right here." Ranger said as he came inside.

"Just the man I wanted to see..." The vampire said with glee, before tacking Ranger out the window and onto the ground below...but Ranger made the vampire hit the ground instead, then the vampire kicked Ranger into a stone wall; good thing his armor was blessed. "Now...come with me. The vampire queen wants a word with you."

"Well, I don't answer to Her Majesty, nor do I want a word with her." Ranger said before morphing his swords.

"You will answer to her...sooner than you _think_!" The vampire said before launching some mist at Ranger who was blinded for a moment, then took a strong kick to the chest, sending him flying back, into the vampire who dashed to meet him halfway to the building on the other side, then slammed him into the ground, only for Ranger to flip over and slice the vampire across the face and blinding one eye, then the vampire dashed backwards...and his eye healed in a few seconds.

"What the hell...?" Ranger exclaimed to which the vampire laughed.

"We vampires are superior to you humans in every way, and you're a fool for not joining us." He said.

"I'd rather die with others in the sun than live alone in the dark." Ranger said firmly, then the vampire looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Wait...who are you?" He vampire asked.

"I am a friend of the Goblin Slayer, a servant of the War God, the Supreme, and an enemy to all they consider enemies." Ranger said.

"You're the Ranger aren't you? Everyone talks about how some adventurers joined the Goblin Slayer's campaign against the goblins." The vampire said.

"I'm flattered beyond words..." Ranger said sarcastically before pulling his crossbow with one hand and the vampire who narrowly dodged a bolt in-flight, then Ranger shoots a harpoon-and-chain out of his gauntlet, yanks the vampire back to him, and punches him into the ground, and when he tries a second punch, the vampire rolls away, then Ranger throws some of the shattered ground at the vampire, stunning him enough for Ranger to shoot him again, and hits the vampire's shoulder, then rushes him with swords drawn and cuts the vampire's leg open as he tries to dash away and stumble along the ground. Then next thing the vampire knows...Ranger's foot is on his chest with both swords pointed at his gut in a reversed grip. "Now, where is this vampire queen?"

"I will tell you nothing." The vampire snapped.

"Then apparently your well-being means as little to you, as it does to me..." Ranger said coldly as his blades ironically heat up and the vampires eyes widen in terror. "Last chance..."

"In...in a castle in the center of the snowiest part of the northern kingdom, roughly 15 kilometers to the northeast of here." The vampire said nervously.

"Thanks." Ranger said before stabbing the vampire in the heart, and the face, one with each blade, then puts the blades away, and the guards who watched the duel came in and cleaned up the mess and took the body away as the jarl watched through the window, who signaled for Ranger to meet him in his chamber. "Are you alright good jarl?"

"Thanks to you Ranger...had I known I was speaking to a friend of the infamous Goblin Slayer our meeting would've been even more interesting." The jarl said with a small chuckle despite the serious atmosphere.

"May I ask about the vampire queen?" Ranger asked seriously, which made the jarl motion for him to sit at a table with him.

"She isn't just the most powerful of the vampires, or the oldest for that matter, but she is among the most powerful people in the country...maybe the world. Frankly I'm amazed she didn't rip me and my hold apart herself; she could have easily done so. Perhaps she wishes to see me suffer, like an insect getting one leg ripped off at a time." The jarl said.

"Haven't you called for help?" Ranger asked.

"Many times, but whenever I do, my message is either lost, or the help is worthless. Many church servants, including Gold Ranks have ventured to the vampire queen's kingdom, none returned, at least...in one pieces." The jarl said.

"How powerful is she?" Ranger asked.

"Not only is she stronger than all her minions put together, but the land itself is under her command. The weather, the snow, the earth, even the bodies of the dead, especially the dead. It is unlikely that the vampire queen will ever be killed, only repelled." The jarl said grimly.

"What if I changed that?" Ranger asked seriously.

"What? You...kill the vampire queen? You have gone mad!" Jarl exclaimed.

"Not me, and certainly not alone..." Ranger hinted.

"Ranger...you would do this country a greater service than I can explain if you were to pull off a miracle of this size..." The jarl said.

"I'm not sure when or if I can pull this off, but I have faith that I can muster enough help to at least give Her soon-to-be-last Majesty a hard time. It might even take several tries to pull this campaign off. Weeks or months even, but there's no true way of knowing without testing it..." Ranger said as he stood up.

"May all deities you worship see you through this endeavor Ranger." The jarl said as he held his hand out, which Ranger shook without pause before pulling the priestess' sword/scale amulet.

"You need this more than I do good jarl." Ranger said as the jarl took it. "The vampires bled the priestess you mentioned dry; that amulet belonged to her."

"Damn those blood-sucking sons of bitches! That priestess was a distant relative of mine; the last person in her family as well." The jarl said.

"Now the vampires who murdered her are paying for it in Purgatory as we speak." Ranger said firmly.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish." The jarl said as he walked to the wall and leaned on it. "Any others news...?"

"Only that I took some of the vampire's belongings, sold the most valuable, gave the rest away, got a mace from the smith, and I was cured of vampirism when I got back by the temple's priest." Ranger said.

"You had...quite a time here haven't you?" The jarl asked with a laugh.

"Yes I have...can't wait to see my wife's face when she hears about this." Ranger said with amusement before turning somber. "I miss her terribly..."

"Then go. Believe me, love is every bit as priceless as the songs and stories say it is." Jarl said. "My wife died of a sickness months ago, and my daughter is married to the jarl of a hold on the other side of the kingdom. Fortunately her husband seems to be a good man, but I still miss her. The only thing that keeps me warm is the love of my people; I nearly went into doubt to support my people, and their love is all I have left. But I'll rest much easier knowing that the Sword Maiden has my hold in her enormous heart."

"Your hold, and the rest of the holds good jarl. May the Supreme see it through, as well as your daughter." Ranger said.

"You as well Ranger." The jarl said as Ranger left the jarl's hall and went to Herbalist Girl's home to get his things.

* * *

"Ranger! How did it go?" H.G. asked as she came downstairs.

"Quite well. I wasn't bitten a second time, I got some information, and now I need to return home." Ranger said as he kept walking.

"To your family?" H.G. asked.

"Yes, and to get some help...and maybe get some extra power in the process." Ranger said as he used Repair on his armor and weapons, then grabbed his bags of coins, food, and other items.

"Help with what?" H.G.'s father asked.

"Killing the vampire queen." Ranger said simply.

"Kill the- You're out of your mind! That vampire you just fought? He was _nothing_! The vampire queen is the vampire _queen_ for a _reason_!" H.G.'s father exclaimed.

"I have faced impossible odds before and won; this should be no different. Although...there's no telling when I'll be back..." Ranger said.

"Whatever you say, but don't make it seem like we sent you to your death." H.G.'s father said. as Ranger got up.

"Not a problem. But first things first...I must return to my family, and sleep properly for once...and by the way...thanks for the meal last night; it was delicious." Ranger said as he left the house, the gates, and went into the forest as Cherub appeared. "O.k...may I see this vampire queen's castle?"

"If you insist..." Cherub said as he opened a portal to an icy wasteland and with a small and scattered maze of walls, towers, and ice caps surrounding a massive graveyard with a fortress in the middle.

"Holy...the vampire queen lives in that place?" Ranger asked with genuine fear in his voice. "Just how strong are her defenses...?"

"O.k...let's say I believe in your strength completely and teleport you just past the front gate to save you the trouble...her defenses will kill you before you get past the first floor."

"Dear Supreme and all who serve..." Ranger said trembling. "Just take me home please..."

"First, take this." Cherub said before giving Ranger a greenish-cyan crystal with a gateway symbol on it. "So no one suspects I'm helping you out. Just think about where you want to be, and you get a portal to that location. Try it out." Ranger then thought about his room in the manor, and he opened a portal there, and saw it was empty...then he stepped through.

* * *

He used Life Sight to see where everyone was, and saw the servants doing their daily routines, then a mass of people in the living room downstairs...including his old teammates, then he removed his armor and weapons and went to meet them.

"Ranger!" Priestess yelled as she rushed to hug him.

"Welcome back Priestess." Ranger said as he hugged the little sister of the team, then looked Warrior and Wizard over, and her brother of course. "And company.

"Very funny boss." Wizard said as Fighter approached holding their daughter and handed her to Ranger.

"I'm sure she missed her father..." Fighter said softly as Ranger took his daughter and looked her over.

"No matter how bloody my hands get...I'll always have them clean enough to hold you." Ranger said as his daughter kept looking at him and even reached out to him, and Ranger put a finger in reach for his daughter to grab as the rest watched their moment until Ranger looked at them. "Anything new happen while I was away?"

"Eh, you know. Trained some people, crushed some goblins, saved some lives, got stronger, made another mint, same old, same old." Wizard's brother said.

"What about you?" Cow Girl asked.

"Vampires..." Ranger said grimly which floored his team and even made Fighter back up. "There was some trouble with them in he north, and there _still_ is."

"Did _you_ have any trouble?" Fighter asked.

"Nothing I couldn't handle, although I had quite a bit of help, especially since I got bitten and had to be cured." Ranger said.

"Oh thank the gods..." Wizard said with a breath of relief.

"Vampires are no joke either; one of them kicked me in the chest so hard that if it wasn't for my new armor, I would've died, and they have speed to match." Ranger said.

"Well...you're back now, and we both missed you..." Fighter said before putting a hand on her husband's face and kissing him.

"Must they be that way...?" Wizard's brother whispered.

"They're married; what do you expect?" Wizard whispered as the kiss finished.

"We can _hear_ you..." Fighter said which earned some laughs from the group at the siblings' expense.

"Goblin Slayer? I also encountered some goblins." Ranger said as he spotted GS sitting on a chair with his arms crossed.

"Did you? How many?" GS said before the group looked at him.

"About two dozen, but now they're a pile of ashes." Ranger said coldly.

"Good." GS said.

"What happened?" Cow Girl asked.

"I met this girl, who happens to look like Fighter here, but I'll get more into that later...anyway, I was escorting her back home, and in the middle of the night, some goblins captured her right out from under me, and just as they were tearing off her clothes, I pulled _this_, shot their leader, and cut down the rest...before putting the still-alive goblins in a pile and burning them alive with the miracle of Immolation." Ranger said as he gave Fighter their daughter back and pulled his gun at the right time then putting it away.

"That's...quite a case of goblin slaughter..." Wizard said a bit nervous from how cold her leader was. She didn't feel sorry for the goblins, but being that violent with them was a pretty hard pill to swallow.

"It's not surprising through; I'd probably do the same thing if I was there." Warrior said which got him some weird looks. "What? That ring on her finger didn't grow there, and he said the girl they captured looks like her, plus he caught them red-handed, plus he serves the War God, plus...Fighter and I grew up together. Need I say more?" Everyone shook their heads. "Alright then."

"I also had to outsmart about a dozen vampires and their enslaved guards, none of which I killed by the way. Anyway, when I picked off the vampires, I freed their prisoners, took some of their stuff, sold a necklace for a pretty nice amount of coin, and I brought...even more fish." Ranger said.

"Great, you brought fish, to a place that's full of fish." Wizard said.

"Still, congrats on crushing some blood-suckers." Wizard's brother said.

"What about the rest of the goblins?" GS asked which made some people groan.

"I don't know, but the jarl, or lord, I spoke to said something about alerting his guards and the guild there. Apparently goblins are taken more seriously up there." Ranger said..

"Good. The more the merrier, no cliche intended." Cow Girl said.

"Right. So...what did I miss?" Ranger asked.

"Oh, just now we were taking turns saying "hi" to that little bundle of joy there." Cow Girl said sweetly while pointing to the baby in Fighter's arms. That woman was going to make quite a mother herself someday...if things go far enough north.

"I'll bet you were." Ranger said. "Anyway, turns out the girl I met was an herbalist, and she worships the Earth Mother along with her older sister, who was also pregnant herself."

"Really? That's incredible!" Priestess exclaimed. "Did they cure you?"

"No, the priest they follow did." Ranger said. "But...I found a dead priestess of the Supreme God in the vampires' lair, the jarl now has her amulet and...they were distant relatives."

"Well...at least the vampires got what was coming to them." Warrior said

"They're not much better than goblins in that regard, believe me." Ranger said.

"Nothing is worse than goblins." GS said.

"You're not helping..." Cow Girl said.

"Sorry..." GS said.

"I also got a mace, but I'll test it later. Right now...I need to rest in an actual bed." Ranger said as he went back upstairs.

"Don't rest too long; one of the nobles is having a birthday and we're invited. Granted it's a few days from now, but I don't want you having your sleep schedule too out-of-whack o.k.?" Wizard said.

"Right..." Ranger said as he kept walking and Fighter gave her daughter to Priestess and went after her husband who flopped down on their queen-sized bed with a deep sigh.

"That much of a contrast?" Fighter teased.

"Love...I'm in no mood for jokes now..." Ranger groaned as Fighter approached.

"Other than how tense your mission was, what's wrong?" She said as she knelt down.

"It's just...I'm about as used to seeing goblins pull shit like that as someone can be, but...sleeping in a bag is so different from sleeping in a bed it's not even funny; I actually lost quite a bit of sleep over it the night of the goblin massacre. But I can forgive that; it ironically helped me fight the vampires since...I needed to be up later at night for obvious reasons. But...sleeping without you next to me was _torture_..." Ranger said and Fighter touched his face.

"I felt the exact same way...two days without the man I married next to me, caring for our infant daughter with help on only one of the two days, now I know you nearly died at least twice...while I'm quite proud of what you accomplished...I'm scared Ranger."

"So am I, that's why I'm not going back until I've mastered my new powers, and brought an army." Ranger said which alarmed Fighter.

"An _army_...? For what?" She asked.

"The vampire queen Fighter. From what I here, even the Hero herself would have her hands full; becoming Gold or even Platinum Ranked isn't just a good idea; it might become necessary in the future." Ranger said seriously.

"What have you gotten us into!?" Fighter exclaimed.

"This was going to happen, with or without my influence. She actually came to the jarl and demanded her gave her a child, and when he refused, she vowed vengeance., and dozens of his power were killed by her minions." Ranger said.

"I don't believe this..." Fighter whispered.

"That herbalist also mentioned she saw a man talk to her grandparents in a threatening manner; from what she told me, he might be in league with the Evil Sect." Ranger said.

"This just gets better and better." Fighter said.

"But none of that matter now; I'm going to check in with Her Grace when I'm back on my feet, and now...please lay next to me." Ranger said as Fighter laid down on top of him and felt him wrap his arms around her still-clothed frame.

"We've been apart for too long..." Fighter said softly.

"Yes, but luckily the jarl's hold should be fine for now; I believe those vampires were the ones who were dealing blows to the jarl's hold, once the vampire queen realizes that hold is being protected, she should either weigh her options, or at least rethink things."

"Or she could get involved herself!" Fighter said as she sat up in terror.

"Not likely, if I were here, I'd want to dish out the carnage myself, but she didn't, so either something is holding her back, or she's the laziest Platinum level person in the world." Ranger said. "Either way...can we please just forget the world's trauma for a moment and rest?"

"O.k..." Fighter said as she laid back down on top of him. "Should we strip?"

"No, it's still daylight. Have you not been paying attention?" Ranger teased.

"Very funny...but come tonight, you're all mine..." Fighter said playfully.

"I cannot wait..." Ranger said as she kissed him quickly, then held there as it turned into a passionate make out with him wrapping his arms around her even tighter.

"Welcome home..." Fighter said softly after pulling back a bit.

"Good to be home..." Ranger whispered against her lips as they continued their overdue kiss...

* * *

**What a welcome home indeed...ever get the feeling someone missed you? Anyways, shit's really going down with these vampires eh? But at least the team's on the case, but how much good will that do at this point? Only time will tell, so Rate, Review, and Share until then...stay tuned.  
**


	5. Chapter 2 Part I

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Now the team is assembled...out of left-field, but still. Let's see how things go from here eh?**

**Review Response: There's a reason the Lantern Corps are the best fictional concept. (I will debate in that argument's favor until the sun gets snuffed out)**

**As for Ranger's bite being cured? Well, he could've chosen to remain a vampire, but...I'm pretty sure I made his reasons for staying human pretty clear, not to mention he got to a priest who knew the miracle of Purify, which is an automatic get-out-of-jail-free card for anyone who's tainted.**

**Ranger and his team are probably as famous as Goblin Slayer, if not more so after about a year of shenanigans, and having a reward prepared really should be standard since adventurers tend to just be in it for the money, with some obvious exceptions, even though money makes the world go round.**

**Yeah...given how much hype the Vampire Queen is being given, chances are, Ranger is going to need all the help he can get his paws on.  
**

* * *

"I had no idea I'd miss you this much..." Ranger whispered softly as he held his beloved Fighter as close as possible.

"Me neither, but you're back now..." Fighter whispered. "You could use a bath though." Ranger then laughed at this.

"If you'll take it with me?" Ranger said which made Fighter sit up while smiling down at him.

"If I can...what with our guests and baby to keep me occupied." Fighter said.

"Please...I'm starved of your touch." Ranger said with hunger in his voice, which made Fighter stroke his face.

"Can't have that can we? Luckily that bard and songstress should be here any moment, and our guests got quite a bit of attention from us, plus they have their own things to do here, especially in light of this news." Fighter said.

"Right...here's hoping they don't panic." Ranger said.

"Well, let's just fill Her Grace in, try to put your new weapon to use, and see what other wonders you can work, o.k.?" Fighter said.

"O.k..." Ranger said.

"Now, you go get ready for that bath, I'll join you once I'm able to." Fighter said as Ranger scoffed in amusement, she gave him a quick but sweet kiss, got off of him, then he went to the bathroom to shave.

* * *

Before he did however, he went to his daughter's room to check on her, and found the baby unironically sleeping like one, then went to the bathroom and ran the water from both faucets. The manor had a series of special irrigation pipes running through it, and a local alchemist and his crew installed some magic heat generators that not only had water more pleasant to touch, but also cleaner, not to mention it made cleaning items easier with the heat melting whatever they could. The tub itself could comfortably fit two, maybe three people in it. He then poured enough soap into the running water streams to make his cleaning spell go smoother. Ranger couldn't help but smile recalling the times his wife cleaned their baby on the edge of the tub. Those moments of softness between his two favorite girls said everything they needed to. After he finished shaving, he removed his shirt and socks before hearing footsteps, and he could guess who they belonged to...

"Are you ready?" Fighter said as she came in to see her husband half-naked, which he made no effort to hide for obvious reasons, then turned his head and side-glanced at her.

"I am now..." He said before removing the rest of his outfit and stepping into the water and leaning against the rim as Fighter came up behind him with a small bucket just in case, then soaked her hands in he water and massaged his entire upper body, from his shoulders, to his arms, to his chest which made him suck in a deep breath.

"Whoa, I felt that breath..." Fighter said while raising both eyebrows.

"I have a lovely woman treating me after a hard few days of fighting. What man wouldn't feel a rush?" Ranger said seriously yet with a decent amount of lust in his voice.

"Fair point...my dear." Fighter said.

"How is everyone else?" Ranger asked.

"I asked Priestess to let Her Grace know that you're back and to mention what you went through, then they left to do their own things, but we have our own thing to do..." Fighter said as she removed her robe and bra...then her pants, and while the great and honorable leader of her team continued to soak in the tub...she "stole" some water, moistened her ample breasts, and hugged him from behind while pressing her gifts into his back which got his attention.

"Why am I surprised...?" Ranger asked with an amused huff as he felt her large, wonderful breasts against his back, and heard them make wonderfully wet plopping, and squishing sounds.

"Don't know...one would think you'd be used to me sharing my gifts with you, my dear husband..." Fighter teased with a lustful tone while pressing her breasts into his back over and over and worked his strong chest with her hands. "You've certainly earned a taste, after all you were just put through..."

"Keep that up and I'm going to yank you into this tub." Ranger said while shaking from the tension in the room which made Fighter chuckle.

"Part of me wants you to, but the rest wants us to take our sweet, savory time. Don't you agree?" Fighter breathed out as she kept treating the man."

"Yes...a moment like this makes up for everything..." Ranger whispered.

"I'm glad. Like I said before..." Fighter said before stopping and approaching his ear. "My gifts are always available to you..." She then lowered her hands to his abs, then one hand went to his manhood as she continued speaking. "As the gifts you have should be available to _me_..." She then stroked him slowly as his breathing became deeper and more lively.

"They're...always available to you. Oh _baby_..." Ranger groaned.

"Shhh...your wife is here, and she's going to take good care of you..." Fighter said softly yet playfully as Ranger snuggled into her and stroked her unbraided hair.

"How is your womb...?" Ranger asked between breaths.

"I'm drinking all the life potions I can get, both for the marks on my belly, and...so you can take me again, like that night we had after our marriage..." Fighter said seriously, then the atmosphere apparently got to her too as she recalled how he handled her body in the Temple of Law's bathhouse and gave her a child. She then hugged him from behind with her chin hanging over his shoulder while panting and shaking with lust for his touch, then she put a hand on his face and pressed her lips to his, forced her tongue through and pulled back still twisted her tongue around with his, and mashed their mouths together, backed up, and repeated a few times over, moaning all he while before finally giving them space with a trail of saliva between them and dripping down their chins, especially her own. "Ranger...move over. Take me again, like you did in the Temple..."

"Did you-" Fighter cuts him off.

"No...I may not be ready for another child, but I need your touch again, and as much of it as you have..." Fighter said softly and Ranger turned around, backed up as she stepped in, sat down, mashed her lips against his in an even more intense chain of kisses, with wet sucking and smacking sounds, mixed with her delicious moans filling the space they were in...which picked up as Ranger began squeezing and fondling her breasts and she ran her hands through his wet hair, and massaged his muscles while he did so. He then moved his hands down her belly, to her hips and then she straightened herself up after breaking the kiss; she knew what he had in mind for her. He then stuffed as much of her right breast into his mouth as he could, licking her nipple while playfully and softly chewing on the flesh of her breast using his teeth as little as possible; he was trying to _please_ the woman, not bleed her.

"Ranger...you're not going to take all our daughter's milk are you?" Fighter teased between gasps.

"Oh relax, even if I did, you can always make more." Ranger teased back which made Fighter tap him lightly, which in turn made him laugh at her before switching to her left breast and gave her the same treatment, and get some more pleasured gasps from her in he process...which were complimented by the extra gasps he got out of her when he dug his powerful hands into her round, supple buttocks and started kneading. He then caressed and massaged her plump yet strong legs while licking and sucking on her neck, which made her lean back a bit, offering her neck to him while holding his head and chuckling.

"Are you sure you got your vampirism treated?" Fighter teased.

"Very...unless you want me to start actually taking bites out of this _delectable_ flesh of yours...?" Ranger asked.

"Just get back to your work." Fighter said impatiently, yet lustfully, before Ranger turned her head and latched onto the other side of her neck with his mouth while his hands caressed her butt again, then went up to her sides and eventually her breasts. The goddess in his lap reached down to fondle his manhood after he went up to kiss her again as he groaned into their hungry kiss.

"You're going to make a mess, and I got into this tub to clean the mess I was in." Ranger groaned.

"I said I want everything you have...and I meant it. The water will remove what comes out anyway." Fighter said as she kept handling him.

"Fair point..." Ranger said before groaning as he burst and sucked in one deep breath after another and she catches him before he falls back and holds his head as he gets a hold of himself. "You amazing _blossom_ of a woman..." Ranger whispered as the high got to his head.

"Shall I return the favor?" He asked.

"Please do..." Fighter said as she turned her back to him as he swam them to the wall, he then leaned against it, held her belly with one arm, and used his other hand to stroke each lip between her legs which made her gasp right away. "Yes...keep that up, please!" His response was a bit more speed and force which made her whole body tense up from the euphoria, until she eventually snapped and threw her head back as she let out a long, harsh groan of ecstasy.

* * *

"So...what happened with the team while I was gone?" Ranger asked a while after they came down to Earth...

"Well, you already heard from Wizard's brother, but most of what happened between them and me was just banter, and of course interactions with our daughter. I swear, that farm girl can't get enough of her." Fighter said with a chuckle.

"She would make a great mother, if and when Goblin Slayer gets his head out of his ass." Ranger said.

"Given his first serious introduction to the art of love-making, he probably wants nothing to do with the art." Fighter said seriously.

"Sword Maiden conquered it...at least mostly, and who knows where Storm Mage will go with her, so...Goblin Slayer's case is looking pretty good...in that case." Ranger said.

"Well, here's hoping they can get somewhere. True love conquers all they say." Fighter said as she snuggled into him.

"And only hope is stronger than fear others say. Funny how it all sounds off, but yet stays connected." Ranger said.

"But enough about them..." Fighter said as she slid up his side and put her lips by his ear and lowered her voice. "You and I are still not done...and I can feel your hunger, and those goosebumps I gave you."

"That's what happens when you _weaponize_ that divine voice of yours...!" Ranger said with a minor growl which made Fighter let off a chuckle as the water swished as she sat in his lap with her back to him.

"Then pay me back..." She teased as she took his hands and put them underneath her breasts, and he fondled them both from behind her as she leaned into him chuckling with lust all the while, especially when he rolled her nipples between his thumbs and index fingers, but she stopped him about ten seconds later. "O.k...now let me try riding you."

"But...you're womb?" Ranger asked as his lust was instantly replaced with concern.

"I know, you don't want to hurt me, and I don't blame you, but that's why this will be on _my_ terms, that way if I _do_ hurt myself, it'll be my own fault." Fighter said seriously. "Just sit there; I'll take full responsibility for what happens." She could see Ranger's fears fade, but his concern for her was still firm as ever.

"Alright...but _please_ be careful." Ranger said softly, as Fighter lowered herself onto his manhood slowly, and her breathing gets more hectic. "How are you?"

"It's not as painful as I thought...but I'm still not ready for a serious round." Fighter said softly, as she slowly got off of him and leaned back into him. "At least you can touch me all you want."

"Oh...I want." Ranger teased as she started sucking on his neck like he did earlier, then gripped and fondled her butt which made her moan into his neck and suck harder, then she started licking up and down and side to side all along both sides of his neck as he treated her legs the same way as her butt.

"O.k...as much as I enjoy this, we should get out of the tub eventually..." Fighter said as she pulled away from her husband's neck.

"Yeah, or we'll grow faint..." Ranger said quoting the Sword Maiden...which accidentally killed the mood by default; that was the same line she used when Fighter, Wizard and Priestess found out she was tormented by goblins. "Oh...dammit."

"Don't go down that road; we had...an absolutely _perfect_ moment just now, let's keep it that way." Fighter said somberly.

"Right, sorry love. I really missed you." Ranger said as he embraced her.

"I missed you too." Fighter said softly and she hugged him back as he helps her up as the water ran down their bodies...then he pinched her butt which made her let him go. "How many times are you going to do that?"

"Until you stop being so damn easy to touch." Ranger said before she returned the favor. "Oh, very funny." She then laughed at him.

"All's fair in love and war my dear." She teased before grabbing two towels for them as they stepped onto a thicker towel on the floor to dry themselves, and each other off, then got dressed in their dress and robe respectively.

* * *

"Why exactly did you get your vampirism cured?" Fighter asked.

"Because...as strong as they are, they also have too many weaknesses, and who knows what they're afterlife is like; I just pray that the Supreme sees the people they used to be through." Ranger said with a sigh. "I used to think they're worse than goblins, because at least goblins are naturally disgusting piles of dogshit, but vampires are _turned_ into monsters."

"There's no way you would become a monster." Fighter said as she touched his face.

"You have no way of knowing that; unless I turned you into a vampire as well, living for an unnaturally long life would be torture, and who knows how much time it would take for our blood thirst to turn us into what we swore to fight against." Ranger said as he stood there looking at her angelic face. "I _do_ want to get strong enough to defeat the vampire queen, and whatever else is there besides her...but I could never do it without you..." He then removed her hand from his face, held it in both his own hands, kissed her softly for a few seconds then held her tightly then looked her over; the bright green dress and skirt she wore fit like a glove, and according to she once said, the whitish-grey robe and dark brown pants he wore had the same appeal.

"Haven't you seen enough in the tub?" Fighter teased.

"I will never see enough of you..." Ranger whispered before kissing her forehead. "You're just too damn beautiful..."

"So I've heard..." Fighter said with a smile. "I love you too." she then pulled him down for a short, but sweet kiss, then they were off.

* * *

"There you two are." Wizard said as she gave their crying daughter back to Fighter. "I think she has an issue, and I can't figure out what it is..."

"I think she just missed us." Fighter said, and she was proven right as the baby stopped crying once Fighter took her, and Ranger put his finger in grabbing distance, which the baby took advantage of right away which Ranger couldn't help but laugh at. "She definitely has her father's loving heart..."

"Fighter...you sell yourself too short." Ranger said softly and he kissed the side of her head. "Need I remind you about your own heart?"

"No...you do not." Fighter said softly before looking down at the baby she was holding. "You my sweet girl, are a real chip the old block."

"Here's hoping she's as tough as you both too." Warrior said seriously. "And here's hoping she won't need to be."

"Right, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Ranger said to him, then went back to looking at the baby whose cheek he stroked with the back of his finger as lightly as possible. "Right daughter?" As if on-cue, the baby made a noise which the team laughed at.

"Can we go now?" Goblin Slayer asked seriously from around the corner which made a few people groan.

"Can you let us give that kid the attention she deserves please?" Cow Girl asked.

"You've given plenty." GS said. "Now let's go get what I asked the dwarves for."

"Wait...what did you ask them for?" Ranger asked.

"You'll see..." Wizard said. "Although...you should probably leave the baby out of it."

"Dare I ask?" Fighter said cautiously.

"Let's just say Ranger isn't the only one who's going to have a noisy metal launcher before too much longer." Wizard's brother said.

"He is not..." Ranger said with a raised eyebrow. "We'll be right back..." He then motioned for Fighter to follow him inside, and gave their daughter to one of the servants. "When Bard and Songstress get here, let them know we'll be back when we can."

"Yes sir." the servant said as she took the baby and let the parents see their friends.

* * *

"May I ask how much time you yourself spend with your daughter?" Cow Girl asked.

"I spent plenty of time with her, granted I've been busy and Fighter spent more time with her than I did, but I still spend enough time with her to let it be known I'm her father." Ranger said as they went to the dwarven caravan he got his revolver from.

"I sincerely hope so." Cow Girl said as Goblin Slayer was given a long case, and it had a small cannon with two side-by-side barrels, and two triggers for each. It was apparently called a shotgun, and it had two barrels; normally it would take two hands to fire and aim, but this one was cut, or sawed-off to be used with one hand, and unlike Ranger's revolver, this sawed-off shotgun fired pellets from small canisters instead of solid bullets. The closer the target, the more pellets hit it; the further away the shooter is, the more targets they can hit, but like Ranger's revolver, it wasn't a long-ranged weapon. Goblin Slayer clearly wanted the thing for killing multiple goblins in one or two shots. The beauty was that the shells were loaded from the back of each barrel so it was easier to load than the revolver, but just like the revolver, the sawed-off shotgun was pricey as all hell: 400 gold plus the shells for 100 silver. It was lucky the team was filthy rich for all the guild work they did, and the occasional treasure hunt, but Wizard was clearly going to need to replicate the ammunition for future use, as if the noise would let them abuse the weapons' power.

"Hey, how much for those masks?" Wizard asked as she spotted a set of helmets with glass visors, and metal frames.

"These? 10 gold a pop." Dwarf merchant said.

"Done." Wizard said as she handed over a bag of 80 gold and got the 8 helmets.

"What are those for?" Warrior asked.

"I want to enchant them to let us breathe underwater, and maybe even drown out loud noises." Wizard said as Warrior snickered at the pun. "Spare me the jokes please..."

"Come on, breathe underwater? Drown out loud noises? That's a shoo-in." Warrior said.

"Oh so clever too. Now can we test out our goblin-slaying friend's new toy?" Wizard's brother asked.

"This is no toy..." GS said as he checked the shotgun.

* * *

He was right; the damn thing blew a hole in a dummy's chest area so big that a person's heart and lungs would be torn to shreds, and when GS doubled the distance, he unloaded the second shell into another set of dummies and hit 3 of them all across the torso in a wider pattern, then unloaded both barrels and tore them all the shreds. Wizard kept the 5th one so she could use her alchemy to make some more, same goes for one of Ranger's bullets.

"You got em all! Now stop shooting that fucking thing! We're going deaf over here!" Warrior yelled.

"This is too noisy to shoot in a cave...but not in the open."" GS said as he looked over his shotgun and put it away.

"Then it's a keeper?" Wizard asked.

"Yes." GS said.

"So...why enchant them to let us breathe underwater?" Fighter asked which made Wizard smile.

"A better question is: who wants to go for a swim in the lake?" Wizard asked.

"O.k...that's just unfair..." Her brother said.

"Get used to it." Wizard said before looking at Warrior. "And you, keep your eyes on _every_ prize."

"Even if you're the grandest?" Warrior said with a raised eyebrow.

"You win this round..." Wizard said.

"How long before I become an uncle...?" Her brother said to himself.

"I heard that." Wizard said which made her brother huff, Cow Girl, Ranger, Fighter, Warrior and Priestess laugh, and Goblin Slayer sigh.

* * *

Their swim was quite a refresher; unfortunately Wizard's helmets didn't let them talk underwater; she'd have to work on that. She caught Warrior looking at her luscious yet toned body while she was stripping to her underwear, and even though she didn't mind...at all, she still enjoyed teased him about how he couldn't resist her. She was even worse than Fighter was; at least she kept it at least somewhat subtle. Fighter and Ranger didn't bother looking each other over; they already had their fill earlier in the bath...somehow.

Goblin Slayer didn't want to get involved even after the entire team tried to persuade him. Even Cow Girl didn't have any luck, even though she grew up with him, and countless men would probably kill to get a glance as her divine body. But she swore right to his face she'd get him to come out of his shell at some point, even if she had to rip his armor off with her bare hands and toss him into the water herself, to which GS replied with an unsurprising "o.k.". Ranger and Warrior of course looked the _inhumanly_ sexy and adorable farm girl over, but not half as much as Wizard's brother; he actually stopped undressing when she started and got back to it seriously not wanting to be caught analyzing her figure with a fine-tooth comb.

When they finally got to their swim, the water was decently clear, but they couldn't see too far ahead. It was pretty unsettling seeing how deep and how far the blue void was; some of them half-expected a massive fish to loom in from the distance, but thankfully one never did. The team _did_ get to see some of the various fish, some of whom they recognized as prime catch-of-the-day material for the people of Water Town. The water itself was decently warm as well, but not "bath water" warm, nor was it excepted to be, but it was decently warm nonetheless. The team must've spent a good 10 minutes diving, raising and just swimming around, and on the off-chance something was in the water, they all stayed in a group to take advantage of their strength-in-numbers. Warrior even accidentally brushed Cow Girl's thigh with his hand while surfacing and not looking where he was going..and he was dangerously close to her supremely fleshy buttocks, which he hastily defended by saying he wasn't looking where he was going, which got him a weird look from both her, and Wizard, but both believed him. Wizard's brother even said "lucky" to himself...

* * *

"I have a surprise for you..." Wizard said to Ranger when they got back to his and Fighter's manor, and she pulled the mace he got from the north...but it was changed from a spiked mace, to a flanged mace, like the War God's. She had yet to give it an enchantment, but flanged maces were among the best kind of mace in the country.

"Sweet!" Ranger said as he took the mace. "Maybe I can use it to cast spells..."

"That's not a bad idea..." Wizard's brother said. "Maybe a force or ice spell could put inside it?"

"Force would make more sense." Fighter said as Priestess came down stairs carrying her baby, who was asleep.

"And there's the bundle of joy you mentioned." Warrior said to Cow Girl.

"Can I hold her?" Cow Girl asked Priestess.

"Here." Priestess said as she approached Cow Girl and waited for her to take the baby.

"Hey there." Cow Girl said softly as the baby woke up and stared at her, then at Ranger. "I...think she wants her father." Ranger then took the baby who reached up to him, and Ranger raises her up and got his face stroked by his daughter, and he turned his head to kiss her arms, then Fighter held the girl when Ranger noticed her.

"Well, not that this isn't touching, but shouldn't we check with Her Grace soon?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Right." Ranger said.

* * *

"Ah, Ranger. You're back." Sword Maiden said as he and his team came to the main chamber of the Temple of Law, then noticed Priestess carrying Ranger and Fighter's daughter. "And you brought your daughter..." Priestess brought the baby to Sword Maiden as Storm Mage held her staff for her, and Sword Maiden greeted the baby with the same warmth she always uses to greet the baby with. "Did you enjoy yourself with your parents and their friends my dear?" The baby reached out to the archbishop while she was talking, and she held the baby's hands in her own when the baby puts her hands in Sword Maiden's own.

"You really love that child do you Your Grace?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yes...this child might not be mine, but I like to think of her as such." Sword Maiden said softly.

"And I'm sure she sees you as such Your Grace." Ranger said as he approached.

"Thank the Supreme you dealt with whatever you encountered up there." Sword Maiden said to his face.

"There was a vampire issue, and their queen was running the show." Ranger said, which made the Sword Maiden go pale.

"Did...did you meet her...?" Sword Maiden asked in horror.

"No, but she was mentioned...quite a bit. The cherub even showed me her fortress, and the hold's lord- I mean jarl, told me that she controlled the land, weather, even the bodies of the dead to fight for her." Ranger said grimly.

"You do not know how lucky you are." Storm Mage said. "I actually fought the vampire queen before, at the Hero's side, and even the two of us, well...us and her two companions...the vampire queen not only put up a solid fight, but she walked away without any serious wounds."

"Then how are we going to beat her?" Wizard's brother asked.

"We're going to need a whole army to deal with her, not to mention some more power to face her with." Ranger said to them.

"You have anything to add Goblin Slayer?" Fighter asked.

"Hmmm...Ranger, how do vampires compare to goblins?" GS asked.

"Well they're not much better when it comes to morality, but I noticed that they're crafty, reclusive, and stick to the darkness just like they do. I also killed about a dozen of them with tactics you'd normally use against goblins, so...the only real difference is that vampires are stronger, faster, and don't age." Ranger said.

"So, you fight them like they were stronger goblins." GS said simply.

"_Much_ stronger goblins." Ranger said emphatically and the baby started crying softly, and Sword Maiden started shushing and rocking the baby. "I'm sorry daughter..."

"We should discuss this later. We should also get back to the frontier; we've got alot of stuff to get in order." Wizard said.

"I can help with that." Ranger said as he pulled the crystal he got from the cherub.

"What is _that_?" Warrior and Wizard's brother asked at the same time which got some giggles from Cow Girl.

"A gift from a friend." Ranger said cryptically and he opened a portal to their apartment in the frontier. "In you go." The team then went through the portal and it closed behind them.

"It was quite impressive that you were able to deal with the vampires on your own." Sword Maiden said genuine impressed.

"I just asked myself, "what would Goblin Slayer do?" Ranger joked, which made Sword Maiden chuckle a bit. "Anyway, when I mentioned my plan to get rid of the vampire queen, people said I was crazy; can't really say I blame them..."

"I remember when Heavy Warrior told you that you weren't much without your team and that it would cost you." Fighter said. "Look how _that_ worked out."

"I was bitten by one of them remember?" Ranger said simply which got Sword Maiden and Storm Mage's attention.

"You what?" Storm Mage asked careful not to disturb the baby.

"I was cured, but...the cherub asked me if I wanted to become a vampire; my answer couldn't have been a stronger "no"." Ranger said.

"Speaking of whom: that's quite a tool you got from the cherub." Storm Mage said.

"Yep, and I know just the way to use it again." Ranger said as he gave the crystal to Fighter and took his daughter from Sword Maiden. "Would you like to have your first portal trip? Well, get ready to see my favorite place in the world..." He then looked at Fighter, who smiled and opened a portal right to the pond at his old home, and the three went through it to look at the pond with Ranger giving their baby to Fighter and sitting down.

* * *

"Even now, trouble's eyes are blind to this place..." Fighter said as she rocked her baby a bit.

"I'll never forget the time I saw you doing a kata on those rocks." Ranger whispered with the atmosphere getting to him. "That was clearly a sign from the Supreme..."

"You needed my help, and I became an adventurer because I wanted to help people, little did I know..." Fighter said before looking at her daughter.

"The man you helped would give you her." Ranger said softly as he put his arm around his beloved. "On behalf of that broken shell of a man you helped glue back together about a year ago, in this very spot: thank you for everything..."

"I will glue you back together a million times over if I must." Fighter said as she leaned into him and held their daughter between them.

"If it comes to that, the Demon Lord himself wouldn't be able to break me when you were finished." Ranger said half-jokingly.

"Why can't it be that easy?" Fighter said with the same tone before he kissed her scalp.

"I love you both." Ranger said softly as he looked at their daughter.

"As I love _you_ both." Fighter said with the same sentiment. Their preparations for their showdown with the vampire queen could wait; in this place and time...nothing mattered but the love between the members of that family.

* * *

**Well...the baby now knows her parents' humble beginnings, not that she'll remember it, but the sentiment speaks for itself. Anyway, Goblin Slayer got a super shotgun like Doom Guy's, not only is that fitting, but it's going to be treated as a weapon rather than a plot device, just like Ranger's revolver, I swear to the Supreme. I'll bet all of you are wondering how Goblin Slayer is going to handle vampires eh? I'm pretty sure I'm making history by giving him a chance to fill Van Helsing's shoes. Yes, Ranger did it first but...he's Ranger; that's kind of appropriate. Anyway, if you people have any info on what I can do to make the team more prepared for the vampires, and the goblins that'll show up later, please let me know in the review section. That doesn't just give me info on how to make this story better but also boosted my morale, so...while you do that, I'll be here hoping the rest Rates, Reviews...duh, and shares my work, or at least...stays tuned...  
**


	6. Chapter 2 Part II

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. The preparations to face the Vampire Queen continue, let's see what else the team has in store to take Her Majesty on, and what they'll say to their would-be army shall we?**

**Review response: Let me guess: Rhea Fighter and Wizard Boy really are a thing? Well, for starters, I don't know much about her, especially her personality or how she talks; I can guess what Wizard Boy is like, or at least how he would be around his elder sister, but Rhea Fighter is where I'm at a lose. The whole "slice of life" thing was a "might as well" thing since there wasn't much going on. Cow Girl getting on GS for not wanting to swim with them...well, truth-be-told, I can't see GS doing that, but also...if he were to do so, it would probably need ALOT of coaching from other people.  
**

**As for Goblin Slayer's "super shotgun"? All I can say is that it was a complete shoo-in...although enchanting it sounds like a damn good idea, same goes for Ranger's six-gun.**

**The vampire queen could probably get put down with a vat full of holy water, but...good luck pulling that off, even if I wasn't joking. It was however established that holy water improves miracles, like when Ranger drank some before getting purified, and Priestess doused her staff with it before using a miracle, so Priestess could be a vampire killer herself, as well as a demon killer; she already has the highest demon kill count in the team. Holy Light should work as well as sunlight by that logic. Oh jeez...killing the vampire could make the team at least Gold Ranked...**

* * *

"Any idea when they'll be here?" Warrior asked as he and Wizard prepared their gear in their apartment.

"They'll get here when they get here." Wizard said simply.

"Any guesses where they went?" Warrior asked.

"You can ask when they get here." Wizard said amused; their "discussion" was hard to take seriously.

"Right... Are you excited for that noble's party?" Warrior asked.

"You've no idea. I even have an idea for what to wear." Wizard said knowingly.

"Oh? May I ask?" Warrior asked with the atmosphere sinking in.

"I could tell you, but I don't want to ruin the surprise." Wizard teased.

"If you tell me, I'll still _act_ surprised." Warrior said.

"I don't believe you." Wizard said simply as she made for the door only for Warrior to playfully pin her to the wall.

"You hurt me Wizard; you don't trust me after everything we've been through?" He asked with mock hurt in his voice.

"Nope...now, kiss me, or let go of me..." Wizard said and Warrior responded by locking lips with her, to which she responds by holding him against her form then he let's go of her when they're done. "Or both..."

"Both is always better..." Warrior groaned.

* * *

"Next two Privates!" Ranger's dad yelled to the two trainees in the double line before they ran the obstacle course as the last two finished. "Are you two killers?"

"Sir yes sir!" The two trainees yelled at the same time.

"Let me hear your war cries!" Ranger's dad said before the two finished a chunk of it and yelled to the sky, before they continued. "Next two Privates!"

"Well at least we get this thrilling show..." Warrior said sarcastically.

"I thought sarcasm was _my_ thing?" Wizard teased.

"Not anymore missy." Warrior teased back as one of the "Privates" had an issue with an obstacle.

"Yeah that's right, don't put any effort into getting through this obstacle course. If the gods wanted you up there they'd have miracled your ass through it by now, wouldn't they?"

"Sir yes sir!" The trainee said before trying again.

"Get your sorry ass up there Private!" Ranger's dad yelled as the trainee tried again. "What the hell's the matter with you anyway? I'll bet if there was some pussy in it for you you could get up there, couldn't you?"

"Sir yes sir!" The trainee said before trying yet again.

"Well since there isn't, how's about you do it as tribute to the people who fought, killed, and died before you were born so that we could get a chance to do your part?" Ranger's dad asked.

"Sir yes sir!" The trainee said before finally getting it right then going to sit down.

"There we go! Next two Privates!" Ranger dad yelled before Warrior, Wizard and her brother, the latter of whom was snickering at Ranger's dad's banter, turned their heads to see Fighter coming with her baby.

"There's your grandfather..." Fighter said to the baby in her arms with amusement.

"And here's her uncle." Warrior said with a smile.

"And aunt right?" Fighter teased.

"Oh shut it...where's her dad?" Wizard asked.

"He's at the cemetery, giving the War God some tribute, or collecting favors, don't know much and frankly, can't say much." Fighter said.

"Right..." Wizard's brother said as the last Privates finished their runs and Heavy Warrior took over.

"Hey, there's the little dove...and the big dove." Ranger's dad said as he came to see the two ladies.

"Nice to see you too sir." Fighter teased.

"Hey, where were you?" Ranger's dad asked.

"The pond at your house. We...got a new way to teleport." Fighter said.

"O...k...have a good time there?" Ranger's dad asked.

"Yep, all three of us did." Fighter said while stroking the baby's face as she looked at the people around her.

"Hey! Let me see my granddaughter!" Ranger's mom said as she, and the former goblin captives showed up with potions. At this point, they were mostly over their trauma, and each resolved to help others have better lives by becoming acolytes. Some could use miracles, while others gave a hand to the superiors.

"Here you go." Fighter said as she turned to see her mother-in-law who reached for the baby, who was curious about the older woman, but after some hand interaction, Ranger's mom took the baby from her mother and held her the same way.

"Should we check to see if there's any good quests?" Warrior asked.

"Might as well." Wizard said simply as they, and her brother went inside to see Guild Girl and Inspector.

* * *

"How are the recruits?" The latter asked.

"Hmmm...they still have a ways to go, but they're getting there." Warrior said before looking the quest board over. "Anything good?"

"I have two goblin-slaying quests here for you." Guild Girl said as she held up a pair of paper.

"Alright, once the boss gets back, we're off." Wizard said.

"Goblins?" GS asked as he approached from the side with Priestess.

"Oh, I have your shotgun for you. It should make less noise now." Wizard said as she pulled it from her bag and handed it over.

"Enchanting?" GS asked as he looked it over.

"Yes, and...you really should me enchant your stuff one of these days. I know you have a system, but it never hurts to accept special help." Wizard said.

"Right." GS said.

"You seriously got some firearms for goblin-fighting? Isn't that alittle...extreme?" Apprentice Cleric asked.

"Ranger has his own too, only, it's not a shotgun." Warrior said.

"Right, it's a revolver." Ranger said as he walked in holding it up and the two former rookies looked over his armor.

"Nice suit..." Rookie Warrior said in awe. Ranger's armor was still the same metal/leather hybrid with armor plates and bits of clothes on various places, but it was given a red-orange paint job, except for the plates and cloth pieces.

"I've got one too." Fighter said as she put her hand on her belt buckle, got covered in red goo that poured out of it, and the goo formed her own matching set. minus the paint job.

"Alchemy ladies and gentlemen, gotta love it." Warrior said dramatically.

"So where are we going?" GS asked.

"Well, the first involves a village overrun with goblins, but luckily it was evacuated before they showed up, and the people are waiting to return home. The second...oh..." Guild Girl said.

"What?" Priestess asked.

"The cave you guys went to on your very first quest...it's reoccupied." Guild Girl said which made Ranger sigh.

"I was afraid you'd say that..." Ranger said while Fighter took his hand.

"Dare I ask?" Wizard's brother asked.

"_Long_ story..." His sister said.

"It doesn't matter. What's done is done. We have some goblins that need killing." GS said to the team as he walked out.

"Before we do, I have a favor to ask. What do you know about the vampire queen?" Ranger asked.

"Other than she lives up north, leads the vampires, and is supposedly the strongest by far? Not much." Guild Girl said.

"She's on the move up north, and according to Storm Mage...the vampire queen is a match for the Hero, and company." Ranger said seriously which made several people gasp.

"The Hero? The same one who defeated the Demon Lord? How is that possible?" Inspector asked seriously which made Ranger sigh.

"She didn't win fairly." He said hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Guild Girl asked.

"I'm not supposed to reveal this so please keep it quiet." Ranger said which made the two ladies nod and he checked to see what the other people in the tavern were doing before getting closer. "The Demon Lord drew power from sacrifices made in his name, and the Hero, and her two companions went around stopping those sacrifices, destroying his temples and killing his followers, so when he finally arrived, he couldn't draw from much power. Not a bad strategy and I don't know if it was intentional or not, but like I said: it wasn't exactly fair."

"But the vampire queen is at full power?" Inspector asked with fear in her voice.

"Most likely, and don't get me started on her defenses." Ranger said.

"We can deal with that later. Let's go...!" GS said impatiently.

"Alright!" Ranger snapped before turning back to the ladies. "My favor is that you should get as much info as you can, and maybe a plan to rally the strongest adventurers you can; this sure as hell is going to be a tough slog in a few days..." With that, the team was off.

* * *

"Oh, hey boss! I kept your horse like you said, and she's just like you left her." Warrior said as he went to the stables and there the horse was.

"My horse...!" Ranger said as he rushed to her and the horse neighed at him and let him pet her. "I missed you too."

"It's good to see the people taking goblins seriously for once." Fighter said.

"No shit; a year ago people would've stayed put since...they're just goblins." Warrior said which made Wizard scoff.

"Well at least they have pros like us to get the job done. Here's hoping any girls they have are o.k...considering." She said.

"And this time...we're doing this right." Ranger said firmly as he mounted his horse, attached the cart to it and they were off.

"No one blames you sir." Priestess said as she reached out to touch his shoulder.

"I do...when I burned a heap of goblins alive, listening to their dying screams and even the smell of their flesh cooking didn't make me turn away because of how much I hate myself for failing like that, it doesn't help the girl they nearly violated looks like Fighter..." Ranger said harshly.

"What...?" Fighter asked in horror as the rest snapped their heads to their leader, except for Goblin Slayer.

"I was investigating up north, I had a girl with me, some goblins captured her, and tried to rape her as I showed up...and she looked like a younger version of her." Ranger said as he pointed at Fighter without looking at his dear wife.

"Oh shit..." Warrior whispered as the situation sunk in.

"May I ask what you did at the shrine?" Fighter asked cautiously.

"I...asked for more miracles, but all I got was an addition two miracles to use a day. That's four total now." Ranger said.

"Well that's a plus." Wizard's brother said seriously.

"No new ones though, unless you count my armor and melting ability as a miracle." Ranger said.

"Wait, you mean like how Fighter made one appear from her belt? That's a pretty serious form of alchemy." Wizard said in awe.

"Apparently." Ranger said easing up.

"Let's just go kick some goblin ass shall we?" Wizard asked.

"Hey that's _my_ line..." Warrior said which made Wizard snicker at him.

* * *

"31 goblins, two shamans, and three hobs...it doesn't look like there are any women or children." Ranger said while using Life Sight.

"Alright..." Goblin Slayer said as he went into the cave.

"We should test our new gear on this quest you know." Wizard's brother said.

"Right." GS said as he prepared his shotgun.

"O.k...this is just disrespectful. We're not only putting these goblins down, we're also using them as target practice basically..." Warrior said.

"Couldn't happen to nicer creatures you have to admit." Fighter said.

"True." Warrior said.

"Holy Light..." Priestess said as her staff glowed like a torch and she went in after GS with the team following her.

"O.k...seriously, what failure happened here?" Wizard's brother said seriously.

"Let's just say that I saved the hostages in a way I shouldn't have." Ranger groaned.

"I don't like the sound of that..." Wizard's brother said as if disturbed.

"Nor should you." Ranger said as he glanced at the boy, before they got to the three-way intersection they drew the goblins to the first time they were here.

"Should we clap?" Warrior asked as he readied his hands.

"No. Three hobs all at once in a space like this is too much." GS said as he looked at Ranger. "Where did you spot the goblins?"

"Half are ahead, about ten are to the right, and the rest are down there, and the two hobs are with them." Ranger said.

"Alright...clap." GS said as he prepared his shotgun and Warrior started rapidly clapping, then a few goblins appeared only for Ranger to shoot knives out of his gauntlets, and Fighter does the same, and using her arm and leg blades to shred the ones on her side as GS waited for a hob head to blow off, and as soon as one showed up...BAM! Two shells straight to the face and it falls down dead. The shotgun made less noise than before, but it was still a shock to the team, but the goblins just stopped fighting to cover their ears as Warrior didn't stop clapping while laughing at them lose their minds. A second hob showed up with a shaman on it's shoulders, and Wizard paralyzed the hob, but the shaman hit her with lightning, which staggered her, but thanks to her anti-magic jewelry, she was still fine. Goblin Slayer kicked the shaman aside then stabbed the hob in the top of the head, and Ranger captured the shaman after breaking it's right arm and both legs.

"What the hell?" Wizard's brother exclaimed.

"Shamans are the ones who order a good deal of the atrocities goblins commit; none of them are more guilty, and I want to test something on this one..." Ranger said coldly.

"Let's keep going." GS said as they continued.

"Are you o.k.?" Fighter whispered.

"I will be, either on my own...or especially with you." Ranger said before giving her a quick kiss as the shaman kept groaning in pain as they kept going. "Wait, I want to try something..." Ranger then progressed by himself, spotted about 13 goblins, and threw out a large poof of dark red mist from his hands which makes the goblins cough, and then growl, then yell in rage and tear into each other with their blades, claws, and teeth.

"What did you do?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Rage spell. Never got a chance to use it until now." Ranger said as he watched the goblins kill each other in a fit of berserk rage.

"Interesting..." GS said.

"Enjoying the witty irony of goblin-on-goblin violence?" Fighter asked playfully.

"You might say that." GS said.

"The shaman back there is getting a different treatment-" Ranger stopped talking as a hob showed up, he pulled his teleportation crystal, he makes it go through a portal that makes it smack into the nearby wall which makes the team laugh at it before Ranger launches a harpoon at it's leg and makes it trip which makes the team laugh even harder. The still-alive shaman got a knife through it's hands from Fighter as it charged a lightning spell, before GS shot the hob in the chest with his shotgun and reloaded. The team then took a good look around and quickly found out why no women were seen earlier: the goblins killed and ate them! Bits of their bodies were seen on the side of the cave and it wasn't hard for the team to guess that they were killed either during or after being violated.

"Paralyze that shitstain...!" Ranger growled and Wizard gladly carried out his order, paralyzing the shaman just enough to immobilize it before Ranger casually walked over to the shaman who was looking at him in terror and trying in vain to crawl away...then Ranger grabbed it by the back of the neck, pinned it to he wall, looked at GS who was still standing there waiting, then Ranger hit the shaman with a poof of yellow smoke then looked it right in the face. "What's wrong..._scared_?" He then tossed it in the cage and the shaman started screaming it's lungs out in terror while thrashing around and when the paralysis spell wore off, it hit it's head on the wall once by accident, then several times on purpose.

"O.k...making a shaman kill itself...that is new." Warrior said casually.

"How are you all so calm? Have you done this before?" Wizard's brother asked.

"No one's shedding tears for these pieces of shit. Just look at those butchered girls over there! That's _normal_ for goblins." Warrior said.

"Speaking of which, hand that one over." Ranger said as Fighter casually tossed it over to him and he held it up by the top of the head. "I hope you still have some fight left; the show is just getting started..." He then jabbed it in the side with his fist which made the shaman groan in pain, then Ranger rapidly jabbed it all over it's back and the shaman groaned and yelled in pain even more, with the punishment continuing for the better part of a minute.

"That makes 36..." GS said as he turned to leave as Ranger kept savagely beating the shaman into the ground now, and it ended with Ranger stomping on it's back lightly over and over and when he stopped, the shaman was actually crying from the pain.

"Tears? Please...how many tears did those girls shed while you and your brothers were having fun with them? I hope you got a good deal out of it...because it's not happening again!" Ranger said before kicking the shaman onto it's back. "It's because of that devilish tendency that you're dealing with this misery right now." Ranger then knelt down, looked at his team who were looking at Ranger like they either didn't care, or wanted him to continue; even Priestess looked pretty hard-hearted, then Ranger formed a blade, then stabbed the shaman between the legs, who yelled in pain as Ranger removed the blade and walked away.

"Was that necessary? I don't feel sorry for it, but...that last part hurt me just watching..." Warrior asked while covering his own junk, and Ranger said nothing as he kept walking, and the team followed him out, and spotted Goblin Slayer outside waiting for them in the cart.

* * *

After loading the few jewels, rocks and iron ore they mined after they went back into the cave a second time, Ranger borrowed Fighter's strength-boosting necklace, morphed his gauntlets, and smashed the cave entrance so no goblins would use it again, then he drove the cart back to town, they sold the materials for some quick coin, stopped by to get the reward for the quest, then rode off to the abandoned village to kill the rest of the goblins.

"I count 52, plus a shaman, and a few wolves." Wizard said after using Life Sight.

"Get some of your phantom wolves in there." Ranger said.

"No, put them to sleep first; it would be harder to get the survivors if they wake up and ran." GS said.

"It will also make them unafraid of their fates, and they deserve no less." Ranger said sharply.

"We're here to kill them; whether they're afraid or not is none of our concern." GS said simply.

"Right...Wizard, use your Sleep spell first." Ranger said and Wizard puts the Sleep spell she learned from Witch to keep the goblins from waking up; it was well-known they sleep during the day. even though it was nearly twilight, better safe than sorry.

"O.k...they should be out cold while we work." Wizard said as her brother summoned a pack of phantom wolves and they all charged into the village and bit chunks out of every goblin in sight while the team got the rest. Some goblins came out of a hole in the ground to see what all the noise was...but the team expected that and sprung out of hiding places to unload one bolt, arrow, or bullet after another into them as Priestess shined some light into the hole to see what materials were down there. When none were seen, Ranger went down to have a closer look, and the moment he came out, the team put the goblin corpses into the hole and Wizard put a fireball into the hole.

"Ashes to ashes assholes." She said coldly.

"Alright, now where are the previous occupants?" Fighter asked.

"It doesn't matter, the goblins are dead; they'll come back." GS said as he returned to the cart with the team following.

* * *

"Scratch two sets of goblins." Warrior said as he slammed the flier for the second quest on the desk.

"Nice going." Guild Girl said as she handed over their coin. "As usual."

"Anything else?" Goblin Slayer asked.

"Not involving goblins no." Guild Girl said as GS walked away.

"Well, there's going to be a party in Water Town. We don't know who else can go, but we were asked to be there." Fighter said.

"Who's the host?" Guild Girl asked.

"Some fencer lady who had a close call with goblins, but thanks to my team and Goblin Slayer, she's alright, although...she did rethink her place as an adventurer. But be that as it may...she _strongly_ agrees with the adventurer training program; she even spoke to the King himself about it. The Sword Maiden even has her as part of her inner circle so-to-speak. I never met her, at least, not up-close, but I do want to hear her thoughts on what we've done in person." Ranger said.

"Oh, well, have fun." Guild Girl said cheerily.

"I might even have a duel, just to see what she's made of, or show off myself." Ranger said.

"Don't get too rough with her now." Fighter teased before Ranger looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "And keep your jokes to yourself..."

"Really now? You had to go there?" Wizard deadpanned.

"Oh shut it. Anyway, you know what we didn't try? Seeing how the goblins would react to our new helmets." Fighter said.

"They're probably shit themselves even harder." Warrior said simply.

"Speaking of fear...why are we now using fear tactics?" Priestess asked curiously.

"For starters, fear tends to make your foes fight with less motivation, which makes their performance suffer, and like Goblin Slayer said, goblins are naturally cowards. Besides, instilling fear tends to please the War God...if it's done right." Ranger said.

"Fair treatment in combat right?" Fighter said.

"Precisely. What better way to do that then by scarring the hell out of a pack of worthless goblins?" Ranger asked.

"Right. What about that rage spell?" Warrior asked.

"Same logic." Ranger said simply.

"O...k..." Warrior said curiously.

"Anyway, did you do as I asked?" Ranger.

"Yes but...no luck." Guild Girl said somberly.

"No matter. If you can get ahold of anyone of high caliber, tell them I'm looking for them and that the castle she runs probably has treasure galore, if not things to sell for a healthy sum." Ranger said.

"Alright, I'll try, but I can't promise anything." Guild Girl said.

"Good on you." Ranger said as he turned to leave. "Is the Abbot still there?"

"He should be." Priestess said.

"Then let's stop by." Ranger said before pulling his crystal. "Wait...let's let him see our daughter..." He and Fighter went to look for his mother, who was at the temple and letting people look at the baby.

"Here come the proud parents now." Ranger's mom said to some of the acolytes who all backed up. "None of you are going to believe this, but some of these girls are inspired to have families of their own, if they find the right man that is."

"What?" Ranger asked in awe.

"Yep, once they saw your daughter...some said they want to see their own baby look at them like she did." Ranger's mom said.

"You know what will have to happen first mother..." Ranger said grimly.

"Not to worry, we talked about that a bit; some of the girls took their own steps towards recovery. Now...I'm not going to give details, but at least a few managed to look at what the goblins did to them as torture and nothing else; having a child is a different story from being violated." Ranger's mom said.

"You talked about that in front of your grandchild? Have you lost your mind!?" Ranger exclaimed.

"Son, first off, I understand your concern, but your daughter lacks the presence of mind to question this topic, unless she was somehow given the mind of an adult?" Ranger's mom asked.

"Not likely..." Ranger said.

"Secondly, we weren't up-front about it; we only hinted at what they did to help heal, but I'll say now that if and when they do find someone, chances are...it'll be that much better for them. We even discussed how one's first time doesn't count if it's done...like that, although I can see why believing that is easier said than done. Heaven is still sweetest after you've taste Hell first." Ranger's mom said.

"Here's hoping." Priestess said.

"Alright, now...want my granddaughter back?" Ranger's mom asked.

"Yes please." Fighter said as she took the baby back and stroked her face which earned her a coo and a smile from her child. "Hey there, we just got back from helping the world. Miss us?" She rose the baby to face level and the baby reached out to touch her mother's face, which Ranger responded to by holding his wife close.

"You two never cease to make my heart flutter..." Ranger's mom said sweetly.

"Her Grace _did_ say our love should be a beacon in the darkness." Ranger said.

"Well you haven't made a liar out of her." Ranger's mom said before he took out his teleport crystal. "What is that?"

"A gift from a friend..." Ranger said as he opened a portal to the monastery. "Look familiar?"

"That's the monastery just down the road. That friend of yours gave you quite a gift." Ranger's mom said in awe.

"And it's something I cannot and should not abuse of course. Shall we?" Ranger said.

"Wait...is that why we didn't teleport all over the place when we went after the goblins?" Wizard's brother demanded.

"Yes. This crystal might be useful, but it needs to recharge, and it was done on purpose too; I could just open a portal to anywhere and everywhere I want, but power needs to be used with care."

"Great power comes with great responsibility." Ranger's mom said.

"Can we please put it to use now?" Wizard asked casualy before the team then walks through the portal and Abbot was seen standing before the alter with the monks kneeling.

"Ah, the team has returned...with a new member!" Abbot said as he approached the team after seeing Fighter holding her baby.

"Hello Father Superior." Priestess said brightly before hugging the old man.

"Hello to you as well my child." Abbot said while hugging her back, then looking at the baby again. "Is this the first of multiple?"

"Possibly Father, but we're in no hurry." Ranger said.

"Very well. How may I be of service?" Abbot asked while letting go of Priestess.

"Well...this might seem out of nowhere, but I'd like to know what you can say about the undead." Ranger said seriously.

"For what purpose might I ask?" Abbot asked curiously.

"There's trouble with them up north, or at least, there's going to be. Especially with the vampire queen." Ranger said which got the Abbot's attention right away and a few monks muttered to themselves.

"You meddled with the vampire queen's affairs? That must be the most dangerous position you've ever landed yourself in." Abbot said in alarm.

"I noticed; even the Hero had a hard time with her, but nevertheless, she has to be dealt with, by her, and several others." Ranger said which made the old man sigh and hold his staff up.

"I will help you. When the time comes, call for me and I will aid your assault on her fortress." Abbot said.

"Can you handle it Father?" Warrior asked seriously.

"Oh aye, I may no longer be an adventurer, but there's still a great deal of power in these bones of mine." Abbot said firmly.

"As the demons who attacked you learned the hard way." Warrior said with a smirk.

"But to answer you: the vampire queen is not only stronger than all her minions combined, she is also faster than a normal man can track; a good number of her foes have died never having seen the face of their killer. She also has control over blood itself, I've even seen her flood her fortress with it to drown an invading army. There's also the zombies she raises from the graves littering the fortress grounds." Abbot said.

"Zombies?" Wizard asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, dead bodies cursed to do the bidding of the one who rose them from their graves. The only way to get rid of them is to destroy their brains or sever their heads, and they can turn others into zombies by killing them." Abbot said.

"Just like the Revenant did with those goblins..." Ranger said.

"Yes, may the Supreme see him through; even with his dark power, he was more heroic than most." Abbot said with a sigh. "We also have the War God's favor through you Ranger. I can sense how deep his influence runs in you; the two of you are an extraordinary pair indeed...and your daughter will be an extraordinary woman."

"You said once we have the potential to become greater than the Hero right?" Ranger asked.

"I have indeed, and so does she, and killing the vampire queen would be a major step towards showing the world just what that means. You might all become Gold Ranked for that act alone." Abbot said.

"I like the sound of that..." Wizard's brother said.

"Are holy arts the only weakness vampires have?" Fighter asked.

"No, vampires are also vulnerable to fire, or extreme heat, like your blades." Abbot said as Ranger formed a sword and heated the blade while holding it away from the others.

"It will however be the hardest fight in recent history; you will need every ounce of aid you can get ahold of to defeat her. Not just from magic, brawn, the gods, or even strategy, but from everything." Abbot said.

"We've always done that Father, and with our daughter...we cannot afford to lose." Fighter said softly yet determined as she looked at her now-sleeping baby.

"Then go, get as much rest as you can, and may the Supreme see you all through." Abbot said with a bow which the team all returns, then Ranger portals them back to their apartment in the frontier.

* * *

"You know he never asked about that crystal...?" Fighter asked curiously.

"He probably knows; the Supreme tends to show him things he shouldn't know, I mean...look at the Sword Maiden." Wizard said.

"Speaking of whom, we should get home; it's going to get dark soon." Ranger said looking at the sunset.

"Alright, see you tomorrow." Wizard said as the parents opened a portal back to Water Town.

"By the way..." Ranger said as he gave Wizard his gun, and some papers. "I'd like a silencing enchantment on the gun, and some work done on these."

"You got it boss." Wizard said as the family went through the portal.

"Well...now we're home alone." Warrior said as he sat down.

"Uh, I'm here too remember?" Wizard's brother said.

"First off, he and I do sleep in the same bed, and need no permission to do so. Secondly, you don't have much reason to get on us with that Rhea martial artist as your girlfriend." Wizard said

"She's not my girlfriend!" Her brother exclaimed.

"You say that now, but just wait." Warrior said seriously.

"Yeah whatever, just don't screw each other to death please..." Wizard's brother said before getting punched in the arm by his sister. "Ouch!"

"That's what you get." Wizard said as her brother went to his room with the papers. "Well, shall we great and mighty dragon slayer?"

"That would be lovely..." Warrior said as he stood up, and followed Wizard to their room, and once the door closed...she yanked her boyfriend to her and slammed her lips against his over and over with Warrior pawing at her voluptuous chest.

"Easy, there's plenty of treasure to spend." Wizard teased.

"I can tell..." Warrior teased back.

"You could've fooled me." Wizard said.

"I fooled the smartest woman in town? I'll be damned..." Warrior said.

"Don't strawman me boy." Wizard snapped playfully while softly pinching his cheek.

"Excuse me my good lady." Warrior said before pushing her onto the bed, getting on top of her and kissing her again while she wraps her arms around him.

"We should get some sleep..." Wizard whispered against his lips.

"Right..." He said before removing his outfit and noticed her staring at his bulk.

"Did I say "boy" awhile ago?" Wizard teased.

"Yes...you did, a mistake I did not make." Warrior said.

"Heaven forbid you call me "boy"." Wizard said with a raised eyebrow.

"And you get on _me_ for strawmanning..." Warrior said before ditching his pants.

"Just shut up and get me out of this dress before we ruin it too badly." Wizard said as she stood up and her companion helped her out of her dress.

"This dress must have a spell on it or something..." Warrior said.

"Let me guess: because it puts one on you?" Wizard deadpanned.

"Hey, you couldn't get enough of me after I said that." Warrior said playfully.

"No...no I couldn't...and I still can't." Wizard said while smiling before turning to him and caressing his chest. Then the two got in bed after kissing again and fell asleep snuggling up each other's bare frames.

* * *

Meanwhile, Fighter took the baby back in her room and Ranger went to go look for Bard and Songstress, who were both in their room with Bard combing her whitish-gold hair, careful not to scratch her long ears which he seemed to be enticed by since he occasionally strokes them and she didn't seem to mind, although they did speak to each other in Elven, which was both interesting and frustrating; language barriers were a bitch sometimes.

When he went back, he saw Fighter breastfeeding their daughter, then put her in the crib when she was done, and stayed with the baby until she went to sleep, then Fighter went to their room to see Ranger shirtless on their bed.

"Waiting for me? You're sweet..." Fighter teased; that was hardly new, but the mood died as soon as she noticed him refusing to look at her. "What's wrong?"

"Fighter...in that cave-" Fighter cuts him off.

"Like Warrior said, no one is shedding tears for those shamans." Fighter said softly.

"It's not that, at least...not entirely." Ranger said while trying to keep it together. "Remember when I was with that girl who looked like you and she was captured by goblins? Well...I couldn't get any sleep after that, not just because I missed you but...because I had a nightmare. Fighter...I dreamed it was _you_ who got captured instead, and you had none of your equipment on you, and just like her...you were out cold."

"Ranger..." Fighter whispered in horror as her eyes burned.

"It was my vision in Hell all over again, only...this was more plausible. That's why I had to vent my rage on those shamans, as if the memory of me executing those girls wasn't bad enough." Ranger said while shaking.

"But I _wasn't_ there, and you saved her. Remember what you keep saying about things like this to others?" Fighter said while holding her husband's hand.

"Right...well, what's done is done." Ranger said as his wife removed her robe and pants while his eyes were closed; it wasn't a secret he could hear her movements.

"Let's just get some sleep o.k.?" Fighter asked as she touched his face.

"O.k..." Ranger said before removing his own pants and laying down next to her and she snuggled into his side.

"There, it's just like we were before. You...holding me, in a room with just us, and our love. No lives needing to be saved, no pain, no destruction, no _goblins_..." Fighter said softly.

"Like it should be...sweet dreams my dear." Ranger whispered into her hair.

* * *

He awoke the next morning with her still snuggling into him and sleeping like the baby they had together. It was hinted that they'd have a second child, but...not before her body was ready, and it wasn't easy recovering from carrying a child. He couldn't help himself and stroked her enchanting black hair, moved further down and she shifted against his body and sighed with a dreamy look on her angelic face, which made him place a kiss on her forehead.

"Good morning..." Fighter said softly.

"Good morning my dear." Ranger said while continuing to stroke her hair. "Today's that noble girl's birthday."

"I'll bet you're anxious to meet her?" Fighter said as she finally opened her eyes to see her mate.

"Like you aren't? If what Warrior and Wizard said were anything to go by, she dodged a pretty sharp blade..." Ranger said.

"No kidding. But we should probably hear her side of the story." Fighter said as they rolled onto Ranger's back and she looked down at him. "But regardless...if I wasn't pregnant at the time, it probably would've gone even smoother."

"Well...at least she made it, and is helping other continue to get stronger." Ranger said before pulling her down to a kiss that turned into a chain of rapid kisses. "Thank you..."

"For kissing you?" Fighter teased.

"For reminding me of myself last night..." Ranger said softly against her lips and he kissed her again like her lips were covered in honey. He then ran his hands up and down her body as she added small moans to the sounds of wet smacking and gasping breathes coming from their hungry mouths. She then broke their kiss and simply laid down on top of him as they simply enjoyed each other's warmth, love, and power. "Hope Wizard and company will be able to get that armor I designed up-and-running."

"So that's what those papers were for...you want us all to have this super armor don't you?" Fighter asked.

"Why the hell not? It helped me against those vampires, it can work for all of you. I even took a blow to the chest that would've killed me several times over if it wasn't for my armor." Ranger said.

"Thank the Supreme you had it. Do you think the War God will let you upgrade your weapons with a miracle?" Fighter said seriously.

"Quite possibly. My Cherub friend upgraded my armor with a miracle of his own." Ranger said.

"That melting power." Fighter breathed out.

"Right." Ranger said before thinking. "You know...I should have a shrine to the War God set up somewhere around here, or at least take you to a statue or shrine of his to ask what he thinks of our union."

"A better feast for thought it why didn't we do this earlier?" Fighter asked seriously.

"Did you know of anything like that in Water Town? Plus you had a baby with you in the frontier, and there were goblins that needed killing." Ranger said which earned him a chuckle from his beloved.

"That's what Goblin Slayer said." Fighter said while Ranger stared at her. "What?"

"I don't know how you do it, but you have out-of-nowhere moments where you're too adorable for your own good." Ranger said.

"You thinking of taking advantage of that?" Fighter asked before Ranger flipped them over as she gasped then giggled again.

"This answer your question?" Ranger said playfully before claiming her mouth with his own and he puts one of his hands on her leg, slowly moved upwards making her break the kiss and gasp in pleasure, then he reached her breast and fondles her while she moans into their resumed, and heated kiss. Eventually, she flips them over and looks down at him with her hair framing her face.

"You know I need these to feed our daughter right?" Fighter teased as she stopped his groping.

"Oh relax, you used the other one to feed her." Ranger said before gripping her butt. "This however..."

"I sit on." Fighter deadpanned.

"You still like it as much as I do." Ranger teased.

"Evidently." Fighter teased back before rubbing the tip of his hardened manhood. "No I'm not going to make a mess."

"Regardless...I _really_ want to be inside you again..." Ranger whispered harshly.

"In due time my dear, in due time..." Fighter said softly as she let him go and their lust turned back into love as she kissed him and lashed tongues with him as he fondled her round, fleshy buttocks with slow, powerful strokes. "You know...I think these treatments you give me are making it less painful to sit."

"Because I numb you so much?" Ranger teased which made Fighter pat his chest.

"No, I meant the same reason muscles and bones get stronger in training. It must be apples-to-apples." Fighter said seriously.

"If you say so...I can't wait to see you in that dress we commissioned for that shindig." Ranger said.

"You're one to talk; I've seen the suit you have in mind myself, but I can't imagine you wearing it no matter how hard I try." Fighter said.

"Well, be patient." Ranger teased as he stroked her cheek then gave her a quick but sweet kiss. "We should get up soon..."

"Right." Fighter said with disappointment.

"Hey...I could spend all day like this as well, but enough is enough." Ranger said seriously.

"Let's just get up before I get hungry again." Fighter whispered before getting up, going to get their clothes, then tossed his to him as she got dressed herself. "By the way, I got in contact with a guru while you were in the north."

"What?" Ranger asked.

"A spiritual expert, according to rumor, this man can not only give some information about how far the spirit's influence goes, but can also make the intangible effects, tangible." Fighter said. as she put her underwear and pants on.

"Any reason you want to go down that road?" Ranger asked as he puts his own underwear and pants on.

"Simple: you have the War God's blessing, I don't, and I'm not falling behind you." Fighter said half-seriously.

"Then keep up." Ranger said as he approached her and slammed his lips against hers as she pressed herself again him.

* * *

"About time you woke up..." Wizard said as Warrior came out of their room in only his pants.

"Hey, unlike you, I'm not a night owl." Warrior said.

"Hey yourself, I woke up not even ten minutes ago." Wizard said seriously.

"And you didn't invite me to the party..." Warrior deadpanned.

"Well these designs the boss left me are both complex and useful, so I'm going to work my butt off for him." Wizard said with pride.

"That's _alot_ of work..." Warrior teased.

"Oh very funny." Wizard said.

"But seriously, aren't you still tired?" Warrior asked.

"I was just looking the designs over, I'll be back." Wizard said, and true to her word, she finished looking the designs and enchanting Ranger's gun to make less noise before she joined the great and mighty dragon slayer in their room and laid back down next to him after shedding her dress.

"Welcome back." Warrior said before hovering over her, taking in her beauty, then kissing her softly as she wrapped her arms around him, then he moved down to suck on her nipples which makes her chuckle and tense up from the pleasure, which led to her groaning when he threw some rapid groping onto the fire.

"First you slay goblins, then a dragon...now you're going to slay me..." Wizard said in-between gasps as he worked her breasts.

"Consider this a reward-in-advance, for turning the rest of us into beasts." Warrior said as he stopped licking her nipples but kept fondling and squeezing her soft, fleshy globes then kept licking away as she rewarded him with moans.

"Stop...Warrior stop! You're going to give me a heart attack..." Wizard gasped and lightly pushed him off of her as she caught her breathe. She then took another moment to compose herself. "You really know how to give a girl motivation."

"I only care about motivating _you_." Warrior teased before kissing her. "Now get your hot little ass out there and make a few goblin nightmares come true."

"Charmed..." Wizard said before getting up, having her butt groped and raising an eyebrow at him.

"Come on, I even hinted at that happening." Warrior said while raising an eyebrow of his own, then Wizard smirked, shook her head and left.

* * *

"No wonder Goblin Slayer and the boss likes these things. Guns rock!" Warrior said as he tested the revolver on a dummy and blew it's chest open.

"Easy gunslinger, there's only a few bullets, and I need at least one to replicate." Wizard said seriously.

"Yeah, I hear you." Warrior said as he gave the gun back.

"Alright, now give that suit a workout." Wizard said half-seriously before Warrior put some boots on that gave off liquid metal that formed the same armor that Ranger had, without the red paintjob, and Warrior tried it out by picking up a summoned stone elemental then tossing it about 15ft away, then climbing right up a wall and dropping down 30ft while breaking the ground a bit, then he ran back and forth between one end of the field to the other with speed comparable to a horse, and he even took a hit from the stone elemental during a duel that knocked him on his ass, but he was perfectly fine thanks to the suit. He then dodged each blow from that point forward, pulled the stone elemental's foot out from under it, then tore out it's core with brute strength, before diving off of it, rolling along the ground then pushing himself into the air with his hands and landing dramatically.

"Show off!" Wizard's brother yelled which made Warrior snicker.

"Well...the armor works like a charm." Wizard said before Guild Girl showed up.

"Hey, what's all the ruckus?" She asked.

"Just testing some new toys." Wizard said as she held up Ranger's gun then pointed to Warrior with her thumb who showed off the armor.

"Wow...you have one too?" Guild Girl asked in awe.

"Yep. I'm a one-man army now!" Warrior boasted.

"Not so fast hotshot; you've got quite a ways to go before you're able to rip a dragon apart." Wizard said.

"Still, I wish I had this beast of a suit earlier." Warrior said. "Hey maybe we can call it "beast armor"?"

"Not a chance." Wizard's brother said.

"Sorry, not going to catch on." Wizard said.

"Alright I get it..." Warrior said annoyed.

"Well, could you at least keep the noise down? Several people are asking about how much was going on out here." Guild Girl said.

"Relax, it's done and over." Wizard said. "Now, let's go see the boss and company." With that, the three went to their apartment to use the gateway she installed.

* * *

"Hey boss, I silenced your gun for you." Wizard said as she handed his revolver back to him.

"This armor worked like a champ as well." Warrior said with excitement.

"Very good. I was going to ask you to give the mace a force enchantment, but it's better as a tribute to the War God." Ranger said.

"Master of the Mace right?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Right. The title speaks for itself." Ranger said.

"You better get something good out of it; modifying that mace was a pain in the ass." Wizard said.

"I hope so as well." Ranger said as Songstress came down to see the guests and waved hello.

"Hey, what's new?" Warrior asked which made her look about awkwardly. "Oh...right, language barrier..."

"Bard tends to translate for us." Ranger said.

"Someone call me?" Bard asked as if on-cue.

"Please talk to your friend for us." Ranger said and the pair spoke to each other in Elven, which apparently involved what was being said in the conversation just recently, and Bard's tone indicated that he was telling her it was harmless informing and some minor banter between them.

"We should be o.k. now." Bard said to the team.

"Right...how's my kid?" Ranger asked and Fighter came out with Priestess next to her.

"Asleep." Fighter said before looking outside. "It looks like it's going to rain soon..."

"I'll bet Storm Mage is going to be happy." Priestess said before it hits her. "We should probably go check with the archbishop."

"Not a bad idea." Ranger said as the team left for the Temple of Law.

* * *

Storm Mage went out to the gardens when a drizzle came down and looked up at the sky to observe the small specks of lightning dancing around in the clouds, little did he know Her Grace was observing what he was doing from inside. Storm Mage then called down small traces of lightning onto himself and the crackling sound drowning out all others. His control was such that even the rain soaking the area was unaffected by the lightning; water did conduct electricity afterall. When he was done, he went back inside with the towel he took with him and noticed the Sword Maiden while he was drying off.

"Yes Your Grace?" He asked.

"Nothing, I was just wondering how you would interact with the weather." Sword Maiden said.

"Part of me wishes we would be attacked so I can put the power I obtained to use." Storm Mage said with excitement which made Sword Maiden deflate.

"You enjoy battle don't you?" She asked.

"The mark of the War God isn't given to just anyone." Storm Mage said seriously.

"I am as aware as I was before. But...I still can't stand the idea of this place being assaulted." Sword Maiden said as she watched the rain come down.

"Your Grace, like I said before, if this temple does get assaulted by goblins successfully, I will personally vaporize every goblin in sight." Storm Mage said firmly. "And the ones that survive will taste every once of fear you once felt."

"Thank you for your services, demon hunter." Sword Maiden said softly before sucking in a breathe.

"Also...I communed with the Love Goddess a few days ago, and-" Sword Maiden cuts Storm Mage off.

"I can't. I'm sorry...but, I just can't." She said.

"Your Grace, what those abominations did to you is the complete opposite of how it's supposed to go, and I am no more chaste myself." Storm Mage said.

"Storm Mage...you got rid of your chastity, mine was destroyed in a case where I had no say." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"With all due respect, that's a distinction without a difference. I may have gotten rid of it, but that makes my choice even _more_ despicable." Storm Mage said and Sword Maiden looked right at him

"How do I know you aren't just saying that? I deeply appreciate that you're trying to ease my mind, but..." She trailed off.

"I know you can sense the truth; lesser priests can do so without batting an eye." Storm Mage said softly.

"That only goes so far." Sword Maiden said while trying to keep it together.

"You stand here cursing that your first time was destroyed, I stand here cursing that I discarded mine like it was trash, when it's anything but...you are driven by compassion for the people but I was driven by little more than greed. As far as I'm concerned, your case is not worse than mine..." Storm Mage said.

"Please...don't say anything else..." Sword Maiden whispered while shaking and Storm Mage sighed.

"I'm sorry...I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to force you; that's the last thing I would do, but please, do us both a favor and give this a chance. If I make your case worse, kick me out of Water Town, cast me into Hell's jaws, I don't care; I deserve whatever price is in store." He said as he turned to leave only for Sword Maiden to take his hand with her own.

"I have no faith that my situation could get any worse, and I really do appreciate your services. As for your... request, I will think about it." She said softly.

"Thank you Your Grace...may I hold you?" Storm Mage asked.

"Please..." Sword Maiden whispered before leaning her staff against the wall and letting him hug her while sucking in one deep breathe after another. Eventually, she returned the embrace and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I've seen how you look at that baby; one who didn't know better might say you want her yourself." Storm Mage said seriously which made Sword Maiden push back alittle but not out of his arms.

"Part of me does...but, how could I?" Sword Maiden said.

"I heard the team mention how they saved victims of the goblins who either wound up becoming acolytes or even mothers of actual children. The Love Goddess gets the last laugh in cases like this in more ways than one." Storm Mage said seriously.

"Do you think she will in my case?" Sword Maiden asked.

"If you allow it, but I know you can, and my blade and lightning are available should you fail to combat your fears." Storm Mage whispered.

"Are you willing to stay here forever if need be?" Sword Maiden asked.

"I am the city's official demon hunter so...I don't have much of a choice." Storm Mage said half-jokingly.

"Right...I should get back to the main chamber." Sword Maiden said before finally letting go of him.

"Let's go then." Storm Mage said as he followed her to the main chamber, and the team was there.

"Hello team." Sword Maiden said as she walked in with Storm Mage a few steps behind her.

"Hello Your Grace." Ranger said as she gave him a brief hug, followed by Priestess who held on a bit longer, and Fighter who wasn't holding her baby for once.

"Where's your baby?" Sword Maiden asked.

"At home Your Grace; she's sound asleep and I didn't want to risk the storm waking her." Fighter said.

"No fear of that, I gathered as much power as I could from it; the lightning shouldn't wake anyone if they were asleep outside, let alone an infant." Storm Mage said.

"Good to know. Anyway, we came because we'd like to know when this party is exactly." Fighter said.

"Twilight actually, so you should have plenty of time to prepare." Sword Maiden said.

"You aren't coming?" Warrior asked.

"I wish I could, but I must remain here to see some things through." Sword Maiden said.

"May I ask what Archbishop?" Priestess asked.

"Nothing too serious young Priestess. Just go and enjoy yourselves, all of you." Sword Maiden said with a small smile.

"If you insist Your Grace." Ranger said as he opened a portal back to their manor and went through and Sword Maiden deflated.

"Your Grace?" Storm Mage asked.

"I cannot face all those people in the state I'm in now; I need time to think..." Sword Maiden said somberly.

"If you need help-" She cuts Storm Mage off.

"No...you've done enough; the rest is up to me alone. Please go check on the town for any demonic activity." Sword Maiden said as she left.

"As you wish Your Grace." Storm Mage said as he went for the exit.

* * *

The next couple of hours were spent with Warrior showing what his suit was made of in a two-on-one duel with him vs Ranger and Fighter, either with them in a free-for-all, or with one fighting the other two at once, in every combination, and all three of them had similar luck. Granted Ranger didn't heat his blades or morph too many weapons, but...that was kind of expected; this wasn't a fight to the death. After they each took one of Wizard's famous life potions, they each washed off with the pouring rain helping out and went inside to dry off and change into their respective suits and dresses for the birthday bash.

Ranger and Warrior each had their own suits complete with jackets, slacks, and of course, distinguished patterns of color and fuzz. The two men looked like true nobles themselves.

"That armor isn't good enough...vampires are roughly twice as fast as a horse, and have strength to match, and their queen is probably much worse." Ranger said seriously while the two were alone.

"At least we can have Priestess empower us or weaken her, and Wizard is working on a way to throw curses into the mix when it comes to our tactics." Warrior said.

"And her brother?" Ranger asked.

"He's taking a page out of her book every day; he hasn't mastered anything yet or even got good enough in the more advanced stuff yet, hence why he barely did anything when we wiped out those goblins, but still, he's on his way." Warrior said.

"We also didn't give him much of a chance to do anything." Ranger said.

"Yeah, there is that...oh well, he'll get them next time." Warrior said.

"I only hope we get a chance halfway; you know what he'll see..." Ranger said seriously.

"He'll just have to deal with it..." Warrior said before Wizard's brother walked in.

"You two better not be talking about me." He said.

"Not in a negative way, but we were discussing your progress." Ranger said.

"Well, you hogged all the goblins to yourselves, so showing off wasn't going to happen now was it?" Wizard's brother asked.

"We established that right before you walked in." Warrior said.

"Right, well I have to say, it's quite refreshing to be part of the same team as my sister, after all this time too..." Wizard's brother said.

"And with the boss here?" Warrior asked.

"I suppose you follow him for a reason." Wizard's brother said.

"Boy you don't know the _half_ of it." Wizard herself came in...and boy was she a vision. She wore a glittering blue dress, purple eyeshadow, pink lipstick, and emerald earrings.

"Damn Wizard, what princess did you save and borrow her looks from?" Ranger asked jokingly as he got up to leave.

"You're one to talk boss; your wife is going to _eat_ you up." Wizard said with a smile as Ranger walked by her then looked at the other two men who kept gawking at her. "Cat got your tongues?

"Why exactly are you going like that?" Her brother asked.

"Why not? I'm allowed to show off." Wizard said and Warrior just kept looking her over, which she noticed but kept quiet. "Just go see what's what out there o.k?"

"Right..." Her brother said before leaving the two alone.

"Wizard...if you go like that, every man in the area will glue their eyeballs to you." Warrior said which made his sapphire-encrusted girlfriend smile and approach him.

"As long as the great and mighty dragon slayer is with me, I'll be fine, plus I can handle ruffians as well as Fighter can." Wizard said proudly.

"No fear of either case. Did you have to put on lipstick? I really want to kiss you." Warrior said before Wizard Transmuted the lipstick off and pulled him into a deep kiss.

"Happy?" Wizard teased before he puts his lips back on hers several times and squeezes one of her breasts which makes her moan and back up a bit. "Wait...I _really_ don't want this dress ruined."

"Relax, you can repair it can't you?" Warrior asked.

"It's not my power, it's the principle; it's kind of cheap going in a dress I had to fix." Wizard said seriously.

"Oh...didn't think of that..." Warrior said.

"Well, at least I only have one head to think with." Wizard teased.

"Oh shut it." Warrior playfully snapped.

"You'll have to _make_ me..." Wizard said sensually, then Warrior kissed her yet again.

* * *

Ranger used Life Sight to find his wife, who was still in their room brushing her hair, and when he got to her...she was barely recognizable. She had her hair down of course, and she had a bright green dress, with white patterns, and the same emerald earrings Wizard had, and she even had some green eyeshadow. She noticed Ranger staring at her then she stopped brushing her hair and starring at the man she married.

"Holy...someone went all the way." Fighter said.

"Too much? I can still change into something else." Ranger said.

"Don't even think about it! You look incredible." Fighter exclaimed.

"As do you..my love and life." Ranger said softly as he walked up behind her and put his hands on her collarbone from behind and she sucked in a breathe and leaned into him. "Nervous?"

"Not even close. This already reminds me of our wedding..." Fighter whispered.

"Ah, yes...I doubt this will surpass our wedding, but it will surely come close, unless some idiotic force gets in the way." Ranger said.

"Don't even joke about that." Fighter said seriously.

"Sorry." Ranger said as he crouched down to her level. "Shall we get going?"

"Ranger...I lied. I _am_ a bit nervous." Fighter said softly.

"Relax, if something serious were to happen, we'd be informed, plus we've got several things to give the vampire queen a hard time." Ranger said.

"No...no more about that. Just hold me, please..." Fighter said before Ranger pulled her up, and hugged her close but without force. "Talk to me..."

"About what?" Ranger asked softly.

"Anything positive." Fighter whispered and Ranger took a moment to think.

"You know winter is just around the corner?" Ranger asked which made Fighter nod against his chest. "I used to hate it; the days aren't long enough and then there's the infamous cold, but now...we have each other's heat, and the long nights? They'll be all ours..."

"There was a winter while I was pregnant remember?" Fighter said simply.

"But you were pregnant, with our lovely daughter..." Ranger said before putting a hand on her lower abdomen. "But now that she's out of the womb..."

"We can take full advantage?" Fighter asked with amusement.

"We don't need to take "full" advantage; we don't need to make love every time we're in bed, we've held off our fair share of times, with no shame as well." Ranger said seriously.

"I remember. I also remember your reaction to when I finally gave birth..." Fighter said.

"I don't think I've wept that much since the time at the pond..." Ranger whispered.

"Tears that prove your devotion as a father." Fighter said softly as she gave her husband a soft, sweet, and decently long kiss.

"I remember the first time you kissed me like that...when I was shaving, you came back from returning a bow." Ranger teased.

"And those two jokers hit on me, but...I'm a one-man girl, unfortunately for them." Fighter said with pride before going soft again. "Oh you were a sight back then."

"I still am right?" Ranger teased which made the woman he was holding chuckle.

"Of course you are; I married you didn't I? And no, it's not for this sculpted body of yours; don't even start that." Fighter said seriously.

"Wasn't going to..." Ranger said just as seriously.

"Good, now...before I rip that nice suit off of you, let's get back to the others." Fighter said while backing up, taking the hand Ranger offered her and left the room to join her other three teammates then headed outside and...to their amazement the rain stopped cold; even the droplets in mid-air flew back into the sky, then the clouds dispersed and the sun shined through. It was one of the most insane and awe-inspiring sights the team had ever seen. It must've been the Storm Mage; they had seen him change the weather with miracles before...but they could ask him later, for now, they had a noble to give their wishes to.

* * *

"Anyone seen Priestess or Goblin Slayer?" Wizard asked as they looked around the place.

"No, but they should be here soon." Fighter said then they were approached from behind.

"Sooner than you think." The team turned and saw High Elf Archer in an Elven dress with Priestess next to her in her usual get-up, and Dwarf Shaman was behind her in a golden-bronze robe.

"Haven't seen all of you since the good Fighter here gave birth. How have you been?" He asked.

"Training, looking after our child, interacting with Her Grace, and now this for the most part." Fighter said.

"We also have a quest we'd like your help with." Ranger said seriously.

"Goblins?" H.E. Archer asked.

"I almost wish..." Ranger said before lowering his voice. "The vampire queen."

"What? Of all the messes you had to get yourself into!" H.E. Archer exclaimed.

"Hey, Her Grace asked me to look into things going on in the north, and lo and behold, she was behind it." Ranger said.

"Take me too! Vampires are vulnerable to holy arts like demons are." Priestess said firmly.

"Which is why you _and_ Goblin Slayer should come as well." Ranger said.

"If Beard-Cutter is coming, then me, Long Ears, and Scaly will come as well." Dwarf Shaman said.

"You sure "Scaly" can handle the cold?" Warrior asked.

"He did before young Beard-Cutter, he can do it again." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Not sure how Orcbolg will handle vampires though." H.E. Archer said skeptically.

"Most of the people I'm bringing just need to distract her and divide her powers. But we'll discuss that later..." Ranger said.

"Hey, there's Goblin Slayer right now...wait a minute..." Wizard said as she looked over the woman he was talking to. "That's the same noble fencer we were sent to aid, only...she let her hair down for some reason."

"You know her?" Ranger asked.

"Quite well, we even took down a goblin paladin with her team She actually wants to meet you." Warrior said, and with that, Ranger's team took him to meet her. "We're here, and this...is the Ranger we mentioned."

"So you're the famous Ranger? The same crazy bastard who got these two involved in what would've been a suicide mission?" Noble Fencer asked.

"I am, and you are?" Ranger said.

"The birthday girl of course, why would you come here without knowing who I am?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Good point. I've heard you've been getting involved in the adventurer recruitment and training organization throughout the country, with the King himself no less." Ranger said.

"How could I not? My team and I were going to starve the goblins out, but not only did it take far too long, but when these two showed up...although it was a hard knocks lesson, they got us to see how stupid that was. Throw in a goblin paladin and...yeesh." Noble Fencer said.

"Yeah, it once took all of us just to kill one paladin." Fighter said.

"The goblin massacre at that farm? I've heard; must've been a real bloodbath." Noble Fencer said.

"It was, but we had a revenant there to help us." Goblin Slayer said simply.

"A what?" Noble Fencer asked.

"A revenant, a servant of the Death God who helps him carry souls to the afterlife." Wizard said.

"Creepy..." Noble Fencer said.

"But he gave his last breathe to save us, and gave us a taste of what a Platinum Rank is made of." Ranger said.

"Platinum?!" Noble Fencer exclaimed.

"Yep, technically he was stated to be Platinum level, not ranked, but still." Ranger said.

"Shall we have a moment of silence for the man?" Wizard's brother asked seriously and everyone shut up for a moment. "I'll take that as a yes..."

"Yes you should." Wizard said with a smile.

"Wait, you two are married I take it?" Noble Fencer asked when she saw Fighter's ring.

"Yep, have a baby daughter at home as well, so...unfortunately we can't stay long." Fighter said.

"Oh well, it was really nice to meet the two of you, and I'd really like to hear more stories in the future." Noble Fencer said.

"Not a problem." Ranger said with a smile, then some music picks up and Bard starts a song that mentions fighting against suffering like it was a flesh-and-blood monster, then to everyone's surprise...Storm Mage appeared and showed that he could sing as well by joining in.

* * *

Elsewhere, the man Herbalist Girl mentioned was going through some arcane doo-dads, and eventually looked into the eyes of an iron skull.

"I see...Her Majesty is going to have some trouble soon, and more than a fair amount of it." The man said before turning to a woman with blood red streaks in her black hair and a skin-tight outfit that looked like it was made of hardened flesh. "I have a mission for you..."

* * *

**Hoo boy...another long-ass chapter. In case you don't know, that scene with Ranger's dad training some people is a Full Metal Jacket references, RIP Gunney R. Lee Ermey...anyway...Ranger got to torture some goblins, in the same place they had their first quest...yay, and FYI, that "what's wrong...scared?" line is a Scarecrow reference.**

**But wait...Storm Mage is starting to put the moves on Sword Maiden, and...if you ask me, while I do respect why some people ship her with Goblin Slayer, I don't; from where I'm standing, her feelings for him are a heat-of-the-moment deal, and a pretty extreme case to boot. Plus...considering Storm Mage's past, he deserves to be with Her Grace more than GS does, especially since he has Cow Girl, again, from where I'm standing.**

**You disagree? I won't judge, and I would like the same courtesy please. And no, that whole "Storm Mage stopping the weather" thing is not a Weathering With You reference; that was pure coincidence. Also...Noble Fencer has joined the party and considering that Ranger's team has their noses in anything goblin-related, it not only makes sense for them to be involved in her quest...but the case of her supposedly getting violated? Just like Fighter's case, Noble Fencer's case can go straight to hell where it belongs, and I'm not ashamed of changing that part of the story one bit, and no one can change my mind.**

**I also think that the team getting super-powered suits is either an unintentional reference to Doom Guy, Iron Man, or both. Eh, whatever, power suits are a dime-a-dozen in fiction and for good reason. Now, sorry this took so long, but I haven't been feeling well; I'm not sick, but I've been a bit beside myself, but I'm getting better, so the next part will not take a century to come out lol. So what will that man and woman I left off with have in store for the team? Find out later, but please...Rate, Review, and Share, spread the hope I'm trying to spread myself, and stayed tuned of course.**


	7. Chapter 3

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I have some brand spanking new abilities in the works, and there's still a party to tend to, so...on with the show.**

**Review Response: I suppose it makes sense for Rhea Fighter to be like that...although that doesn't say much in regards to her deal with Wizard's bro.**

**It wasn't really optional to check on Ranger's dad; he runs the town's training hall, and Wizard and Warrior work there as well. As for GS' gear? Well...he tends to throw things away in combat, and...he might take a self-maintenance enchantment, or 12, for his more permanent equipment. His gun being silenced however was a no-brainer.**

**As for no one below Bronze Rank joining the siege on the vampire queen's fortress? Yeah, you have a point there; any rookies would just get cut down, and small elite teams can cause a bigger, yet more subtle pain in the ass.**

**Believe it or not, Ranger does control his wrath; he only tortured the 2 shamans because they greenlit the lesser goblins' actions, and he may have argued in favor of scarring the goblins, but Goblin Slayer made it clear it was out-of-the-question and...he's Goblin Slayer; he knows what he's talking about, and considering Ranger's character, proving how much of a testosterone-overdosed badass he is out-of-place, hence why he agreed to GS' plan.**

**Yeah, seeing a baby so pure worked on the Sword Maiden, and she was haunted by the goblins' "treatment" for over a decade, imagine what some girls who weren't afflicted for even half that time would think. Abbot signing on to help fight the vampire queen is right up his alley since vampires and demons are quite similar, especially in regards to their weaknesses. As for Sword Maiden giving Storm Mage a shot...well, that's also a shoo-in.**

**Technically Warrior and Wizard saved Noble Fencer; Ranger didn't do a damn thing outside of Water Town while Fighter was carrying his daughter, which obviously took 9 freaking months; Warrior and Wizard had to step up to the plate and do their thing. Noble Fencer might be supporting the adventurer training and recruitment program, but she's not on the frontlines like the team is. Her bringing her input to the King is one of the few "canon" events I agree with, especially since it makes sense given the circumstances, and...ho boy, if adventurers flood the rank from all over the nation then the goblins are completely boned.**

**Not only is Fighter going to get something sweet from Guru, which I won't spoil, but I have a 2nd surprise for the readers here...  
**

* * *

"Any idea what Storm Mage was doing here?" Ranger asked Fighter as they stepped into the garden in the back of Noble Fencer's home and sat on a stone bench.

"Probably to check with his Bard friend, although...I'd like to know if he stopped the weather with a miracle or his magic." Fighter said as she nursed a glass of wine.

"Speaking of miracles: I ever tell you I freed some people from the vampires' control?" Ranger boasted which made Fighter chuckle and nudge him with her shoulder.

"My dear heroic husband..." She teased.

"That's what I do...unless you're a goblin." Ranger said half-jokingly.

"Still can't believe you made those goblins kill each other, and themselves." Fighter said,

"Like Warrior said, no one's shedding tears for those assholes." Ranger said.

"Speaking of which: it looks like the sky shed quite a few..." Fighter said as she looked over the freshly rained-on environment and inhaled deeply. "Rain always got me refreshed."

"I thought that was my job...?" Ranger teased.

"Don't make me splash you with this wine." Fighter playfully snapped.

"And ruin the suit you can't stop tearing off of me with your eyes? Please..." Ranger teased.

"You win this round mister." Fighter said before having another sip.

"If you were drinking that when we met, I'd have gotten on you about getting drunk." Ranger said.

"Hey, I wasn't that light." Fighter said.

"I could drag you across the ground with almost no trouble after I killed that hob." Ranger noted before stroking her arm. "But nowadays...yeah, good luck with that, younger me."

"Careful, a girl could say you're calling her fat." Fighter teased.

"You? Hardly, and even if you were, the kind of training you go through would be a _nightmare_ for any fat you'd put on. I'd almost feel sorry for goblins that go through that kind of hell...almost" Ranger said.

"Says the guy who threw terrorism into his tactics when it comes to fighting them." Fighter said before sipping again.

"Please, Goblin Slayer probably has stories written about him to scare goblin kids, as if that was sad from the get-go." Ranger said.

"Heartlessness towards heartlessness from creatures who embody heartlessness..." Fighter said.

"Now who's being poetic?" Ranger teased which made Fighter chuckle at him.

"I learned from a master." Fighter said with a smile before kissing him, putting the wine glass down and wrapping her arms around him, then went for his neck.

"Fighter...Fighter, baby, you're getting abit carried away." Ranger said softly.

"I can't help it...you're just so damn handsome." Fighter said with amusement as she tried to remove his jacket, but got stopped.

"Seriously, this isn't the time, or the place, and I'm sure as hell not going to take advantage of you." Ranger said seriously, but softly as he held her hands between them.

"Killjoy..." Fighter said with a pout.

"I love you too." Ranger said.

"I'm amazed you never got any wine." Fighter said.

"No way, someone like me should stay sober at all times." Ranger said seriously.

"Don't trust your self-control?" Fighter asked with awe.

"It's not that, I just don't trust the self-control of those around me, not including you." Ranger said.

"Oh?" Fighter asked curiously.

"What if someone gets too...worked up and someone has to stop them before they hurt themselves or someone else?" Ranger asked.

"My dear heroic husband..." Fighter said.

"You said that twice..." Ranger said.

"Because you gave two reasons to say it." Fighter teased.

"True enough." Ranger said with a smirk before holding her close. "As long as the loving, and lovely girl I'm holding sees me as _her_ hero..."

"She always did." Fighter said softly after Ranger kissed the top of her head. "You'd be there to keep me out of other people's hands if I got drunk right?"

"Of course, like I said at your father's grave: these arms will always be available to you." Ranger said softly and Fighter sucked in a deep breath. "I meant it then, like I do now...I love you Fighter. Thanks for giving me a family..." With that, Fighter buried her face into her husband's shoulder and he felt her tears moisten his clothing. How could he do anything but seal the deal with an embrace of his own? The two spouses sat there not caring if anyone saw.

* * *

"So, any of you notice the weather clear up?" Storm Mage asked.

"Hard not to. You do that?" Warrior asked.

"Nothing gets past you does it? I actually drew quite a bit of power from it before asking the gods to disperse it." Storm Mage said.

"You expecting an invasion or something?" Wizard's brother asked.

"I'm not proud of it, but...I do still have a greedy streak." Storm Mage said.

"Well, as long as you keep the streets demon-free and don't rob anyone, who cares?" Warrior said.

"Glad to see you believe in me..." Storm Mage said dryly which got him some laughs.

"So, how did you and Bard meet?" Priestess asked.

"Not by choice let me tell you, but...he was actually my moral compass, until I came to my senses on my own accord." Storm Mage said.

"What do you mean?" Priestess asked.

"Girl...I've always been greedy as hell; even during my time as a demon hunter I've done some inhumanly selfish things. Even with the messed up things in the Sword Maiden's past...she still deserves to live more than I do." Storm Mage said seriously.

"That's bullshit. You serve her because you want to make a difference right? Well, like the boss would say: focus on that chance instead of whatever your past selfishness was." Warrior said.

"He would've phrased that better." Wizard teased.

"Not now sweetie..." Warrior said.

"The _point_ is, you serve the Sword Maiden, now deal with it." Wizard's brother said seriously.

"Right, as for Bard? Well, at first I never told him what I've done, but when I did, not only did he not turn me in to the authorities, but stuck by me to not only get some material for his songs, but also ran into that lovely Songstress. He even learned the Elven tongue just so he could talk to her." Storm Mage said.

"Now _that's_ romantic." Wizard said.

"The really amazing thing is that...for the first time in my life, I had no interest in pursuing her; the list of women I've been with is probably half a mile long, and I'm not interested in her, even if she was no longer involved with Bard." Storm Mage said.

"That's what we call a bromance." Warrior said which made Storm Mage look at him funny.

"You don't say...Bard really has it made: a lovely woman at his side, me, a booming career...my younger self would turn in his grave had I died years ago." Storm Mage said, and the team gave him funny looks. "Hey, I'm allowed to make fun of myself."

"That's still kind of dark." Warrior said.

"Anyway, how do you like working for the archbishop?" Priestess asked and Storm Mage sighed. "You love her don't you?"

"I don't know if I should..." Storm Mage said. "Let's ignore the notion that I may or may not be good enough for her; where the hell would our relationship go, or what would it even be?"

"She's been through a complete shitstorm, and you want to stop being a complete shitstorm. That's what it would be." Wizard said seriously.

"As for where it would go? Well...look at where Ranger and Fighter went..." Her brother said.

"Those two are married and have a child; you really think the archbishop would allow that considering...what has to happen before a child can be born?" Storm Mage asked seriously.

"If she's o.k. with it, she's o.k. with it. For crying out loud, you're making this harder than it has a right to be. Just show her you give a damn, keep going until you get somewhere and for the love of all things sacred...quit bitching." Wizard said impatiently.

"I'll commune with the Love Goddess, see what I can do to ease her, if possible." Storm Mage said with a sigh.

"Atta boy, now get back to the show..." Wizard said, and with that, the rest of the party was spent on less serious things, like listening to random discussions, listening to more music, filling their stomachs, even paying homage to the fallen at one point.

* * *

"Hoof...that was one hell of a shindig." Ranger said as he laid down after he and his wife got home, checked on their daughter, removed their fancy get-ups, and went to bed.

"Worth it?" Fighter asked as she removed her bra and underwear, and crawled into bed with him.

"Very much so." Ranger said as he cleared a place at his side and the moment she laid down, she sighed dreamily as she snuggled into him smiling brightly. "Someone is in a good mood."

"And why wouldn't they be?" Fighter said with a chuckle as she touched Ranger's face. "This sort of reminded me of our wedding."

"It didn't top our wedding did it?" Ranger asked as he caressed her face in return with the back of his hand.

"_Nothing_ will top our wedding." Fighter said before kissing him briefly but sweetly. "The best part of this was when you reminded me of how your arms will always be available to me."

"Sorry I made you cry though." Ranger said softly as he stroked her hair.

"I don't mind; they were the right kind of tears." Fighter said.

"I meant every word my love; that ring on your finger isn't there to look pretty, even though it does." Ranger said which made Fighter chuckle again.

"No I suppose it's not." She said before snuggling into his side again.

"How's your womb?" Ranger asked.

"I'll be alright in a few weeks, at this rate at least. You in a hurry?" Fighter asked.

"Not really but-" Fighter cuts him off.

"Shhhh...I know, but we can do other things remember?" She said.

"It's not the same...although it is close enough at times." Ranger said.

"Oh really?" Fighter teased as she pressed her lips to his and they mashed together several times with less-than subtle smacking and sucking sounds between them. "Will you _ever_ stop being a good kisser...?"

"Not as long as I'm kissing _you_..." Ranger said huskily and Fighter got on top of him, took both his hands and put them on her butt which he immediately worked on with lovingly soft squeezes which made the beauty in his bed gasp in pleasure, kiss him, lash tongues with him, and eventually caress his chest with her own. Then she scooched up, and held her breasts to his face silently asking to suck on them, which he did. This time, he used his hands to squeeze them while he licked her nipples which made her gasp even harder. Then she pulled away, which made him look at her funny and for once...stop handling her butt.

"That's enough of that...treat the rest of me." Fighter said with lust in her voice as she laid down on her front and Ranger sat to massage her shoulders, back, buttocks and legs, including her sensitive inner thighs which made her gasp and tense up from the pleasure. She then flipped over and he gave her front the same treatment, from her hips, to her face and everything in-between. "You really take "treat the rest of me" seriously don't you?"

"Like I told you before...you have the body of a goddess, and it deserves to be revered as such." Ranger said with his own fair share of lust then pressed his lips against hers and they have another tongue duel. He then puts his hand on her belly, moves down...and strokes her between the legs and she breaks their kiss with a moan, which leads to pleasured gasps as her husband treated her womb with his loving hand. Eventually, she let out a long groan of euphoria and stuffed the blanket in her mouth to silence her, and Ranger kept stroking her a bit longer to make sure her pleasure drowned out any pain she might've been in, and she grabbed his hand a split second after he stopped; apparently he went a bit too far if her timing was off.

"You drive me insane sometimes, you know that...?" Fighter said between deep gasps.

"As long as it's the right kind." Ranger teases and he groped her breasts as she inhaled and exhaled which made her smile even more brightly.

"We're going to have to change the sheets sooner or later love." Fighter said.

"Like that's ever stopped us." Ranger said. "But...on a serious note: we can bathe in the morning and have the sheets changed as we do our thing."

"Right..." Fighter said as she stopped him squeezing her chest. "That'll do...we should sleep now." With that Ranger laid down and the two held each other close as the Dream God claimed them both.

* * *

In the middle of a dark, foggy marshland, the groans of hundreds of goblins trapped under the surface can be heard, but underneath them, faint screams of pain can be heard, and when it was looked into further...those goblins under the bog were trying to break the surface, but the tar they were moving through restricted their movements, and the ones beneath them...were actually on fire.

The fog around the marshes opened windows in space that showed the goblins dancing on he corpses of the people they butchered while laughing, the screams of the countless girls they captured and forced into becoming breeding stock, and even some of them weeping while giving birth to more of the unholy creatures.

The goblins trapped were the very same ones in the visions, and that's when it became clear: this was no dream, it was Purgatory, the world where all creatures pay for the sins they've committed, and the ones trapped under the bog had committed a great many sins. The balance was being restored, one drop of immeasurable suffering at a time...

* * *

Ranger woke from his vision shaking in fury, but when he realized he was back with his loving and beautiful wife, sleeping so peacefully and shifting against him wanting to be as close as physically possible, his fury died like it was shot through the head. This was the complete opposite of his vision and it demanded to be acknowledged, and he went right back to sleep.

"My dear Fighter..." Ranger whispered and Fighter shifted against him once again.

* * *

True to their word, the two had themselves a bath while the manor's staff changed their bed sheets. They already had their fill of each other's bodies the last time they had a bath, but the memory lingered. Now was the time was something more serious.

"Ranger...I couldn't help but notice your attitude change towards our goblin slaying." Fighter said as she rinsed his hair.

"You mean my desire to instill fear?" Ranger asked and Fighter hummed in acknowledgement. "Well...I can't blame the War God entirely; the types of atrocities the goblins pull and are still pulling call for a great deal of punishment, but thankfully Goblin Slayer was there to get my head out of the clouds, and my head will not go back into the clouds anytime soon."

"How can you be so sure?" Fighter asked seriously.

"Last night...the War God granted me a vision. I was actually in Purgatory, watching some goblins pay for those atrocities I mentioned, I even got a front-row seat to watch some of them..." Ranger said with disgust. "I'm somewhat glad I did though..."

"Ranger..." Fighter whispered in awe.

"I'm not like Goblin Slayer, no matter how much the Sword Maiden wants to think so. Goblin Slayer is used to seeing the goblins do what they do; I doubt I ever will." Ranger said.

"Speaking of whom, you should probably talk to her about this." Fighter said seriously while hugging him from behind.

"Probably..." Ranger said, while holding her hands.

"I actually hope you never become like Goblin Slayer." Fighter said honestly.

"I ever put on a face-covering helmet and refuse to take it off, yank it off me." Ranger said half-jokingly which made Fighter chuckle and shift against him before he turns to hug her "But for now...let's just enjoy this." With that, the two simply sat there in the bath holding each other close, shifting every now and then to get more out of different positions, but nevertheless taking in the presence and affection of the other. Eventually, they got back to cleaning themselves off, then dried off, got dressed and joined the other at the guild hall's training grounds, and when they got there...they heard a faint explosion...

* * *

"Holy shit!" Warrior yelled as he threw a bomb at some dummies. Wizard had an idea for the powder used in Goblin Slayer and Ranger's guns, to be used in small throwable objects, and came up with bombs of various types, from napalm, to ice, to poison, to plain explosive/sharpnel, and with some advice from Assassin, silver dust for vampires. Her brother also threw in non-lethal options like tear gas, sleeping gas, or even a flash/noise bombs to stun foes. Assassin even loaned some of her silver knives for Wizard to replicate for their campaign against the vampire queen. Turns out she has some experience with vampires as well, just like Abbot did. Wizard's brother also had the idea of silver poison: a mixture of silver dust, glue, and some water to make it more applicable to blades or shots.

"Now it's my turn..." Wizard said as Warrior finished the bomb testing. "Firestream!" She then cast a stream of fire out of her staff and any dummies caught burst into flames and the stream kept up for nearly ten seconds.

"O.k...let's check the recording." Her brother said and the three watched the recaller and allowed them to be watched again. "Sheesh, you hit their feet first and climbed up to their faces!"

"Yeah...this would _not_ be a nice way to go..." Warrior said with a bit of nervousness then they were approached by a female Rhea in light armor.

"Hey, what's all the noise? I'm trying to meditate here!" She exclaimed.

"Sorry missy." Warrior said before he spotted Ranger and Fighter. "The boss is here!" They then turned off the recaller and got back to work; Ranger catching fire was still a decently sore subject and rubbing salt in the wounds was uncalled for.

"We saw the whole thing; no need to be nervous." Fighter said for the two of them as they approached and spotted the Rhea girl. "Who is this?

"His girlfriend." Wizard said while pointing her brother.

"For the last time, she's not my girlfriend. Anyway, Fighter, this is Rhea Fighter. Rhea Fighter this is Fighter." Her brother said.

"Another one? That's going to be confusing..." Ranger said casually.

"As if; you married the lady and had a kid with her." Warrior said. "It would be pretty sad if you got the two mixed up."

"Ah, Fighter...you have someone here to see you." Assassin said from the side and she point with her thumb to a large-bearded, dark-skinned man with a marigold robe and turban meditating on a carpet near the river with the people giving him a wide berth. or rather...the other way around.

"He must be that guru you mentioned, and from the look of things, he must be from the south-eastern nation, the fabled land of the enlightened one." Ranger said.

"Here's hoping he can teach what I'm hoping for." Fighter said as she approached the man. "Excuse me? Are you the guru I contacted?"

"You will have a harder time with what you ask of me if you need to ask that." Guru said halk-jokingly.

"I took a crack at this chakra-alignment thingie myself before you showed up." Rhea Fighter said.

"What now?" Fighter asked.

"Ah, you haven't been taught have you?" Guru asked before taking out a chart with a human-shape diagram with 7 colored circled going from the heard to the groin. "There are 7 different concentrations, or pools if you will, of spiritual energy in each person, and these pools are known as chakras. They exist in each person in their world, but only some can get them all perfectly aligned, and cleared."

"Cleared?" Fighter asked.

"Yes. These chakra pools deal with a different type of spiritual energy, and are blocked by another, negative type." Guru said before pointing to the bottom/red one. "For example, the one in the base of the spine deals with one's instincts for survival and mental stablility, and is blocked by fear. If it is blocked, one feels unsteady in their approach to life, especially challenges, they may even become paranoid. When opened, one feels free to pursue and face whatever obstacles life throws their way."

"Well, no fear of that in my case; with my friends and husband by my side, as well as the training I've received from my father, I've never been afraid of a challenge." Fighter said with no small amount of confidence.

"All the better, the first chakra is open."

"I envy you...I've been nervous around quite a few people, but I am working on that." Rhea Fighter said. "Although, I did once kill one of those hobgoblins with one blow."

"Impressive." Fighter said with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, quite. Now, shall we continue?" Guru asked and Fighter nodded. "The second chakra is located in the lower belly, and it involves one's ability to feel pleasure, both physical and emotional."

"And it's blocked by?" Fighter asked.

"Guilt." Guru said. "If a person feels guilty enough, the very idea of feeling pleasure is unthinkable to them because they feel unworthy."

"I see..." Fighter said as she thought. "I don't recall anytime were I felt guilty per say, but I did feel like I wasn't strong enough."

"That's a different story; failure due to weakness is one thing, failure due to cowardice is another." Guru said seriously.

"I've been in both situations..." Rhea Fighter said softly.

"Then you must forgive yourself and focus on the hope that you can atone for what you did; if they continue to fester in your spirit, you will have a lower place in the world, with or without you mind being weightless." Guru said.

"Weightless? What do you mean?" Fighter asked.

"Ah, have you heard of the idea of acting without your mind?" Guru asked and got a head shake from Fighter. "Warriors from the Eastern-most nation train to fight with what they call Mushin, or "no mind" in your tongue. They act, fight, and even speak with nothing distracting them, not fear, not anger, not even love."

"Love?" Fighter asked.

"Yes. Love is a powerful force, but it can be dangerous to unrefined people; some of the most insane acts in history have been done in the name of love." Guru said.

"I never thought of that..." Fighter said while looking at her team who were still going over some of Wizard's toys.

"Make no mistake my dear girl, I'm not saying love is your enemy, but putting passions before your principles can be costly no matter how justified your passions are." Guru said softly.

"This...Mushin idea, is it worth obtaining?" Fighter asked seriously.

"If you mean to increase your chances of doing something serious the right way, then yes, and opening your chakras is a prime way to help you on your way to obtaining it, and once you do...then you can train in ways few others can dream of." Guru said.

"Then let's do this." Fighter said firmly.

* * *

"Purgatory? Are you kidding me?" Wizard's brother exclaimed.

"I have no other explanation. The descriptions and the environment I saw match perfectly." Ranger said.

"But why? The War God have a lesson for you or something?" Wizard asked.

"Most likely it was to let me know that I don't need to give punishments early." Ranger said before sighing. "Goblin Slayer was right before he even said anything."

"No kidding, he never wanted anything to do with goblins outside of slaughtering them, and didn't even care how much pain he caused, or didn't cause." Warrior noted.

"And now it's clear why: Purgatory does the other half of his job for him." Ranger said. "Anyway, you have any scrolls on you?"

"Got some here, although...I don't know what to use them for outside of that gateway spell and maybe summoning a giant monster to help us." Wizard said.

"Give it to me..." Ranger said as Wizard gave on to him, then he flooded the paper with his Life Sight spell. "There, now we should be able to see every living being in the vampire queen's fortress. Although...can it be modified to see undead as well?"

"I suppose, can't promise anything though." Wizard said cautiously.

"Even with me giving a hand? Please..." Her brother said.

"Right." Wizard said. "Actually, now that I think about it...what's her fortress like?"

"Other than it's in the middle of a frozen plain, and it's composed of a maze of towers, walls, and graveyards? Not much to say." Ranger said honestly.

"Helpful..." Warrior and Wizard said at once.

"Hey that's my line." She said and Warrior snickered at her.

* * *

"The third chakra, located in the stomach, involves your willpower, and is blocked by shame." Guru said.

"Excuse me? What's the difference between guilt and shame?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Guilt is when you feel bad about an action or statement that you acknowledge as being morally wrong, whereas shame is when you feel less than what you should be because of what happens. Subtle but serious." Guru said.

"Like how my husband felt after our first quest..." Fighter said sadly. "I'm not going into details but, he did something he felt quite a bit of shame and guilt over, and he's glorified me countless times for helping him through it."

"He's a fortunate man then." Guru said with a smile. "Anyway, do either of you feel shame over something?"

"Not really..." Fighter said honestly.

"I did, but not anymore. Actually, I was wrong: I thought it was guilt I felt before, but it was shame." Rhea Fighter said.

"Glad we got past it then." Fighter said. "Now, shall we continue?"

"Yes. Next we have the one in the heart, now...this one is a harsh one so, brace yourselves." Guru said.

"What does it deal with?" Fighter asked cautiously.

"Love, and is blocked by grief." Guru said and Fighter sucked in a deep breath. "You know this well don't you?"

"Very much so..." Fighter whispered. "My father died shortly before I became an adventurer, and I've missed him ever since."

"Ah, the love between a child and parent...perhaps the greatest kind, but you should know that your love for him is not fruitless; you have a family of your own, and I'm certain your husband and child love you as he did, and you can return the favor as well. As long as you're with them, he is still with you." Guru said as Rhea Fighter watched Fighter shake with her grief being expelled as she wept into her hands for about 30 seconds straight. The team meanwhile vaguely heard and then saw her weeping, but kept to themselves; they'd ask her at a better time.

"Do you think you can keep going?" Rhea Fighter asked with concern.

"I'll live..." Fighter said as she dried her eyes.

"Well...I can't say I myself have an issue this serious, but love itself is something I've rarely thought about I must admit." Rhea Fighter said.

"Do you still care for those around you?" Guru asked.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do." Rhea Fighter said firmly.

"Then you're fine." Guru said. "Moving on. The chakra in the throat deals with truth, and is blocked by lies, specifically the ones we tell ourselves."

"Well that's _easier_ than pie; we deal with servants of the Supreme God all the time, and more often than not, they can see through lies." Fighter said half-jokingly. "Although, I'm not sure about the lying to yourself part..."

"You need only acknowledge that your desires and what really is aren't always one and the same." Guru said.

"Beware the trap of believing something to be true simply because you wish it to be true." Rhea Fighter said.

"That's one of the most profound things I've ever heard." Fighter said.

"Indeed. Well, that really was easy, so let's move on to the chakra in the forehead shall we?" Guru asked. "This one deals with insight, and is blocked by illusion."

"Let me guess: the ones we stick to without questioning right?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Yes. Both lies, and illusions are weaker than the truth, and the reason for that is because lies and illusions need constant support, whereas the truth supports itself." Guru said. "The most dangerous illusions, are that of separation, control, consistency...and loss."

"Loss?" Fighter asked.

"Yes, like I said before, as long as you keep your family in your heart, your father will be with you, maybe not physically, but his presence will still speak for itself." Guru said.

"What about consistency?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Ironically, the only constant in the world, is change; no matter how much things changes, they always seem to stay the same." Guru said.

"That sounds familiar..." Rhea Fighter said.

"No coincidence either. Change isn't just with how people grow, degrade, or how much is built. Change is everywhere, even in places you don't think about. _Especially_ in places you don't think about." Guru said.

"What about separation and control?" Fighter asked with a more even voice.

"Control is self-explanatory; there are things you can control, but not always, and the desire for control over what you cannot, and will never be able to control, will do nothing but increase your pain." Guru said. "Separation however, is possibly the most damaging illusion of all. Countless people live as if divided and different, when in reality, we should be living as a whole."

"Aren't politics great?" Rhea Fighter said sarcastically which made Fighter giggle a bit.

"Indeed..." Guru said with a head shake.

"Alright...now the last one." Fighter said firmly.

"The last, and perhaps the most difficult chakra, is the one in the very top of the head." Guru said as he removed his turban to reveal his balding scalp. "This one deals with spiritual power, and is blocked by worldly attachments."

"Such as?" Fighter asked.

"Wealth, possessions, even behaviors; lust for power, the drive to help others, or even our love for friends and family. They all qualify." Guru said.

"What? A few chakras ago my love for my family saved me, and now it's in my way? How does _that_ work?" Fighter asked seriously.

"Listen to me, if you cling onto these things without considering what the price is, that price will only grow larger and larger until you can no longer afford it, and eventually, it will crush you." Guru said.

"What price could there possibly be that's too high for a family I love and am loved by?" Fighter asked.

"A better question is what would you do if one or both of them die?" Guru asked and Fighter's eyes go wide and she keeps her mouth shut for several seconds. "You must train yourself to let go of what you might lose. Remember the first chakra..."

"These chakras are all connected in more ways than one." Fighter whispered.

"Now you see how the second to last one has it's say as well." Guru said. "Ironically, by letting go of your feelings, you may very well preserve who and what you feel for."

"Alright...I don't like it, but I'll give it a shot..." Fighter said as she started meditating and Rhea Fighter joined her.

* * *

Meanwhile, the team went to check in with the Sword Maiden to get some more input on the vampire queen campaign and Storm Mage was at her side when they got there.

"...I've been tracking it for hours, and on the off-chance it does something- Oh, there you are." Storm Mage said as the team walked in.

"May I ask what you were tracking?" Ranger asked.

"I'm not certain, but this place is a magnet for demons, ironically." Storm Mage said.

"Whatever it may be, my enforcer will see to it that it's brought to justice." Sword Maiden said.

"And chances are you all will see to it that I see to it, if Her Grace doesn't do so first." Storm Mage said.

"Comforting as that may be, that's not why we're here." Wizard said.

"You want to know what is happening in the north. I know, and the vampire queen is preparing for something. I don't think she knows your intentions, but she must know something major is approaching." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"That reminds me. Storm Mage, you said she survived a fight with the Hero, yourself, and her two companions...just how well did it go for her?" Ranger asked.

"Well...the vampire queen said she can withstand the Hero's holy sword because she's the Supreme's champion, which makes no sense considering what she's been doing for the last several centuries, and then there's the fact that she doesn't wear the Champion's Armor, and there's only ever been one person who wore it, and he's dead." Storm Mage said.

"Other than that?" Warrior asked seriously.

"Outside of the Hero's holy sword, there's the fact that the vampire queen's physicality is miles ahead of a normal vampire; Hero's Sage friend restored me back to health more times than I can count, and she was able to keep up with not only Hero, but myself, and her Sword Saint companion, all attacking her at once. Let me repeat that: the vampire queen...by herself, fought me, the Hero, and the Sword Saint who works with her, _all at once_, and she was _toying_ with us the whole time, and by the way, she was weaving weapons out of solidified blood." Storm Mage said seriously.

"What?" The team asked all at once.

"Yeah, her fortress is a hub for blood magic; she even uses it to drown her foes in it should her fortress be under siege." Storm Mage said.

"We heard from the Abbot." Wizard said.

"Ah, so the old man's involved in this eh? Good, we'll need all the help we can get our paws on." Storm Mage said.

"Would you like the three demon hunters in town to aid you as well?" Sword Maiden asked.

"That would be nice Your Grace." Ranger said before turning to Storm Mage. "Are you coming?"

"No, I need to keep an eye on this city." Storm Mage said.

"Right..." Warrior said.

"Don't believe me?" Storm Mage asked.

"I didn't say that." Warrior said.

"You don't have to say it." Storm Mage said and Sword Maiden just watched their antics.

"Anyway, we should check back with our two fighters. And don't call her my girlfriend!" Wizard's brother said.

"Which?" Ranger asked half-jokingly.

"The one you didn't marry smartass." Wizard's brother said.

"Hey, no swearing in front of the archbishop." Ranger snapped.

"Let's just go." Wizard's brother said as he marched off with the team leaving and Ranger giving Sword Maiden a small, mutual bow before departing.

"Storm Mage...follow them, I think your hunt ends with them." Sword Maiden whispered, and Storm Mage left right away.

* * *

"How did it go love?" Ranger asked Fighter as they went home to check on their baby.

"In a word? Triumphant." Fighter said with a small smile.

"Recommend it to me?" Ranger asked which made Fighter think.

"We should sit down about this...but first, let me check on our daughter o.k.?" Fighter said.

"Alright..." Ranger said as he put his armor, weapons, and new bombs away while getting into his regular outfit. He then went to check on his two girls, and saw Fighter humming to their baby who quickly fell asleep, then put her in her crib, then went back to Ranger, then told him about the seven chakras and what the guru said about them.

"But when the last one came...I had to detach myself from what ties to the world I had. At first I thought it meant I had to shut my friends and family out...but thankfully that's not the case; I just shouldn't get too invested in what I value."

"Talk about a delicate balance. Fighter...are you sure you're alright?" Ranger asked.

"You mean because of my father? Well, just stay with me and he and I will be fine." Fighter said before Ranger pulled her into his side.

"I will stay as long as I possibly can." Ranger said softly before she looked at his smiling face before smiling herself and hugging him tightly, then shifting to get a better position and breathing deeply. "I saw you crying while talking to the guru...I _hate_ seeing you like that."

"Just keep holding me..." Fighter whispered. It was clear she was sick of these moments. She loved her husband all the more for standing by her through her moments of weakness, but the frequency was starting to annoy her; there's no way her father would want to see her torn up over his loss, even if she wasn't alone. Next thing he knew, she was reaching into his pants which caught him off-guard...

"Uh, Fighter?" Ranger asked.

"I'm sick of feeling so hurt, now...make love to me..." Fighter said with a voice laced with hunger.

"Fighter...what has gotten into you?" Ranger asked seriously while trying to keep her under control.

"A better question is, why haven't you!?" Fighter asked as she tried to push him down. "I'm your wife. you're my husband, now, do what you promised and ease my pain!"

* * *

The two of them snapped awake when the door burst open and Storm Mage shot some lightning at a woman standing over the two, who were both laying down in each other's embrace. The woman fell to the floor spasming from the lightning she was hit by.

"Looks like I got here just in time..." Storm Mage said.

"Storm Ma- What's going on here?!" Fighter asked frantically.

"Her Grace had a sense something was going to happen, so she sent me to give you two a hand, as for you..." Storm Mage said as he lashed his sword-whip at the strange woman and ensnared her feet. "Get over here!" He then yanked her towards him, electrocuted her more...and she grew demonic features, including horns, claws, fangs and black eyes. "A succubus, how predictable."

"So...what I saw was an illusion...?" Ranger asked.

"What did you see?" Fighter asked.

"You trying to pull a "you're supposed to ease my pain" stunt with me..which I wasn't buying at all." Ranger said.

"I saw you trying to talk me into sex, then...things got violent..." Fighter said which alarmed Ranger.

"You _know_ I would never do that..." He whispered as he held her face.

"Why is that even a question?" Fighter asked.

"As for you..." Storm Mage said as he shocked the succubus again. "Tell them, how you intended to drive a wedge between them to break their resolve to defeat the vampire queen." He then turned to Ranger and threw him a sword. "Ranger...she's your kill."

"My pleasure." Ranger said as he took the sword and walked over to her.

"Cut her heart out, we can use it later." Storm Mage said as Ranger prepared to stab her.

"Wait! I serve the vampire queen; she can fulfill...your heart's...desires." the succubus pleaded.

"Can she repair the damage she caused?" Ranger asked and the succubus snickered at him. "I didn't think so..." He then plunged his sword into her upper gut, dug his hand into it, and ripped out her still-beating heart as she went limp.

"See what I meant?" Storm Mage said as he de-tangled his sword whip from the dead demon and looked over the still-beating heart. "It's _coursing_ with demonic essence; it was used to enhance weapons before, it can be used again."

"Well...at least this encounter will do _some_ good." Ranger said as he looked over the succubus heart.

"Yeah, but this also means there is no more time! She was telling the truth; the vampire queen really did send her, which means she knows more than we thought. You need to gather whatever people you can and attack her fortress, now!" Storm Mage said as Fighter approached.

"Frontier, here we come..." She said.

* * *

**As the Sword Maiden said on their wedding: "may whatever force dares come between them, look upon the strength of their bond and shatter against it." and that's precisely what happened, and yes, Storm Mage going "Get over here!" is a Scorpion reference, as if that wasn't braindead obvious... For those of you that don't know, the whole 7 chakras thing is a real concept, but it was inspired by Avatar: the Last Airbender, which I used to be a fan of, and Mushin is what inspired Ultra Instinct in Dragon Ball Super, which I don't watch, but I keep tabs on. I'm not even close to sealing the deal on that number in Fighter's case, and no I'm not going to have her shoot lasers or fly around. That's just ludicrous. She is however going to be able to pull some more advanced tricks later on, then again everyone will, including Goblin Slayer himself. But until then, be sure to Rate, Review, and Share, and of course, stay tuned.**


	8. Chapter 4 Part I

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. It's the moment you've all been waiting for: the siege of the vampire queen's fortress, and if you thought the goblin legion in the first act was insane, just wait...**

**Review response: Super Saiyan? No. More like Ultra Instinct, as I established before, but...there's actually more to it than what I said. I'll show more in a bit. Like I said: those are just concepts that those two series based their own concepts on; the concepts themselves are at least somewhat realistic, this is just that.**

**As for Purgatory? The War God sent him dreams before, and let's face it: seeing how serious someone's punishment is first-hand tends to make someone more relieved in a crude sense of the word, although thick chance of Ranger throwing his more cruel tactics out the window entirely. As it was said in Naruto: When a man learns to feel love, he must also bare the risk of feeling hate. Hence why Red Lanterns and Violet Lanterns can be eerily similar.  
**

**Yeah, having lesser demons breathing down your neck is a pretty clear sign that something is wrong.**

* * *

"Welcome back team." Guild Girl said.

"Did you get the word out?" Ranger asked urgently.

"Yes, and quite a few people want to hear what's happening from you." Guild Girl said as she motioned to the various Silver Ranks assembled, including Heavy Warrior, Spearman, Female Knight, and Witch, as well as a few new faces.

"Well, look who's back from the dead. Enjoy your time at the Sword Maiden's feet while we were still busting our asses?" Spearman said as Ranger approached with the team a few steps behind him.

"First off, speak about Her Grace with respect or not at all. Secondly, I was looking after my pregnant wife, and our new daughter. Last, I asked all of you here because of the vampire queen, in case you don't know." Ranger said.

"You mean the same one who took on the Hero and walked away?" Female Knight asked.

"Wait...she survived a fight with the Hero? Then what are we going to do?"Another adventurer asked fearfully, and several others start squabbling in agreement.

"Let the man talk!" Heavy warrior yelled and everyone shut up. "Now, you _do_ have a plan for how to handle a siege on a fortress run by the queen of the bloodsuckers right?"

"Of course. We cannot defeat her directly, but if we scatter our efforts, give her several things to focus on, then the strongest of us hits her in the heart." Ranger said.

"And by "strongest of us" you mean?" Female Knight asked.

"Myself and a few others." Abbot said as he walked in.

"Father? Wasn't expecting to see you here." Warrior said.

"Rest assured people, the Sword Maiden herself will see to it that victory is ours. Not directly mind you, but nevertheless, she will have her hands in this." Abbot said.

"How gracious. The archbishop of the Supreme God granting us boons. This will be quite a show." Witch said.

"So...where do we start?" Heavy Warrior asked.

"For starters, over the past several days, we've been going around recruiting help, and improving our own equipment as usual, but we also have some things for all of you." Ranger said.

"Um, sir? I'm not sure how much use I can be; I'm low on holy water." Priestess said.

"Fear not my child, I have more at my disposal than any of us could use." Abbot said.

"Fetch that water Father, we're going to need every last drop." Fighter said seriously.

"Not a problem. And the Hero will be involved as well. Not now, but at the right time." Abbot said.

"I hope so, because I think she's going to be the crutch in this siege, even if she doesn't deal the killing blow." Ranger said.

"Where's Goblin Slayer?" Wizard asked and her brother barged in, and he was wearing his armored robe that resembled Storm Mage's, and he had his own flanged mace for melee fighting

"Found him!" He said and GS walked in.

"You wanted to see me?" GS asked.

"Yep, how would you like to take on some vampires?" Warrior asked.

"And possibly goblins as well; I did fight some in that territory before." Ranger said.

"I'm in." GS said which amazed the team.

"You feeling alright?" Fighter asked then High Elf Archer showed up.

"Orcbolg's fine. Yours truly can be quite persuasive in case you forgot." She said.

"What did you do this time?" Wizard asked as if annoyed.

"We merely had Sir Goblin Slayer acknowledge that even minor tasks can involve goblin-slaying, and if what we heard is true, there's at least a chance of that very thing to happen." Lizard Priest said as he and Dwarf Shaman walked in.

"I've acknowledged that before." GS said before H.E. Archer leaned on him.

"But you still haven't gotten it through that rock-hard helmet have you? Afterall, even an ogre isn't as troublesome as goblins right?" She said.

"I'm amazed you recall that Long Ears." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Don't start that, I remember things from my childhood." H.E. Archer deadpanned.

"Well, this is all well and good, but how exactly are we supposed to get to the vampire queen's castle if it's all the way up north?" Spearman said before Ranger showed his teleport crystal.

"With this." Ranger said.

"A teleportation crystal, how lucky can you get?" One of the adventurers asked.

"And we'll have three demon hunters joining us later on, but before we go, you should all get whatever you need together, and we'll do the same." Ranger said.

"We're coming too!" Apprentice Cleric said as she and Rookie Warrior showed up. She had her own flanged mace and a foldable shield like Warrior's, and Rookie Warrior had the same greatsword Ranger gave him a year ago. Both had scale armor, but he had a gambeson over his with a temperature regulation enchantment on it, and she had hers blended into her robe. The really interesting thing is that Rookie Warrior had a one-handed axe on his belt, and it looked like it had a frost enchantment.

"You sure you can handle this?" Wizard asked?

"Sure they can, me and Rhea Fighter can stick with them, along with the Heavy here." Her brother said.

"Don't forget me now." Female Knight said playfully.

"Who can forget you...?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Well troops, we have some vampires to put down. So...what's the bounty?" Spearman asked.

"Whatever you can find in the fortress, plus at least 100 silver for each of you." Ranger said.

"Boss?" Wizard exclaimed.

"We can afford it; our two guns cost much more and we still have more than two thirds of our funds left." Ranger said.

"Well, regardless, we're going to need to stop by our old home to stock up." Wizard said as they left.

* * *

When they got there, Ranger stocked up the 20 bullets Wizard and her brother were able to replicate, and went upstairs and memories came back as Fighter checked up on him.

"Remember that room?" He said as he pointed to it. "You came back to see me shaving there, after those two jokers hit on you..."

"The first time I let my hair down, for you..." Fighter said softly as she hung on his arm.

"After our first kiss." Ranger whispered before turning to her. "If someone had told me two years ago that I would get married and have a daughter a few months after starting my adventuring career, I would've called them crazy...but still, if I had to, I'd do it all again."

"Things changed quickly don't they?" Fighter said.

"Quickly, and intensely." Ranger said as he held her soft, beautiful hands and stared at them. "Incredible...I've seen you slaughter hobs by the handful, yet you touch our daughter with so little force, that wet paper could withstand it. How?"

"Simple: I love our daughter...and the man who gave her to me." Fighter said while locking their fingers and lunging upwards to kiss him.

"I'll give you as many as you want." Ranger teased and Fighter giggled at him for it. "Although, I hope I don't have to wear another monkey suit too often."

"I happen to think you looked dashing." Fighter teased.

"As long as you think I look dashing outside of a suit, I could give a shit." Ranger teased back.

"You are such a perv..." Fighter said while shaking her head.

"But I'm _your_ perv." Ranger said while he lets go of her hands and pokes one of her breasts and she pokes her chest in return.

"Let's just ready to put down some vampires." Fighter said before turning serious again. "This is going to be the hardest fight we've been part of afterall."

"Well...it's sometimes do or die." Ranger said.

"Here's hoping it's do and not die." Fighter said.

"If things get too nasty, I'll get as many of us out of there with this crystal. Here's hoping our Cherub friend is doing his parts..." Ranger said.

"Did someone doubt me?" Cherub said as he poofed into the room with a playfully sour look in the face.

"Yeah, me. Got a problem with it?" Ranger sassed.

"You have a vampire queen to slay, get to it mister; the Hero is still in the spirit realm facing down some spawn of Hecatoncheir, but she'll be there when Her Majesty gets too involved." Cherub said.

"Good to know." Fighter said before Cherub poofed away. "Way to piss off our angelic friend."

"Eh, he'll get over it." Ranger said casually which made Fighter giggle, especially when Ranger spotted a flask of the same sterility potion he and Fighter used to "safely" make love back in the day, and it was almost half full...which meant that it was used before...

"Now _that's_ the spirit Warrior..." Fighter joked which made Ranger laugh with her.

"Come on, we have some prepping to do..." Ranger said when he got a grip.

* * *

The next hour or so was spent doing just that. Ranger and Fighter teleported back home and Ranger was given the miracles of Pestilence, which made the ones caught in the area he targets to die from a crippling sickness which lingers in the area until the last victim dies and no other targets are in the immediate area. Might not be all that useful since his foes are mostly undead, but it might come in handy later on. Another miracle is Implode, which sucks in any targets and launches them away at the end. The most exciting part is the miracle of Army of One, the most powerful miracle the War God can bestow, was finally given to Ranger. Unfortunately it could only used twice in a week, so saying it was a last resort would be an understatement.

Fighter checked on their baby of course, but didn't say good-bye; with the Supreme has her witness, their daughter would not grow up without her parents. She then went outside to he gardens in the back, which were built to resemble the pond at Ranger's home, for obvious reasons. She then meditated on her seven chakras, then on the energy of the natural world around her, and felt her spiritual power mixing with her body's power...and eventually the power of nature itself was being thrown into the mix, and she felt herself getting stronger...much stronger; it became harder and harder to keep herself from trying to flex her muscles, but she stuck to the first rule of meditation: never pay attention to anything outside of your mind until you get where you're going. Her power stopped increasing and when it did, the strain also stopped increasing, and she even felt her senses get sharper.

The world became clearer and more colorful, she heard insects crawling on the ground, she could smell the plants, water, and dirt in the garden, and taste them in the air. She even noticed that she could feel the area around her without even physically touching them; that means she could theoretically see things behind her without needing her eyes! She couldn't wait to test her new power on the vampires and the rest of the undead, and especially when she got a chance to teach Ranger this power, if she could. Speaking of whom, she went inside to see where he was, and followed the same scent she associated with him; the same one she inhaled every morning she woke up in his warm and powerful embrace. When she found him, he was kneeling before a statue of the War God he got his hands on, without a shirt, and holding out his hand covered in blood, and a knife in his other hand; this must be a blood sacrifice of something. The moment she showed up, he snapped his head to her.

"How did you know I was here?" Fighter asked.

"I was told." Ranger said as he stood up and looked her over. "I sense a change in you..."

"I don't know if I mastered it, but I got my hands on a...pretty serious power boost just now." Fighter said with excitement. "I feel damn near unstoppable like this!"

"I'm glad I'm not a vampire then." Ranger said half-jokingly.

"You were close once." Fighter teased before walking up to him and pressing her lips to his. "Remember when we bathed together, after you got back form the north?"

"Oh yes..." Ranger whispered against her lips before latching onto her mouth again.

"I asked if you really got yourself cured." Fighter whispered before kissing him several times.

"If I didn't...well, would you object to me taking blood from you?" Ranger asked.

"Only if you don't take too much." Fighter said seriously. "But I'd be happy knowing my blood was keeping you alive."

"As if you didn't give me enough of a reason to live..." Ranger said before giving her a kiss with actual love in the motions as they held each other close while they poured out their hearts to each other, and when they finally let go...Ranger made a scythe. "There's going to be quite a lot of undead to deal with. Sure could use the Revenant right about now..."

"His sacrifice is yet another reason to come out of this in one piece." Fighter said as she held the scythe with him. "You know...I used to be a bit worried about you."

"Because I wanted to be a fearmonger to the goblins? Don't worry, I promised you I wouldn't stop being the man you fell in love with, and when I make a promise..." Ranger started.

"...You keep it..." Fighter whispered as she looked up at him. "You really are still the man I love."

"Lucky me." Ranger teased which made Fighter giggle, then he put his hand on her lower belly. "I also intend to keep the promise to give you as many children as you want."

"As if I didn't have enough reason to stay with you." Fighter said softly.

"How much stronger do you think this...state you're in makes you? Vampires are roughly six times stronger and faster than I am." Ranger asked.

"I think I can match that in this state, although...I don't know for how long." Fighter said.

"Well...let's not rely on it, especially since Priestess can just empower us, especially with holy water in her inventory." Ranger said.

"Can you imagine the two power boosts staked on top of each other?" Fighter asked.

"Ohhh, I would hate to go up against that. I can't even imagine fighting against a whole team of people with that going for them. That would be a _nightmare_..." Ranger said.

"But since you're strong and dazzling wife is the one who has this power..." Fighter teased as she pulled him down for a kiss.

"...We are _set_." Ranger said with a smirk before kissing her again.

"I failed to mention...my senses are also sharper." Fighter said as if a bit overwhelmed.

"Then you should enter this state next time we make love." Ranger said with interest.

"You would probably kill me. Although...that would be a pretty interesting way to go." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"Let's just stop right there..." Ranger said seriously.

"Right...I'm pretty sure this will do just fine." Fighter said.

"In that case..." Ranger said before pulling her down and pressing his lips to hers...again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Warrior and Wizard were getting their potions, holy water vials, summon stones, bolts, and bombs ready for action. They even had the enchanted helmets used for their swim merged into their normal headgear, especially the masks, which had an effect on their voices similar to Goblin Slayer's helmet, which was...pretty intimidating; no wonder Goblin Slayer never took off his helmet.

"I'm assuming that killing the vampire queen is going to net us a Gold Rank." Warrior said while holding Wizard close on their bed

"Now _that's_ something to work for." Wizard said seriously, although...the tone she used made him breath hard. "Wow...I felt that."

"You know some sounds you make drive me nuts, and before you say anything, alot of men think that way." Warrior said.

"Right, especially if it comes from their women." Wizard said in the same tone.

"You keep that up I'm going to tear that dress off and have my way with you..." Warrior said.

"Tasteful." Wizard said sarcastically.

"Yeah, I didn't think that through..." Warrior said as if disappointed.

"Apparently. Although you're obviously not a goblin." Wizard said.

"Thanks be to all things holy." Warrior said seriously. "Although...it's a bit of a shame abstinence prior to battle is so important..."

"Tell you want, we win this thing, we take a whole day to ourselves." Wizard said huskily before kissing his cheek.

"If it means I get to fuck you again, I'd fight the vampire queen's fortress twice." Warrior boasted.

"Typical..." Wizard said.

"Hey, women like sex as much as men do...under the right conditions at least." Warrior said seriously.

"Smart word choice." Wizard said honestly.

"Here's hoping no one does what the boss did to that shaman." Warrior said while clutching his groin.

"Yeah...at least he won't have any kids." Wizard teased which made Warrior groan.

"Stop that." He said seriously.

"Alright, alright...although, when the time is right, we should probably have a family of our own. Not now obviously but..." Wizard trailed off.

"Right, well, I'm definitely taking as much care of you as Ranger is of Fighter." Warrior said firmly.

"There's that spark he instilled in you." Wizard said as she snuggled into him. "The spark I cannot help but adore."

"Apparently." Warrior said before kissing the magical girl next to him. "I love you."

"I know..." Wizard teased before they got up and sorted out the rest of their stuff before they started mauling each other...

* * *

Priestess resolved to stick with Goblin Slayer and his team, obviously including Lizard Priest, and the dwarf and high elf. None of them had enchanted gear, but that was about to change...Wizard's brother showed up with a necklace for each of them that regulated their body temperature, which was especially helpful for Lizard Priest since he was cold-blooded. H.E. Archer got a set of boots that enabled her to more through the air or across the ground more fluidly, which would hopefully let her shoot while moving. She insisted her bow remain unenchanted since it would feel less natural to shoot if it were to be enchanted. Dwarf Shaman got a belt buckle that made him lighter. H.E. Archer kept ripping on him for being heavy-set, but it was somewhat logical; his frame made him not only harder to move, but also made standing on weaker platforms or objects riskier.

Rhea Fighter was given the same strength-boosting ring Heavy Warrior had, only, she was given one for each hand, as well as the same kind of force-enchanted gauntlets Fighter uses, minus her arm and leg blades. She was also given the same boots H.E. Archer was given, only she had more use for them since she was fighting up-close and personal; she _really_ needed to get a ranged weapon sooner or later...although the force enchantment could make the force of her blows hit foes at a distance, or she could just pick something up and throw it; it's hardly the first time that happened. The icing on the cake was a belt buckle that when turned on, made her invisible, but it wasn't perfect; if she took or threw too many hits, the invisibility would short out.

* * *

"...from what I've heard, zombies can only be killed by destroying their brains or removing their heads, anything else would just slow them down." Ranger said to some of the lower ranked adventurers. The Silver Ranks would obviously take point, but some lower ranks would be there as support, or at least be extra sets of eyes, ears, hand, or all three. "The queen apparently doesn't get involved in too much personally, but if we make enough noise, especially in multiple different places, she'll divide her efforts and we'll take down whatever she puts in our way."

"What about that blood she uses?" One of the lower ranks asked.

"Leave that to me; I have acquired new powers that should make short work of it." Ranger said. "Ultimately, we just keep the queen busy until the Hero gets there; the more damage we do before then, the easier the fight with the queen herself will be."

"And if the queen starts giving a shit and gets involved personally?" Spearman asked.

"Then we pray." Ranger said simply and several people start murmuring. "Look, I had a sense the Sword Maiden would get involved right from the start, and I even know how. I'm not allowed to give details for what should be obvious reasons, but...it is entirely possible for her to give us boons, like Witch said."

"Such as?" Heavy Warrior asked.

"No idea. She could use Holy Smite on a gigantic scale, she could empower all of us, she could call an army of _angels_ for all I know. Look, the point is, she helped defeat the Demon Lord, she can help defeat the damn vampire queen." Ranger said with his patience going down the drain.

"So...these new powers, this War God of yours give them to you?" Spearman asked suspiciously.

"Of course he did. If I know him half as well as I should, then we wants the Vampire Queen dealt with more than all of us combined, especially since she's now on the war path." Ranger said seriously.

"What do you mean?" One of the lower ranks asked.

"She kept the people in line out of fear of her getting revenge, but now they're getting bolder; one of the lords, or jarls, up north actually refused to give her a child, and she killed dozens of his people out of spite, and since I got rid of her minions dishing out the carnage, she's likely to get more proactive." Ranger said.

"You mean she's going to wipe out the people herself?" Rookie Warrior asked.

"I don't think so; she may be the strongest by far, but like the Hero, she can't be everywhere at once, so she's likely at her fortress shelling out orders, and even then, she can only get things done at night. On top of that, there's _no way_ the north doesn't have at least some defenses against vampires, otherwise we would've been at this with twice the urgency." Ranger said.

"All this because you stuck your nose in her business." One of the adventurers said and Ranger banged the table so hard the whole thing shook.

"I was _sent_ there by the Sword Maiden _herself_!" Ranger snapped. "She knew full-well I could handle whatever was going on, as she loves this country even more than I do. Regardless, the vampire queen needs to be stopped. I'm not proud of stirring the pot, but with every god in Heaven as my witness, it's going to be resolved. If any of you don't want to get involved, then don't. If any of you are against the Sword Maiden's judgement, then leave now and pray I never see you again."

No one moved.

"Come now, there's no need to get personal. We should focus on giving this vampire queen what's coming to her." Witch said.

"Right, at the very least we can give her a hell of a headache." Heavy Warrior said with a smile.

"Make that two." Female Knight said.

"Remember how much of a thrill it was to take out that many goblins a year ago people? Well now we get to do the same thing to a pack of vampires, and we get to see the Hero in action!" Heavy Warrior said to the other who all cheered and raised their weapons.

"You ready for this yourself Beard-Cutter? Dwarf Shaman asked.

"Yes." Goblin Slayer said simply.

* * *

After they made their game plan, Ranger and Fighter went home to get the rest of their gear, Wizard and her brother had their armored cloaks and masks, and Warrior had his own suit and mask on, now all that was left was for Ranger and Fighter to slap their own masks on, then they watched the lower ranks get some siege equipment ready while Wizard and her brother prepared a portal in the middle of town, and the team, plus the Silver Ranks jumped in.

* * *

When they reached the other side, they all looked at the fortress on the same cliff that Ranger saw it for the first time.

"So...that's where the vampire queen lives eh?" Spearman asked as he looked it over.

"Yep, that's where Her soon-to-be-later Majesty hides out." Ranger said as some siege equipment was sent through the portal and Abbot himself came through with it.

"You ready for this Father?" Warrior asked.

"No, I will stay here to protect these people as they prepare the ammunition. I will join when this area is clear enough." Abbot said.

"We'll stay here to lend a spell or two." Witch said as Goblin Slayer's team came through the portal.

"Sheesh! It's cold here!" High Elf Archer exclaimed.

"Thanks be to that young mage for gifting us with these warming necklaces." Lizard Priest said.

"Still, I feel sorry for the poor whelps who have to brave these frigid wastes with their own devices." Dwarf Shaman said.

"As if you'd need a warming necklace with your girth." H.E. Archer snapped.

"Knock it off." Ranger said.

"Maybe we should haul him into one of the catapults and save some trouble." H.E. Archer said.

"I said knock it off!" Ranger snapped. "If you two clowns are going to be at it at a time like this, then stay here as well."

"There is no need to be hasty Sir Ranger. I apologize on my companions' behalf." Lizard Priest said.

"Alright..." Ranger sighed.

"So...where are the goblins?" Goblin Slayer asked.

"Don't know yet, when Wizard gets here-" Her appearing with her brother, Warrior, Fighter and Priestess cut him off. "Speak of the devil..."

"Good news boss. We were able to tune the scroll you made to show everything in that fortress, alive or undead, to our entire team." Wizard said.

"Alright...let's have a look-see." Ranger said as Wizard laid out the scroll, it caught purple fire and then a dim flash was given off, and just like that...the fortress was littered with small purple lights that keep moving, then Goblin Slayer started counting while the lower ranks got to work on the siege equipment and some more Silver Ranks joined the party, and Wizard's brother looked at a cartography device.

* * *

"...37...40...51..." GS said.

"Dear Supreme! How many fucking vampires are in this place?!" Warrior exclaimed.

"...52...65...71." GS continued.

"Done yet?" Wizard asked as if annoyed.

"71 vampires in the center." GS said.

"And the sides?" Warrior said then slapped his hands over his mouth.

"8...15...19...26..." GS started.

"You had to ask didn't you...?" Wizard asked.

* * *

"Judging from this map, I'd say this place is divided into seven parts: the maze of walls and towers in front of us, the fortress itself, the cliffs we're on right now, those mountains surrounding the place, the caves at their bases, the graveyards at the forest over there, and...some sort of empty space behind the fortress." Wizard's brother said.

"Empty space?" Fighter asked.

"Yeah, you'd think it would be used or at least noted by the vampires but...they're not even touching the place." Wizard's brother said.

"Well, they must have a reason for it." High Elf Archer said.

"Whatever it is, it can't be a good one.." Fighter said.

"I occur Lady Fighter. If the vampire queen is involved than we must treat it with utmost care." Lizard Priest said.

"We should focus on the vampires first, whatever foul sorcery she's brewing in that place can be dealt with at a better time. Maybe when the Hero gets here." Dwarf Shaman said.

"You're right." Lizard Priest said before turning to GS. "Sir Goblin Slayer? Do you see any life in the caves?"

"Yes...there are dozens of goblins that must be ready to come out if anything goes wrong for the vampire queen." GS said. "I'm going there to slay them."

"And so are we." H.E. Archer said. "Can't let you have all the credit can we?"

"I guess not." GS said.

"We'll take the graveyards." Heavy Warrior said as his team approached. "Those zombies won't know what hit them."

"They're zombies, they barely know where their own feet touch the ground." Female Knight said cheekily.

"Your point being?" Heavy Warrior asked rhetorically.

"Relax, with our new tricks, we should be golden." Rookie Warrior said.

"You mean _my_ new tricks; you just got a fancy new set of toys." Apprentice Cleric said.

"Whatever, let's just do this." Rookie Warrior said.

"Be careful too." Abbot said to the two Sapphire Ranks. "Zombies might not be as strong as vampires, but that doesn't mean they should be taken lightly."

"The old man's got a point." Heavy Warrior said before they walked off to the graveyards.

"What about us boss?" Warrior asked and Ranger thought a bit.

"We're going to sneak through the maze and take out any vampires we find." Ranger said then looked at Priestess. "Priestess, we need your holy arts more than everyone else."

"Alright sir." Priestess said.

"Goblin Slayer, you have any potions or bombs with you?" Wizard asked.

"Yes." GS said.

"You didn't take any fire or poison bombs did you?" H.E. Archer asked sharply.

"Of course not, only freeze, flash, or explosive bombs." GS said.

"Good." H.E. Archer said.

"Lady Wizard, may I have one of those summon stones?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Be my guest." Wizard said as she forked one over to him.

"My thanks." Lizard Priest said.

"Well...let's get going before any scouts show up." Warrior said as the last two teams went to their destinations.

* * *

Heavy Warrior led the way through the woods to the graveyard, for the better part of 5 minutes, and when they got there, they saw several zombies walking around.

"Anyone have a plan?" Rookie Warrior asked.

"No need; let's just take them out in the open so we run into as few surprises as possible." Heavy Warrior said as he went out to face the zombies. "Hey! Anyone hungry?" The zombies then groaned, walked towards him, and the moment they were in range, H.W. severed, or bisected their heads, mostly with a single swing, but sometimes one-by-one. It never ceased to amazed the two Sapphire Ranks how he swings that gigantic sword with so much ease.

"Well, we're not going to kill any zombies standing here." Female Knight said as she joined the massacre.

"You want to join them?" R.W. asked his partner.

"No, I'm staying here in case we're needed. You?" Apprentice Cleric said.

"You kidding? Someone has to stay and watch your ass." R.W. said with a smirk.

"Aren't you a gentleman...?" A.C. said before they heard furious yelling and the sounds of steel cutting through flesh in the distance.

"Sounds like we've got company." Female Knight said as the two Silver Ranks went to see what the noise was after mowing down the zombies in the area, and when they reached the source of the ruckus...they saw a single man wearing a bear skin over chainmail, wielding an axe and steel-reinforced shield chopping down one zombie after another with an enraged look in the face.

"A berserker? Here of all places." Female Knight said as the two watched the massacre, and when it was done, the two went down to see him.

"What...in the Chief God's name..are you doing here?" Berserker asked as he came down from his battle frenzy.

"We're here to help weaken the vampire queen so our friends can take her down." Heavy Warrior said as the two Sapphire Ranks behind him approach.

"Ha! No one can kill the vampire queen. You'll join all the rest who tried in Heaven's mead hall." Berserker said.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Female Knight said with confidence.

"And what would you possibly have that no one else did lass?" Berserker asked.

"Did anyone else have divine intervention from multiple fronts as well as information on what the vampire queen can and can't do on their side?" Female Knight asked.

"Don't know, but bounty and glory upon you should you succeed." Berserker said.

"Excuse me but, are you an adventurer?" R.W. asked.

"Aye, Ruby Ranked I am." Berserker said. "Alas my partner met his end at the hands of these godless corpses."

"Oh, I'm sorry." R.W. said.

"Don't be, he'll feast, boast, and no doubt make an endless amount of love with the warrior maidens whose eyes he catches in Heaven's mead hall." Berserker said.

"Well...good for him, I guess." A.C. said.

"This can't be all the zombies here." Female Knight said.

"Nay, these are but the scrappers. The real songs will be sung of the ones who send the draugrs back to Hell." Berserker said.

"Draugrs?" R.W. asked.

"Aye, the corpses of cursed heroes turned into servants of the Demon Lord. That ought to rattle the vampire queens cage." Berserker said.

"Sounds like a good challenge to me." Heavy Warrior said.

"Then let's waste no more time and kill the damned beasts!" Berserker said as he led the way.

* * *

Goblin Slayer meanwhile led his team through some woods of their own and an owl flew through the trees and caught their attention.

"Goblins!" High Elf Archer said and the team snapped their heads to look at dozens coming their way. She climbed a tree as her three teammates charged them and when she got high enough to see them clearly, she took pot shots at them while the others mowed down the little bastards.

GS himself weaved around the goblins like a sewing needle with Lizard Priest tearing through the ones he distracts either with his brute strength, or with the sickle swords he summons. Dwarf Shaman stays back and sprays storms of pebbles at them to either distract them, or just piss them off. He eventually hurls a large rock at them and it rolls over at least 15 of them.

"That's hardly fair!" H.E. Archer yelled.

"It's not my fault you didn't want a better bow Long Ears." Dwarf Shaman said.

"I don't need anything fancy to put these things down!" H.E. Archer said as she put an arrow through a goblin's head. "It wouldn't be as satisfying either."

"Tell that to the Ranger and his ilk." Dwarf Shaman said as he took out his sling and launched more stones at the goblins.

"31...37...42!" GS growled as he kept craving through his prey, and that was certainly the right word. Even without Lizard Priest there to maul the goblins at his side, this was more of a massacre than a battle. Each time a goblin got within ranger, it either had it's head caved in with GS's boot, lost it's head thanks to his sword, was sent flying into another with a shield bash, or was even cut into 3 pieces by Lizard Priest attacking the same goblin as GS.

"I see our thoughts are similar when it comes to which goblin to strike down Sir Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said.

"Yeah." GS said as he looked around for more goblins to kill, but there weren't any, then he noticed some survivors and threw an explosive bomb at them and they screamed before being blown to pieces. "That makes 61..."

"That was quite a warm-up eh Orcbolg?" H.E. Archer said.

"There's no way that was all of them. Let's keep moving." GS said as he kept going towards the caves and saw 3 goblins guarding the entrance, and H.E. Archer's ears pricked.

"There's a woman in there, and from the look of things, she's fighting them!" She said as she put an arrow through the 3 guards as her teammates rushed in front of her. When they got inside the cave, they saw a woman punching and kicking the goblins carrying her to the center of a pit where dozens more goblins were laughing as she screamed in terror.

"Let me go you little bastards!" The woman shrieked. "You can all go to hell!"

"I couldn't agree more..." GS growled as he threw a flash bomb into the center and every goblin screamed and covered their eyes. While they were distracted, the team made their move and slaughtered every goblin in the area. They didn't see the faces of their killers but the ones who had time to hear the sounds of their brethren having their bones broken, their flesh torn and smell and feel themselves being bathed in the blood of the fallen screamed in terror and ran in every distraction bumping into each other, tripping over their own feet and making themselves even easier targets for the angry Silver Ranks begging for their deaths. GS finished the job was throwing a freeze bomb at the last batch of goblins who regained their sight only to see the place full of their dead brothers, and then got frostbitten half way and the unfrozen parts of their bodies succumbed to hypothermia in seconds.

The woman meanwhile crawled away into a corner and watched the massacre. She didn't see the flash and...her clothes were perfectly intact for some reason. She backed away and screamed when High Elf Archer dropped down to see to her.

"We're here to get you out of here. You're alright." H.E. Archer said.

"Alright...? Alright?! These things kept me in a cage for hours! They butchered...they burned...they violated countless people and made me _watch_!" The woman exclaimed with tears running down her face.

"That's not going to happen again." Dwarf Shaman said. "These abominations got exactly what they deserved."

"No...they will never get as much as they deserve...! I curse every god who saw to them being created..." The woman said bitterly.

"Let's go." GS said as he made for the entrance.

"We can't just leave her here!" H.E. Archer exclaimed.

"She's in no mood for company, not even ours. Let's go." GS said.

"Sir Goblin Slayer is right." Lizard Priest said as he turned to the woman. "May this ordeal make your future and past look brighter."

"There is nothing bright about this...nothing bright at all..." The woman said while shaking.

"No there isn't, but that doesn't mean it should stay that way. You can leave now, and we're going to keep looking for more goblins to put down, and now the gods will see to the dead ones here being punished." H.E. Archer said softly.

"Put them all down...and make it hurt." The woman growled

"That's what we do." GS said with his infamous red eye glowing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranger's team moved through a path made by a series of walls, staying out of the open like it was made of lava, and they got past a quarter of it with almost no trouble. They had a close call or two where a vampire guard nearly spotted them, but that was the worst of it.

"What the-?" Fighter exclaimed as the path to the next section from the one they were in was cut off by a wall that suddenly popped out of the ground gradually.

"Talk about a cold day in hell..." Wizard said. "Firestream!" a torrent of fire spewed out of her glaive and melted the ice.

"Silence." Priestess prayed and the area became much quieter; vampires had hearing that rivaled that of a goblin's, and stealth right now, was the watchword. Eventually, the ice melted and the team could progress...only for a series of spikes launch out of the wall. "Protection!" Priestess puts up a barrier that the spikes bounced off of it. Then the team rushes to the other side.

"Everyone hold hands now!" Ranger ordered, and they all locked arms, and Ranger morphed a harpoon-and-chain and grappled up the wall and Warrior put a crossbow bolt through a guard's heart when they reached the top.

"Well, stealth is officially dead." Warrior said.

"Not necessarily, look." Fighter said and the team looked around...no reinforcements.

"So, what do we do now?" Priestess asked.

"Only thing we can do: assassinate any guards we find. The more we deal with now, the fewer will come back to haunt us later." Ranger said.

"Well, we could climb one of these towers and take pot shots at the guards we spot." Wizard said.

"Worth a shot." Ranger said as he teleported the team to the top of a tower, they killed the two guards there and looked around for any guards to shot, and Ranger, Fighter, and Warrior each used their power shot enchantments to shot vampires that were far enough away, and until they ran out of targets, they took down no less than 11. Eventually, they heard a whooshing sound overhead.

"What...was that?" Wizard said then they saw a mass of light through the walls and with a crash, the tower came down as the team screamed. Whatever they saw just broke the tower's base with it's body mass! They could do nothing except ride the tower down, activate their armors and pray. "Levitate!" Wizard then floated herself and her team to the ground and they rolled along the ground to a stop, and they wound up in a courtyard, and dozens of enslaved soldiers came out to fight them. "Firestorm!" Wizard then launched fireballs in all directions which blew them all to pieces.

"O.k...now stealth is dead." Warrior said.

"Just drop it already." Fighter snapped then she and the others got knocked on their asses and Ranger got picked up and slammed into a wall which knocked the wind out of him, but he saw that it was a massive bat-like creature with arms and legs. It then picked up both Fighter and Priestess and pinned Wizard and Warrior beneath one of it's feet.

"Hey!" It turned to see who called it, and lo and behold...the Hero and her two companions were standing on the wall. "Unless you want to get pulverized, I suggest you let those people go!"

"It's not likely it'll listen to you." Sage deadpanned.

"Not now..." Hero snapped before drawing her sword. "Well, can't say we didn't warn you!"

"_You_ warned it." Sword Saint said.

"Whatever!" Hero yelled before jumping up. "The Hero has _arrived_!" The bat-creature barely had time to react before it got sliced down the middle by an invisible force.

* * *

**Dun dun duuuuun...look who finally made an appearance. Anyway, hope you got your fill of goblin blood for this chapter. I said Goblin Slayer would get his time in the spotlight and I just kept my promise. However...I'm just getting started here, both with him, and the siege. You may have noticed the new Berserker OC I threw into the mix, well...I'm just going to say it right now: don't get used to him, I have no major plans for him. Also...Rookie Warrior's ice axe is a reference to Kratos' axe in the newest God of War game, although...it didn't get any use so far, but don't worry, it will. I don't know how yet, but it will get use. So...be sure to Rate, Review, and Share, and hope you're looking forward to seeing how this siege pans out so...stay tuned.**


	9. Chapter 4 Part II

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Let the siege of Castle Dracula continue! I'm kidding, the vampire queen is basically a female version of Dracula, and it's in the Goblin Slayer-verse. Anyway...hope you still have a thrust for blood that rivals that of the good count, because there's gallons more coming, so without further adieu, let's get this assault under way.**

**Review response: Divide-and-conquer...gotta love it, although Spearman, Witch, and Abbot stayed behind to watch over the siege force for...fairly obvious reasons; why would the queen let a siege force off the hook?**

**Goblin Slayer does have moments where goblins should be there, yet they still are. Why should this be any different?**

**Rookie Warrior tends to train with Heavy Warrior, and Apprentice Cleric works with R.W. so...why shouldn't they work with the big brute? Good point with the two rookies staying away from the queen's elites; that would be a death sentence without holy arts on your side, although luckily...Female Knight has her fair share, and...I would hope to heaven, hell, and earth that being involved in this siege would net a promotion.**

**Fighter, Ranger, and especially Priestess, and GS' team for that matter getting new stuff for the siege is just a shoo-in, as usual.**

**The Ranger and his team interacting with the Hero is a "see-for-yourself" kind of deal. As for the woman the goblins were manhandling? Well...her clothes weren't going to be intact for long...until our medieval Doom Guy and company put them 6 ft under that is.**

**I'm just now thinking about this but...one review of the first act of this series said that they wished Assassin was "Alitalia more approachable"...what does that even mean? Could they mean "at least more approachable"? Oh well, she's still basically a female/medieval Doom Guy, next to Goblin Slayer of course; GS might be the goblins' version, but Assassin actually kills demons like Doom Guy does, like some others pointed out as well.  
**

* * *

"_Impeccable_ timing..." Ranger said as he stood up from getting slammed into the wall.

"That's what I do." Hero said with pride as her two friends helped the team out.

"Are you alright?" Sage asked.

"I have _guts_ in my hair..." Wizard deadpanned and Fighter giggled at her.

"How did that thing get you two?" Sword Saint asked.

"It ambushed us...somehow." Warrior said.

"Vampires are known for their craftiness. You should've done your research before assaulting the vampire queen's fortress." Sage said.

"We did." Fighter said. "Hence the siege equipment in the far distance."

"Right..." Hero said with a headshake.

"So...you're the Hero?" Ranger asked as he de-morphed his mask.

"That's me." Hero said. "Whooping the bad guys and saving lives wherever I go."

"I've been looking forward to meeting you for some time." Ranger said with an uneven tone.

"Yeah, who hasn't- Wait, why?" Hero asked catching on.

"I confess...when I heard you beat the Demon Lord, I was jealous beyond words." Ranger said. "I want my team and myself to reach Platinum someday, and at first, I thought defeating the Demon Lord was the only way, and that there was no hope of us getting strong enough to do so, until the Abbot protecting the siege force as we speak set me straight."

"Who are you people?" Hero asked.

"You know the rumor about a team of adventurers aiding the Goblin Slayer? That's us." Ranger said and Hero exclaimed as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

"So..._you're_ the Ranger!?" Sword Saint exclaimed. "We heard how you and your team defeated a legion of goblins, and set up an adventurer training camp that's being replicated throughout the country. How are you all not Gold Ranked yet?"

"Well, I put down my weapons while my wife was pregnant, and my last 3 teammates did their own thing; you'll have to ask them when this is over." Ranger said.

"You're...wife?" Hero said.

"Her..." Ranger said while pointing at Fighter who waved at the three Gold/Platinum-ranked ladies.

"Ah...lovers make pretty explosive teammates." Sage said.

"Explosive? You know that can be taken the wrong way-" Sword Saint stopped talking the moment the ground shook. "Uh-oh..." Next thing they knew, several torrents of crimson blood burst out of the ground and formed a sphere overhead that whooshed around and when it moved towards the fortress' massive front gate...it rushed towards them.

"Protection!" Priestess yelled after sprinkling holy water on her staff and a massive barrier held the blood back.

"Lord of the Sword, Master of the Mace. Afflict my foes with the foulest aspect of nature. Pestilence!" Ranger prayed and a dark green portal opened between his hands and a swarm of flies rushed forward, through the barrier and the blood congeals and stops flowing.

"Yeesh, that's a nasty power." Hero said with disgust.

"Which is precisely why I have no intention of using it under normal circumstances, even if it wasn't a threat to my own teammates." Ranger said as the portal closed.

"That was a miracle of the War God..." Sage said in awe.

"Yep, I've had the War God's blessing for just over a year now, and I almost wish I got it sooner." Ranger said.

"You do know the War God tends to make people fight each other right?" Sword Saint said.

"That's a myth; the War God is a servant of the Supreme God, and they each have the same goal. The Sword Maiden herself confirmed it." Ranger said.

"You know the Sword Maiden? This just gets better and better..." Hero said.

"She's the one who blessed our marriage." Fighter said.

"Oh, lucky you." Hero said impressed.

"Can we please go get that blood-sucking bitch so I can clean myself off?" Wizard asked in annoyance.

"Can't you just Transmute the muck off of us?" Warrior asked.

"Oh...I forgot." Wizard said before Transmuting the gore off of the team's outfits and condensing it into a ball.

"Give that to me." Ranger said and got a few weird looks. "I need that more than any of you do." Wizard then shrugged, launched it to him, and he absorbed it into his armor.

"You are aware that's vampire innards you just absorbed right?" Hero asked.

"My team used blades enhanced with dragon and demon blood before, and this armor converts whatever it absorbs into raw materials I can use as I please. Vampire essence is no exception." Ranger said.

"That's pretty high-end alchemy." Sage said.

"It's a gift." Ranger said and a shriek was heard overhead and a second vampire in it's bat form, swooped down and circled the area. "One it seems I'll get to test for real."

"These are vampire elites; only the queen's word has them come out to fight." Sage said.

"Then this mission will be it's last." Ranger said as he walked forward to greet it, and Hero braced herself to attack it then Sword Saint stopped her.

"Wait...let's see what he can do." She said and Hero leaned against a wall and crossed her arms.

"Have the famous goblin killers been reduced to common assassins?" The vampire elite said before landing. "The Hero herself was no match for Her Majesty, what makes you believe all of you can face her?"

"See for yourself." Ranger said as he morphed his swords and mask, then it dashed from side-to-side and when it finally lunged at him...he dashed to the side himself and craved into it's side making it stumble into a wall. Then Ranger charged it, it flew upwards, then he morphed a harpoon-and-chain, latched onto it, and he started pulling it back down, only for it to flap it's wings harder and eventually Ranger gets pulled into the air, and Ranger responded by pulling his gun and firing 3 times and hits the elite's back and especially the wing point which makes the elite slam into the ground, and Ranger pulls it towards him, and the elite launched an orb of red energy which staggers Ranger and the energy leaves his body after a second and goes back into the elite, and his wounds heal.

"Ranger..." Fighter whispered nervously before Priestess sprinkles more holy water on her staff.

"Hear me O Merciful Earth Mother. Protect us with your power, and bless us with Holy Light!" She prayed and the elite screamed and thrashed around as the light shined on it and singed it's skin horrendously, and Ranger stood up, not caring about the light, morphed a greatsword almost as large as he was, and diagonally bisected the elite...and smashed the ground with a loud clanging sound in the process.

"And _that_ children is why our Priestess has killed more demons than any of us." Warrior said dramatically as he put a hand on her shoulder and got a smile from her.

"Vampires really are vulnerable to holy arts, just like the old man said." Wizard said to herself

"Thick lot of good it'll do against the vampire queen; even my holy sword was a butcher knife to her." Hero said.

"We've heard." Ranger said and the 3 ladies looked right at him. "The Storm Mage who helped you fight her? He told us the story."

"Oh..._him_..." Sword Saint said annoyed.

"You have a problem with him?" Fighter asked.

"No, why would I have a problem working with a very sexy yet greedy-as-hell lightning magic user, who sleeps with any girl with a heartbeat?" Sword Saint asked sarcastically.

"He can't be that bad if he's in the Sword Maiden's graces." Warrior said which made Sword Saint scoff.

"She's _far_ too good for him if you ask me." She said, and when Warrior was about to open his mouth, Wizard put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head; Sword Maiden's past was no one's concern but hers.

"Head's up!" Sage called out and 2 more elites came down from the fortress keep and a team of giant suits of armor came out; they must be enchanted or something. Ranger reacted by charging one of the suits dragging his greatsword along the ground as he went and clashed swords with the armor several times.

"Firestorm!" Wizard yelled and a barrage of fireballs were launched at the two elites, but each one was dodged, but it left them open to Warrior bolting them with lightning when they were in-range and they each crashed into one of the large houses on the outskirts of the courtyard. Hero got off the wall but Sword Saint kept her "under control" while the team worked. Fighter charged the team of enchanted armor suits to aid Ranger, and she made them look clumsier than they already were. Whenever one tried to attack her, she either dodged or parried the hit. Eventually, she tripped one, parried an axe swing which made it behead it's fallen comrade, then she leaped over it, grabbed it's shoulders, and slammed it into the ground, twisted off it's head, then beaned a 3rd one with the unscrewed head.

Ranger meanwhile was bashing 2 suits at the same time with his greatsword, and despite it's bulk and heft, he had little trouble wielding it. Eventually, he backed up to dodge a double swing from the two suit, charged at both of them, morphed his greatsword into his gauntlets, and tackled one, smashed it's helmet open, blocked the second one's sword, yanked it out of it's hands, punched it to the ground, and impaled it with it's own sword. He then noticed Fighter throwing the head she held, then morphed his greatsword again, charged it, chopped off both it's legs and smashed it's helmet.

The two elites came out of the wreckage of the house they crashed into, in their regular forms, and they formed armor and greatswords...out of blood, and Warrior stepped forward with his hammer and shield at the ready, and Wizard took a stance with her glaive.

"Supreme God in Heaven. Let the people here be deliverers of your justice with their strength of arms. Empower!" Priestess prayed and her 4 companions each gave off a golden-white and the elites split up as the 4 rushed them, with Warrior and Ranger clashing with one, and Wizard and Fighter clashing with the other.

Somehow, the blood-forged armor and weapons held fast against the blows the team managed to land; the Empower miracle made them more than capable of matching the elites' speed and strength. Not for nothing were they called elites; even when outnumbered and facing empowered foes, they were able to hold their ground..

In Wizard and Fighter's fight, it ended with Fighter breaking the elite's jaw when it tried to bite Wizard, then Wizard impaled it through the gut, ripped the blade out through it's side, then Fighter pinned it down, punched it several times, strangled it, then tore off it's head to make sure it was down and out.

Ranger and Warrior's fight ended with Warrior severing the elite's hand with his hand-and-a half sword when it tried using blood magic on Ranger, then Ranger punched the elite into the house's wreckage, then ripped off a support pillar and impaled the elite in the chest with it until it stopped moving.

"Yeesh, with as much power as you guys have, I'm amazed the goblins aren't extinct yet!" Hero said with a raised eyebrow.

"Speaking of goblins..." Abbot said as he approached.

* * *

"57...62...71..." Goblin Slayer counted as he chopped, bashed, kicked, tore, and bombed his way through a crowd of reinforcements with High Elf Archer shooting some goblins down from the back as Dwarf Shaman slung rocks and bashed any goblins who got too close, and Lizard Priest tore through any that tried to work around GS. The woman they rescued hung back with H.E. Archer watching the massacre as if she never saw anything lovelier. The massacre ended with GS stomping a goblin's head in after he found it still alive after Lizard Priest severed it's legs. "And that makes 94..."

"94 goblins in this world is 94 too many..." The woman growled.

"We're going to get the rest as well." Dwarf Shaman said.

"In the meantime, let's get you back to the rest of our army." H.E. Archer said.

"I'm not leaving until I see the last goblin's head roll!" The woman said.

"We can't look after you and kill the goblins at the same time, and you are in no condition to endang-" The woman cuts H.E. Archer off.

"Don't worry about my condition." she said. "I said I'm not leaving without seeing you finish your job, and that's final." H.E. Archer then punches her lights out, and picks her up.

"What was that for?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"She wasn't going to listen, she wasn't going to speak." H.E. Archer said as she struggled to carry the woman on her back until Lizard Priest approached.

"I will carry her." He said.

"I can handle her." H.E. Archer said.

"We need your bow more than your strength Lady Archer." Lizard Priest said, and H.E. Archer sighed and turned to give the lizard a chance to pick the woman up and hauled her over his shoulder with one hand as they followed GS.

* * *

Abbot, Spearman and Witch were busy holding off goblins who ambushed the siege crew. Unfortunately, some of the crew were butchered, but when their 3 protectors showed up, they were quickly avenged. Witch even put the goblins asleep while Spearman and Abbot finished them off. Some archer tried shooting arrows...only for Witch to reflect their shots back at them. Then GS showed up and took out a few hobs with his remaining bombs...then a champion showed up, and Abbot charged it, dodged a sword swing, busted it's leg, then Spearman threw his spear at it and nailed it through the heart.

"Welcome back." Witch said before noticing the woman Lizard Priest was carrying. "Oh my..."

"What happened to her?" Abbot said with concern as he knelt by her when Lizard Priest her down one a large sack.

"She was forced to witness the goblins give who-knows-how-many people a good time." H.E. Archer said sarcastically.

"Wretches..." Abbot whispered while shaking. "I will do what I can."

"There's no need" Witch said. "I can treat this one. You go give our aspiring vampire hunters a hand. Will you?"

"Your generosity is equal to your beauty my dear." Abbot said which earned him a giggle from her.

"You flatter me Father." Witch said sweetly as Abbot stood up and looked at the fortress and put his guard up,

"Incoming!" A footman yelled as a vampire elite flew toward them and Abbot jumped up and bashed it to the side with his staff then Spearman put his guard up as the elite shifted to it's normal form, made armor and dual swords out of blood.

"Gross..." Spearman said as Abbot walked up beside him without putting up his guard. "That was quite a hit old man."

"The Supreme God makes all things possible." Abbot said with reverence.

"Like swatting this blood-sucker out of the sky." Spearman said as the enraged vampire charges them, and Abbot jams his staff into it's gut, stopping it cold, then Spearman impales it in the heart.

"Keep an eye out for more vampires! There's no way that was the only one around here." Abbot said to the people around him as he looked at Goblin Slayer. "So...what happened with the caves?"

* * *

"Damn those goblins to hell." Spearman growled.

"We still have plenty to deal with, but there's no way we were letting this woman follow us." Dwarf Shaman said.

"It is unlikely that these goblins are here in the vampire queen's care; there were too few and they were too ill-equipped to be used as foot soldiers." Lizard Priest said.

"They must've been using her fortress as a front while they conducted whatever mischief they had in mind." H.E. Archer said.

"What do you think Beard-Cutter?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"I agree with the elf." GS said. "Goblins are cowards by nature, so if I were them, I would hide in a place that's under the protection of a powerful figure, or in a place that's out-of-the-way. Those caves fit both descriptions."

"Yeah, and look how well _that_ worked out." Spearman said with a laugh as the woman GS' team rescued woke up.

"Ugh, what happened...?" She said before looking around in a panic. "Where am I?"

"Easy dear, you're with friends now." Witch said.

"Friends? I don't even know who you people are!" the woman exclaimed.

"We killed more goblins like we promised." GS said, then the woman got up, looked around and saw the butchered carcasses of the goblins who attacked the siege force. "Sorry you weren't here to see it."

"Just...just get me out of here..." The woman said.

"I will help." Lizard Priest said before summoning a Dragontooth warrior. "Help this woman get to the nearest town."

"That thing is friendly right?" The woman asked with concern.

"Of course. He will not harm you in any way unless you turn on him." Lizard Priest said.

"O.k...I guess I'll trust you." The woman said.

"I'd hope so. We just saved you." H.E. Archer said to herself as the two walked off.

"It pleases me to see more justice being done, but I must see to Ranger and his ilk." Abbot said.

"So long old man. Give the team my best." Spearman said as Abbot nodded, walked to the citadel, then sprinted faster than a horse down the hill, then jumped over several rocks, dashed from tower to tower, killing any guards he encounters by either bashing their heads in, or knocking them off the wall, then watched the team fight their own elites, then walked through the gate casually and explained the situation...

* * *

"Holy shit...Goblin Slayer's still doing what he does best during a siege." Warrior said.

"And soon, the siege force will have completed preparations for their attack. It's only a matter of time before they open fire." Abbot said.

"They know we're here right?" Sage asked.

"Of course. I told them to avoid shooting at the entrance, which of course, is where we are." Abbot said.

"Are you coming to face the vampire queen with us?" Hero asked.

"No. Not yet at least." Abbot said. "If you need me I will help, but I am of better service out here."

"To face the vampire queen's minions?" Sword Saint asked.

"Precisely, and I believe the rest of you should be here to aid me." Abbot said to the team, minus Ranger.

"Of course Father." Wizard said for the other 3.

"In that case, I'll go with them to face the vampire queen." Ranger said.

"Ranger we'll follow you if and when we have things under control out here. Alright?" Fighter said softly.

"Alright. Good luck, all of you." Ranger said, and with that some fire was seen in the distance and some burning rocks were flying towards the fortress and the cracking of the towers and walls could be heard from the entrance. "The siege begins..."

"Down goes the neighborhood." Wizard said cheekily.

"Then let's go give that witch the beating she deserves!" Hero cheered as he rushed to the gates with her team...and Ranger, following at a distance, then Hero kicked in the door. "Hey! Evil queen! The Hero has returned!"

"Don't you ever get tired of failing...?" A deep, smooth, feminine voice came from the entire room.

"Just come out and face me!" Hero yelled and the same voice chuckled.

"So eager to give your blood? All you had to do was say so..." with that...blood oozed down from the ceiling and the puddles it formed spawned more suits of armor, and Hero swung her sword once, and they each got blown apart...before reforming a new, larger group from the pieces.

"Oh great..." Sword Saint groaned as she joined the melee with Ranger staying back to analyze the situation: each time the two swordswomen take down a suit of armor, more spawn from the remains, thanks to that odd blood. Even Hero's holy sword did nothing to deter the blood, why? He then looked at how she used it...Abbot was right: her technique was _embarrassing_. She simply let the weapon's raw power take down her foes while doing little to nothing to focus that power. If she had, she probably would've won by now, but wait...

Storm Mage said the vampire queen was immune to her holy sword because of her status as the Supreme's champion. Could that simply mean that the vampire queen is somehow a servant of the Supreme, or did she have some sort of power that surpassed the Supreme and is just lying? Either way, watching the two ladies fighting a pointless battle was getting boring so Ranger joined the part by morphing twin swords, heating them up, and engaging some armor that engaged him, and the blood moved away from the heat. Vampires were weak against holy arts as well as fire, but how far could that go?

"Everyone! Get back to the door!" Ranger yelled and the two ladies retreated to the door as Ranger defended himself from the armor suits. "Lord of the Sword...Master of the Mace...rend my foes with...the foulest...aspect of nature...Pestilence!" He kept making distance between himself as the suits and the diseased flies that spawn feed on he vampiric blood until there's none left.

"I hope we don't have to rely on that for too long." Sage said with disgust in her voice.

"Me neither. Useful or not, I don't trust it around allies." Ranger said as the suits fell apart, then some skeletons burst out of the ground and some gargoyles came to life and dropped down from the ceiling, then Hero rushed in to crush them with Sword Saint and Ranger backing her up,

* * *

Meanwhile, Rookie Warrior was chopping down zombies with his greatsword and Apprentice Cleric was bashing their heads in with her mace and stopping some from biting her with her buckler while Heavy Warrior, Berserker, and Female Knight fought off a vampire elite.

"Holy Light!" Female Knight yelled and the elite took cover behind a crypt, and Heavy Warrior climbed on top of it and dropped down on it from above and jammed his greatsword into it's chest then Berserker split it's head open.

"How many zombies...are there?" A.C. asked between deep breathes.

"Lots." Summoner said as he showed up.

"What the- Where did you come from?" R.W. asked.

"The old man called me and my two companions to help out, so we're helping out." Summoner said.

"You mean that creepy Assassin lady and her werewolf partner are here too?" A.C. asked.

"Yep. They're helping elsewhere, but they still came with me." Summoner said as a group of blood mist clouds appeared and he raises his hand." NOW!" With that, a pack of fireballs popped out of the ground, hit the blood clouds and they each form a vampire that falls to the ground and turn to ash before they hit it.

"How did you _do_ that?" R.W. asked in awe as a pack of fire elementals showed up from small flames around the area. How were they not noticed?

"Channeling power from summoned creatures...what's not to love?" Summoner said with pride before showing his Gold tags.

"You were not..." A.C. said.

"Yep, I am now Gold Ranked, and _boy_ did I get busy beforehand." Summoner said.

"What about your two friends?" Female Knight asked.

"They're still Silvers; I got on them for not accepting their ranks, but...beasts will be beasts." Summoner said. "Although I do still go on demon hunts with them from time to time."

"Fascinating." A.C. said. "Wait...what do you mean "beasts"?"

"Oh yeah, Assassin is a werewolf herself now." Summoner said.

"Great..." Female Knight groaned before more zombies showed up, and Summoner summoned an earth golem, drew power from it, and punched the zombies' heads in as they got close and whenever one bit him...it's teeth broke against his outfit, even the purely-cloth parts. A.C. and R.W. got involved eventually by taking down some more zombies who came from the entrance to some catacombs. Then the two Silver Ranks charged into the crowd to finish the job.

"Get back!" Berserker yelled and heavy footsteps were heard coming from inside the catacombs and a large, hulking zombie wearing armor and wielding a sword as large as Heavy Warrior's, and a shield as large as large as Female Knight's.

"What is that?!" Heavy Warrior yelled.

"A draugr..." Berserker said as the 6-person team regrouped.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranger was still fighting off cursed skeletons alongside Hero's team, ad each one fell apart like they were made of sand whenever they were hit, but that didn't change the fact they kept reforming as quickly as they fell apart. Luckily Sage was there to use the Revitalize spell to restore their stamina, but it was still tedious-as-all-hell. Sure mowing down goblins felt satisfying, but they didn't come back from the grave right after being sent there. Heaven forbid that ever happens. Eventally, Ranger climbs up a pillar, looks around, and spots a chandalier, ignites it, and yanks it down with a harpoon-and-chain as he drops down to the floor and brings it down with one strong tug, and the blood holding the skeletons together was burned away as the skeletons' bones were crushed under the weight.

"Thank you Goblin Slayer for demonstrating the power of improvisation." Ranger said half-jokingly to himself before turning to Hero. "That's _twice_ I did what the Hero could not..."

"Don't get used to it; the queen herself is a match for anyone." Hero said seriously.

"How right you are..." The voice from earlier said. "Please, do come to me. I cannot wait to show you what I did with my home while you were away."

"How many more miracles do you have?" Sword Saint asked as the team walked up some stairs.

"By my count, three. I have one miracle I can use regardless of what my strength is, but I _really_ don't want to use it unless I need to." Ranger said.

"What miracle is that?" Sword Saint asked cautiously.

"Let me guess: Army of One?" Sage asked.

"Right, but I can only use it once, maybe twice a week so...abusing it is not an option, plus I have no idea how long it lasts." Ranger said.

"According to what I read and heard, it lasts about an hour, and it can give someone enough power to challenge the Demon Lord himself. _Challenge_, you understand? Not _defeat_." Sage said.

"That's where we would have to come in. I made him my personal training dummy a year ago" Hero said.

"I heard, although...I know it wasn't a fair fight." Ranger said seriously.

"What?" Hero said as if offended.

"It wasn't a fair fight." Ranger said with an eyebrow raised.

"What do you mean it wasn't a fair fight?! I faced him head-to-head and won!" Hero said.

"Did you face him at full power?" Ranger asked.

"Of course I did." Hero snapped.

"Please, the Demon Lord might be powerful beyond words, but he couldn't recover from his fight with the Sword Maiden, and her team, on his own, and unfortunately for him...you went around destroying his temples, killing his followers, and interrupting rituals meant to empower him, so when you faced him..._of course_ you made him look pathetic. It wouldn't amaze me at _all_ if the queen puts up a more serious fight, especially since she's supposedly immune to that holy sword of yours, which you _found_ on a whim by the way..." Ranger said.

"Alright _alright_!" Hero exclaimed. "I don't know how you know any of that, but I get the damn point..."

"But...to be fair, if you hadn't defeated him, then the rest of us would be in a world of shit, probably literally, so...thanks." Ranger said and the group took a moment to get a grip. Quite a bit of pride was on-the-line, and this was no time to start fighting among themselves.

"So...are you going to keep bickering like an older brother and younger sister, or can we keep going?" Sword Saint asked.

"Very funny." Hero said as Ranger deadpan-looked at Sword Saint. It never occurred to him, but despite having the lowest rank, he was probably the oldest one in the team. What an irony...

* * *

"Wait!" High Elf Archer yelled as she finished climbing a tree. "There's something over there mowing down the goblins!"

"What is it Long Ears?" Dwarf Shaman called.

"Don't know, but it's moving fast and hitting them hard." H.E. Archer said as she dashed and swung from one tree to another as the three below her followed on the ground, and when they got there...they had a trail of mangled goblin bodies to follow and heard goblins yelling and screaming in rage and fear as a werewolf tore through their ranks.

"12...25...31...38...43...59..." Goblin Slayer counted as they went into a cave to find the werewolf who was mauling a hob with it's claws and when the hob's arms were shredded, the werewolf bite it's throat open and held it down until it was dead...then picked it up with it's jaws and hurled it at the goblins watching their larger brother get worked over. "That makes 79." Then the werewolf spots the team who raise their guard, then the werewolf crawls further into the cave as if on a mission.

"Should we follow it...?" H.E. Archer asked as GS just went after it. "Orcbolg! Are you out of your mind?! You saw what it did to those goblins!"

"It kills goblins, that's all I need to know." GS said as he went after it, and the team went after him. When they got there...a big surprise was there: Assassin was there watching some goblins try in vain to tear off her suit and she just laid there chuckling at them, even as some hit her in the face, only for them to hurt their hands.

"O.k...fun's over." Assassin said casually before slamming two goblins' heads together, putting a knife in each of the rest of the goblins' necks, then spin kicks the ones she missed away, then turned into a werewolf herself, and when the other showed up, they got to work on the rest of the goblins...and feasted on their corpses.

"Ugh! I can't believe they're actually eating them!" H.E. Archer exclaimed.

"That makes 144." GS said as he left.

"Let's just leave them to their meal." Lizard Priest said as the three followed GS.

"What was that lady doing letting goblins get their hands on her? Doesn't she know what that could lead to?" H.E. Archer asked in awe.

"Knowing her, she was playing sort of game with them." Dwarf Shaman said.

"A sick, twisted game at that." H.E. Archer said.

"Demon hunters tend to be mentally unstable, she and her companion are obviously no exception to the rule." Lizard Priest said.

* * *

Back with Ranger, Hero, and company, he was craving through a small horde of zombies in the middle of a dining hall, with some of the zombies being bulkier than the rest, and some even using weapons. These were clearly not ordinary zombies, but that didn't save them from getting their skulls crushed against the walls or furniture, their faces punched off by gauntlets, having their spines kicked in half their brains blown out by Ranger's gun, or their heads chopped off by swords from him, and the 2 swordswomen.

"Freeze!" Sage yelled as a pair of larger zombies came at her only to be encased in ice. "Shatter!" She then points her staff at them and they shatter and their fragments stagger and even kill some of the zombies behind them. Some more zombies rushed in and in the heat of the moment, Ranger morphed blades on his body like Fighter's, then craved through them with his arms and legs, and absorbed their blood and entrails into his armor when they splattered on him. He even harpooned a cabinet onto a larger zombie, then picked it up and threw it across the room to splatter some more zombies.

"How many weapons do you have?" Sword Saint asked Ranger as she put her sword away.

"More than I thought..." Ranger said as he looked over his armor's blades then de-morphed them. "This is going to come in handy when I get my hands on the queen." With that...he noticed the 3 ladies are no longer moving then Cherub showed up. "Yes?"

"For your information, the Apocalypse Armor could do the same thing, only...good luck becoming it's equal." Cherub said.

"Good to know, now, what's this really about?" Ranger asked as he crossed his arms.

"Did you notice how your armor spawned blades? Well guess what? That's not the only outlandish thing you can do with it; any kind of weapon or attachment you can think of, the armor will respond in kind...as long as it's physically capable of doing so, like if it has enough material absorbed into it." Cherub said.

"So I just imagine my armor doing something, no matter how insane, and it'll do what I imagine?" Ranger asked and Cherub nodded. "Yikes...

"Alchemy is a wonderful thing isn't it? Good thing it's not used by too many people; can you imagine what would happen if the Demon Lord got his hands on an army of alchemically-enhanced people or monsters?" Cherub asked before Ranger let out a breathy exhale. "And you're right: this armor will come in _real_ handy against Her Majesty. Although...for crying out loud: stick to using that armor seriously?"

"What can I do with it that's not serious?" Ranger asked and Cherub raised an eyebrow.

"Where do I start...?" Cherub asked rhetorically.

"Actually...I don't want to know." Ranger said. "Now...please resume time." With that, Cherub poofed away and time resumed.

"I can imagine so." Sage said, referring to the armor being used on the queen.

"Shall we ladies...and Ranger?" Hero said and Ranger let out an amused huff as they progressed forward.

* * *

Outside, Warrior, Wizard, Fighter, Abbot, and Priestess were all fighting vampires non-stop for about 10 minutes straight, with Abbot of course doing most of the work, but the team was still able to hold their own.

Warrior was engaged in a sword fight with an elite and a few lesser vampires, and while he's holding his own...he needed to get to a hiding spot to down a life potion to give him a power boost and then ambushed the vampires, beheading one of the lesser ones, disemboweling a 2nd, and parrying a lunge from the elite and kicking him into another lesser vampire and rolls away to get some space.

"Firestream!" Wizard yelled as she shot a stream of fire at the same elite Warrior parried, then Warrior finished it off by stabbing it through the heart when he got an opening lest he get swapped across the face; he might be mostly magic-proof, but the vampire was still supremely strong ; one lucky hit and it was over. Wizard meanwhile sliced any vampire that dared get close, and when one pounced on her from behind, Fighter snapped it's neck, only for one who grab _her_ from behind, then he jams her elbow points into it's ribs over and over until the vampire let's her go, then she tears it's throat out, then spin-kicked two others in the head hard enough to launch them to the side.

Priestess meanwhile was watching Abbot fight elites in mid-air by bashing some out of the air, and jumping from one to the other like they were platforms. Eventually, one gets the drop on him, dives down to the ground and slams him into the ground hard enough to shatter the ground and bites his arm.

"Holy Smite!" Priestess yells and the vampires gets launched into a house hard enough to bring the whole place down on top of it. She then rushed to help Abbot. "Heal..." Abbot then groaned as his body recovered from the beating he just took.

"Excellent use of the Supreme's gift my child." Abbot whispered.

"Thank you Father." Priestess said softly as she helped him up, and he called him staff back to him.

"Duck!" Abbot yelled and the moment Priestess did so, he bashed a vampire who lunged at them away, then noticed Fighter standing there with her eyes closed and when she opened them, her eyes glowed cyan. "What in-? She learned to use her chakras?"

"Chakras?" Priestess asked.

"The 7 parts of the body where our spiritual power is focused. It is said that those who master them can perform miracles with their own power rather than that of the gods." Abbot said as Fighter worked over about a dozen vampires with one hit for each of them, and dodged all their attacks without effort, and didn't show any emotion the whole time.

"She...she's almost as fast as you Father." Priestess whispered.

"No...she's faster." Abbot said with a smile.

* * *

"They're really going at it out there..." Sage said as she looked out of a hole a trebuchet knocked into the castle, to see swarms of vampires getting their asses kicked and the castle grounds themselves getting smashed.

"That's what my team does..." Ranger said. "Shame about the guards we had to put down though."

"What?" Hero asked and Ranger sighed deeply.

"These vampires tend to make brainwashed slaves out of people they don't turn. I saved a few on my last mission here, but...the dozens we were jumped all got blown to pieces."

"How could you?!" Hero exclaimed and Ranger glared at her.

"It was either that, or they kill us, so we did it." Ranger said seriously. "We cannot save everyone, and casualties in war are unavoidable. Abbot said we lost some people to goblins earlier remember?"

"But...they're goblins; killing people is what they do. You're supposed to save people-" Ranger snapped at her the moment she finished.

"And I do! I've saved countless people directly and indirectly, and I've payed for my failures a hundred times over. Besides...getting a bunch of brainwashed people killed is hardly the worst thing I've done, and that's including the fact I had no hand in their deaths myself." Ranger said as he kept walking.

"What _is_ the worst thing you've done?" Hero asked and got no answer. "Why did you do it? How many times did you fail? How did you fail in the first place? How did you pay for it? Do you _hear_ me?"

"Yes, but I'm not willing to talk about those things, and you have no right to push me." Ranger growled and Hero huffed at him.

"What about your wife and child, if I may ask?" Sage asked.

"What about them?" Ranger asked with his annoyance replaced with curiosity.

"I know you stayed off the field while that Fighter girl was carrying your child, but...did you consider that people still needed you, or if they needed you at all?" Sage asked.

"Warrior and Wizard were more than capable of handling the goblins, especially since their jobs are equipping and training people to handle not only goblins, but other creatures as well. Frankly, they both deserve a Gold Rank for that reason alone in my opinion." Ranger said.

"Can't argue with that." Sword Saint said as they walked up a stairwell.

"Did you check on them every now and then?" Sage asked.

"Didn't need to; they checked on us." Ranger said honestly.

"Let me guess: teleportation?" Sage asked.

"Give the girl a prize." Ranger joked.

"Regardless, we heroes have to put things on-hold for the good of the world; the bad guys don't rest, neither should we." Hero said and Ranger stopped cold.

"I will never put my family on-hold for something that others not only _can_ do in my place, but _should_, like Warrior and Wizard for example." Ranger said seriously. "Besides, I promised my wife I would stay with her until she gave birth, and I don't recall ever breaking a promise, especially not to her." With that, he kept going up the stairs.

"You really love her don't you?" Sword Saint asked.

"_Yes_..." Ranger whispered with a nearly-inhuman amount of conviction before they reached the top...then saw a large double-door.

"Can we knock for real this time?" Sage asked and Sword Saint grabbed Hero before she rushed in and shook her head...then the doors opened on their own.

"I guess we're expected..." Ranger said as he peeked inside and saw a decent-sized pool of blood in the middle of a room full of faint mist, and nothing else.

"Well...can't say she doesn't know how to make alone time obvious." Sage said as they walked in, and when they got close enough, they saw a woman laying down in the pool. She was nearly submerged in the blood completely, but...she must been the queen.

"Hey! Bath time's over! Get out and face us!" Hero yelled as she pointed her sword at her, and the woman sat up and absorbed the blood covering her...and she was breath-taking. Flawless, nearly snow-white skin, pitch-black hair, thick, blood-red lips, hourglass figure, red, piercing eyes and a soft face that had an inhumanly sultry look to it. Her beauty rivaled the Sword Maiden's!

"I don't know if I should call you persistant, or downright foolish to come here after your first defeat." Vampire Queen said.

"You'd be right on both accounts..." Sage said bluntly.

"Not now." Hero said.

"Regardless, this will certainly be your last." Vampire Queen said as she looked the team over. "Oh...you brought a servant of the War God here? I suppose I should be honored."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Ranger said seriously.

"No, I suppose it won't." Vampire Queen said with mock disappointment. "Although your army destroyed a chunk of my own, there are still plenty of ways for me to stand my ground, and when I do...you will all replace the ones I lost."

"Not if we put you down first." Ranger said and the queen chuckled at him.

"I've seen the miracles you used on the blood I used to test you...I'm afraid they won't work here." Vampire Queen said while giving him looks and subtly showing off her figure.

"Don't be so sure." Ranger said seriously.

"I have little reason not to be." Vampire Queen said while continuing her show and throwing in a seductive tone. "I already took measures to ensure my success...and my survival. Now...tell me, are you the leader of the team who aids the infamous Goblin Slayer?"

"What's it to you?" Ranger asked.

"The people speak highly of you. You'll be a mighty addition to my forces; I might even make you my 2nd in command." Vampire Queen said while standing up and showing her entire body to him, but he remained serious; if the Sword Maiden couldn't enthrall him, this blood-sucking temptress sure couldn't.

"I'll have to say no to that." Ranger said bluntly.

"Smart man." Sword Saint said.

"Is he? I think not..." Vampire Queen said with an edge to her voice and spewed a shower of blood out of her entire body in all directions without even moving and the team was pushed back from the force. Then she formed a form-fitting suit of armor out of the blood and it looked more regal than the elites' armor, for obvious reasons, then the team got up and braced for combat.

* * *

Meanwhile, Heavy Warrior, Berserker, and Female Knight held off the draugr and his minions while Summoner pelted it with fireballs which burned it badly, but the burns healed like the sword and axe blows it took. Rookie Warrior was throwing his axe at it, and calling the axe back to him over and over from a distance, and Apprentice Cleric cast Holy Smite at it a few times, but the damned thing wouldn't go down, whereas the team was running out of options.

"Undead filth!" Berserker yelled as he jumped on the draugr's back and plunges his axe into it's head, but it does nothing.

"Impossible!" A.C. yelled and the draugr threw threw Berserker off of it's head and Heavy Warrior chopped off one of it's legs and sent it tumbling back down the stairs into the catacombs, and the leg started to reattach itself...then stopped cold when the draugrs reached the bottom.

"So the rumors are true...draugrs can only be harmed in their crypts. Quickly! While that draugr is in that tomb, it's vulnerable!" Berserker called and the 5 other pressed the attack with Summoner having an iron elementals restraining it from behind and H.W. and F.K. stabbing it in the chest over and over until A.C. casts Holy Smite at it, and it drops dead. "Well done...that draugr was a servant of the vampire queen. Without him, this graveyard is useless to her as a source of strength."

"Here's hoping the team fighting her is having better luck than we had." R.W. said.

* * *

The vampire queen was dodging sword swing, after sword swing, after sword swing, after sword swing from all 3 of the melee fighters of the team and Sage was holding back waiting for an opening...but none came; the vampire queen was just so fast, she was practically a blur of motion! Even when she was standing still and not dashing around silently taunting them into a wild goose chase, she was more slippery than freshly-caught fish slathered in melted butter. Eventually Ranger backed up, fired directly at her...and she _still_ dodged it! Hero threw her sword at the queen, and it didn't hit. Sword Saint tried hitting the queen directly after she dodged Hero's sword throw, but she caught the sword between two fingers, and Ranger tried to punch her with a gauntlet...only for her to stop his punch with her bare hand, push him back hard enough to send him rolling into a pillar, then he launched a harpoon-and-chain at her...and when Sword Saint ripped her sword out of the queen's hand and cuts her hand, Ranger scored a direct hit which made the queen not even flinch, and Ranger yanked himself to her and she grabbed him, bashed Sword Saint away and slammed him into the ground then kicks him away like a ball.

"Damn you!" Hero yelled as she grabbed her sword and just as she was about to cut the queen in half...she vanished in a poof of red smoke. "What? Where did she go?"

"She was there a moment ago!" Sword Saint said as she got up.

"Mana bolt!" Sage yelled as she fired a bolt of pure energy at the ceiling and the queen blocked it with a shield made of blood without even moving her body.

"What is she doing up there?!" Ranger growled as he slowly stood up.

"The four of you are boring me." Vampire Queen said as she launched a barrage of spikes made of solid blood as the group and they all scattered and parried whatever spikes they could, and Ranger fired his gun until he was out of bullets, and each bullet hit the queen, but did no damage. Then the queen came down to dodge a swing from Hero who climbed up a pillar to attack her, then Ranger smashed the ground, kicked some rubble at the queen who she smashed the rubble with a casual punch, and Ranger came at her with a punch of his own, and in the confusion, he managed to land a punch to her face, then she grabbed his arm at the elbow and squeezed slowly and he growled in pain as she dug her fingers into his bones, and Hero came down, severed her arm, only for it to reattached itself, then the queen slapped Hero into the blood pool, only to be impaled through the heart by Sword Saint from behind. The queen then jammed her elbow into Sword Saint's gut hard enough to make her fall back and struggle to keep breathing.

"Mana Bolt!" Sage yelled and the queen used a blood mist cloud to absorb the energy blast, and launched it at Sage who was launched into the wall and Ranger morphed a blade on his other arm, stabbed the queen in the gut, then the queen kicked his blade hard enough to make it shatter, and break the bone in his arm, then kicked him away.

"Pathetic...to think I thought all of you could join my army, although...it makes my own army look all the worse for falling to such trash." Vampire Queen said.

"To be at the Demon Lord's right hand, is a fate worse than dying." Hero said as she struggled to stand only to get knocked down again by the queen.

"The Demon Lord is of concern to me girl." Vampire Queen said and turned to Ranger who was getting up...and his broken arm was realigning it's correct angle. "Oh, that armor serves you well, to let you recover from such a gruesome injury." She then disappears in a cloud of blood mist and reappears behind him and stops him from putting a bolt through her head by catching it mid-flight...even though he used his power shot enchantment! "You should know nothing you do is going to work."

"I still have to try." Ranger said.

"Why? Because of these girls? You know they're all doomed, but...you don't have to be." Vampire Queen said with a smile.

"The Sword Maiden couldn't enchant me, what chance do you have?" Ranger asked.

"The Sword Maiden? That wretched little thing who became a goddess among the people? _That_ Sword Maiden?" Vampire Queen asked.

"How _dare_ you...!" Ranger growled.

"How dare I? My good man...she's human, just like you are; she suffers, she grows, she lives, she dies. I will not..." Vampire Queen said as she circled Ranger. "You have proven that you stand above quite a few humans; it would be...a crying shame should you fall, especially...when you don't have to."

"I had a chance to become a vampire before, I threw it out the window first chance I got." Ranger said.

"Oh yes, I would too should I take the blood of a wretch, but...mine is different. Take blood from me, and you will have all you desire." Vampire Queen said.

"You have nothing I want." Ranger snapped.

"Oh? You want a family? Mine is everlasting. You want your team to get stronger? They can have more power than they ever dreamed possible at your side. You want glory and status. I will make you high king of this whole country; you will answer to none but myself. You want love...I can give you more than any man I've ever offered a place to. Ranger...your quest will be complete, and absolute, you need only accept my blood into your veins." Vampire Queen said.

"You...are as generous, as you are glorious good queen..." Ranger said softly. "This is an offer only one foolish beyond words would refuse." With that, the vampire queen opened her mouth, sank her fangs into her tongue, and the three ladies watched in horror as Ranger approached her, wrapped his arms around her, and just as he was on the brink of locking lips with the queen...he jammed a heated blade into her lower chest making her scream in pain as Ranger glared at her.

"However...I also know that should I accept this offer, I would be your _pet_, not your equal; I would be replaced the moment you no longer have a use for me. It would also spell doom for countless people, for countless years, and I swore to protect them before the Supreme, _and_ the War Gods, and I would rather be called a fool than a traitor." Ranger growled as he dug his blade deeper into her chest. "But, above all else...you sent a succubus after me and my family. The woman who put me back together when I was at my lowest point, and the infant girl who is living proof of our love for each other! You tried to ruin my life, now I'm here to return the favor!" With that he jammed another heated blade into her lower gut with her pained screams falling on deaf ears. "Lord of the Sword...Master of the Mace..."

"Wait, no! Don't do it!" Vampire Queen pleaded.

"...Raze my foes with the destructive power of chaos..." Ranger continued ignoring the terror on the queen's face

"Don't use Immolation! I _beg_ you!" Vampire Queen screamed.

"IMMOLATION!" Ranger yelled and the queen burst into flames, and her screams of pain drowned out every other sound and she turned into blood mist trying to put the flames out, but it didn't work. She flew around the entire room as the flames continued to rage. It was amazing she didn't use her burning body as weapon, not that it would do her any good; Immolation is entirely under the caster's control, and she was likely in too much pain to think clearly. Eventually she reformed above the blood pool and her charred carcass fell into it as the Hero jumped out of it.

"I know vampires are weak against fire, but that was a bit ridiculous." Sage said as she got up.

"Immolation uses holy fire that is under my control, and...I wanted that bitch to burn badly." Ranger said with an edge to his voice.

"Did you have to let her get that close to you, thinking she was safe _then_ set her on fire? That's the kind of thing I'd expect a bad guy to do!" Hero said.

"It serves her right for all the bullshit she pulled on me, and quite a few others." Ranger said with apathy. "Besides, deception is part of warfare as well..." After he finished talking, the blood bubbled up, then started boiling and the queen burst out of it yelling in rage and the blood infects the ceiling, makes it collapse, as the queen flies upwards on a stream of the blood.

"Warfare...! _Warfare_ you say?! I will show you warfare!" Vampire Queen yelled as the ceiling came down and the team had to avoid or destroy the falling debris, and when it was over...the room became dead silent, then an ear-splitting shriek was heard and the team climbed, or flew in Sage's case, up the destroyed ceiling to the next floor, Ranger morphed some claws as the two swordswomen ran up the walls, while Ranger climbed the walls and Sage kept flying to keep up, and when they reached the roof...their hearts sank. There was a massive bat-woman creature that had to be the queen transformed and she was flying around the place, then went to the roof and bared her fangs at the team.

"So...the beauty no longer hides the beast within." Ranger said.

"You have no idea what a _true_ beast is Ranger!" Vampire Queen snarled as she folded in her wings and stood up from all fours. "There is no bargaining out of your fates this time."

"Good...because fate won't like our terms." Ranger said as he morphed a greatsword and the three ladies braced themselves for round two.

* * *

**Well...that's that. The queen's pissed off, Ranger gave a threat to his marriage yet another middle finger, and Her Majesty proved she's a match for the Hero, and before anyone says Ranger is a Gary Stu for being more competent than Hero, keep in mind that he has powers that the queen is weak to; it's like Batman fighting Superman with Kryptonite, only...more gruesome. Also, Summoner is Gold-Ranked now and Assassin is a werewolf now...yay. Also, for those or you that don't know: draugrs are the Norse mythology version of zombies, and...they're probably the strongest type across the entire mythology board; they actually have godlike powers in some cases, and the only two ways to beat them, are to fight them in their graves, or be blessed by the gods. At least I think that's the case. Anyway, be sure to Rate, Review, and Share...please people, I get there's a pandemic going on, but I need feedback from more than just one person, even though that person is a welcome case. Anyway, round two with the vampire queen is just around the corner, so...stay tuned.  
**


	10. Chapter 4 Part III

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. We left off with Ranger and the Hero's team getting ready to whoop the vampire queen's priceless yet kickable booty, so let's get on with.**

**Review Response: Considering the fact that Ranger is 4 or 5 years older than Hero, and he's apparently smarter than her, or at least more mature, it's pretty obvious that they'd have a difference in opinion over things. As for Sword Saint? I don't know how old she is, but Storm Mage is a little older than Sword Maiden who's 26 at this point, but either way, let's wait until Storm Mage gives his two cents to the fight's outcome shall we? Because, he's bound to be curious; what person intelligent enough to be a demon hunter wouldn't be?**

**Probably for the best that Summoner in a solo act now, although...he choose to work with Assassin and Werewolf just like Ranger choose to work with Fighter and company; it's unlikely that things will change too badly, especially since Summoner said himself that he still works with the two lycanthropes. As for Assassin's personality? Yeah, thick chance of her ceasing to be a basket case, even though she's written that way on purpose.  
**

**Yeah, casualties should be expected in a series like Goblin Slayer, or war in general, but it does help that they're taking advantage of the vampires' weaknesses. Berserker helping against the zombies and draugr is quite a plus itself.**

**Over? The vampire queen is just getting started...**

* * *

On the ground the team watched the top of the queen's castle crumble and some falling debris crushed the houses below. Luckily, no action needed to be take to avoid the debris, but it obviously raised some red flags with them.

"That cannot be good..." Warrior said.

"Should we go inside?" Priestess asked.

"No, we stay, and keep fighting." Abbot said as some more suits of cursed armor show up and Fighter gets on them right away before the others have a chance to react. She dodges each of their attacks, pounds their sides with hammerfist punches as she weaves through them, climbs one and jumps between them while shoving them off-balance with the force of her jumps, and even tricks them into hitting each other, if she doesn't snatch their weapons and uses them against their wielders.

"She picks up other people's weapons an awful lot." Abbot said.

"That's nothing, you should've seen her at the farm a year ago." Warrior said as Fighter kept working the armor suits over...and it was turning laughable; one moment had her knocking down three suits with a single kick for each of them without putting her leg down, ducked an axe swing, then jumped up, kneed it in the "jaw" hard enough to pop off it's head, spin-kicked the head into another while she was still in mid-air, grabbed another suit, spun around several times, still in mid-air, and threw it across the area into a group of approaching reinforcements, and when she finally landed cat-style, some vampires showed up, and even though there's about a dozen of them, and they were flying around...Fighter dodged their dive moves, pounces, and drop-kicks, if she didn't protect herself by stopping their strikes...but striking the limbs they use to attack her in critical places on their bodies which both stops them cold, and staggers them with pain. She also outright struck them when things calmed down enough, and each vampire that got close enough, got hit several times before either dying, or getting sent flying away from here. The most insane thing, was that not only did she not have trouble breathing when the melee was finally over, but had no emotion on her face and stood there like a statue, as if nothing happened. The team meanwhile, watched the whole thing wide-eyed or jaw-dropped, then Fighter looked up to see some elites circling the castle.

"Priestess, Father. Give me the strongest Empower you can." Fighter said calmly and everyone gasped.

"Fighter...you don't really want to go fight the queen do you?" Warrior asked.

"No, but those elites up there-" Fighter stopped talking when the elites overhead shrieked and dived down in the team's direction then Abbot poured some of Priestess' holy water on his staff.

"Hear me good Chief of Justice. Lend this child your divine strength so she may help purge this world. Empower!" Abbot prayed and Fighter started glowing and giving off specks of golden-white light, then she jumped up to the elites with enough force to cause a brief earthquake and when she got to them, she punched one of them hard enough to make it literally explode from the force alone, which drenched the others enough to distract them and they fell instead of flew for a few seconds. When they got their barrings, Fighter free-falled down to one of them, snapped it's neck, and threw it at another one hard enough to launch it in the opposite direction and crash into a wall about a quarter-mile away. She then grabbed a 4th one, rode it to the ground, used it to take a blood drain curse from a 5th one in the process, then jumped off the one she was riding onto the one who tried draining her, but it dashed to the side just in time, then she tried pushing off the air itself to catch it, and somehow, it worked. She then grappled with it in mid-air as they free-fell, and they blocked several punches from each other, then the scrap ended with it trying to bite her, she breaks it's jaw, and then they reached the ground with her on top of it. She then punched it several times to stun it, then gripped it's throat as tightly as she could until it was strangled to death.

"Sheesh, what kind of armor did you give her?" Warrior asked.

"Don't look at me; that armor makes her on-par with a vampire, same as ours. That must've been one serious Empower miracle." Wizard said as Fighter got up and removed her mask and shake her head, which made her free-hanging locks flail about, then dozens of vampire shows up and surrounded the team, and Fight put her mask back on, jumped on the roof of one of the buildings and started clobbering them left and right so quickly she appeared to be a human blur of motion. When she was done, she jumped over to the other side, clobbering even more vampires who showed up and tried to stop her, then she gave the ones on the other side the same treatment. A torn-off limb here, a snapped spine there, a few shattered skulls over there, a torn-out heart there. It was more of a mass execution then an actual fight. She then noticed even more vampires showing up and jumped down, dashed over to meet them, blew several out of the way, kicked the shit out of the ones who weren't caught in the initial burst of power. When she was nearly done...she felt a tugging pain in her chest; she pushed herself too hard and her heart was giving out! A vampire quickly took advantage of this weakness and tried to bite her, only for her to grab it's throat and it threw her back to the others...big mistake; Fighter tore it's throat out as she got launched.

She won the battle...but she wasn't out of the woods; she was breathing rapidly and she was flushed bright red. Priestess rushed to her, healed her right away, and Abbot threw some holy water on her staff to make sure Fighter would survive. Wizard also kept their 2nd to last life potion on stand-by; they'll be damned if they let her baby grow up without her mother. Their hopes weren't for nothing though, as Fighter's breathing and heart rate were brought back down to a normal level after a few seconds of their intense treatment, and everyone sighed deeply.

"Are you alright?" Priestess asked with concern.

"I will be, just give me a moment to catch my breath." Fighter said as she kept breathing deeply despite the frigid climate.

"Do you think you can do that..chakra opening thingie again?" Wizard asked.

"Not two times in a row." Fighter said. "Unless I recover quickly enough, somehow..."

"Great." Wizard groaned. "Heaven forbid we get into another situation where that's required."

"Still...you have completely outdone yourself." Warrior said before kneeling next to Fighter. "I have half a mind to ask you to teach me."

"Regret not getting involved in my craft sooner?" Fighter teased.

"Hey, if I knew that I'd be able to pull stunts like _that_, I would've gotten involved even if I _wasn't_ paid to do so." Warrior said seriously.

"I didn't even know stunts like that were possible, so...find yourself another excuse." Fighter said as the team watched the two non-siblings' antics.

"Yeah, whatever, next time, I get the spotlight." Warrior said.

"She nearly died of cardiac arrest; all-things-considered, learning to unlock your chakras and pull a stunt like that is the last thing you should be doing." Abbot said seriously.

"Well, it looks like it's clouding up, so... it's probably going to be lightning time." Wizard said as some clouds approach with decent speed.

"Uhhh, that doesn't look promising." Priestess said worried.

* * *

The vampire queen was actually blocking strikes from Hero, Ranger, and Sword Saint, and Sage spams Mana Bolt when she gets an opening, and Ranger throws a morphed scythe when he gets a chance. One time, the queen wrestled with Ranger, she won, and punched him into the parapet rimming the top of the tower they were fighting on, then blocked Hero's sword with both arms, then Ranger launched a harpoon-and-chain right into her side, yanking her off-balanced and Sword Saint jammed her own blade through the queen's heart and pulled back to give Hero a chance, and they take turns impaling her until the queen gets fed up with it, discharges a burst of blood, and takes off into the sky with Ranger being pulled along with her hanging on for dear life as she circles the area. He manages to get a look at Fighter crushing the elites and his focus gets stolen by it; he held onto the chain of course, but her display of power was terrifying; he should've taken her with him to fight the queen. Was Army of One this strong?

His thoughts were interrupted by the queen heading straight for the siege force, then her right wing gets hit by a beam of holy light It must've been the Abbot; he's the only one Ranger knew who could do that, except maybe the Sword Maiden, but her powers weren't well-known. His heart then sank again when the vampire queen threw a blood magic orb at some trebuchets, destroying several and killing the crews of each one.

"Damn you!" Ranger yelled before pulling his gun and waiting for an open shot, and the moment he got one, he fired and pierced the queen's wing bone making her scream and fly more erratically and head for the graveyards as a ballista bolt and a couple of arrows fly by her, and Ranger saw that Goblin Slayer, Lizard Priest, and Dwarf Shaman fired the bolt and High Elf Archer shot the arrows.

* * *

"We've got incoming!" Female Knight yelled.

"Step aside people, I've got this." Summoner said proudly and he walked out of the graveyard.

"That's the queen you moron!" Apprentice Cleric yelled.

"Ease up kid; there's a reason these Gold tags are around my neck." Summoner said before every single summon stone on his belt floats around him in a circle and orbits him. "Great face of nature, all-seeing creature of sky. Come down from Heaven to aid one such as I. Lend me your power I call. Let our combined strength be a symbol of change, to be seen by all!" With that, a hulking, tree-sized humanoid was spawned piece by piece. When it was done, it was a basic earth golem, but with streams of water flowing in and out of it's body like they were blood vessels. It also had burning fires where it's eyes should be and leafs blowing around it in a violent yet controlled series of wind gusts.

"What is that?" Rookie Warrior yelled.

"That...is a World Spawn. The most powerful creature one can summon through arcane means alone. The same thing that led me to get these Gold tags." Summoner said dramatically as the World Spawn made a ball of water in it's hand, which turned into a massive spear made of ice that it threw with surprising speed and force at the queen who dodged the first one, but got nicked by the second one and flew away from the massive elemental, only to return, spew several blood orbs at it, and it loses part of it's head, and one of it's arms...only for the lost parts to grow back and it spews fire out of it's eyes at the queen, and Ranger lets go before he could get hit and used his teleport crystal to escape. The World Spawn then punches the queen into the ground over and over and over hard enough to make the ground shake with each punch.

"Holy shit..." Heavy Warrior said with fear in his voice.

"Don't think you can handle a gigantic monster that can use every element known to man?" Female Knight asked as the World Spawn kept pounding the queen.

"What kind of question is that? That thing is miles above our pay grade!" Heavy Warrior exclaimed.

"And I haven't even demonstrated everything it can do..." Summoner said before holding up his hand, the World Spawn stops punching, some energy gets drawn out of it and into Summoner himself.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Rookie Warrior said.

"Yep. I can even draw power from the World Spawn, which is just as insane as it sounds." Summoner said with an "evil snicker".

"I'm alittle afraid to ask, but...why not summon more than one?" Female Knight asked.

"Simple: I'm out of summon stones, and I can't hold enough to summon more than one." Summoner said and the queen bursts out of the ground, knocks the World Spawn to the ground with a single punch that's hard enough to crack it's chest open, then she flew back to the fortress to finish the fight.

"Why isn't she finishing the fight here? Surely, she's tough enough to do so." R.W. said.

"My guess, she's too pissed off to make a solid strategy; she probably took a more serious beating than we expected from the Hero, and her team." Heavy Warrior said.

"Maybe. Although...I kind of wish I could show off my new powers." Summoner said.

"How exactly did you become Gold Ranked?" A.C. asked.

"I sealed a portal to hell and even crushed a demon general, with a World Spawn empowering, and helping me." Summoner said.

"Again...holy shit." H.W. said.

"Yep. Can't wait to see the look on my brother's face when he sees me now." Summoner said.

"You mean Storm Mage?" F.K. asked.

"Yep." Summoner said.

"Last I heard, he works for the Sword Maiden now." F.K. said and Summoner let off a whistle.

"Lucky him." Summoner said with a smirk.

"Easy now, I'm not sure he'd be allowed to get frisky with her considering her position." F.K. said seriously.

"Even still, I've seen her in person and she's...hoo boy..." Summoner said. "Although...on the off-chance things go well between them, I'm not sure how she'd react to knowing about his past."

"What? Was he a criminal? If I may ask?" Apprentice Cleric asked.

"Yes...and no. He has done some pretty shady things, including murder, but he's also done things against criminals in return. He was still a greedy asshole, even if he's my brother, although he has cleaned up his act, at least mostly." Summoner said.

"And now he works for the Archbishop...he's on his way to a Gold Rank himself I think." Female Knight said.

"Also...may I ask why you have that marking on your shoulder?" Rookie Warrior asked.

"What this? That's the Mark of the War God. Assassin, Werewolf, my brother, and Ranger have it as well. Although, Ranger is more devoted than all of us combined." Summoner said.

"How so?" F.K. asked.

"First off, Ranger is the only one who uses miracles from the War God. I use my summoning and Werewolf uses his wolf form obviously, and Assassin uses her blade knowledge and skill, plus...out of the three of us, she has the most bloodlust;I dare say she likes killing more than sex..." Summoner said.

"O.k...too much information." R.W. said.

"Sorry..." Summoner said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranger teleported back to his team, only to find them treating Fighter and his heart sank.

"What happened?" Ranger asked in a panic.

"She pushed herself too far, but she's o.k. now my son." Abbot said and Ranger calmed down but kept looking at Fighter.

"Can you hear me?" Ranger asked her as he knelt beside her.

"Yes...I'm not going to die on you any time soon." Fighter said as she took his hand and smiled at him.

"Fighter..." Ranger whispered before getting ahold of himself. "I saw what you did to those vampires. To think I thought we couldn't surpass the Abbot here. No offense Father."

"None taken my son. I said you would surpass the Hero someday, and it won't be long now. You'll see..." Abbot said before the Hero and company dropped down from the castle, and rushed to see Fighter being treated.

"Yes, she's fine." Wizard said as if annoyed.

"Well, how did this happen?" Hero asked.

"The short version is that she used an untapped spiritual power reserve, blew through several packs of vampires, her heart nearly gave out, and then Priestess treated her, and now she's recovering." Warrior said.

"Lovely..." Sage said sarcastically.

"Where's the queen?" Hero asked.

"She was fighting the biggest elemental I've ever seen last I saw her." Ranger said.

"Elemental? There's only one person we know that can use elementals." Wizard said.

"What did it look like?" Abbot asked.

"It was tree-sized, has burning eyes, streams of water going up and down it's body, and it was made of stone." Ranger said.

"A World Spawn. It wouldn't surprise me if it's summoner was Gold Ranked." Abbot said seriously.

"Summoner as a Gold Rank? Huh...small world..." Warrior said.

"What exactly is a World Spawn?" Wizard asked with interest.

"Only the strongest summoned creature in existence." Sage said seriously. "Only the most powerful summoners in the world can use them, but if you do...you'd be practically unbeatable."

"Can you use them?" Wizard asked.

"Once or twice, but...it was rarely necessary." Sage said.

"Heads up! She's coming back!" Sword Saint said and the team got on edge and Priestess carried/dragged Fighter to safety.

"Wonderful...you're all together. Now, I can feast properly...!" Vampire Queen snarled.

"Oh shut up!" Warrior yelled as he threw his hammer at her only for her to swat it away...then the hammer discharges lightning into her, making her spasm like crazy, then he calls it back to him, threw it again, beans her in the face while she's distracted then Hero leaps into the air and brings down her sword down on her, only for the queen to dodge it and the front gate gets completely wrecked. Sword Saint meanwhile charged up a still-intact part of the wall while Abbot jumped onto the other side and they each charged the queen while she was distracted and stabbed her through the heart...again, while Abbot bashed her on the head...for all the good it did; the queen survived both hits, punched Abbot back to the ground, kicked Sword Saint away, and disappeared in a cloud of red smoke.

"What the-? Where'd she go now?" Hero asked.

"She's behind you!" Abbot yelled from the ground struggling to move from the pounding he took...then Hero got an arm wrapped around her neck by the vampire queen...then Ranger shot the queen in the elbow, freeing Hero and making her arm useless. Hero reacted by yelling as she stabbed the queen through the chest for the umpteenth time and drove her into the ground below, then the queen swatted Hero off of her.

"Firestorm!" Wizard yelled as she pelted the queen with one fireball after another, while Warrior channeled lightning through the clouds with his hammer as the queen jumped out of the firestorm, only to be knocked back into it by a lightning strike from the clouds.

"How much abuse can that lady take?" Fighter asked in astonishment when the noise settled.

"The only reason we survived our last encounter with the queen is due to Storm Mage stunning her and allowing us to retreat..." Sage said.

"Priestess...give me as strong a healing and empowerment miracle as you can..." Fighter said.

"Not a chance. You almost died once; I'm not letting you take another risk like that again." Priestess said firmly.

"But-" Priestess cuts her off.

"That's _final_. Now lay back down and rest." She snapped and Fighter relaxed.

"Is she dead now?" Warrior asked as the queen laid there motionless.

"I think so..." Wizard said while using Life/Dead Sight. "Wait...I can't believe it! She's coming back to life!"

"Oh for fuck's _sake_!" Warrior exclaimed and the queen shrieked as she got up, flew into the sky, and when she got high enough she spread her wings and shrieked again as the earth shook, some ice rose from the places it was covering and fountains of blood erupted out of the ground and waved around like tentacles.

"Look! Out there!" Sword Saint yelled as even the mountains ringing the area were effected.

"I fear all hope is lost..." Abbot said with a lowered voice.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Temple of Law, Sword Maiden was praying before a large alter with dozens of acolytes on their hands and knees facing the floor behind her and Storm Mage behind her holding her staff up on her behalf without his armor or sword-whip on-hand.

"Great Supreme God. Chief of Justice, Lord of the Scale. I, your Archbishop who carries your will throughout this land, ask your favor on behalf of a troop of your servants who face the vampire queen. Let the world she plagues know how strong your presence is, and the great adventurers who resist her be rewarded for their valor. I relinquish the power you gave me for as long as you deem necessary to see this miracle performed. In your name, I order this request to be made reality!" Sword Maiden prayed and the entire temple started radiating holy power and a massive beam fires into the sky.

* * *

"Earthquake!" Rookie Warrior yelled as the ground started to break apart, the ice in the area grew, shifted, and flew around.

"Let's get out of here!" Heavy Warrior yelled as the team ran back to what was left of the siege force and the World Spawn smashed every abnormal outcropping in sight but was eventually trapped, overwhelmed and destroyed by the environment that seemed to have antipathy for it.

"My World Spawn!" Summoner yelled.

"If we don't move, we will be next!" H.W. yelled as they kept running.

* * *

"That can't be good..." Spearman said with concern as some more siege equipment was trashed by an earth spike from the ground and everyone jumped back.

"The whole _place_ is falling apart!" High Elf Archer yelled as more ice and earth shifts around them and even blocks their escape routes.

"What do we do? What the hell do we do now!?" Spearman yelled.

"Pray to whatever gods we can think of..." Lizard Priest said somberly before light shines through the clouds from nowhere, the environment gets repaired and returned to how it was, the vampires in the area all drop dead and burn to ash slowly and everyone gets their wounds, energy and even equipment restored. The people the goblins butchered even return to life.

"What the-?" H.E. Archer said as she looked around.

"Son of a bitch...the Sword Maiden really _is_ involved in this." Spearman said with a smile.

* * *

"Thank you, Sword Maiden..." Abbot whispered as he looked at the sky, then Cherub poofed in and surprised a few people.

"Cherub, please cut that out." Ranger said firmly.

"You have a cherub with you?" Hero asked.

"Pipe down, all of you. I'm here to tell you that your luck turned in more ways than one." Cherub said.

"How so?" Priestess asked.

"Well, your sweet little Sword Maiden just asked my liege to help your army, and they were helped alright: they're healed, their stuff is repaired, the dead are alive again, you name it. Not only that, but the vampire queen's pact with the Supreme is broken." Cherub said.

"What pact?" Sword Saint asked.

"First off, Storm Mage told the truth earlier; the vampire queen _was_ the Supreme's champion centuries ago, and her blessing was never removed, but now that she's threatening several of the Supreme's greatest servants, her pact is broken." Cherub said.

"She can be killed?" Ranger asked.

"Yes. Which means your holy sword is no longer useless, although...she's still incredibly tough." Cherub said.

"About time; I'm sick of hauling this thing about with it being only half of what it should be." Hero said with a huff.

"Well, I'll you get back to it. See you later." Cherub said before poofing away.

"Team, take this portal and return to the others. Explain what happened..." Ranger said before taking out his crystal but Priestess stopped him.

"We're not letting you fight alone." She said.

"This is between her, me, and Hero. The rest of you aren't strong enough." Ranger said.

"Um, not to burst your bubble boss but...I'm pretty sure Abbot and Fighter are tougher than you, especially since we all got boosted ourselves thanks to that light over our heads." Wizard said.

"That's about to change..." Ranger said before putting his hands together. "War God. I, your servant and soldier ask of you. Guide my body, mind and soul, and help me unleash your fury upon those who taint this land. Help me become, an Army of One!" With that, a vermilion fire engulfs Ranger, he gives off an intense amount of force that either pushes back or staggers those directly around him, and cracks the castle grounds apart somewhat, with him letting off a yell that echoes throughout the entire valley that turns into a strained scream. When it was over...he was giving off a less intense fire complete with dark red smoke coming out of him and his eyes had red sclera. He turned to Priestess and even though the whole team was shaking from the display he payed it no mind.

"Now...go tell the others what happened." Ranger said and his voice was deeper, clearer, and calmer. Priestess took a few moments to get a grip as she helped Fighter go through the portal with the others following suit.

"We'll...go with them." Sword Saint said and Sage followed her through the portal and when it closed, even Hero looked at Ranger funny, then the vampire queen descended from the sky to meet them.

"Say your prayers Your Majesty. It's all over for you..." Ranger said simply as he and Hero prepared for round 3.

* * *

"O.k. now that's just a load of bullshit." Spearman said after being filled in by Priestess and the team.

"You really think we'd make this up?" Wizard said in awe.

"No but, still. Ranger given god powers? I get that the light from the sky is nothing to sneeze at, but come on! Two acts of divine intervention is just unfair." Spearman said.

"You said it was temporary, yes?" Witch asked.

"It should only last an hour but...Heaven knows we spent more than that facing the queen." Sage said.

"Yeah. At this point, it's either the queen goes down...or they do." Sword Saint said as Priestess put her staff on the ground and prayed with Abbot doing the same on his feet holding his staff...then a faint boom echoed throughout the valley and the mountain in the far distance had a large poof.

* * *

Hero and Ranger were smashing the queen through a mountain in every sense of the word. Ranger bashed her into the mountain, Hero carved into the mountain, they both sliced up the inside of the mountain and the queen could barely react to them, especially Ranger. Army of One made him a living nightmare! His attacks were too hard to block, but his movements were too fast to keep track of. If it wasn't for the queen's healing factor and the immense power she was constantly drawing from the land she had dominion over...she would've died a thousand times over from just _one_ hit, nevermind dozens.

Hero wasn't as fast, but without her immunity to holy arts, the queen was no better off, especially since Hero can slice and even blow things apart without needing to physically hit them. Eventually...after smacking the queen around for the better part of a minute, Ranger punched her hard enough to launch her out of the mountain, then jumped up to catch her, then slammed her into the ground hard enough to shatter the ground, then dragged her along the ground as he sprinted across the valley, then threw her through a wall, into the castle courtyard. Hero actually lost track of them, and when she followed the upturned earth to find Ranger, he pointed her in the direction of the castle while he stopped to catch his breath, then she leaped into the sky, charged up her sword and delivered a sword swing strong enough to cause a burst of holy energy that made her entire castle collapse on top of itself.

* * *

"Hey! We were promised what was in there!" Spearman said.

"Oh relax, I'm sure the people in this region will give us something for our trouble." Heavy Warrior said.

"They damn well better..." Spearman said.

* * *

When Ranger and Hero caught up with the queen, she was in the middle of the open space behind the castle and Ranger walked up to her as she changed back to normal and her healing factor was no longer working as she was cut up, bruised, had gashes up and down her body and even had some teeth broken. This did nothing to deter Ranger as he walked up to her slowly.

"You...have...done it...I've faced...countless adversaries...but none of them...hold a candle...to you..." Vampire Queen said and Ranger still gave no damns as he picked her up with one hand and put a sword at her throat.

"Like I said, flattery will get you nowhere." Ranger snarled.

"I do not flatter, not before...not now. You are _much_ easier to look at then the Jarl you served days ago." Vampire Queen said.

"All the more reason for me to be the last person you see..." Ranger said as he severed the queen's head and held it up as a trophy while letting the body drop like a sack of potatoes. "Quest...complete."

"You know what this means right? You might become Platinum Ranked yourself now." Hero said as she reached out a hand for him to shake. "If you do, welcome aboard." Ranger couldn't help but smile and shake her hand.

"I couldn't have done this without you and your team, or my own for that matter." Ranger said before putting the queen's severed head in a bag.

"What are you going to do with it?" Hero asked.

"Not only is this head proof of my- I mean, _our_ victory; my kill, our victory...anyway, not only does the head prove we won, but it's also a nice trophy, if you can even call it that." Ranger said.

"That's kind of crude don't you think?" Hero asked.

"I said "if you can call it that". As in: I don't have a better way to say it."Ranger said.

"Alright, point taken. But...what about this Army of One state you're in right now?" Hero asked.

"Well...it's supposed to last about an hour and...I think it took a bit more than half that during our last round, and I don't know how to turn it off so...I'm just going to have to wait." Ranger said as he looked around and saw the endless space beyond the castle. "Do you recall hearing something about this place being suspicious?"

"No...but it's pretty eerie being in a place so open; it's like...we're the only two people in the world, although of course we're not." Hero said.

"I agree, let's just get back to the others-" Ranger stopped talking the moment he felt a rush of energy from a focal point to the side and it felt quite unsettling. Eventually, a hellshroud appeared and several crimson portals opened and gurgling snarls were heard. "What the-?!" Next thing he knew...creatures that looked like goblins, only, larger, deformed, even...demonic came through the portals.

"What are those?!" Hero exclaimed.

"They look like goblins but...there's something strange about them." Ranger said as the goblins shouted and charged them.

* * *

**Great, out with the vampire queen and in with...corrupted goblins, as if they weren't horrid enough eh? Anyway, I don't know if Ranger qualifies for a Platinum Rank or not, but he and his team are definitely getting Gold Ranks for this, but...I doubt you need me to tell you that. Plus that Army of One miracle which was hyped up for eons has finally been used...and boy, I'm sure people would make DBZ references if that kind of shit was pulled in the anime... Also, this wasn't just a chance for glory on Ranger's part, it was revenge; getting between Ranger and a girl who looks like Fighter is a death sentence, getting between him and the real Fighter? That's when the gates of hell open, but eh...that's how love works, partially. Anyway, what's up with these new goblins? Why are they here? What will they do? How will Goblin Slayer react to them? Find out next time, so as always...please, Rate, Review, Share...spread the word, and let me know what's up so I can avoid or fix the problems or upgrade this story. If you can't do that then at least...as always, stay tuned.**


	11. Chapter 5

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. The vampire queen is down and out, but now we have a pack of demonic goblins to deal with...talk about trading one headache for another. Now...I know I mentioned the idea of Goblin Slayer fighting vampires but come on, he's Goblin Slayer; he'll take fighting goblins over fighting vampires any day of the year. Anyway...he'll have plenty of demonic goblin heads to crack later on, and that, my dear audience...is a cold-steel fact.  
**

**Review Response: Storm Mage having a shady past is nothing new; I've been mentioning that for some time. But for the record, serving the Sword Maiden, even if he didn't hunt demons beforehand is quite a way to redeem himself.  
**

**Yeah, Sword Maiden really threw the heroes a bone didn't she? Although...Storm Mage would have a pretty damn good chance to redeem himself more than he already has by watching her ass until she gets her powers back. He might even get further in his relationship with her as a result.**

**Considering that Dracula is a similar case, the vampire queen could be just that: a soldier of God fallen from grace...**

**WTF? Resurrection is very much a thing in Goblin Slayer; there's literally a miracle called Resurrection. Granted, it's good for restoring massive injuries, but still...the name says it all. Yes I had that light-from-the-sky give life to everything but come on. That's a colossal amount of holy power; why would it not be able to return people to life? Although...it does make sense for Hell to respond in-kind to that much power being displayed...  
**

* * *

Ranger and Hero both took down dozens of goblins each, but it wasn't easy. Usually goblins just threw themselves at their foes, or at least tried to sneak around them. These goblins were retreating then dashing forward at a blind spot, actually worked as a team, and even parried attacks. These things weren't even real! The duo kept slaughtering the corrupted goblins by the dozen as they poured out of the portals, but the fight with the queen took it's toll on the two for sure.

"How many of these things are going to show up? Hero asked as she kept swinging away at the horde.

"Don't know, just keep killing!" Ranger yelled as he alternated between craving through the horde with his blades, and smashing them with his gauntlets, and eventually Cherub appeared and fired stings of white-blue energy at each portal which slowly turned the same color.

"Just focus on these goblins! I'll handle the portals!" Cherub yelled as the two Platinum rank/tier adventurers fought off the demonic goblin hordes for what must've been several minutes until the portals finally closed and they could finally catch their breathe.

"Who sent them? The vampire queen?" Ranger asked.

"Impossible." Cherub said.

"The Demon Lord?" Hero asked.

"He would've had to recover from the beating you gave him pretty quickly." Cherub said.

"The Evil Sect?" Ranger asked.

"There's no way they can do something like this. Even if they had the means to tear into Hell directly, they can't do that to goblins, especially when they're already dead." Cherub said.

"Dead? You mean those goblins were sent to Hell and came back?" Hero asked.

"Most likely, but...this never happened before. Unless the Demon Lord was saving them..." Cherub said and their hearts sank and Ranger took out his crystal.

"I'm going to warn the Sword Maiden." Ranger said and Cherub stopped him.

"The _last_ thing she needs to know about is a swarm of demonic goblins running amok. _Normal_ goblins worry her too much; you don't want to know how badly she'd handle hearing about empowered ones..." Cherub said seriously.

"Good point..." Ranger said.

"Well we have to do _something_!" Hero exclaimed.

"Let me worry about these goblins. I'll send the Pope a dream, and he'll handle things. The rest of you stay on your toes in the future. But now...now you celebrate. The vampire queen will never again harm the people in this region, and you two are to thank." Cherub said as Ranger opened a portal to the others and the two were greeted by the entire army they brought.

"Did you do it?" Warrior asked and Ranger showed a bloody bag.

"The queen's head is in this bag. We've won." Ranger said and everyone cheered by yelling, raising their weapons, sometimes hugging, and bang their weapons together. Some of the familiars Wizard's brother summoned actually came back with salvaged treasure and other items from the fortress and some others came with them to get the rest.

"We've going to live like kings and queens now!" Spearman yelled to the others who cheered even more.

* * *

Ranger opened a portal back to the frontier so that the siege equipment can be returned and maybe used in others ways, then opened another to the Jarl's hold place, just out of view so that no one would notice, and he led his and Hero's teams to the Jarl's keep. Heavy Warrior and Female Knight's team helped with the siege equipment, Goblin Slayer's team kept hunting goblins, with the three demon hunters helping out, Abbot, Spearman and Witch returned to the guild to spread the news of their victory, and Berserker returned to the guild in the town Ranger encountered Herbalist Girl in. The guards recognized Ranger and opened the door for them.

"Good Jarl. I have news for you." Ranger said.

"Really? Do tell." Jarl said as Ranger showed the vampire queen's head and the whole court gasped and Jarl stood up. "You...You slayed the vampire queen?!"

"I have indeed." Ranger said seriously.

"This is...this..this is a fantastic occasion! Chief God be praised! My fellow lords and ladies! Our vampire problems are over!" Jarl yelled and the people of the court yelled and clapped for their saviors as Ranger put the head back in the bag. "Give that bag to the High King. He is sure to reward you all for your services. I cannot hope to give you enough of what you are owed." He then gave a map to Wizard and it showed the northern region and highlighted the capital city, where the High King lived.

"We will. Thank you good Jarl." Ranger said.

"No...thank _you_." Jarl said seriously as he as the team left the keep. When they did, Herbalist Girl, and her family came to greet him.

"Ranger! You're back!" She called and looked at the rest. "You're with the Hero?"

"Yes he is, and I'm with him." Hero said with a smirk.

"Don't forget us now." Wizard said.

"Yeah. Wait...is she...?" Warrior asked while looking at Fighter, then H.G.

"This is the girl I mentioned, and this is the team I mentioned." Ranger said.

"You weren't kidding when you said we look alike." Fighter said seriously.

"No kidding." Warrior said before spotting H.G.'s father and still-pregnant sister.

"I take it you fulfilled your insane but glorious vow?" H.G.'s father asked.

"What do you think?" Ranger said half-jokingly.

"I think you deserve everything this kingdom owns." H.G's father said.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves..." Wizard said half-jokingly.

* * *

Ranger opened a portal to the capital's gates, the group walked to the High King's keep, and after checking with the guards and telling they killed the vampire queen...a messenger informed the High King, and the group didn't even have to wait ten minutes before being asked to meet His Majesty.

"So...I hear you defeated the vampire queen?" High King said.

"Yes Your Majesty, I even brought her head as proof." Ranger said before opening the bag and showing the head inside, and the High King got open, took the bag, and held the head up.

"It's...good to see that our lands are freed, but I must wonder how you accomplished this?" High King said.

"We had more than a little divine intervention Your Majesty. The Supreme, and the War God aided us." Ranger said.

"You carry favor from the gods? That makes a great deal of sense good sir. Yes, this most certainly calls for a reward..." High King said as he gave the head to his court mage and sat down to think. "Return in four days time. We will have the most grand of festivals in your honor."

"With all due respect Your Majesty, can we not simply let the people reward us themselves?" Wizard asked.

"Even if you had done both, it would still not be enough." High King said. "Think about it: you have not only proven your power, and loyalty to this world, nevermind the country, but also avenged and prevented countless deaths, and that demands more than anyone can measure or imagine. Were I in your position, I would take _everything_ given to me!"

"We understand Your Majesty. We will return in four days." Fighter said as they turned to leave.

* * *

"So...how'd it go?" Sword Saint asked as the team appeared.

"In four days, we're supposed to come back here for a festival." Warrior said.

"Ha! I knew you'd be worshiped. You should've seen the festival _we_ were given." Hero said.

"All you yourselves have to do is stand there and look strong. Give the people a show or two if you want, everything else should take care of itself." Sage said.

"Right, well we have celebrating of our own to do." Wizard said.

"While you do that, we'll be on our way. A hero's work is never done." Hero said as her team left.

"Alright, see you next time." Ranger said as Hero waved at them and walked off.

"What's first boss?" Priestess asked.

"Well...I'd like to show all of you the first town I saw when I came here." Ranger said.

"I'd like that. You?" Fighter said to the rest.

"Hell yeah. I'd like to see some new people." Warrior said.

"Me too." Wizard said.

"Then it's settled." Ranger said as they walked towards the main gate. His portal crystal is useful, but it needed to stay secret, so using it in public was out of the question. Once they were homefree, he opened a portal to the woods outside of the town he first went to, and the team looked over the town as the sun came up.

* * *

When they got to the guild tavern, they looked around and saw that it was nearly empty. Not surprising since it was early in the morning, but some men in guild uniforms were busy with some papers.

"Oh, you people new?" the man at the desk asked.

"Not even close; we're Silver Ranks." Warrior said as they showed their tags one by one.

"Oh-ho-ho, some veterans. Here to crack some monster heads are we?" the man asked with enthusiasm.

"We just got back from killing the vampire queen and giving her head to the High King." Ranger said seriously and everyone who heard snapped their heads to him.

"You did not..." the guild man's companion said in awe.

"You people deserve Platinum or at the very least Gold Ranks for this..." the guild man said. "The High King would be remiss to not give you such an honor."

"Technically, _he_ killed the queen; we just fought off her forces." Fighter said.

"Either way, glory and bounty to you all for this." The guild man said with reverence.

"Thank you very much." Ranger said before looking around. "I take it no one checked in yet?"

"Aye. The sun just rose afterall." the guild man said.

"Well, we have to get to our own homes so...see you later." Wizard said.

"Do you not want to check into the local tavern? They have ample space for heroes like yourselves." The guild man asked.

"Perhaps, thank you for the tip." Ranger said.

"Fare thee well." The guild man said as the team left.

* * *

The team followed the man's advice and checked into the tavern, and found a handful of customers eating and talking, and they got some food and drink themselves, as well as some of Wizard's new potion that lets the person who drinks it digest more than twice as fast. Good thing too; they were all dead tired and sleeping on a full stomach wasn't happening. When they finished their light meals, they got rooms for themselves, one for Fighter and Ranger, one for Wizard and Warrior, and Priestess for herself.

In the morning, Ranger woke up next to Fighter who was watching him with a somber look in the face.

"What's wrong love?" Ranger asked.

"It's just odd seeing you sleep so peacefully after your Army of One rampage." Fighter said seriously.

"You saw that huh?" Ranger asked.

"Love...the entire army saw you. I don't know if they fear you or worship you, but...you definitely made a statement." Fighter said half-jokingly.

"In more ways than one..." Ranger said cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Fighter asked.

"Fighter...me and Hero were jumped by goblins, and not just any goblins. Ones that came through portals to Hell." Ranger said seriously and Fighter sat up, not caring that her generously-sized breasts were exposed.

"You can't be serious..." Fighter whispered.

"I almost wish; that miracle the Sword Maiden used really kicked a hornet's nest. Cherub actually stopped me from teleporting to her to let her know; Heaven forbid she has a panic attack over what could be an invasion." Ranger said.

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Fighter asked.

"It wasn't the time; Cherub himself said so, and frankly, I agreed completely." Ranger said. "Besides, he said he'd let the Pope himself know with a dream; His Holiness is probably taking steps to protect the country from any other invasions as we speak."

"Well...at least we know things _can_ happen, but you're right; now is not the time for that." Fighter said before laying back down and pressing her chest into Ranger's.

"I saw you tear through that group of vampires while I was hanging onto he queen as she flew around by the way. Hard to believe you came that far without the War God." Ranger said as he stroked her hair.

"Well, believe it..." Fighter whispered next to his head and he sat up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Is that what caused your heart to give out...?" Ranger asked with difficulty.

"Yes...but my heart is fine now." Fighter said before putting one of his hands on her upper chest, then her neck. Ranger responded by putting the side of his face on her upper chest as she intentionally breathed deeply as they wrapped their arms around each other and he snuggled into her. "Feel that?"

"Yes...such an _enticing_ pulse." Ranger whispered against her neck with both love and lust in his voice before latching onto her neck with his mouth. She gasps in pleasure in response and she held the back of his head, silently telling him to keep it up.

"And it's going to get stronger at this rate." Fighter whispered jokingly and they eventually kissed deeply, slowly, and repeatedly while running their hands through each other's hair, and along their backs and arms, until they retreated and looked into each other's eyes with her hands on his face. "My heart will not stop anytime soon. I have too much to live for, and too much life to spend."

"Fighter..." Ranger said as he held her hands against his face then locked fingers with her and held their hands between them. "These hearts we have...thank the Supreme we have them to give."

"We were given so many blessings by the Supreme, I don't know how we can even begin to repay them." Fighter said seriously.

"Speaking of which...do you think it cheapens my supposed Platinum Rank to have my power from from the War God?" Ranger asked.

"Ranger, my love and life...your rank is no cheaper than Hero's, and like we established, she's Platinum ranked because she got lucky; you _chose_ to be the War God's follower, and obtained you skill and strength from your parents, just like I got mine from my father, and I chose to learn from that guru." Fighter said seriously yet softly. "Besides, my...Mushin, or guru energy, or whatever you want to call it, might be my own power, but it has serious risks, and if Priestess wasn't there...look, I meant every word I said about your status not being cheapened, but... like your power, mine cannot be abused; I tried the first time, but I got lucky, and I have no intention of abusing it again."

"Did I ever say I love you?" Ranger asked half-jokingly.

"Not recently." Fighter said playing along.

"Then let me show you..." Ranger said before mashing his lips against hers and she pushed him back down and keeps molding her lips with his, until he pushed her off.

"Also..."my love and life"? Usually that's my line." Ranger said.

"It's _our_ line remember? I called you that several times when I was pregnant; you even called me out on it the first time I said it, even though I was dead serious." Fighter said.

"You are never going to let me live that down are you?" Ranger asked and the ridiculousness of their discussion got the better of them and they started laughing, her going first. "Look at us...the vampire queen's killer and his wife laughing over a past squabble."

"And what a battle it was." Fighter said as she caressed his chest and abs. "I'm an even luckier lass to lay in bed with such a champion."

"Lass? You sound like one of the locals?" Ranger joked as Fighter smirked down at him.

"You're complaining?" Fighter teased.

"No, but it was still questionable." Ranger said.

"You're questioning your wife? What blasphemy is this...?" Fighter said with mock anger.

"Don't even start that..." Ranger deadpanned and Fighter chuckled a bit. "Also..._you're_ lucky? I'm in bed with a one-woman-army, who also happens to be pretty fun to grab."

"You are such-" Ranger cuts her off.

"Such a perv, I know...but you still love me, and you _want_ me." Ranger teased as she looked at him with lust.

"Just lay there and let me reward your services..." She said as she massaged his arms, torso, and eventually legs. She even handled some nerve points when she felt clustered of his life force trapped in those places. The results was him either getting more lively, or groaning in pleasure. She then flipper him onto his back and gave him the same treatment. At one point, she handled his shoulders and heard/felt a crack as his shoulder popped. "Yeesh. Someone had a rough time..."

"No thanks to Her late Majesty." Ranger said before flipping over again and Fighter climbed on top of him and rubbed his pecs and abs with her breasts and Ranger chuckled at her antics. "No quarter given eh?"

"No quarter needed." Fighter said with the same huskiness in her voice as she kept handling the man underneath her. Eventually, he gripped and fondled her butt and she let off some horny chuckles. "I knew you'd do that eventually."

"Fighter...our control over the godlike powers we have may not be perfect, but this butt of yours is _absolutely_ perfect." Ranger said with enthusiasm.

"And just like the rest of me, it's completely available to you, and no one else..." Fighter said as they kept handling each other.

"Good...because I will _never_ share." Ranger said before stopping, flipping them over and kissing her, then went down to her neck, then licked and sucked her nipples while fondling and squeezing them as she let off moan after moan.

"How's your womb?" Ranger asked while continuing to fondle her breasts.

"It should be fine now but...I didn't drink any potion." Fighter said.

"That's a real shame; I didn't either." Ranger said. "But...when this is over...I'm going to hammer you into the ground."

"Keep talking to me like that and I'll send the need for the potion straight to hell myself." Fighter said seriously.

"Later on, I'll talk to you like that as much as you want." Ranger said before a knock on the door came.

"Excuse me sir? But...when are we returning home?" Priestess said through the door.

"In a moment Priestess; we're getting dressed right now." Ranger called.

"O.k...we'll wait." Priestess said.

"We better not _keep_ them waiting..." Fighter said as they got out of bed and put their clothes, armor, and other accessories on.

* * *

Warrior and Wizard meanwhile were getting their own items in order while Priestess went to get the other pair.

"What a night..." Warrior said.

"Yep, but at least you got to sleep next to your goddess." Wizard teased.

"And you got to sleep next to a dragon-slayer." Warrior teased back.

"Hey, Fighter got to sleep next to the vampire queen's killer. She's got us both beat." Wizard said.

"For how much longer?" Warrior said seriously.

"Please, it would take quite a bit for us to get to that level." Wizard said.

"Well, get Summoner to tell you how to summon that...thing, and you should be set. As for me? Well...I could get a stronger set of armor, and who knows what else." Warrior said.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now, but at least you and I gave the vampire queen a gigantic middle finger." Wizard said and Warrior chuckled at that.

"Damn right." Warrior said and Wizard put her hand on his shoulder.

"What do you say, once we get back, we have a celebration of our own? Just you and me." Wizard asked with some lust in her voice.

"I say _this_..." Warrior said before turning to kiss her, then she held him against her as they stood their kissing each other aggressively yet tenderly.

* * *

After getting their stuff together, the team left town, got out of sight, Ranger opened a portal to the frontier, looked around their old apartment, and heard the tavern bustling with merry-making. Everyone except Priestess went there; she had a deadline with Abbot to fulfill.

"There's our heroes now!" Spearman called as soon as the team entered and Guild Girl rushed to greet them after giving some drinks to some people, one of whom was stopped by another from grabbing her butt.

"Welcome back!" Guild Girl said as she hugged Ranger, who returned the favor.

"Good to _be_ back." Ranger said with a smile before Guild Girl pulled away.

"Hard to believe that roughly a year ago you were all here as aspiring adventurers, and now...you brought down the most powerful vampire in history."

"The Hero herself said I deserve a Platinum Rank for cutting off her head." Ranger said.

"And the High King of the north asked us to come back in four days for a festival." Warrior said.

"Oh...good for you." Guild Girl said cheerily as they watched the others enjoy themselves. "Anyway...can I talk to you Ranger? Alone?"

"Alright." Ranger said as they went upstairs to the main office.

"So...how did Goblin Slayer do? He's not back yet, and I don't want to think about him not coming back in one piece." Guild Girl asked.

"He should be fine; he has his three teammates with him, and they have three demon hunters with them, one of whom is now Gold Ranked." Ranger said.

"Gold? Wow..." Guild Girl said.

"They probably got delayed, or found something big happened. We won't until they come back, and I have no doubt they will." Ranger said.

"You're probably right." Guild Girl said.

"Guild Girl...you're still going after him aren't you?" Ranger asked seriously, then Guild Girl sighed.

"Yes..." She said.

"Listen to me, he might be heroic, resourceful, quiet, and of course, incredibly strong...but he's broken, and he's not going to be fixed until the last goblin loses it's head. That farm girl he lives with as tried and failed for years on-end to get him to come out of his shell, and he even said right to my face that he sees her as his only family. It would not surprise me in the least if he was already in love with her. Whether they ever marry...well, that's anyone's guess, but look how me and Fighter's case turned out." Ranger said.

"I get it, it's just...he's so different from the rest of the men I keep getting pestered by." Guild Girl said as she sat down and held her head up with her hands.

"Right. But...in all-due-seriousness, you are pretty easy to look at." Ranger said and got a smile out of the lady.

"Thank you." She said.

"I've spoken about the Love Goddess quite a bit to some people, and Storm Mage has probably done so for years. If he were here, he'd probably say you have her blessing or something like that. It doesn't help that the War God and Love Goddess are married. I have half a mind to kiss your forehead for that reason alone." Ranger said which got Guild Girl's attention.

"You what...?" She breathed out.

"Like I said before: you are partially responsible for me and Fighter being together, and I don't care how little that role is." Ranger said as he knelt next to her.

"But...you're married to her." Guild Girl said.

"First off, a kiss on the forehead is more innocent than you think. Secondly, we are hardly strangers, and...I'm not trying to pressure you into anything extreme, nor will I ever. Last, and I cannot stress this part enough...you have that kind of treatment coming." Ranger said seriously.

"Alright..." Guild Girl whispered and Ranger placed a lingering and soft kiss on her forehead that made her flutter on the inside.

"I said the man who catches your eye will be a fortunate one about a year ago, and I'm sure he'll care for you as much as I care for Fighter." Ranger said before walking out and leaving Guild Girl to take in how intense that moment was; she knew his loyalty to Fighter was going nowhere but...who knew that little scrap of intimacy could be so liberating?

* * *

The team spent over an hour recalling events that happened at the vampire queen's fortress, which included what they did, how they did it, what happened to them, what they saw, who they were with, especially the Hero, and what powers the vampires had. Ranger's parents were probably the most interested for obvious reasons; this was their _son_ talking about the most epic battle they had ever heard of! It was flattering at first, but it got boring as all hell eventually, too much so for some people.

"Oh Warrior?" Wizard said to her boyfriend as she came back in from getting some potions for the adventurers who needed them. "We should go..celebrate..."

"Finally, this is one of the most boring things I've ever been part of." Warrior said as he got up and followed her.

"Not for long..." Wizard said with a smirk.

* * *

Once they got to their home, they closed the door, went straight to their room and kissed each other rapidly and hungrily as they pawed each other's clothes off of their bodies, caressed and groping each other, especially with Warrior squeezing and fondling Wizard's generously-size breasts and her running her hands along his chiseled muscles. She then lashed tongues with him outside their mouths and turned around so he could treat her breasts from behind her while he sucked on her neck, which made her give off a horny chuckle. She then removed her underpants, turned around, gripped his hands, put them on her plump butt and he squeezed and fondled her just like he did with her breasts.

"You know...I drank some potion while I was over here..." Wizard whispered in his ear.

"You sly fox..." Warrior said and Wizard glanced at the bed to signal him, then she bent over while standing, and put her hands on the bed to stabilize herself, ultimately giving him a view of her swollen and glistening womanhood. Then he took his place behind her, griped her waist, and started fucking her. Her response was a pleasured moan that only got louder and more frequent as he slammed into her as fast and as hard as he could muster. They popped each other's cherries months ago, and shagged several times afterwards; there was no need to be gentle.

"You enjoying yourself...as much as I am...?" Warrior groaned out as he kept hammering into her, watching the ripples in her ass cheeks form in time with his thrusts and hearing the respective plopping sounds.

"Just...just keep...pounding me...!" Wizard said before continuing her throaty, blissful moans. A minute later, she gave out a longer, higher-pitched moan which signaled her orgasm and Warrior groaned himself a few seconds later and his thrusts slowed to a crawl and he pulled out of her with a few drops of his seed dripping from both their sacred places. He then grabbed a nearly cloth and wiped himself off as Wizard laid down on the bed, a bit delirious from the high. Then Warrior laid down next to her, then she chuckled as he casually stroked her buttocks, then squeezed and kneaded her soft flesh.

"I still got it don't I?" Warrior said with pride.

"Warrior...give me more." Wizard said as she got on top of him and dangled her breasts in his face, and he pressed both together to lick both nipples at the same time which made her gasp in pleasure. "Yes...that's it...oh baby...please don't stop..." Warrior didn't need to be told twice. He even gathered as much of her breasts in one hand as possible, eventually succeeded in getting them to cooperate with one hand, as the other kept groping her soft, supple buttocks, alternating between each cheek. Eventually, she stopped him doing both, then caressed his body from his calves, to his hips, to his abs, pecs and arms, to his freshly aroused manhood, which still had evidence from their previous tryst slathered all over it...not that she minded.

"Now?" Warrior asked.

"Now...!" Wizard said losing her patience, then Warrior got on top of her as she spread her legs a bit, then Warrior pushed into her again, and wasted no time pounding her into the mattress as she moaned her lungs out for just over a minute before they both burst and he collapsed on top of her, with her swollen breasts cushioning his descent, not that he would just fall on her mindlessly.

"Had enough?" Warrior asked half-jokingly.

"Oh yes..." Wizard groaned. "And...don't pretend...you didn't want this yourself you hound dog."

"Hound dog am I? You are aware I'm still inside you right?" Warrior teased.

"I almost don't want you to leave..." Wizard said.

"I love you too." Warrior said and watched Wizard smile at him before he leaned down to kiss her softly as she stroked his face and he caressed her soft, milky thighs.

* * *

Elsewhere, Goblin Slayer and company were fighting off an invasion of demonic goblins in the middle of a town. They overwhelmed some of the guards, butchered them alive on-the-spot, and tried to capture some women, but when GS neared them, they simply tore the women's heads off and had the nerve to throw the heads like projectiles, and GS simply dodged the heads and he butchered the throwers in-kind, with High Elf Archer shot down the goblins from the roof of a building, and Dwarf Shaman slung stones at them, while a Dragontooth warrior watched their backs as Lizard Priest tore through the goblins GS wasn't fighting.

"And we thought goblins were vile before. What happened to them?" H.E. Archer asked.

"I don't know, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know." Dwarf Shaman said.

"23...29...34...42...51...57..." GS counted as he kept craving, kicking, and bashing through the goblin horde, making sure he hits them harder to make up for their increased toughness.

"It's amazing that Orcbolg doesn't even care they're stronger than normal goblins." H.E. Archer said before shooting 3 goblins at once.

"A goblin is still a goblin, and must be slain as such." Lizard Priest said before watching for more, then swatting several away with his tail then GS finished them with a bomb.

"78..." GS said after looking around.

"Thank you so much for taking care of those things." A mid-twenties woman they managed to save from being captured before looking at one of the dead guards. "Father...? Dear Supreme in Heaven!" She then started weeping over his armored carcass.

"And another family torn by these abominations." Lizard Priests groaned.

"We can still kill the goblins to prevent further deaths at their hands." GS said.

"Way to look at the brighter side of a tragedy Orcbolg." H.E. Archer said.

"I have to. Like I said before: if I don't, I would lose too much of my edge." GS said.

"As wise a statement as it was before Sir Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said.

"Let's just get back to the others..." Dwarf Shaman said

* * *

Elsewhere still...a man with a black leather coat with long, black hair rode a grey horse with green flames coming out of it's hooves through the woods, and when he neared a large wooden cabin with black iron fortifications, he got off the horse, went inside.

"Voices...so many voices...voices of the slain...voices of the plain. Voices of the bold...voices of the cold..." A pale, balding man chanted in the iron chair he sat on in the house's basement as the other man went down the stairs.

"Warlock. I need your help." The grey horse's rider said with a deep, and gravelly yet smooth voice.

"I gave more than enough help to the other revenant you cam here with, and look what I have to show for it! I curse every moment you walked this world since that day..." Warlock said.

"Careful Warlock. I'm not here to put you out of your misery, not yet." The revenant said.

"I care little for why you are here, and I am certainly not afraid you-" The revenant cut Warlock off by forming a purple, ethereal skeletal hand, complete with an arm and shoulder out of his back and gripping Warlock.

"I think you should be. The other revenant passed on to the afterlife, and I was given the power he left behind; I am quite possibly the most powerful revenant in this world. Also...I am older than he was." Elder Revenant said before he dispelled the arm. "Now...what do you know about these hell rifts opening up in different parts of the country?"

"Why do you care?" Warlock asked.

"Simple: too many souls reaped before their time, too much interfering with the world's balance, and of course, because the Death God does not take kindly to any of this." Elder Revenant said sharply.

"It was the battle against the vampire queen. Her unholy power kept the balance between Heaven and Hell, at least in her domain. Now that she is dead, there is now a void for the forces of darkness to fill." Warlock said with fear in his voice.

"How many portals were opened?" Elder Revenant asked.

"So far, only five places were afflicted, but each case was dealt with, either by high-tier adventurers, or servants of the church." Warlock said.

"How do I stop them?" Elder Revenant asked and Warlock kept quiet. "Answer me now!"

"The Sword Maiden...she started this, she can end it." Warlock said.

"How?" Elder Revenant asked.

"Ask her...yourself." Warlock said with a toothy grin.

"I am asking _you_ parasite."Elder Revenant said after picking Warlock up off his chair with one hand, then Warlock fluttered his hand a series of iron bars pierce Elder Revenant through the torso from all directions, Warlock snickers and Elder Revenant formed an ethereal ribcage around him and the iron bars break apart and E.R continued holding up the pitiful man. "Answer the question...!"

"The Sword Maiden called upon the Supreme God's power directly...the forces of Hell responded in kind...Heaven played it's hand, Hell is playing it's own. Until this storm is weathered...there will be no power for her, but I promise you this: for better, or worse...she...will _never_...rise from the ashes." Warlock said before E.R. has enough and tears his soul out and looks upon it.

"Sick bastard, you deserved having your life stripped from you, before and after I arrived. You betray your family, sell their very souls to the Demon Lord so he can return, you watch your hometown burn to ashes, you even devour the heart of your own child...and now, you send a succubus to tear apart a family, blame it on the vampire queen, and now...you curse the Sword Maiden's fate. May Purgatory hold as many surprises for you as it can..." E.R. said before he summons his scythe, craves up the place, destroys every unholy relic in sight, removes the fragments of the iron bars still embedded in his body one by one, then leaves...

* * *

**Ho boy...what a tangled web we weave, thanks to the new revenant here. In case you didn't notice, this one is much more passionate than the other one, who had a pretty in-your-face, "I don't give a shit" attitude. This one actually removed an evil-doer's soul because he didn't like him. Anyway, quite a bit of celebrating going on with the team, what with Ranger getting some face-time with Fighter, boasting of his team's success, and giving Guild Girl some love...within reason of course. Even Warrior and Wizard had some fun... Anyway...the Sword Maiden is probably in deep shit with what was going on, and chances are, the team will need to come to her direct aid a second time. Until then, be sure to Rate, Review, Share, and stay turned...**


	12. Chapter 6 Part I

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. This is a chapter I've been waiting ages for, so let's hop right to it, shall we?**

**Review Response: I got your P.M. Engineer, I'll react accordingly...**

**Like I said: that light-from-the-sky was insanely powerful and...returning the living to health but not the dead to life is a tad illogical, regardless of the lore.**

**Yeah, the vampire queen was one tough bitch wasn't she? Although, Ranger was still under the Army of One miracle's effects, so...good luck wearing him down too badly. Also...Cherub might be powerful, but he's not omniscient.**

**Damn straight they were enjoying themselves, and why shouldn't they? As for the High King? Yeah, who better to give a high rank than him? But, should Ranger be made Platinum or just Gold? I think Platinum, since the Army of One thing is only temporary, but on the flip side...just the fact that it's available is noteworthy enough. Kinda sucks that GS isn't much of a party-goer, at least without prodding but...who knows? Maybe Cow Girl would work a miracle of her own? Oh jeez...how many men would drool over her in a dress...? As for Guild Girl? Well...like I said, I'm a GS x CG shipper, but on a serious note, Ranger does have a point. But that kiss on the forehead was utterly personal on his part.**

**Truth-be-told, I've been completely shrugging off the whole "D&D" thing and just treated this story like a series of mathematical events in the struggle for balance between light, darkness, chaos, and order. Ranger, Priestess, and Abbot having a discussion? Why those three is particular?**

**As for Elder Revenant himself? Well...we'll see what he does.**

**FYI, the 1st revenant I had was based on Death from the series Supernatural; this Elder Revenant is based on Death from Darksiders 2. Make of that what you will.  
**

* * *

Ranger and Fighter took a portal back to their manor, to see that Songstress and Bard were finishing feeding their baby some pulped fruit, then when they showed up, Fighter waved at Songstress and she gave the baby back to Fighter.

"Your mother and father are back..." Fighter said sweetly as Ranger caressed their daughter's hands with his fingers, and while they greet their daughter, Bard pulled Songstress away and talked to her few about a minute with a lowered voice, then kissed her. Eventually, Bard came back, sat down and watched the parents finish their greeting.

"You're welcome by the way. Yes I know you had to leave to save the country, you couldn't bring your kid and had to leave her here, yadda yadda yadda..." Bard said half-jokingly. "

"Well...there you go. May what you two were discussing?" Ranger asked.

"Oh, just how she used to have a family or two herself about 400 years ago before she met me." Bard said.

"Wait, I thought you said she was 400 years old?" Fighter asked.

"Technically she's 600 years old, but she's has families with two other human men except me, but...they were humans; we have much shorter lifespans than elves. But as the Love Goddess preaches, love, at the end of the day, isn't about sex; it's about love itself, and...I admit it's quite a shame I'm not her first, and probably won't be here last...she's still a woman who deserves my heart" Bard said.

"Spoken like a real poet." Fighter said before motioning to Ranger. "Sound familiar?"

"I'm not going to become a bard, at least not yet. Anyway, I love that we could see our little girl again, but we have to check in with the Sword Maiden." Ranger said.

"Don't be too long please; my Songstress friend likes caring for children, but...she can't replace you two." Bard said.

"Hey, you know as well as I do that we're not away for more than a couple of days at a time, and even then, this is the first time we were both away." Fighter said.

"True..." Bard said.

"Alright then." Fighter said before going upstairs and putting their daughter in her crib, humming to her until she fell asleep then left.

* * *

"Welcome back." Sword Maiden said to the pair as they came through a portal.

"It's done. The vampire queen is dead." Ranger said.

"Dead? Heh, I say good riddance, although I wish I had been there to see her get clobbered." Storm Mage said.

"Speaking of which, you never told us how your fight went." Fighter said and Storm Mage answered.

"Well...Her Grace showed me some of your husband's clash with her with the Hero and Sword Saint's backing him up; my clash went about as well." Storm Mage said.

"Even with lightning magic?" Ranger asked.

"_Especially_ with lightning magic." Storm Mage said.

"But...Warrior hit her with the biggest lightning bolt I've ever seen and-" Storm Mage cuts Fighter off.

"And she lived. My case was even more serious; I unleashed a whole storm's worth lightning on her, and that was to help us get away, and...to this day, that's the most embarrassing thing I did with my lightning, minus tazing some of my foes and making them void their guts in the middle of a fight, but that's a different case." He said.

"Overshare." Ranger deadpanned.

"Sorry..." Storm Mage said

"What about your time with the Hero's party itself?" Fighter asked.

"What about us?" Storm Mage asked.

"Well, Sword Saint called you, and I quote, a very sexy, yet greedy-as-hell lightning magic user who sleeps with any girl with a heartbeat." Ranger said and Storm Mage smirks.

"She thinks I'm sexy...?" Storm Mage asked.

"Hey...focus." Ranger said seriously.

"Well...for starters, I'm not proud of it, but her description isn't far off...old habits die hard they say." Storm Mage said crossing his arms.

"Oh?" Fighter said.

"Again, I'm not proud of it, but I wasn't a one-woman man, unlike the good Ranger here, and Sword Saint tore me a pretty big new one over that tendency. But, I'm pretty sure she'll be happy to hear that I've come a long way since then; I'm not going back to what...man, and I frankly use that word lightly, I used to be back in the day." Storm Mage said before turning to Sword Maiden. "Are you feeling any better Your Grace?"

"No...that Restoration miracle took alot out of me. I cannot even sense what happens in the town, let alone on the other side of the country, and it's going to be some time before my powers are restored." She said.

"Well, we're not leaving Water Town until further notice, so if you need anything done, but say so." Ranger said.

"And I will certainly not leave Water Town unless I need to." Storm Mage said.

"Thank you all." Sword Maiden said with a small bow. "You should probably summon the last three guardians of this city."

"I'll try, if I can find them." Ranger said as he looked over his portal gem, as Wizard dubbed it.

"Try Abbot; his tracking powers should be just fine." Storm Mage said.

"Good idea." Ranger said before opening a portal to the monastery and lo and behold, Abbot was there praying at the alter with the brothers doing their daily routines.

* * *

"Father?" Fighter said.

"Fighter...Ranger? What can I do for you?" Abbot asked before he stopped praying.

"We need your help finding someone." Ranger said.

"Who?" Abbot asked.

"The three demon hunters who looked after Water Town. The Sword Maiden's powers are crippled, so tracking people is off the table for her..." Fighter said.

"So you came to me? Wise decision..." Abbot said before taking the portal gem, closing his eyes as his staff's head glowed, then he opened a portal and Summoner was looking over some of his stones before he noticed the portal.

"Summoner, we need you and your two friends. Well, actually, Water Town might need you." Ranger said.

"Now? But we have our own problems here." Summoner said seriously.

"Maybe not now, but soon. Just be ready to return to Water Town if you're called please." Ranger said.

"Alright. If things get too heated down them, we'll be on our way-" Summoner said before another hell portal opened behind him and Abbot jumped through with Ranger and Fighter backing him up to face the demonic goblins that came through, and...it was evenly-matched for once. Even Abbot had a hard time with the horde; Ranger and Fighter were both having to hit harder, move faster, and even defend more often than they were used to from multiple directions, and that was saying something. How hard was this was Goblin Slayer?

Summoner made not one, but three stone golems, and one water elementals, drew power from them all, and the four of them got to work crushing the goblins, with the water elemental spewing pressurized water at them, which either launched them away, crushed their bones, or even cut them in half; water under enough pressure can cut through sold steel; flesh was nothing, even if it was corrupted. Abbot eventually got swarmed and stabbed over and over, and his screams got the team's attention. Fighter shredded the goblins with his limb blades...but it was too later. Abbot was bleeding from multiple places, and his breathing was labored.

"Summoner! Help!" Fighter yelled and Summoner had the the water elemental tend to Abbot, and...to Fighter's amazement, the water elemental poured it's essence into the Abbot's wounds and his wounds closed up. "What the...?"

"Water elementals can give their lives for someone else's. Too bad it can only happen once per elemental obviously." Summoner said as a pair of goblins tried jumping on him from behind, then he grabbed both in mid-air, and started choking the life out of them as they use their axes to try and chop off his hands, but all that does is make him mad and bash their heads together, and continue to choke them until their throats were crushed, then he drops them like potato sacks. Ranger then cuts down the last goblin, then uses a Repair spell on Abbot's robe.

"Hey! What's with all the noise-" Assassin said before coming out of a small cave with a blanket wrapped around her torso and looked over the dead goblins.

"Ah, just in time for the party." Werewolf said as he came out, not bothering to cover himself and a few of the others looked away.

"Yeah, just in time to kiss my ass." Summoner said dryly.

"What are you three doing here?" Assassin asked.

"These hell portals are popping up in quite a few places, Water Town might be vulnerable eventually. Her Grace will probably need you again." Abbot said as he kept laying down, before eventually sitting up despite the pain.

"Eh, why not? Let's go back." Werewolf said.

"Alright." Ranger said before taking the portal gem, and opening a portal back to the monastery for Abbot, then one for the Temple of Law, and the three demon hunters went through with Ranger and Fighter.

* * *

"Summoner?" Storm Mage asked as Summoner came through.

"Hello again brother." Summoner said before the two hugged.

"Welcome home." Storm Mage said before they pulled back.

"Good to be home." Summoner said before turning to Sword Maiden and bowing. "Where are my manners? Nice to see you again Your Grace."

"You as well Summoner." Sword Maiden said with a bow of her own. "You two as well."

"Oh, these two bloodhounds?" Storm Mage joked.

"Very funny runt. Just point us towards some demons." Werewolf said.

"There aren't any so far, but...this place speaks for itself, and we demon hunters are still on the job." Storm Mage said.

"In that case, where do we start?" Assassin asked.

"Well, my brother clearly has the Temple itself taken care of, that just leaves the town itself." Summoner said.

"Alright, back to the old grindstone, right boss?" Assassin asked.

"Boss?" Storm Mage asked in awe before Summoner showed his Gold Rank tags. "You did not..."

"Yes I did." Summoner said smirking at the look on his brother's face. "I am so going to remember that look." Even Sword Maiden got a giggle out of the brothers' antics and Storm Mage looked at her with some salt in his face.

"Anyway, shall I escort you out?" Storm Mage asked.

"By all means." Ranger said as they left, and when the demon hunters left, Ranger pulled Storm Mage to the side. "There's something you need to know, and I'm not _about_ to say this around the Sword Maiden."

"O...k..." Storm Mage said with intrigue before Ranger looked around to see they were alone.

"These portals, they don't involve demons...they're spitting out goblins." Ranger said and Storm Mage raised an eyebrow. "Goblins imbued with demonic power, somehow."

"That's got to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard." Storm Mage said.

"Storm Mage...it is vital the Sword Maiden does not get word of this." Ranger said.

"She's going to find out sometime." Storm Mage said seriously.

"Maybe, but...if and when she does, she'll probably be beside herself with dread; she needs you now more than ever." Fighter said and Storm Mage sighed in response.

"We all know how you feel about her, and yes, this is a golden opportunity to show off to her, but-" Storm Mage cuts him off.

"Stop right there. I'm a demon hunter, and I promised to Her Grace that I'd vaporize every goblin stupid enough to set foot in this place; she and I know exactly where each other stands. I even talked to her about her...encounter with goblins." Storm Mage said.

"Are you aware they partially blinded her and she wore a black cloth over her eyes at one point?" Fighter asked.

"No...I was not..." Storm Mage said honestly.

"Well she did, and it's thanks to a potion Wizard gave her that she can see fine now. Apparently she even had scars on various parts of her body. I don't know if they're still there, but still." Ranger said.

"I didn't see any scars, and...o.k. I admit I checked out her body, but...who _hasn't_?" Storm Mage said seriously.

"Nonetheless, demons are one thing, but goblins are another, and as we established, she needs you now more than ever." Ranger said.

"Not a problem. I've handled demons, and I've handled goblins. Both at once is just saved time." Storm Mage said.

"Good man." Fighter said.

"Before we leave, and I cannot believe these words are coming out of my mouth...those priestesses you slept with? How were they?" Ranger asked cautiously.

"Ugh, _men_..." Fighter said with amusement before leaning against a wall and stifling her chuckles with a facepalm.

"Well, let's just say I can guess what it would be like sleeping with Guild Girl, her Inspector friend, and even that foxy farm girl all at once." Storm Mage boasted.

"They were that good eh?" Ranger asked.

"You do not know the _half_ of it..." Storm Mage said before chuckling then looking away. "Unreal...that memory was treasured for some time, now it feels...cheap."

"Her Grace is an incredible woman. If you do get somewhere with her, you both deserve the best." Ranger said as Fighter watched with amusement, and eventually her amusement turned to softness with that final statement.

* * *

When the pair got back home, Fighter and Ranger checked on their baby, who was sound asleep, and both went outside to do some katas together, both of them wearing a thin, cloth dress and robe respectively. It was clouding up overhead, and like Fighter said, she likes the rain for the refreshment. She then got started some some circular motions that displayed both fluidity and intensity, that got progressively more advanced. Ranger even got involved directly in his own way; the two of them mixed elements of each other's styles a long time ago, and it showed. Their movements were either mirrored from each other, or ones that go together like eggs and bacon. Eventually they threw mock strikes at each other, just so they could be parried, but that was part of the act; they each rolled off each other, used other moves, and eventually, slowly embraced before some rain drops fell. She then spent a few minutes discussing the seven chakras with her husband...

"And you were able to tear through who-knows-how-many vampires with this kind of power..." Ranger noted.

"It's not easy, even for me; I got off easy in most of the chakras, except the last one." Fighter said.

"I can see why, but even the War God condones doing what should be done to see the battle won. If I died in battle, and found out that someone gave up, instead of making my loss worth something, I would try to haunt them." Ranger said seriously and Fighter scoffed.

"You probably could." Fighter said before turning serious again. "I am somewhat curious, but also concerned what you could do with this kind of power..."

"I can imagine, that, with Army of One mixed together would be nightmarish for all involved, including myself and my allies." Ranger said.

"It's better to have the option and not need it than the other way around though." Fighter said.

"Can't argue with that. Hey, remember when I said I freed some people from the vampires? Well..I used your skills to do it." Ranger said.

"Well...even when we're apart, we're still together." Fighter said softly before they held hands and focused on the world's energy like she said. After several minutes...they both snapped awake and backed up.

"You felt that too?" Fighter asked and Ranger nodded. "Portal us back to the temple!" Ranger then tried to open a portal but it didn't work.

"Ah _fuck_! My gem's out of power! Cherub! Uhh...Cherub? Great, he's not coming..." Ranger said urgently.

"Then we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way..." Fighter groaned before they rushed over to the Temple of Law.

* * *

"Your Grace!" Ranger bellowed as he and Fighter ran down the hall and got her and Storm Mage's attention. "We have some portals opening under the temple!"

"What? How do you know that?" Sword Maiden asked in alarm.

"Long story, but we have to get help, fast!" Ranger said.

"Get the demon hunters ready, I'll stay watch the temple." Storm Mage said.

"That's not enough; we need Goblin Slayer." Fighter said.

"My portal gem is out of power. Can you charge it?" Ranger asked.

"I'll try, can't promise anything..." Storm Mage said before taking it, giving it one charge after another, with each one being stronger and more concentrated than the last. "Oh come on! How much power does this thing-" The gem started glowing cuts him off. "-need...?"

"Thanks." Ranger said before snatching it from Storm Mage and turning to Fighter. "Where's Goblin Slayer now?"

"Let me check..." Fighter said before giving off some energy pulses, and then took the gem from Ranger and opened a portal, and Goblin Slayer was with his three companions at a cliff overlooking a beach. "Hey! You four."

"What the- What's going on here?" High Elf Archer asked in astonishment.

"There's no time to explain. Just come through the portal!" Fighter called.

"Alright." GS said before getting up and strolling through the portal with the others following. "Goblins?"

"Maybe, maybe not, but we have some portals opening up beneath the temple." Ranger said.

"So, goblins. That's what came through those portals right?" GS asked simply and everyone stared at him.

"Yes, they did before, but this could be that, or something else." Ranger said, and Storm Mage looked at Sword Maiden who looked nervous for obvious reasons.

"Tell me...do these portals spawn goblins?" Sword Maiden asked seriously and Ranger sighed.

"Yes...they did before, but they can be dealt with just like normal goblins can." He said and Sword Maiden's nervousness turned into minor panic. So much for keeping her at ease...

"Do you know where these portals are Lady Fighter?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Yes, but I don't know how to show others where they are, and those sewers are a complete maze; these portals could be anywhere, and we could be attacked from all sides, and explosive attacks are out of the question since we could bring the whole place down." Fighter said.

"Hear that Orcbolg? No explosives this time." H.E. Archer snapped.

"I get it." GS said.

"I will handle the temple, you people head to the guild hall to get my brother and his companions to hold off any goblins that come out of the sewers." Storm Mage said.

"We will take the acolytes' quarters, and have our other teammates help another part of the city." Ranger said.

"Thank you all...this temple being assaulted has been on my mind for some time now, but with all of you here, I know hope is still alive." Sword Maiden said after getting a grip.

"We'll fight these creatures all day if we must Archbishop." H.E. Archer said.

"I'm with Long Ears on this one." Dwarf Shaman said.

"As am I." Lizard Priest said.

"Where are they supposed to come from besides the sewers?" GS asked.

"The sewers are the only place I've sensed any demonic energy." Fighter said.

"Wait, how do you know about where the portals are?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Again: long story." Fighter said.

"Shorten it." H.E. Archer said dryly.

"Fine...I learned how to use the world's power itself to analyze what happens, how, and sometimes why." Fighter said.

"Impressive." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Just like our elven druids." H.E. Archer said.

"Please...save our town, and this temple." Sword Maiden said desperately

"Don't worry Your Grace. I will get our others teammates here as soon as I'm able. Those abominations, are going down." Ranger said firmly before they left.

* * *

True to his word, Ranger got Warrior, Wizard, her brother, Rhea Fighter, and Priestess to Water Town with a portal, informed them what was going on, and sent them to the entrance to the sewers not being covered by GS' team, who had Summoner with them to give support should they need it, while Assassin and Werewolf patrolled the town from the rooftops looking for stray demonic forces.

* * *

"If these demonic goblins are anything like normal goblins, they should be here by nightfall." Goblin Slayer said as his team camped at the entrance.

"But they're not like normal goblins are they? Sir Ranger said that he and Lady Hero were attacked by them as the break of dawn." Lizard Priest said.

"Great, so not only are these goblins smarter and tougher, but they also don't follow the rules." H.E. Archer said.

"Don't worry Long Ears, we won't let them get close to you."

"Considering they have to get past all that bulk of yours, I can't even understand how they _could_ get close." H.E. Archer said dryly.

"At least the rest of us have the stones to get close in the first place." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Leave it to a dwarf to mention stones..." H.E. Archer said.

"Enough. The goblins will be here before long; we'll need at the strength we can save." GS said and H.E. Archer huffed in response.

* * *

About an hour later, the edge of twilight came, and the temple was on complete lockdown. Ranger and Fighter got the acolytes to their rooms and patrolled the halls. Not only were the acolytes not trained for fighting, but most of them were female, which made them a prime target for the goblins. It was in bad taste, but goblins are goblins.

Ranger then took to the rooftops and watched overhead while Fighter took the ground. Eventually, some fist-sized stones flew her way, and she effortlessly dodged each one, caught one, threw it back at the goblin who slung it at her, then Ranger shot a volley of bolts from his now rapid-fire crossbow until the goblins laid dead. Then a swarm of goblins charged at Fighter from all directions, only to be clobbered, shredded, torn asunder, slammed into the ground, or each other, thrown away, jumped over, or even landed on in one case.

She actually grabbed some and bashed the others with their bodies. The fact that the bodies of their brethren were being used as weapons enraged the goblins and they fought more recklessly...which led the one-woman-army they were fighting to make them look even more pathetic; fighting smart was the only edge they had against her. Without it, they were little more than fodder to her. When it wa over, Fighter surveyed the area, and amazingly, she wasn't just as full of energy as ever, but was completely emotionless. Mushin was no joke, especially with her chakras, and the world itself giving her strength.

Ranger meanwhile was shooting at the goblins non-stop, specifically the ones not fighting his wife. Some of them had the oh-so-brilliant idea of climbing up after him, only for him to morph a heated sword, cut their heads open, or off, cleave them in two, crave their guts open, quickly stab them through the heart, or brains, or bash them aside with the flat of his sword and let them fall to their deaths. Then another swarm of goblins appeared and Ranger de-morphed his weapons

"Lord of the Sword. Master of the Mace. Let my foes feel the crushing strength of your grip. Implosion!" Ranger prayed and a pitch-black portal opens overhead and the goblins get pulled into it screaming in fear, and eventually, they were spewed into the ground hard enough to splatter them all over the place, or at least had several bones broken, including their spines.

* * *

Storm Mage stayed with Sword Maiden like he promised and flexed his fingers, getting the lightning flowing through his body for the fight at hand. The poor woman behind him sat down with anxiety present on her face; he'll be damned if he'll let those little bastards claim her a second time.

"Do you sense anything Your Grace?" Storm Mage asked but got no answer. "Your Grace?"

"No...but, their presence is quite loud; the ones coming are the same ones that tore into me all those years ago...!" Sword Maiden said with a shaky voice.

"That will not happen again Your Grace, not while I'm in this room." Storm Mage said as he took out his sword whip, and sparked his spare hand. A minute later, goblins showed up, only to receive a healthy dose of lightning from him. Sword Maiden then watched her protector pour his righteous fury into her tormentors as they spasmed and writhed in agony until they died. "So...you're the ones who tore the woman behind me down? Then this will be all the sweeter." He then let out another stream that finished off the survivors, and his hand ran out of power, so he charged up again. "Is that all of them?"

"No...more on their way..." Sword Maiden said with less fear in her voice.

"Let them come, they'll see _exactly_ what I think about what you went through." Storm Mage said before the goblins arrived...and looked over the charred bodies of the last wave of goblins. "If you're smart, you'll turn around and leave...but then again, you little imps never were very smart." The goblins got angry at his taunt, and charged at him, only to be shredded and/or stunned by his electrified sword-whip. He then lashed about with surprising precision; he whipped every goblin one by one, swept around and hit several, and didn't hit the Sword Maiden, even when she didn't duck.

The goblins that wisely kept their distance were shredded when Storm Mage retracted his sword-whip, dashed toward them, and extended his weapon to entwine them, and rip them asunder, and the goblins who weren't hit, charged at him, only to either take an electric punch that sent them flying, or be grabbed in mid-air, shocked, and tossed into another goblin, and he even put his weapon away. He also stopped their hearts or fried their brains with his electrified hand by either poking their chests, grabbing their faces and discharging. Yet another swarm came, and he charged up a ball of lightning, threw it at them, and each goblin hit was vaporized on-contact. He then took a minor breather and turned to Sword Maiden. "Is an empowering miracle available?"

"No...I am still powerless, and it might be a while before I am able to help you, or anyone for that matter." Sword Maiden said.

"Don't worry. I will not leave until their siege is over." Storm Mage said before some minor footsteps were felt, and lo and behold...a goblin champion with armor and a club showed up, with friends.

"It might be over now..." Sword Maiden said with despair and terror in her voice.

* * *

Meanwhile, GS and his team were holding off the demonic goblins that poured out of the sewers with GS, Lizard Priest, and and pair of Dragontooth warriors holding the line, and H.E. Archer, Dwarf Shaman and a pair of water elementals shooting the goblins from a ranger, with Summoner sitting back on a stone chair watching the massacre.

"Lazy bastard..." H.E. Archer muttered to herself as she kept shootings goblins. Eventually, a pair of hobs showed up, and GS pulled his shotgun, blew their brains out, and the noise stunned the goblins, which made them even easier to pick off.

* * *

Elsewhere still, Warrior and Wizard were holding off the goblins with lightning and fire, if they didn't skewer, bash, or cut down the ones that got to close. Rhea Fighter clobbered the ones who tried to work around them, but one of the goblins tried to pull her into the sewer, only for one of the wolf familiars summoned by Wizard's brother to bite the goblin's arm hard enough to crush it, then pulled the goblin below. Rhea Fighter then retreated and meditated on her chakras and the world's power: it was Mushin time.

"Hear me great Supreme God. Aid us in this, our battle against the wicked, and show them the power of your justice. Holy Smite!" Priestess prayed after pouring holy water on her staff, and a trio of hobs got vaporized by the magic bolt. These goblins had the same weakness to holy arts that demons themselves did. Good to know.

* * *

"Your Grace...cover your ears." Storm Mage said seriously and Sword Maiden followed his order as his body gave off a staggering amount of lightning and when the noise was bad enough, the champion charged him and prepared to smash him. "Thunderstrike!" A massive bolt of lightning spews out of Storm Mage's body and vaporized the smaller goblins, knocks the champion back, heavily damaged it's armor, singed it's body, and the noise probably blew out it's eardrums; it's ears were bleeding like crazy. Even the windows themselves were destroyed by the shockwave. "I knew gathering power from that storm was a good idea." His pride was cut short by a growl from the champion. "What? I can't believe it. It's still alive!"

"How? That lightning bolt was _enormous_!" Sword Maiden said still shaking in fear as the champion struggled to get up. Storm Mage tried to charge up more lightning...but failed. He tried again, still nothing.

"Oh no..." Storm Mage said while trying again. "Not now. Come on, not now!" He tried to spark his armor, still nothing.

"What about your whip?" Sword Maiden asked as the champion fell back down thanks to it's injuries, but was still alive nonetheless.

"It's a glorified chain without my lightning." Storm Mage said as the champion finally got up...and it was _pissed_. "Gods of fertility, seas, and skies, grant me the power to aid this maiden, and let us _rise_." Just as he finished praying, he tried to avoid a swing from the champion, but he was too slow and got bashed to the side.

"Storm Mage!" Sword Maiden yelled as she watched her protector slide across the ground, into the wall. Some of the surviving goblins approached her with lust in their faces and laughing with glee as she then lost her balance, fell to the floor, and crawled back while whimpering and sobbing with dread. Then they heard Storm Mage sparking, turned their heads to see him struggling to stand up, then the champion walked over to smash him to a paste.

"Thunderstrike!" Storm Mage yelled and a stream of lightning blows the champion back to where it was then the smaller goblins look at the massive hole in their champion's torso, then Storm Mage gets up halfway, glares at the goblins, and as they run away screaming in fear, Storm Mage powers up again. "Where do you think _you're_ going!" He then unleashed a stream of lightning from both his hands and watched them spasm uncontrollably until they died. He then got up all the way, limped over to Sword Maiden who was still shaking, but was more concerned for him then herself for once.

"Storm Mage...?" She said as she got up and caught him as he fell down, then she sat on her knees there holding him against her collar.

"Is that all...?" He asked.

"Yes. The rest are being cleared by Ranger and Fighter, and the ones in the sewers are being held back by Goblin Slayer and the rest." Sword Maiden said.

"Good." Storm Mage whispered, and Sword Maiden hugged him closer.

"Look at you...you claim to have been tainted by greed, yet you did more for me in one act than everyone else ever has, even though you were beaten...thank you." Sword Maiden said as Storm Mage hugged her back as he felt her muscles tensing, her tears moisten his robe, and heard the softness in her voice.

* * *

Another hour later, the other adventurers held off the hundreds upon hundreds of demonic goblins that came their way, and Assassin and Werewolf found no lingering demonic activity in the entire town, Storm Mage's last stand was no small feat either. GS took the liberty of counting the dead, and found no less than 956 goblins on both sides of the sewers, in the courtyard, and the area surrounding the courtyard, with 94 more at Storm Mage's feet, including the champion...and those are just the ones he counted; several goblins were drowned in the sewers, vaporized by Storm Mage's lightning, or incinerated by Ranger's Immolation miracles, or the wizard sibling's flames. Some acolytes got Storm Mage's broken body to a bed so he could be treated, and Priestess used Heal on him to keep him from dying; he collapsed and his heart even stopped beating on the way there, but she stopped him from leaving the world entirely.

When he woke up...he was in an unearthly soft bed, and Summoner was there sitting in a chair next to it...

"Welcome back to the living." Summoner joked.

"The Death God says hi..." Storm Mage shot back.

"I'm sure you gave him the same middle finger you gave those goblins." Summoner said.

"You could've done better." Storm Mage said.

"Maybe, maybe not, but you deserved to be there more." Summoner said.

"I never agreed with you more..." Storm Mage said somberly.

"Hey, that beating you took may have been called for given your past, but you're still here." Summoner said which got Storm Mage's attention. "Look...I don't condone what you've done, and I still don't. Hell, I once considering disowning you, but...whether I like it or not, you are still my brother."

"Do I deserve to be called that?" Storm Mage asked.

"In this place and time? Absolutely." Summoner said firmly and Storm Mage sighed.

"Where's Her Grace?" Storm Mage asked.

"She's still out there; I wanted to talk to you first, and she wanted a minute to get ahold of herself. She said she was nearly ensnared by goblins again, but you saved her." Summoner said.

"Sounds about right." Storm Mage said.

"FYI, Ranger asked her about what happened in that room you fought those goblins in...he didn't say it in front of her, but he noted that she was struggling through every word involving you defending her. She cares about you. I dare say she loves you." Summoner said seriously.

"I...I think I love her too..." Storm Mage said.

"In that case, I'm going to waste no more of your time..." Summoner joked, Storm Mage laughed a bit, and Summoner left the room, and about a minute later...Sword Maiden came in, and she looked like hell.

"Your Grace..." Storm Mage whispered before she approached the bed, and sat down next to him.

"There were..._goblins_, in this temple. Goblins not only found me...but they found me, in my own _home_...!" She said while tightening her fists, shaking enough to move the bed, and she kept her head lowered. "If you weren't here...they would've...they would've...!"

"I _was_ there Your Grace. I promised you I'd be there to protect you, and I was. So stop going down that road." Storm Mage said as he took one of her hands after sitting up, scooching closer to her, and brushing her insanely long, wavy hair out of the way so he could see her divine face, which actually had a small smile on it when he finished talking.

"Ranger said the same thing, both now...and when he was in this bed about a year ago." Sword Maiden said softly.

"He was in this bed?" Storm Mage asked.

"Yes, and I will never forget why. He pushed Wizard out of the way of one of her own fire spells, he was hit himself, I used the miracle of Resurrection on him, and he told me about how the goblins will have won if I keep dwelling on what they did to me." Sword Maiden said.

"Your Grace..." Storm Mage whispered.

"I'm tired of this. I'm tired of feeling like a prisoner in my own body. I'm tired of feeling so helpless. I'm tired of being so afraid...!" Sword Maiden said with anger for once.

"You don't have to be anymore. I am with you, I kept my promise, and I will continue to do so, and...I know you used to wear a blindfold and...apparently you used to have scars all over your body, but like I said before...you will not go through that again, not while I'm with you." Storm Mage said firmly.

"I have met few people who could ease my fears. Goblin Slayer, Ranger, his team...and now...you." Sword Maiden said softly before leaning back into him as he hugged her from behind.

"There is no justice in you being trapped in this bubble the goblins put you in, so please...let me remove you from it." Storm Mage said before she looked right at him with a look that had pure love on it.

"You already have..." Sword Maiden whispered before brightly smiling.

"May I kiss you?" Storm Mage asked before Sword Maiden pressed her lips against his as an answer, and he hugged her as close as he could, and she did the same. In that moment, her terror was forgotten slowly but sweetly. All she felt now was the protection of this man, one who fell from grace, one who committed countless crimes, one who sought and in her mind, had found redemption. Even though she knew she was not his first woman...she didn't care; she just hoped to be his final. Their kiss was both too long, and too short; she didn't want to pull away...but had to. "Your Grace?"

"Storm Mage...your redemption is complete. You were once tainted by greed, but like the stain the goblins placed on me...that no longer matters. By the authority invested in me, by the Supreme God above, I pardon, from this day forward, all crimes you were and are still accused of. Do you accept?" Sword Maiden asked.

"I accept, Your Grace." Storm Mage said.

"Very good." Sword Maiden said before hugging him again, and even running her hands along his muscles, as he pressed his hands into her silk dress, feeling her soft flesh through the smooth fabric.

"If I may be so bold Your Grace...you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I have been with countless women, including priestesses of the Love Goddess herself...but none surpass you." Storm Mage said with reverence.

"You honor me greatly." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Even if you weren't however, I am honored to be at your side, and...even if you don't want to now...I would very much like to show you how love is supposed to be made." Storm Mage said and Sword Maiden looked thoughtful for a while. "If you don't want to, I will not force you, afterall...I am not a goblin."

"You are more right than can be measured Storm Mage. As for your...request...well, I'm certain the women you made love to were lucky ones indeed..." Sword Maiden said.

"You could be the luckiest-" Sword Maiden cuts him off.

"But...you are right, I do not want this now, but I look forward to the time I can handle it, and I'm certain I will be the luckiest. Thank you so much for restoring my hopes." Sword Maiden said.

"And thank you for giving me a chance to redeem myself, and even more for showing me my desire for redemption was not in vain." Storm Mage said.

"Kiss me again." Sword Maiden whispered and he pressed his lips against hers with the same tenderness as before before pulling away. "One more time..." He then locked lips with her again. "Again..." She then embraced him fully as they kissed like they would drown otherwise. She then ran her hands along his muscles again, and he caressed her thick legs as she moaned quietly, and when he touched her side, then started kneading one of her massive breasts...she pulled away and gripped his hand. "Wait..."

"Sorry, I...I got carried away.." Storm Mage said with shame.

"No...I _do_ like this but...it's too soon. Far too soon." Sword Maiden said.

"Do you still want me as your protector?" Storm Mage asked.

"I want no one else." Sword Maiden said seriously before looking outside to see the twin moons. "Although...I would like to sleep next to you."

"Of course, and my powers are back to full strength, if any more goblins show up-" Sword Maiden cuts him off.

"You will vaporize them, like you did before. I know...if they don't make it past the others." She said.

"Oh?" Storm Mage said.

"Yes. The portals are still open, but it's only a matter of time before they are closed. While they do that, I would like to remain in your arms." Sword Maiden said.

"Then come into them." Storm Mage said before laying down, opening up for her and kissing her again as she snuggled into him.

* * *

**Well, there you have it. Sword Maiden's recovery, and Storm Mage's redemption are now complete, and both deserve a happy ending themselves. And before anyone says anything: Storm Mage is an ex-criminal; who the hell wants to be self-inserted into the shoes of an ex-criminal? But on a less cynical note...Danny Barefoot? I'm talking to you right now: You were absolutely right in the first act; rape trauma victims deserve to be recognized, and treated fairly, and...as tasteless as it may be, Sword Maiden is one of the poster girls for rape trauma victims, and having her be the catalyst for Storm Mage being redeemed is one hell of a way for her to make an impact when it comes to her love life...as if she wasn't already a general impact already. Still, I couldn't not give her a happy ending; I did it with Fighter, then Noble Fencer...to a degree, and now I'm doing it with Sword Maiden. The girls saved from the goblins in the 1st act is just overkill now that I think about it, but hey, the more support in that direction the merrier. Anyway, be sure to Rate, Review, and Share, and stay tuned for more goblin bloodshed.**


	13. Chapter 6 Part II

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. How'd you like that? The same goblins that got their putrid hands on the Sword Maiden found her again, only to get the living shit zapped out of them by her new guardian angel. Hope it was worth it you little green turds. Anyway...there's one hell of a mess to clean up after that assault, and in more ways than one...**

**Review Response: Technically the whole team uses the array of methods,what with Wizard giving them enchanted gears, all of them, minus Priestess using melee skills, all of them having chakras, even though Fighter's the only one who taps into them, and Priestess can empower them. Granted their main methods are pretty obvious between them, but still. Point taken.**

**Yeah, Summoner had quite a time in the limelight didn't he? As did Storm Mage; the guy not only killed a heap of goblins, but was officially redeemed before the Supreme, and...he kissed the Sword Maiden...enough said. As for the goblins who attacked being the same ones who got their hands on Sword Maiden? Well, I'm pretty sure their excitement got ruined the moment Storm Mage went Darth Sidious on their asses.  
**

**As for the festival being invaded by the Hell Goblins? Good classification for them by the way. It may be possible; we'll just have to wait and see won't we?**

* * *

"Good going people. Those portals will still be open for some time, but we should have enough time to get ready for another assault." Cherub said to he gathered adventurers in the garden.

"Great, I don't know how much more I have in me..." Wizard said.

"Here..." Cherub said before using the Revitalize spell Sage had on the teams. "How do you feel now?"

"Like I could run from one side of the country to the other!" High Elf Archer exclaimed.

"Me too." Warrior said.

"Me three." Wizard said and got a scoff from her brother.

"You haven't said that since we were kids." He said.

"Oh shut it." Wizard snapped and got some more chuckles from the team.

"Anyway...you there, that sword you have. It was treated with demon and dragon blood wasn't it?" Cherub said pointing at Warrior.

"Yeah. What of it?" He asked.

"Give it to me." Cherub said before Warrior handed over his sword and Cherub made some blood pour out of his hand...without cutting himself, ran his hand along the flat of the blade on both sides, and the blade gave off white-gold, and crimson flames which wowed the whole team. "There...now it's about on-par with Hero's sword, only...it has to actually hit the target, not just be swung at it like a buffoon."

"Sweet!" Warrior exclaimed as he watched the blade radiate it's energy.

"You. Ranger. Give me your gun." Cherub said as Ranger tossed over his gun, then Cherub transformed it into a bulkier version of itself, with a series of extra features. "See? The holes at the end of the barrel decrease the blowback, the weight below the barrel, and the softer handle lets the gun absorb more of the blowback, instead of your wrist. Not to mention you can shot faster as a result. I even took the liberty of having it alchemically create it's own ammo."

"Great, now it's actually useful against large groups, or large foes for that matter." Ranger said as he looked his new toy over, and even spun it around a few times before putting it away.

"Show off..." H.E. Archer said dryly.

"Oh give him some slack Long Ears. The man just got himself a new tool of destruction, one quite fitting for an agent of warfare I might add." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Indeed. I have looked over the damage that weapon can cause Sir Ranger. These...gun items are quite enviable." Lizard Priest.

"Hence why Orcbolg got his hands on one." H.E. Archer said.

"Speaking of which, I would give all of you some, but they need to be made normally. As in, not by me." Cherub said.

"That's alright. My people will no doubt find a way to make these items common." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Just don't go crazy with them alright?" H.E. Archer said.

"So more goblins are on their way?" Goblin Slayer asked.

"Eventually, yes, but this window does make for a golden opportunity to take the fight to them." Cherub said.

"We'll stay in the temple and watch over the place, you go after the portals." Ranger said.

"I'll have some elementals patrol the halls with and for you while you hold the courtyard." Summoner said.

"We'll patrol the halls as well, I'll also have some familiars give you a hand if you need them." Wizard's brother said.

"Alright." GS said as he got up to leave.

"I'm coming too. None of you can close the portals, but I can do so quite well." Cherub said.

"Then come along." GS said as he kept walking with his teammates eventually coming with him.

"Someone's in a hurry, although...I can't really blame him for once." Priestess said.

"You should go with them too." Ranger said to her.

"Right." She said before taking off after them.

* * *

When Storm Mage woke from his minor sleep, he saw Sword Maiden was huddling against him in bed, above the covers, still in her dress. She eventually sighed and woke up with him, before looking up at him, and smiled brightly.

"Comfortable?" Storm Mage asked.

"Yes..." Sword Maiden whispered.

"You know...that kiss we had? The one before you declared me redeemed? That was the single best kiss I ever had, and I'm glad it was with you." Storm Mage said softly.

"As am I. It's like I was dead all these years, and now...I'm alive." Sword Maiden said with a tone that proved her point.

"The Love Goddess teaches that a kiss isn't just a connection between the lips, but of the soul itself, although, it can of course be made sweeter with intention behind it." Storm Mage said.

"It showed a minute ago, my dear Storm Mage." Sword Maiden said.

"She also says that sex isn't just about making children, but also about proving one's love, and sometimes healing any damage to the soul, and from personal experience, I can tell you...she couldn't...be...more...right." Storm Mage said.

"Storm Mage..." Sword Maiden trailed off.

"Don't get me wrong, I said I wouldn't try to force you, and I'm never going to, but...I really want to show you how it's supposed to feel; these goblins...nevermind what damage they do to the ones who survive their attacks, what they did to you is something that, as a student of the Love Goddess, I am mortally _insulted_ by. But, heh...why am I thinking that way? Revenge is done; I'm sure the War God is happy with me." Storm Mage said.

"I deeply appreciate your patience, and I believe the Supreme shines on both of us before and after our past ordeals. It's unthinkable to me now that the Supreme would have me go through...that, only to leave me behind in the mud. You dealt the justice that was owed yourself, that is why you are redeemed now." Sword Maiden said to his face as she put her soft, beautiful hand on it.

"Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage whispered before she gave him a sweet, deep kiss and he put his arms around her and they simply held each other, feeling the warmth, and substance of their bodies. "May I touch you?"

"Not now...but, after this siege, I'm going to bathe, and I want you with me." Sword Maiden said.

"You..want to bathe with me?" Storm Mage asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I'm nearly recovered but, I still know the goblins' touch too well. I want your touch; I want not only the water to clean me, but your touch itself. Surely the Love Goddess condones such services?" Sword Maiden said with a trace of desperation in her voice.

"Of course, and I'm sure your body will be just as pleasant for me as well. Pardon my...lack of focus please." Storm Mage said.

"There is nothing to forgive; I am well aware of the effect my body has on the minds of men. Beauty can be a curse sometimes." Sword Maiden said.

"Surely no man would dare touch the archbishop in such a manner without her blessing?" Storm Mage said with awe.

"No, but I know they were imagining things." Sword Maiden said.

"Well, I must confess I am no better...but I promise you, I will do everything I can to make sure you no longer feel the way you used to. Afterall...you're supposed to feel beautiful, not like damaged goods, if you can even call it that." Storm Mage said seriously.

"I can never thank you enough for your services. There's a special place in Heaven for you, I know it." Sword Maiden said while tensing up again.

"For you as well, my _dear_ Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage whispered as he tightened his hold on her. "You know...I think some would condemn me for making a move on the archbishop, but frankly, I couldn't care less..."

"I'm not just the archbishop, I'm a person, just like them." Sword Maiden said sharply.

"Not only that...you're a woman, one with a hole in her heart that demands to be filled." Storm Mage said.

"Correction: a hole that is _being_ filled, even as we speak." Sword Maiden said softly before kissing him again.

"Now...do you believe you'll want your own child someday?" Storm Mage asked and Sword Maiden thought for a moment.

"Honestly...I do not know; I like to think that as the archbishop, everyone in town is my family, and Ranger and Fighter's baby is partially my child as well as theirs, but I do not know if I want my own legacy." She said.

"Legacy? You stopped the Demon Lord once, you're the archbishop, and now you helped defeat the vampire queen. That is your legacy." Storm Mage said seriously.

"I know, but to be a mother myself, especially with my station as archbishop..." Sword Maiden said thoughtfully.

"Sword Maiden...you are entitled to quite a few things, not just peace of mind. Honestly, the only reason I'm asking is because I just now remembered how you look at that baby when you hold her; I flatout said to Ranger I have no intention of becoming a father, but...well, plans can change." Storm Mage said.

"First, I will have to see my current situation through to the end." Sword Maiden said.

"Of course, and I'll be by your side." Storm Mage said softly and got a smile from her.

"Thank you..." Sword Maiden whispered.

"But if our bloodlines end should with us, so be it. Like I said- well, implied, your legacy speaks for itself, and mine will too." Storm Mage said.

"Right. Also...I cannot believe the first goblins you killed were the same ones who wronged me years ago..." Sword Maiden whispered harshly.

"Well, that just makes it all the sweeter for me to put down, especially with how painful it is to be hit by lightning. Do you think they knew you were there, or...that they might've been waiting for a second chance to have you?" Storm Mage asked cautiously.

"I do not know. The most logical reason I can think of is that the Demon Lord saved them for a chance for revenge, and what better way to do so than this?" Sword Maiden said somberly as Storm Mage tightened his hold.

"And look at how well _that_ worked out." He said proudly before yawning.

"Tired?" Sword Maiden teased.

"Did...did you just quip at me?" Storm Mage asked and she laughed at him.

"I couldn't help it; I believe you and the others are starting to grow on me." Sword Maiden said sweetly.

"Or you're as overtired as I am. Sheesh, look at us, we were once the archbishop, and her protector, now we're giggling over something stupid." Storm Mage said.

"Let's just get some rest, my great and mighty protector." Sword Maiden said sensually.

"Dear Supreme...you are a _dream_ to listen to normally, but if you keep that up, I'm going to have quite a storm to send your way." Storm Mage said while breathing hard.

"Then I should use this power wisely..." Sword Maiden said half-jokingly as she rested her head next to her protector's. "Storm Mage...?"

"Yes?" Storm Mage asked.

"I cherish you..." Sword Maiden whispered.

"And I cherish you." Storm Mage said as he stroked her hair.

* * *

Priestess led the way through the sewers with her staff glowing with Holy Light, which not only illuminated the place, but also weakened any hell goblins should they ambush her, GS, and company.

"This is our first goblin-slaying quest here all over again, only the goblins are even _more_ of a pain." High Elf Archer said.

"At least we have a way to even the odds." GS said simply.

"Two in fact." Priestess said before looking up at Cherub who was flying over their heads.

"It is quite an occasion to be doing work alongside a denizen of Heaven." Lizard Priest said.

"Well, don't get used to it, because once this invasion from Hell is over, I'm heading back home." Cherub said.

"We still thank you for the help winged one." Dwarf Shaman said before GS stopped them. "What is it Beard-Cutter?"

"Look ahead." GS said and they spotted a swirling, orange-red vortex.

"A Hell Rift." Cherub said.

"That's what they're called I take it?" H.E. Archer said.

"Yes, and it's not alone." Cherub said as he shot a slow-moving orb of light from his hand down the path and several other rifts were seen.

"Dear Earth Mother...no wonder so many goblins appeared..." Priestes said nervously.

"How do we seal them good Cherub?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Leave that to myself and the Priestess, who should keep her miracles at the ready." Cherub said as he flew to the middle of the area.

"Right!" Priestess said as the team braced for a fight and Cherub beamed each rift with light as they slowly closed. Eventually snarling came from down another path and hell goblins appeared.

"We've got company!" H.E. Archer said before GS and Lizard Priest engaged them, Dwarf Shaman slung stones at them, and Priestess put up a barrier with Protection.

"That hardly seems fair..." Cherub quipped before getting back to focusing on the rifts that all closed as the team slaughtered the dozens of hell goblins that kept trying to break through the barrier, only to be shot or cut down, and when it was over, the team regrouped.

"Those goblins weren't waiting there; they came from another set of rifts." GS said as he followed the path.

"Wait Sir Goblin Slayer!" Lizard Priest called as he stopped GS. "We cannot just go after them; Lady Priestess might be our only real chance in this fight, even if she only lets us see what is happening."

"He's right Beard-Cutter. The good Priestess' holy arts give us quite an advantage in this battle. We must stay with her." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Um, I'm honored to be thought of so much but, don't you think this is a bit extreme?" Priestess asked.

"Not at all. Those goblins would've ripped through us instead of the other way around had your Holy Light not shined upon them." Lizard Priest said seriously.

"Demons are weak against holy magic afterall, and these are demonically-empowered goblins." H.E. Archer said.

"Alright. Let's all go then." GS said.

"No explosives remember?" H.E. Archer snapped.

"Yes." GS said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranger and Fighter waited on the roof with him using the gun and her using his crossbow.

"She tempted me you know?" Ranger said while they were still looking around for goblins.

"The vampire queen?" Fighter asked.

"Yes. She wanted me to join her, and supposedly, become stronger, get all of you stronger, and even become warlord of the entire northern kingdom." Ranger said.

"Why didn't you accept?" Fighter asked.

"A better question is would you, or anyone else for that matter join me." Ranger said.

"No..." Fighter said softly.

"I didn't think so. I even told her, right to her face that I'd rather be called a fool than a traitor." Ranger said.

"If you accepted, you would be both at once." Fighter said.

"Especially since...well, I'd be her puppet rather than her partner; she claimed she'd give me more love than any man she offered a place to, but who is she kidding?" Ranger said as Fighter put her armored hand on his. "I certainly cannot love her more than you, even if I was genuinely interested. As if I didn't have enough reason to refuse her."

"Our family means this much to you?" Fighter asked.

"Fighter...the vampire queen basically looked like a mix between you and the Sword Maiden, and I still refused her offer. Not only should that tell you how much our family means to me, but if that isn't a giant middle finger towards the vice of lust, I don't know what is." Ranger said.

"You never cease to amaze me." Fighter said.

"Although, if she made that offer before I met you, let alone had a child with you...I probably would've accepted without pause." Ranger said.

"Then thank the Supreme we're together." Fighter whispered.

"On a lighter note: I actually fished with my crossbow when I was with that herbalist girl, and I caught at least three; I didn't count this time, too sleepy." Ranger said.

"As if you weren't enough of a man." Fighter said genuinely impressed as they kept looking around for goblins.

"That was hardy my first time fishing either; me and my father fished and hunted with my first crossbow countless times." Ranger said.

"Speaking of which, whatever happened to it?" Fighter asked.

"My father still has it; probably waiting for a chance to train our daughter to use it." Ranger said and Fighter chuckled.

"Sounds like something he'd do...just like my father would want to train her." She said somberly.

"I'm certain he would love to see how strong she becomes thanks to his, or should I say, _your_ teachings." Ranger said softly and got a smile from his wife.

* * *

"Too bad Storm Mage isn't here to give me another upgrade to this hammer." Warrior said.

"That's what you get for not asking, not to mention Her Grace needs him more than you did." Wizard said.

"Think it's too late?" Warrior asked.

"Don't even think about it; she's probably too mind-scrambled to let Storm Mage out of her sight. Plus...did you notice what she was like around him?" Wizard said.

"Yeah, Ranger and Fighter weren't much different back in the day. You don't think...?" Warrior said.

"Hey, if she wants to hang on him, who are we to get in her way?" Wizard said.

"You say that alot. Ranger and Fighter, Goblin Slayer and that farm girl, a bunch of others, now this." Warrior said.

"Not my fault it fits alot of situations." Wizard said seriously.

"Granted." Warrior said.

"Sheesh, after this, I could use a bath. Oh...wanna join me?" Wizard asked.

"Not a bad idea..." Warrior said before walking up to her, only for her to stiff-arm him.

"Later." Wizard teased.

"I hate you sometimes." Warrior snapped.

"At least you get to fuck me." Wizard teased.

"Only because I don't always hate you." Warrior said.

"I love you too." Wizard said and Warrior shook his head; why the hell did they both have to be so transparently weird sometimes?

* * *

"You think more of those corrupted goblins will attack again?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Maybe, maybe not, but I know we'll be able to at least make a dent." Wizard's brother said.

"Well, I want to get through this." Rhea Fighter said.

"Relax will you?" Wizard's brother said before making a pack of phantom wolves appear. "See? Instant back-up."

"I hope it'll be enough." Rhea Fighter said.

"O.k. you're really starting to piss me off; I can summon as much help as I want, and you have those force gauntlets, so please...get a grip." Wizard's brother said.

"Alright, alright..." Rhea Fighter said.

* * *

Meanwhile, GS and company spent the better part of an hour butchering, clobbering, shooting, and burning through hundreds upon hundreds of hell goblins, while Cherub closed the rifts, and Priestess empowered, and sometimes healed the party, and kept up her Holy Light to weaken the hell goblins and light up the place. She even increased the intensity of her Holy Light on occasion to burn and blind the goblins.

"Alright...that should be the last rift." Cherub said as the team finished off the goblins.

"Finally...I'm sick of using these twigs they dare call arrows." High Elf Archer said.

"Let's just return to the surface." GS said as he collected his thrown sword, sheathed it and then the ground started shaking.

"Earthquake!" Priestess screamed.

"Worse. A larger hell rift opened on the surface. Something big is coming." Cherub said.

"We must return now!" Lizard Priest said and the team rushed back to the surface.

* * *

That shaking they felt was from a massive hell rift opening in he courtyard, Ranger, Fighter, Warrior and Wizard were watching over, and...a demonic ogre showed up.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" Warrior yelled.

"So, the rumors are true. I passed through one trial after another, in the foulest and most agonizing depth of Hell, felling one adversary after another, showing the highest-ranked generals of the Demon Lord my power and resolve, and for my efforts, fate smiles upon me and delivers some of the very objects of my vengeance right to me as I enter the Temple of Law." The ogre bellowed.

"You...you're the same we fought with Goblin Slayer a year ago?" Wizard asked and the ogre laughed.

"So you remember that time?" the ogre said.

"How could we forget...?" Ranger said.

"Ah...the Ranger, a servant of the War God? Good, this will be much more fulfilling." the ogre said as he summoned a massive, flaming axe. "You know, despite your status, you look as small as before."

"You can still look at me in the face as I kill you, just like you did with Goblin Slayer." Ranger growled as he morphed a greatsword bigger than Heavy Warrior's.

"You dare bring up that worm-" Fighter putting a bolt in his eye and several more in his face shut the ogre up, then Ranger spammed bullets from his gun with his spare hand at the ogre in tandem. Then Warrior pulled his sword, sliced into the ogre's leg, and the ogre stomped down, but Warrior narrowly dodged the stomp by rolling out of the way.

"Firestorm!" Wizard yelled and a barrage of fireballs hit the ogre who fell down and crashed into the ground, but it's arm smashed part of the temple, but Wizard could repair it later.

"Damn you!" The ogre yelled.

"Remember how I owned you last time with my fireball? Well guess who _mastered_ her flames!" Wizard boasted before Ranger jumped down from the roof.

"Blasted little girl!" The ogre yelled before craving up the ground with his axe, and Ranger blocked the axe with his greatsword before Wizard could get chopped in half. "What?!" Ranger then yanked the axe back, and played tug-o-war with it with the ogre, and when the ogre pulled back hard enough, Ranger let go and the ogre fell back a second time. Fighter starts spamming bolts at the ogre to piss it off, then Warrior tried to stab it in the chest only for the ogre to grab him and throw him across the courtyard, and Wizard used Levitate to stop his flight, and launched him back at the ogre who stopped the rebound...only to get his hand sliced off. "I'll kill all of you!" The ogre then got up after regenerating his hand and damaged leg, then tried to grab Fighter...only for her to punch his hand and break several bones.

"I know how strong you are." Fighter said before opening her cyan-colored eyes; she was using her chakras again. "I could tear you apart myself; with all of us against you, you might as well return to Hell now and save us the trouble."

"Insolent girl! When I'm done, the two men will be my food, and I'll watch all the goblins under my command break you and your little witch friend." the ogre said and Warrior groaned.

"Not a smart thing to say my friend. Not smart at all..." He said and Ranger latched onto the ogre with a harpoon-and-chain, jumped right over the ogre, yanked him down, before Fighter rushed the ogre, climbed up his torso, and stomped on his chest over and over, before digging her fingers into his pectorals, and when she got to his ribcage, the ogre straightened himself out enough to grab Fighter, throw her away, grab his axe and slam it on top of Ranger...who blocked it with his greatsword, and when the ogre tried smashing him a second time, Warrior hit him by throwing his hammer, which stunned him with a lightning explosion, and he did that over and over until Wizard charged up another Firestorm and while the ogre was getting hammered from behind, Ranger jumped up and punched the ogre's still-exposed ribcage hard enough to cave it it's chest and it falls down.

"Is he dead now?" Warrior asked.

"Looks like it." Wizard said.

"What the hell is going on here?" Her brother asked as he and Rhea Fighter showed up and eyed the dead ogre. "What is that?"

"An ogre. What's it look like?" Wizard said.

"Could you tell me why it's here? No, I can guess how it got here." Her brother asked.

"Revenge. He said so himself." Wizard said before the ogre's chest healed, it slammed it's fist into the ground hard enough cause a small earthquake then sat up.

"I've had enough of you! You will all burn along with this city!" The ogre yelled as he actually sprouted flaming, demonic wings, and took off into the air, with Ranger harpooning him. When they got high enough, the ogre charged up a ball of purple fire at least ten times larger than he was, and just as he was about to throw it, Ranger jammed his greatsword into the base of it's spine and the ogre dropped the fireball, which fell to the side, and shrunk as it fell and made a glorified poof as the ogre fell into the lake. Ranger then pulled the ogre to shore and watched the ogre shrink down to being three times Ranger's size. "How? How did you...get so...strong...?"

"I might as well be a god myself thanks to my team." Ranger said before pointing his greatsword at the ogre's heart. "The War and Supreme gods helped of course, but my team was with me long before I got involved with them. And now...they both call for your doom." With that, Ranger plunged his greatsword into the ogre's chest, tore it open, and ripped out it's still-beating heart. "Summoner will be happy."

"That was most impressive servant of the War God." Elder Revenant said as he revealed his presence.

"Who are you?" Ranger asked, and Elder Revenant summoned a scythe. "You're a revenant..."

"I am indeed. I have news for you, and the Sword Maiden." Elder Revenant said.

"Well don't keep me guessing." Ranger said.

"The invasion is coming to a close; her powers should be back to normal soon. Although I strongly advise she keep the heavenly light shows to a minimum." Elder Revenant said dryly. He was clearly different from he other Revenant; this one was actually humorous, whether it was intentional or not was a mystery like the rest of him.

"Good to know. Anything else?" Ranger asked.

"No, aside from the fact that I got this information from an elite member of the Evil Sect, just before I killed him." Elder Revenant said.

"Well good riddance to bad trash. May I go now?" Ranger asked.

"You may go now." Elder Revenant said before Ranger swam back to Water Town, climbed up the Temple of Law's walls, and saw Wizard, and her brother using their Repair spells on the place, and GS' team was there watching.

"Did you kill it?" Warrior said before Ranger showed the ogre's heart. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Gross! Why do you have that?" H.E. Archer asked.

"For Summoner's collection of course." Ranger said before giving it to him.

"My "collection" so-called is for alchemical purposes. That succubus heart you and my brother got are good for luring and tracking demons, as well as absorbing and storing demonic energy for use in other ways." Summoner said.

"I would like to see that sometime." Wizard said.

"By all means." Summoner said.

"Well first, we should get some shut-eye." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Are the portals closed?" Ranger asked.

"Of course." H.E. Archer said.

"Would you like me to send you back to the frontier?" Ranger asked

"That would be nice." Goblin Slayer said.

"In that case..." Ranger pulled out his portal gem and opened a portal to the frontier, and when GS' team went through, Wizard's brother and Rhea Fighter followed.

"We'll stay here for a while." Warrior said.

"Yeah, we have some things to do on our own." Wizard said.

"Alright, and we...have a baby to check on." Ranger said before opening a portal to his and Fighter's home and they went through, checked on their baby who was with Songstress, then they took their baby back, greeted her, stayed with her until she fell asleep again, and laid down for a few hours until sunrise.

* * *

While the parents did that, Warrior and Wizard headed for the bathhouse to fulfill a promise after dropping off their supplies at their room, when they got there, they immediately stripped each other while kissing, and licking each other hungrily, which enticed lustful moans from both of them. Then Warrior practically shoved his girlfriend into the water, which she chuckled at before he jumped in with her, pushed her against the rock in the middle, and continued kissing her while squeezing her breasts. She chuckled into their kiss to compliment the swishing sounds from the water as her boyfriend continued to play with the two globes of supple flesh while she rubbed his muscled physique.

"You know, this time...I drank the potion." Warrior said huskily.

"Wow...you _really_ want this don't you?" Wizard teased.

"Like you don't..." Warrior teased back before picking her up by her fleshy buttocks, and setting her again the rock, then he aligned his manhood with her entrance, before shoving himself into her and she immediately gasped in pleasure as he thrusted. After about half a minute of him giving her strong but loving strokes, and her moaning and gasping in bliss, they both burst and he slowly collapsed into the water with her on top of him with his manhood still inside her, as he swam back to the edge of the pool.

"You up for more?" Wizard breathed out.

"Oh yes, I think that Cherub gave me more energy than I can possibly use." Warrior said.

"Good...you're going to need all of it." Wizard said with a voice dripping with lust before she got off of his manhood, and stroked it with her hands until he got ridged again, and listened to him gasp and groan in bliss himself as she did so.

"You magnificent vixen..." Warrior groaned.

"Now you thank me for being here to please you, and remind me why you care about me." Wizard said seriously.

"Wizard, I will always feel lucky for you being here, to please, and be pleased by you, and...even though you're insufferable at times, you're still a damn good mage, a beautiful woman, and...somehow, you make hate become love, and have love keep it's original meaning." Warrior said.

"What can I say? I work magic in more ways than one." Wizard boasted before turning serious. "But...honestly, you do the same for me."

"I noticed; I remember you saying that the highlights of your life involve me. I'm sure the same can be said for Fighter and the boss." Warrior said.

"I couldn't help but notice just how much faster their relationship went then ours." Wizard said.

"Hey...everyone goes at their own pace." Warrior said before touching her face.

"Do you ever think about having our own family?" Wizard asked after putting her hand on Warrior's.

"Every now and then, but...we have work to do in the frontier. Once things settle down, we'll ask Her Grace to marry us, and we'll...do this, as much as you want until we get our own kid." Warrior said.

"Oh wow, what if we have a son and he either gets involved with Ranger and Fighter's daughter, or at least has a similar not-blood-related siblings relationship with her?" Wizard said amused.

"Either case would be...quite something. But until then...let's fuck some more." Warrior said with a smirk.

"Filthy little cockroach..." Wizard growled before tackling Warrior down to kiss him more as she kept stroking his muscles as he squeezed her ass, then turned it up a notch by rapidly fondling the side of her cheeks, making the flesh of her buttocks flop around over and over, which she couldn't help but chuckle at. "When did you get so creative?"

"Same time I worked up an appetite. You complaining?" Warrior asked before stopping his movements then started squeezing normally.

"Just keep showing me why I shouldn't leave this room." Wizard said before he stopped working her butt, latched onto one of her nipples and sucked on it while she gripped his manhood, lowered herself onto it, and moved up and down while he thrust up into her in-sync with her own thrusts and they both groaned in euphoria for the better part of a minute.

"More? Warrior asked?

"Wait..." Wizard said as she caught her breath. "I could use a rub-down..."

"Say no more..." Warrior said before he placed her above the pool's rim, and massaged her legs, noted her plump thighs, her creamy skin, how she gasped and tensed up a bit as he stroked her inner thighs, then moved down to her calves and noted the contrast in thickness, but still faithfully massaged the beauty before him. He even gave her feet some strong grasps as to not tickle her, and squeeze out any soreness. He then pressed his hands into her butt as a gag.

"Hey, you already had your hands all over my ass. Don't get greedy." Wizard playfully snapped.

"Hey yourself, it's not my fault this ass is so round and _squishy_." Warrior said before softly spanking her.

"Don't make me get my staff!" Wizard said still caught up in the mood.

"O.k. o.k. enough is enough. Let the rub-down continue." Warrior said.

"Thank you..." Wizard whispered before Warrior massaged the subtle, but still toned muscles in her back, and arms, then flipped her over, worked her entire front, from the legs, to the abs, to everything else. Eventually, he came down and pressed his lips to hers.

"I love you." Warrior said against her lips.

"I know..." Wizard said before pulling him into another kiss, then he laid down on top of her, and she spread her legs, silently asking him to take her again, and he did, slowly this time. She moaned in pleasure into their kiss as he lashed tongues with her, and sped up gradually, as her moans became deeper and louder, and eventually...he started thrusting into her so hard, her ass made plopping sounds as it hit the wet ground. She then let out an extra-long groan as she hit her peak, and he wasn't far behind. She then tossed him into the water. "My ass is probably going to hurt later, but...boy was it worth it."

"So you tossed me into the water over something you can get over?" Warrior asked.

"No, because I'm still not done with you." Wizard said before diving into the water, coming up in front of him, then kissing him again, and continuing to stroke his muscles, as he worked her breasts again.

"You really are insatiable sometimes you know that?" Warrior asked as he kept fondling her breasts.

"We have _alot_ of energy to burn off, and I want to end this night the correct way, now, keep those hands moving boy." Wizard said.

"Yes ma'am." Warrior said with a smirk as he kept up the good work, and even started twisting her nipples as she gasped and smiled in pleasure, then he reached one hand down to her womanhood, stroked each lip as her gasps got louder, and the other hand held the back of her head as she leaned back.

"Oh that feels so _good_...!" Wizard groaned out.

"You did this to me earlier remember?" Warrior said against the side of her head before latching onto her neck.

"Just keep it up...!" Wizard groaned before holding the back of his head to get him to continue, and eventually she stopped him. "Wait...make me finish the right way..." She then walked back to he rim of the pool, bent over while holding the rim with her hands, and Warrior came up behind her, and drove himself into her yet again, and thrusted into her until she finished.

"Maybe we should stop while we both have brains left..." Warrior said as he tried to come down from the high.

"Maybe..." Wizard said as she collapsed slowly, then Warrior hugged her from behind.

"We should dry off and get to bed." Warrior said.

"O.k..." Wizard said as Warrior dragged her out of the pool, dried her and himself off, and when she finally came back down to Earth, she hugged him. "Sorry I got rough with you earlier."

"It's o.k. I know you never mean to be a pain in the ass." Warrior said.

"Speaking of which..." Wizard said with a raised eyebrow.

"You'll be fine, especially since I just fucked your brains out no less than three or four times. Good luck holding _that_ against me." Warrior boasted.

"Good point." Wizard said before kissing him sweetly, then lashing tongues with him. "Seriously though, I'm sorry I wasn't as...loving as I could be...like Fighter."

"Hey, I may not have had romantic feelings for her, but I can totally see what the boss sees in her, and if you really want to be like her, well...first of all, don't be like her; that wouldn't be right, but on a more serious note...I don't keep shagging you like this just because it's fun, although it's _very_ fun. I really do care about you."

"And I care about you, I always did, but...I keep thinking we're not all we could be, even if you count the times we have legitimately romantic moments. Yes I know Fighter and the boss had playful and romantic moments of their own, but dammit...I want some of that too." Wizard said.

"We _can_ have those moments, and we _did_." Warrior said.

"Right, well...maybe I'm just being hard on myself; I see them, and how far they got, and here I am making a contest out of it, and I took some of it out on you just now...I don't even want to think about what the Love Goddess thinks of me." Wizard said.

"We will get our moments when we get them. Quit rushing it." Warrior said and Wizard sighed.

"Right, good things come to those who wait." Wizard said with a smile before giving Warrior a short but sweet kiss before they got dressed and went to bed.

* * *

**Well, the ogre from episode 4 of the 1st act made his triumphant return, if you can even call it that, and that's after some more goblin scum got heir asses kicked and before Elder Revenant showed his face at last. Also kinda funny how Sword Maiden mentioned bathing before Warrior and Wizard had alittle fun eh? Anyway...please be sure to Rate, Review, and Share, and stay tuned...bye**


	14. Chapter 7

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Let's have a look at the aftermath of that little slaughterfest shall we?**

**Review Response: Yeah, I thought the ogre coming a comeback would be fitting, and...to be fair to him he did cause some damage, and he was probably unaware of how much power the team had, especially with Cherub helping them out. Not to mention Ranger stopped him before he could nuke the place with a fireball. Although...it would be quite a spectacle to see the ogre become a demon general, but...I wish him luck with that. Also...at least the team won fair-and-square instead of relying on a scroll which...frankly, could've been handled better. I get Goblin Slayer said he was going to use it on a goblin nest, but...there are better ways to handle that.  
**

**As for Sword Maiden? Well...Heaven knows she deserves all the fun she can get, and know that she's in good hands.**

**FYI, the softer grip, holes in the barrel, and weight added to Ranger's revolver, which is based on the Magnum in case no one knew/figured that out, are realistic features. Also...according to what I heard, the strongest pistol in the world, the Smith&Wesson 500 can take down an elephant, although...I'm pretty sure it would have to be a headshot but...come on, headshots can kill anything,at least usually. Now...imagine a rapid-fire S&W in the hands of someone who serves the War God...yikes...**

**On another note...I'm going to say this right upfront: Storm Mage and Sword Maiden are involved officially in this story, and they're going to get as intimate as Ranger and Fighter were. If you don't think you can respect my desire to give Sword Maiden her own happy ending, especially in detail, stop reading right this moment, save everyone the pain, and just leave. I'm sorry for being cynical, but I've taken too much flak from people in the 1st act as it is, and I've reached my limit. For those of you who can give her the respect she deserves, all I can say is: good on you, no sarcasm intended.  
**

* * *

Fighter and Ranger woke up basking in each other's warmth and shifting against one another, but their growling stomachs made them reconsider anything more serious, so they got up right away, and cooked some fish, potatoes, and some veggies, as well as pour some ale; slaughtering a horde of corrupted goblins and then taking down an ogre made them hungrier than they thought. They checked on their daughter after their above-average-sized breakfast, Fighter breastfed her, while Ranger re-organized the crib, and noted to maybe get something new for it. Being such high-class citizens thanks to their hard-earned funds, and services to the country, they not only had a manor with over a dozen people to help run the place, they also sparred no expense for their child. Be that as it may, it never hurts to check on her room every now and then, especially since she wasn't going to remain so small forever; she'll need more items to interact with so she can grow as fast, and as well as possible.

"She's more lively than usual. I think she's had about as much of a rough time as we have." Fighter said before Ranger turned to her and went to go check on their baby who let Fighter's nipple go and looked up at her father who put his finger in grabbing distance.

"Thank every god in Heaven that this place wasn't assaulted. If something happened to her...no, this is no time or place for that line of thought." Ranger said.

"We can protect this place; we're not demon hunters, but we still crushed the vampire queen, and her army. The Hero herself had a hard time with her, and you took her head. We also crushed that ogre who came back from Hell even stronger than before." Fighter said.

"We still cannot be everywhere at once." Ranger said.

"Your gem..." Fighter said.

"It's not perfect-" Fighter cuts him off.

"Neither are the demons. If something goes too far in the wrong direction, we can be there in a heartbeat...especially for you." Fighter said to Ranger, than the baby she was holding.

"Right." Ranger whispered before taking their baby from Fighter, sat down and the two stayed with the girl until she fell asleep roughly an hour later, then went to their room to sort their stuff out for a trip to the frontier.

"Can't wait to see the look on everyone's faces when they hear about this." Fighter said.

"Are you sure they should know?" Ranger asked.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure the others were bragging to anyone with ears about this, or at least were getting questions left and right." Fighter said.

"Right. Well, here's hoping things don't get too out-of-hand." Ranger said before sitting down on the bed.

"Too rough of a night for you?" Fighter asked seriously as she sat down next to him.

"Didn't even know it was taking something out of me until just now." Ranger said before Fighter hugged him, which he returned.

"Then let's go take that something back." Fighter whispered.

"Not yet. I want to sit here holding my strong and enamoring wife." Ranger said and she smiled against his shoulder. About 10 seconds later, she pulled back slowly, they looked at each other softly, then pressed their foreheads together and locked one of their hands together and kept holding each other with the other. "How did you handle the battle?"

"I just hope Her Grace is alright. The place was a mess when we got there; I can't imagine how scared she was, even with Storm Mage there protecting her." Fighter said.

"Bless him for being there; just the _idea_ of her going through that again makes me sick." Ranger said with difficulty as Fighter backed up slowly. "We must train our daughter as she grows..."

"Right..." Fighter said. There was no way Ranger needed to say why he said what he just said. "Let's get ready to go out."

"First things first." Ranger said before standing up. "Lord of the Sword. Master of the Mace. Smith me arms for the battle to come!" When Ranger finished his prayer...a second sword-whip popped up in a crimson fire, and Fighter stood up quickly. "The Storm Mage can _really_ protect Her Grace with a second one."

"If there's going to be another invasion, Supreme forbid, it would be nice to at least have a second one on-hand." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"I'll send it to him later. For now, let's get ready." Ranger said as they got back to their stuff.

* * *

Meanwhile, Storm Mage woke a few hours after sunrise to see Sword Maiden next to him, sleeping with her dress still on, over the covers, and snuggle into him like nothing was wrong. Was his presence affecting her this well? His answer came when she woke up, groaning sleepily, shifting around, and nudging his shoulder with her head. How innocent can one person be? He dared to stroke her waist-length hair, and she smiled and opened her eyes to see her protector.

"Good Morning Your Grace." Storm Mage whispered.

"Good Morning my staunch protector." Sword Maiden said softly as she sat up. "I assume they won the battle. If not, we probably would have been woken up."

"Thanks to them for giving us our space. Well...your space mostly." Storm Mage said.

"Thanks indeed, and even greater thanks to you for...saving me." Sword Maiden said before Storm Mage sat up and embraced her.

"I will do that a hundred times over if I must, although I hope I never have to again." Storm Mage said softly before being hugged in return.

"Storm Mage..." Sword Maiden whispered before shaking and he felt tears moisten his shoulder. He then stroked her hair, and tightened his hold on her.

"I'm here, and I'm not going _anywhere_." Storm Mage said as she kept letting out her sorrow, fears, and despair for the better part of half a minute. When she was done, she dried her eyes until Storm Mage took over and she smiled brighter than ever; his gesture showed how honest his love for her was.

"Thank you for sleeping next to me..." Sword Maiden said.

"You will never need to sleep alone again Your Grace." Storm Mage said.

"Storm Mage..." Sword Maiden said before kissing him as deeply and sweetly as she could as he held her as close as he could. "I would like to bathe with you now."

"Are you sure we can?" Storm Mage asked.

"My duties call for me, but none of them are too urgent. Besides, until my powers return completely, there isn't much I can do." Sword Maiden said.

"In that case, let me renew my promise...the moment we enter that bath, I am completely yours. I've served you before, but this is personal for me; I will do anything I think you'll like, and if you don't like what I do, I will stop the moment I know your distaste, and will do anything and everything I can to remove your distaste, even if it means I have to remove my hands." Storm Mage said seriously.

"I believe what you say, and I look forward to what you have in mind, and heart." Sword Maiden said before he turned to get dressed, then looked at her funny. "Storm Mage...you have nothing I haven't seen before, plus...you're going to see my body as well. I have half a mind to show you now."

"Truth-be-told...if I see you too soon, I may forget my promise, and spoil our time." Storm Mage said.

"Then I will hold off." Sword Maiden said before Storm Mage got up, showing his lower body as he got his clothes, armor and even his sword-whip, just in case he needs it now, or later. He then checked the outside and signaled her to come to him, then when he saw some acolytes up and about.

"You there. What happened last night?" Storm Mage asked one of them.

"The siege is over sir. Goblin Slayer and his team defeated the goblins." The acolyte said.

"Just as we thought. Don't let us keep you anymore." Sword Maiden said.

"Yes Your Grace." The acolyte said as she moved on.

"Shall we?" Sword Maiden said as she led him to the bathhouse.

* * *

When they got there, he took in the scenery, then removed his armor and sword-whip and took in a moment to get himself together. The anticipation was getting to him; this is possibly his most important service yet, minus his role in the goblin assault. He then removed his underclothes, then heard footsteps...and didn't dare turn around.

"Are you not going to look at me? You said I was the most beautiful woman you know." Sword Maiden asked curiously before he turned to drink in her image.

"You _are_...with or without your dress..." Storm Mage whispered as his heart and lungs spiked.

"You in-turn have beauty that rivals that of the Ranger." Sword Maiden said before approaching him and holding his hand. "You can touch me now..." With that, she put his hand on the same breast he fondled before, and they both inhaled sharply. He put his other hand on her other breast and slowly, but steadily squeezed and rubbed her naked breasts, noting how she was breathing deeply and had her eyes closed as if to focus on the pleasure he was giving her. "Yes...that's it..." About five seconds later...her pleasure turned into fear and she cringed away from him, and he removed his hands right away and watched her return to normal when he was no longer touching her.

"Your Grace?" Storm Mage asked with concern.

"It wasn't your fault. It's just...I can't help but think of how this started for me..." Sword Maiden said honestly.

"Do you want to leave?" Storm Mage asked.

"No! I've lived like this for too long; if I turn around now, all the efforts thrown into my recovery will mean _nothing_." Sword Maiden said firmly before hugging him, clearly not caring about how his manhood was brushing her abdomen. "Please...you are my last hope Storm Mage. I have been living with this for over a decade, and now an escape is _finally_ within reach. It would be the cruelest sin I've ever committed against myself if I left now. I want to know how one's body should feel, not as a prison...but as a temple to their soul. Take me Storm Mage. Take me into that water. Remove the goblin's touch and replace it with your own. Turn my bleak and painful nightmare into a bright, colorful dream..."

"Of course Your Grace..." Storm Mage said as he held the poor woman in his arms with his own eyes watering. Her craving for salvation, mixed with her broken, yet angelic voice really got to him. He couldn't agree with her more; this kind of pain is enough to pay for any sins a hundred times over, and if he denied her himself...he would be no better than the demons he hunted. She then pulled back a bit, and kissed him deeply as he returned the favor. The two simply stood there kissing each other as the pain drained out of her and was replaced with the knowledge that she was moments away from being healed completely. She then pulled away, and he walked her to the water, and she sat down first, and hugged him again.

"Before we begin...what should I know?" Sword Maiden asked.

"For starters, my responsibility, not just as your protector, but simply as a man, is to make sure you enjoy yourself as much as you can; I don't just want you to like this, but I want you, to want me, to want you to like this. It's not as complicated as it sounds..." Storm Mage said.

"I see...well, I'm certain you have many ways to get me to enjoy this, and I still believe your promise, and that you will keep it." Sword Maiden said.

"You're right on all three accounts. I know just about every way that one can interact with another person's body, some of which are ingenious, while others are just downright cringe-worthy, none of which I'm going to talk about, let alone execute." Storm Mage said.

"Then I will follow your lead." Sword Maiden said.

"First...turn around." Storm Mage said and she turned to him, then he reached to her front, cupped her breasts, and squeezed as gently as he did before, and she leaned back into him and breathed deeper. "Are you alright?"

"Yes...I still recall what happened, but...I can handle this." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Just remember, it's _my_ touch your feeling, and I am here for _you_." Storm Mage whispered in her ear and she shuddered a bit.

"That is precisely why I'm willing to go through this..." Sword Maiden said as he continued handling her. "Can you squeeze harder please?" She started gasping quietly as he complied and she moaned a bit eventually. "Yes...your touch is _so_ much better..."

"This is only one thing I can do for you." Storm Mage said.

"What else do you have in mind?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Would you like me to lick your nipples, or at least handle them with my fingers?" Storm Mage asked.

"Your fingers first." Sword Maiden said with some zest in her voice.

"As you wish." Storm Mage said as he lightly pinched her nipples, rolled them between his fingers, and she rapidly gasped with pleasure.

"Oh! Yes! Don't stop...oh that's _exquisite_...!" Sword Maiden said between gasps as he treated her nipples. "Now, lick them." She then turned to him, and as she asked, he latched onto one of her breasts and licked her right nipple like it was covered in honey and she moaned out loud while she held his head against her chest and he squeezed her left breast again, then he started licking her left nipple as he squeezed her right breast. "Storm Mage, I must be...the luckiest woman you were with, just like you said...!"

"Does my touch free you Your Grace?" Storm Mage said after ceasing to suck her luscious breast.

"Yes...I can feel the goblins' stain on my mind being purged. It's like I was on fire myself for a decade, and now the flames were smothered by the sea." Sword Maiden said.

"I'm happy for you, but there is plenty more I can do for you." Storm Mage said.

"I want it all. I _never_ want to go back to what I was like before; I want your touch to be the only one I can recall." Sword Maiden said firmly.

"And it will be..." Storm Mage said before holding her hips. "Sit up." Sword Maiden then sat up straight before he tilted her head, brushed some hair away from her neck and gave it a minor lick which made her gasp and shudder a bit before he latched onto her neck with his mouth and slid his hands up and down her sides, giving her goosebumps, and eventually, he caressed her buttocks, which made her moan.

"Storm Mage...?" Sword Maiden gasped as he started fondling her.

"Shhhh, like I said, you're supposed to feel beautiful...and you have the single best figure out of all the women I've ever been with, and I promised to give you everything I have." Storm Mage said.

"Tell me how I compare exactly..." Sword Maiden whispered.

"Where do I start...? This silky skin, your light gold hair, your angelic face, your perfectly thick lips I don't think I will ever tire of feeling again my own..." She interrupts Storm Mage by giving him a teasing kiss. "...you also have a voice to match your face..."

"You like my voice?" Sword Maiden asked curiously.

"Your Grace...I could listen to you talk for _hours_. Then again...I would probably silence you with a kiss once or twice in that time." Storm Mage said honestly.

"Then I should speak to you more often." Sword Maiden said with a bright, amused smile before he gave her a short, but sweet kiss.

"As for the rest of your body...I _really_ do not know where to begin. You have the type of figure a good number of women would go into debt to acquire, and a good number of men would go into debt to get their hands on." Storm Mage said.

"You are the only man I will let get his hands on me like this." Sword Maiden said honestly.

"And you...are the only woman I will touch from this point forward. I actually wish I had waited for you to be my first." Storm Mage said.

"Well, just like your touch is on my mind, the way my body feels can be on your mind." Sword Maiden said as she stroked his face.

"And it will. I remember the touch from the other women, but...while part of me is hesitant to let the memory go, the memory of how this body, this soft, flawlessly-proportioned body...is one I will never let go of." Storm Mage said.

"Speaking of which, you never mentioned my proportions." Sword Maiden said.

"Well, these breasts of yours...I'm amazed I can fit them into my hands, not to mention they're so soft they'd probably put a pillow to shame, and your buttocks isn't much different. Your legs? Well, I haven't gotten to them of course, but if they're like the rest of your body, it would be a miracle for me to let them go." Storm Mage said seriously.

"Then waste no more time..." Sword Maiden said.

"It would be more effective if you laid down on the rim." Storm Mage said as she dragged him to the rim, sat on it, then laid down sideways, then he put his hands on her thigh which was just as plump and thick as he remembered.

"Well?" Sword Maiden teased.

"I was right; these legs are just as divine as the rest of you." Storm Mage said as he rubbed her legs with gusto.

"I am happy you're enjoying my body." Sword Maiden said sweetly.

"The Love Goddess has gifted you many times over Your Grace, and myself as well." Storm Mage said he worked her thighs, then her calves, then moved back up her thighs, then stroked her inner thighs and she gasped in pleasure. "I forgot to mention: some parts of the body are more sensitive than others, and knowing what they are can...well, it makes sex all the more enjoyable."

"Like just now?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Yes. Also...what do you think of _my_ body?" Storm Mage asked.

"Well...I have seen how you fight, and your muscles reflect your power, plus it comforts me to know how much magic you possess. In combination, I see how you can use this power in many benevolent ways. As for your body itself...well, in my eyes, you are as handsome as the Ranger, who is quite possibly the most handsome man I've met. Although...the scars on your torso concern me." Sword Maiden said.

"These scars are from battle Your Grace; I was rarely ever a victim." Storm Mage said as he touched one on his side, one on his shoulder, one on his arm, and one on each leg.

"Would you like to be rid of them?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Maybe...but for now, I must ask you something." Storm Mage said before looking at her womanhood. "I want to try touching you between your legs. Like I said, if you're against it, say the word, and I will stop _right_ away."

"I...Give it a try, but please keep your word." Sword Maiden said nervously.

"Just trust me." Storm Mage said before he lightly touched her lower lips with his fingers and he watched her breathe harder, then he gradually increased the intensity gradually and she tensed up, but didn't protest. Eventually she started groaning. "Are you o.k?"

"Just...keep going...I need to face this..." Sword Maiden said between groans as he kept stroking her. As the intensity increased so did her pleasured moans. "Yes..! Keep going...please..!" He obeyed her without hesitation until she eventually let out a series of elongated moans that signaled an orgasm. Quite possibly made even sweeter by what she had to compare it to. She then laid there trying to catch her breathe. "Kiss me..." Storm Mage then placed a string of kisses, each one as passionate as the one before it on her parted lips as he caressed her lovely face...after rinsing his hand in the soapy water of course.

"How are you now?" Storm Mage said against her lips before kissing her again.

"I was right to look forward to this. You...my _dear_ Storm Mage, have freed me from the bubble the goblins trapped me in. I...I owe you everything, just like Ranger said he owes Fighter everything." Sword Maiden said softly before smiling.

"What?" Storm Mage asked.

"How funny. I encouraged them to make love in the very place you freed me." Sword Maiden said softly.

"That is pretty funny. I wonder what their encounter was like?" Storm Mage asked.

"Either way, it also occurred to me that this isn't entirely befitting of an archbishop." Sword Maiden said thoughtfully.

"You're not just an archbishop; you're a woman, one who was trapped in Hell for too long, and now, as you implied, has reached Heaven, or at least Earth." Storm Mage said seriously.

"Your wisdom, kindness, and power rival that of the good Ranger, and his power would not have been possible without you. You deserve a Gold Rank yourself for that, and the siege as far as I am concerned. You're certainly a Gold Rank to me." Sword Maiden said.

"You honor me Your Grace." Storm Mage said.

"Please...in this room, I am simply a woman." Sword Maiden said.

"A woman who feels as divine as she looks?" Storm Mage asked.

"Very much so." Sword Maiden said with a smile.

"You are so brave..." Storm Mage said in awe.

"I never felt brave..." Sword Maiden said somberly.

"But you _are_. Why else would you ask me to come in here with you, baring our flesh, and go through your memories of Hell to get to Heaven?" Storm Mage asked.

"Your love...that's what drove me, not my will." Sword Maiden said.

"Then I am honored to have been your guide...and your guardian." Storm Mage said as they smiled at each other...before she looked at his aroused manhood. "I will not use this on you Your Gr- Sword Maiden. I did not even take a sterility potion."

"Nor I, but one step at a time, right?" Sword Maiden said.

"Right. Although...you can do the same thing to me, as I did to you, if you wish of course." Storm Mage said.

"Do _you_ wish?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Honestly, no. That will not be necessary; we've done plenty as it is." Storm Mage said as he and Sword Maiden continued to stare at each other...before he looked at her lovely breasts again. "Although...would you like-" She cuts him off.

"Yes...!" Sword Maiden whispered harshly as Storm Mage groped her breasts from underneath, and squeezed them gently , but with enough force to make a point, and his efforts were rewarded with her grinning, chuckling, and eventually, moaning as he became more through. Eventually, she gasped as her protector latched onto the closest nipple with his mouth and licked it as she held his head in place. "Keep going...keep going...!" Storm Mage didn't need to be told twice as he pinched her other nipple and twisted it as gently, yet forcefully as he licked the other. He eventually got on top of her to lick the one he was pinching and her gasps and moans only got more high-pitched. "Wait...wait that's enough...!" Storm Mage then stopped and looked at Sword Maiden's face as she tried to catch her breath, and eventually looked at him with a face-splitting smile before reaching up for him to come down and kiss her...and he did. He came down and kissed her as deeply as he could, and the two shifted their bodies against each other with barely noticeable, but extremely welcome sparks going through their skin as they each felt the other rubbing against them.

"You know...this body of yours may be flawless from head to toe...but these breasts, and the way you react when I handle them...?" Storm Mage trailed off.

"These breasts will be available to you, as much as the rest of me." Sword Maiden said as softly as ever before Storm Mage gently squeezed her breast again as she giggled adorably.

"To finish my thought: Some men prefer certain parts of their lady's body, and you now know mine. You know why? Aside from your reaction?" Storm Mage asked while continuing to knead her plump flesh.

"Why...?" Sword Maiden breathed out.

"Actually...that's not a fair comparison; your reaction was just too good to miss, as if the softness I get directly wasn't enough...not to mention how much I have to work with." Storm Mage said before rapidly squeezing both her breasts with just enough force to make them jiggle as Sword Maiden giggled again and actually stopped him.

"O.k. o.k... that's enough..." She said playfully yet seriously before catching her breath. "Thank you so much for this. I'm happier than I've ever been." Storm Mage then pulled her up into an embrace and simply held her close, ignoring her breasts being pressed into his lean torso for once.

"I wasn't too harsh with your breasts was I?" Storm Mage asked with concern.

"I don't think so, but even if you were...I will recover." Sword Maiden said.

"Good." Storm Mage whispered and Sword Maiden snuggled into him some more.

"If I can recover from...that..." She trailed off before Storm Mage approached her ear.

"They will never hurt you again. Like I said before: they may get close, but they'll never touch you again...only _I_ will..." He whispered before they turned their heads to simply press their lips together and hold that position before moving back and looking at each other's faces.

"I love you..." Sword Maiden said.

"And I love you..." Storm Mage whispered before she snuggled into him again. "This is like when I first held you all over again."

"I remember...it was your first real show of love for me." Sword Maiden said.

"And I showed it again; you saw what I did to those goblins, and they'll stay away for good this time...if they know what's good for them." Storm Mage said seriously before she looked at him again and smiled as he ran his hands through her impossibly long hair. "Now I know why you weren't complaining about the hard ground: this hair cushioned you." She then chuckled at his observation before turning somber.

"Quite right...I also why know why I never cut it: it was to prepare me for when my protector...and my lover, would give me salvation." Sword Maiden said before shedding a few tears...that Storm Mage wiped away.

"Please...you've cried for too long as it is. Let's put this unholy mess behind us and go forward." He said softly yet seriously, and Sword Maiden took a moment to compose herself while drying the rest of her tears herself.

"We...we should get to our duties soon." Sword Maiden said as he helped her stand up. "But before we go...touch me again." He then sucked on her neck while gently yet thoroughly fondled her perfectly round, wide, and plump bottom as she surprised him by stroking his manhood and he groaned into her neck right away, and the pleasant vibrations made her press her whole body into his...and flexing her butt while his hands kept working it in the process.

"Did I mention...you can use your...tongue when kissing?" Storm Mage said between groans.

"Do it..." Sword Maiden said before kissing him yet again and lashing tongues with him as she kept stroking his manhood and he kept kneading her butt, then slid his hands up her belly to knead her breasts as well. Eventually he groaned into their kiss as his seed sprayed all over her lower belly. "Don't worry, I'll clean myself in the bath. You get dried and dressed; I will come out later."

"Sword Maiden...?" Storm Mage groaned as she got back in the bath while her wet hair clung to her back and he looked over her thick legs.

"I take less time to dress than you do. Just go, I will follow." Sword Maiden said, and with that...Storm Mage dressed and geared up before leaving her.

"Storm Mage! Sir!" An acolyte called and he turned to see her. "Ranger sent this for you."

"He did not..." Storm Mage said before he took his second sword-whip and compared it to his other. "Oh I'm going to kick ass now..."

* * *

Wizard and her brother were looking into Warrior's sword to see what effect Cherub's blood had on it so they can replicate it, but it was going to take a while; they needed a whole alchemy lab if they were going to replicate the effect, let along mass-produce weapons and armor with the effect on them.

Warrior himself was with Ranger's dad training recruits with Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric assisting with Heavy Warrior and Female Knight watching to see what the recruits can do in sparring. Both of the two veterans sparred with Warrior to show how it was done. Warrior even fought the two at the same time and they couldn't land a single hit, even when they weren't holding back. Warrior jumped over the, ducked and weaved, even grabbed their blades and shoved them aside, and deflected their hits with his shield. Some recruits got involved to "even the odds" and Warrior _still_ held his ground.

"That boy is a one-man-army of trainers..." Ranger's dad said proudly and heard a giggle behind her and it was Cow Girl. "Welcome to the frontlines girl."

"Some way to treat the frontlines sir." Cow Girl said.

"Here to encourage the troops?" Ranger's dad asked.

"What? Why would you ask me that?" Cow Girl asked.

"Come on, men tend to work harder when watched by a lovely maiden." Ranger's dad said with a smile.

"Oh I...I'm just here to see how things are going." Cow Girl said while a bit flustered.

"Well, use your eyes girl." Ranger's dad said as the recruits kept ganging up on Warrior who was still holding his ground. "Is Goblin Slayer with you?"

"Yes. He said he got back from another goblin-slaying quest in Water Town." Cow Girl said.

"Ah, the place my soon-to-be-Platinum Ranked son was married. How did the quest go?" Ranger's dad asked.

"In his words: successful." Cow Girl said.

"How refined." Ranger's dad said sarcastically.

"He's just simple like that." Cow Girl said softly.

"Why he wasn't married you yet is beyond me." Ranger's dad said and Cow Girl got a bit panicky.

"Married? Wha- Where did that come from?" She asked.

"Girl, you're a damn vision, you probably care about him more than anyone else, and he clearly cares about you, even though I see no ring. That man is a damn fool." Ranger's dad said.

"O.k...as much as I appreciate your kindness my good sir...things aren't that simple." Cow Girl said.

"They never are, are they?" Ranger's dad said before Warrior finally got hit by Female Knight...then he slammed her into the ground, tossed her into Heavy Warrior and the recruits backed off.

"Are they alright?" Cow Girl said with concern.

"They'll be fine..." Ranger's dad said.

"Your son's coming!" Cow Girl said before running to him, and Ranger's dad watched her hug his son. "Welcome back."

"Good to be back." Ranger said while hugging the adorable farm girl, then Fighter cleared her throat and the two broke it up.

"That's better..." Fighter said half-jokingly before spotting Rhea Fighter attacking an odd-looking dummy with colored markings on what she recognized as parts of the body were pressure points are, and there was a bald man wearing a brown robe and black pants watching her. "What's she doing?" She then walked over to meet her. "Excuse me? What's going on here?"

"And you are?" The man asked as Rhea Fighter turned to see her.

"A fellow fighter. Now will you please explain to me why you're training her to use such a dangerous style that, from where I'm standing, should be outlawed?" Fighter said seriously.

"Wait, what?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Knowledge of pressure points might be an effective tool, one that's almost impossible to counter as well, but it' notoriously easy to abuse, I'd expect a master to understand that." Fighter said as the man stood up.

"I understand completely young Fighter." Master Fighter said seriously.

"May I ask why she's worthy of such knowledge?" Fighter asked.

"Hey! I'm not going to go around harassing people by saying "give me your stuff or I'll poke you into a coma" or anything funny like that!" Rhea Fighter said indignantly.

"For your sake, I hope not." Fighter said seriously before turning to leave.

"Don't walk away from me! You interrupted my lesson, now you must show me what you can do in combat." Master Fighter snapped and Fighter stopped cold and glanced at him.

"If I did, you wouldn't last five seconds." Fighter said honestly after stopping.

"Then step in the area over there and prove yourself, without your armor." Master Fighter said and Fighter scoffed in amusement.

"You think I'm stupid? I know that if you hit one of my pressure points, I won't be able to do anything for some time, and I cannot afford that, even if my chakra pools opening did undo the effects, which I doubt." Fighter said.

"Chakras? You can open the chakras? That changes everything!" Master Fighter exclaimed.

"Because? Rhea Fighter asked.

"Only a true master can open the chakras and use them in combat. Being able to hit the pressure points on top of that would make someone unbeatable." Master Fighter said.

"Why's her armor a factor?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Because if my pressure points can't be accessed, what's the point of knowing where they are, or how to get at them?" Fighter said.

"Oh..right..." Rhea Fighter said.

"On top of that...good luck hitting pressure points in the middle of an intense fight when your mind is all over the place." Fighter said.

"But with the chakras opened...such an issue, would be no issue." Master Fighter said.

"I suppose not; I can actually feel the world's energy with them opened as well, which includes that of other people." Fighter said.

"Me too." Rhea Fighter said.

"Then neither of you need my training afterall. A good day to you both." Master Fighter said and the two ladies bowed to him, and vice versa, and the ladies left for the training ground for Rhea Fighter, and the tavern for Fighter.

* * *

When she got to the tavern, Ranger was talking to Goblin Slayer's team during lunch time.

"...that cliff you called us from was just where we were after an exploration quest we took, and this time...no goblins." High Elf Archer said.

"What was the place like?" Ranger asked.

"The ruins we found were sacred to the Sea Goddess, the beaches there used to house her priests and priestesses, but the place was abandoned almost five years ago." Lizard Priest said.

"We don't know why though. It could be because someone forced them out, they could've left and couldn't return, they could've even been killed by a plague for all we know." Dwarf Shaman said.

"But no goblins." GS said.

"Which _did_ not make it a waste of time." H.E. Archer snapped.

"Right." GS said.

"So when's the festival in your honor?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"Two days, in the High King's city in the north. Cannot believe I was only Porcelain rank a year ago..." Ranger said and Fighter walked up to him and held his hand.

"And now you're about to become the 11th Platinum Rank, and the rest of us aren't far behind." Fighter said.

"I cannot wait for all of you to join me." Ranger said before kissing the side of her head.

* * *

Back in Water Town, Storm Mage was trying out his dual-wielded sword-whips, and he lashed them around with frightening effect. He twirled one over his head before sweeping the area in front of him, uppercut with the other, spun around, swept out with both, one by one, twirled them in front of him from side-to-side then swept out all around him several times before finishing by slamming his whips into the ground, making an explosion.

* * *

**Well...there you have it, I just turned Storm Mage into electric Kratos...next thing you know he'll start killing gods and raising a kid he keeps calling "Boooooy". But on a serious note, those 3 fighters' talking about pressure points is a reference to the Gentle Fist style in Naruto, and ho boy is it a doozy. Also...spoiler alert, those ruins GS' team mentioned will make an appearance later on, so Rate, Review, and Share, and stay tuned until then. Alright?**


	15. Chapter 8 Part I

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. This is going to be an episode where Fighter gets a time in the spotlight all to herself. How cool is that? Aside from that, this part required me to go back to the drawing board in more ways than one. I'll explain later, for for now...let the show commence.**

**Review Response: Why wouldn't I update this? I didn't call this a passion project because I like the way it sounds/looks.**

**Oh jeez, if Storm Mage kills the god of Wisdom, he would be a complete, absolute, 100%, SHOO-IN for a Platinum Rank...**

**I might as well give the Gentle Fist a shout-out while I was at it with some other things, especially since Fighter is right up that alley.**

**Those ruins and the festival will speak for themselves...**

* * *

On a cliff overlooking a clearing in a tropical forest, a man wearing a black and purple cloak with a hood covering his silver hair was watching some enslaved people dig out a small stone structure.

"As he strolls through the forest, his feet make tracks deeper than the seas. And his voice throughout the heavens is thunder, set to bring pleas." The man said dramatically as a rhea approached him from behind. "What is it now?"

"I bring news from Water Town my liege, the Temple of Law still stands. Not only did the ogre fall to a servant of the War God, but a revenant was also seen. I have reason to believe this servant is also the one who brought down the vampire queen. There is no way he will not be glorified for this." The rhea said.

"He did not act alone." The man said firmly.

"No one could do this alone." The rhea said.

"Do not talk to me like I am an ill-educated child!" the man snapped.

"M-my sincerest apologies my liege! What are my new orders?" The rhea asked.

"How comes the djinn, the weaver of inch, and measure. With a breadth of substance, to guilt a fissure. Send the Warlock to the ruins beyond the forest. I will speak with him there." The man said.

"At once my lord." The rhea said before leaving.

* * *

After lunch, Ranger and GS' teams went back to the exploration quest Ranger pulled GS' team away from, and he had to ask them to remind him where they were so he can send them there, and they all decided to go together. When they got there, they saw the beach houses both on, and beyond the beach itself.

"Wow..." Wizard breathed out as she looked over the primitive, yet decorative houses. Even from a distance they had a pretty simple appeal. Her, and the team's interest grew even more with the environment itself. Tropical trees galore, and some mountains in the distance made the place a prime getaway spot.

"Thinking about setting up a gateway here?" Warrior asked.

"Absolutely." Wizard said.

"Well, while you do that, we're going to check in with the Sword Maiden." Ranger said as he opened a second portal to her main chamber, and even though she wasn't there, they could either wait or ask around.

"Oh, before you go, take this." Wizard said before giving Ranger an event recall gem.

"Thanks." Ranger said before he and Fighter went through the portal, only to be ambushed by Cherub.

"Surprise!" Cherub said and the two snapped their heads up to him.

"Cherub, don't do that." Fighter said dryly and Cherub chuckled at her.

"Lady, the last few days have been pretty grimdark for me, so..." Cherub trailed off.

"Where's Her Grace?" Ranger asked.

"Getting some pain squeezed out of her by her protector." Cherub said simply.

"You mean...?" Fighter asked and Cherub nodded. "Well, good for her."

"Is he treating her well?" Ranger asked seriously.

"Arguably better than you treated her." Cherub said knowingly.

"Cherub! That's private..." Fighter exclaimed.

"Please, we all know how love works, and what goes on in this temple is a secret to no one in Heaven." Cherub said.

"We don't know- I mean need to know...what do you want with us?" Fighter asked after getting a grip.

"We still have a demon problem, and you two each have to save the day again. Yes, the others have their own task to do; I'll let them know later with...an anonymous tip to the Abbot." Cherub said.

"Right...well, what's on the list?" Fighter asked and Cherub opened a portal that reveal an image of an archdemon.

"This archdemon is rampaging through a series of small towns in the country's heartland , and he's making the people destroy their own homes, each other and themselves." Cherub said.

"What?" Fighter asked in horror.

"You dear girl will handle him, you Ranger are to look into a disaster in the oceanic city to the far west, and when you find out what happened, I'll wrap you back here so you can let the Sword Maiden know, then go get your team and stop it from happening again." Cherub said.

"Alright, send us to our missions." Ranger said.

"Uhh, say good-bye first." Cherub said with a raised eyebrow, then Ranger huffed in amusement, hugged Fighter, then they looked each other in the face.

"Good luck my dear." Ranger said.

"Wish that demon luck." Fighter said with confidence before kissing Ranger then going through the portal.

* * *

When Fighter got to her destination, she looked over the carnage, and her boil blooded with the idea that these people killed each other over was essentially nothing. How cowardly could an entity be to turn friends and family into mortal enemies? She then took a moment to get a grip before tuning into the world's power and sense an overwhelming demonic presence in the far distance, then she activated her armor, and ran off in that direction, through even more destroyed towns, jumping, and climbing over obstacles of various types. From destroyed or damaged buildings, to rock formations and trees, to having to jump over entire fields of debris.

When she got to her destination, she found yet another destroyed town...and this one looked freshly destroyed; unlike some of the others, the dead weren't decomposed and the blood was still red. She did her best to contain her rage, especially since this demon apparently thrived on it, but seeing so much at once was horrifying, and downright stupid. She then remembered what her husband said about hope, de-morphed her gauntlet, stroked her ring, smiled a bit, then re-morphed her gauntlet before steeling herself to find and stop this archdemon. She tuned into the world's energy again, and found the same signature. She wasn't going to lose it again! She sprinted full speed in that direction, and heard enraged yelling, crashing, and pained screams as she got close, she then climbed a tree and watched.

It was a complete, town-wide rampage; it was like Ranger's rage spell he cast on the goblins all over again, but this time, it was humans. Men, women, and even children were killing each other with weapons, or their bare hands, and even savaging the dead bodies after they were already dead. She then heard a booming laugh, and there was the archdemon, taller than any of the buildings, with four horns protruding out of it's head, and four clawed hands with dark red skin and fangs watching the massacre with glee.

"Yes! More bloodlust! More hatred! _More_! Lose yourself in the fury! _Give in_ to the thrill of victory! This is a moment of only glory and blood! Hatred is love! Death is life! Pain is joy! Joy is Pain!" The archdemon yelled as he took part in the rampage himself, smashing buildings, stomping and swatting people as they completely ignored him.

"There you are...!" Fighter said as she leaped from the tree, tackled the archdemon into a destroyed building, then some people turned to her, and she paralyzed each one by hitting a pressure point or two as she danced around them like the master she was, then turned to the archdemon who burst out of the building and laughed at her.

"Now there is a fury I can do something with..." He said as he walked towards her with glee, then he throw a fireball that she negate with a punch. She would've dodged it, but there were people to save around her. "You should have let those people kill you. It would have been far more merciful."

"Save it." Fighter snapped as she took a stance and morphed her mask. It was showtime.

* * *

Ranger meanwhile was sent to a beach with massive cliffs and rock piles on the sides, then he ran up and down the beach, found nothing, then he climbed up the cliff, with his harpoon and gauntlets, and when he got to the top...he saw what he was there to look into: not one, but multiple shipwrecks. He then jumped down to he ground, made a hole when he hit the ground, then ran to check out the wrecks, and saw cashes of treasure, clothing, and other goods, and when he used Life Sight...there were no survivors. When he inspected the hull, he noticed a piece of a tooth as he looked at a massive hole; this was destroyed by a sea monster!

"Cherub? I'm done here." Ranger said and Cherub poofed in and shook his head.

"No you're not. This is not the disaster, at least...not all of it." Cherub said.

"What? How?" Ranger asked.

"Do you really think this counts as a disaster? A tragedy yes, but not a disaster, and yes there's a difference; I've been around alot longer than you were." Cherub said.

"Then what _is_ the disaster?" Ranger asked.

"Check the water..." Cherub said and Ranger looked at it, used Life Sight, and only a few schools of fish, and maybe some sharks were seen. "O.k...now will you actually go _into_ the water?"

"This isn't funny. I know this is for me to do, but what are you getting at?" Ranger asked.

"Just get in the water, you'll see the problem." Cherub said, then Ranger reluctantly got into the water, and swam down to the bottom after morphing his mask and helmet to let him breathe. The fish of course swam away, and the sharks simply minded their own business. What did the ocean's apex predator have to fear, even if they were smaller than him? Eventually, he got out to open water, and noticed a series of wreckages floating in he distance, and some ships were sinking so deep he couldn't see where the ocean's bottom was, and just as he was about to swim down to look...a massive shadow loomed in the distance and he watched it pass until it wasn't there anymore. Whatever it was...it wasn't a natural creature. He then swam back to the beach as quickly as he could lest it come back; fighting in the ocean was a little much at this point.

"What was that?" Ranger asked with fear in his voice.

"_That_ was the disaster..." Cherub said simply.

"Can the supplies at least be saved?" Ranger asked.

"These supplies? Yes. The supplies out there? Not with normal means." Cherub said.

"Dammit! Those lives were lost for nothing?" Ranger asked.

"Until further notice, yes they were." Cherub said.

"Take me back to the Temple of Law." Ranger said.

"Don't look at me, _you're_ the one with the portal gem." Cherub said dryly, then Ranger groaned, and opened a portal himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Storm Mage used the event recall gem left by Ranger to watch the battle with the vampire queen, then Sword Maiden walked in.

"I could watch this a hundred times, and probably will. If I knew he was going to pull a stunt like this, I would've looked for him sooner and dragged him along to fight the queen." Storm Mage said proudly.

"I remember you saying you introduced him to the War God." Sword Maiden said as she sat next to him on the bed.

"You're not wrong." Storm Mage as he wrapped an arm around her waist and she leaned on him. "Apparently the vampire queen badmouthed you at one point, and...get this, she tried to tempt him to come work for her, and heh, look at how well that worked out."

"He is quite a devoted warrior, not unlike yourself." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Sword Maiden...if she tempted me before I met you, I probably would've accepted, but...she only didn't because she never got a chance to; we had to retreat before things got too nasty." Storm Mage said.

"What exactly did Ranger say to the queen?" Sword Maiden asked.

"How about we watch the whole thing and find out?" Storm Mage said as the laid down, and watched the entire fight from start to finish. The vampire queen beating Ranger, Hero, and her team to the ground, her temptation, him nearly accepting, then stabbing, chastising, and threatening her for trying to get between him and his family, then saw her transform, tear the place apart with her scream, before Sword Maiden's miracle kicked in, then Ranger pulled the Army of One miracle and he and Hero tore the place apart before Ranger cut off the queen's head as she praised his looks.

"Dear Supreme..." Sword Maiden whispered in awe.

"And we have that kind of power on _our_ side..." Storm Mage said with relief and joy in his voice.

"And it's thanks to you." Sword Maiden said with a smile.

"I suppose it is." Storm Mage said proudly.

"Yet another act redeeming you. I'd give you a Gold Rank myself if I could." Sword Maiden said.

"I actually thought about that, but...I think I'll stay Silver." Storm Mage said.

"But Gold Ranks are viewed as national servants; that kind of prestige could carry you a long way." Sword Maiden said.

"All the more reason to stay Silver. Look, I'm a demon hunter by trade, but that requires freedom. Look at Goblin Slayer, he could easily be Gold Ranked, but he chose to remain Silver so he could do things his way rather than be "tied down" by the government. Besides, it's quite poetic that I remain Silver while you have a Gold Rank; like silver and gold being together." Storm Mage said.

"That is quite poetic." Sword Maiden said before kissing him sweetly, then got on top of him, deepened the kiss, and he wrapped his arms around her frame. "Although...I see myself as superior to you in title and rank only, you know this?"

"I figured as much, although...I do take pride in being your servant, especially in regards to intimacy." Storm Mage said.

"I will never forget your touch..." Sword Maiden whispered before kissing him again. "When will you go out on patrol?"

"In less than an hour, but I'm yours until then." Storm Mage said.

"You can touch me again if you wish." Sword Maiden said.

"I would, but I don't want you to feel like touching you is what you owe me." Storm Mage said.

"Perish the thought. I used to feel like my beauty was a curse, but now...I see why the Love Goddess sees beauty as a gift, to oneself and they one they love." Sword Maiden said as she shifted against him then approached his ear, making her voice as soft as possible, and feeling him ease up.

"I love you as well..." Storm Mage whispered before kissing her slowly and deeply, then she stuck her tongue into his mouth and they lashed together. She was no longer the archbishop at this point; she was just a woman. Storm Mage then reached into the slit in the side of her dress, groped her buttocks, and heard her giggle into their kiss in response as he kneaded her warm, plump flesh. She then tried to remove her dress but Storm Mage stopped her. "Stop...I'm sorry, but if we go at this for too long, I won't be able to stop myself, even if I had to leave."

"I'm sorry..." Sword Maiden said.

"Don't be. I _love_ touching your body." Storm Mage said seriously.

"My body will be available to you when you return..." Sword Maiden said before Storm Mage got up.

"Should I get a sterility potion?" He asked and Sword Maiden looked thoughtful at the point where he got back on the bed and stroked her face. "Just remember whom you're with; you saw me kill a horde of goblins with your own eyes, including the ones who had the nerve to tear into you."

"I will never stopping being grateful for that good Storm Mage, but...it might be some time before I can handle that kind of intimacy." Sword Maiden said honestly.

"Well, when that time comes, I will be there solely to give you pleasure; to hell with my own." Storm Mage said firmly.

"Thank you..." Sword Maiden whispered as she put a hand on her chest.

"Do you remember how I stroked you between your legs?" Storm Mage said and her breathing became shakier. "_That's_ how it's supposed to feel..."

"I will treasure the feeling always..." Sword Maiden said as her protector left he chamber, and when he did...she dropped her composure and started weeping...

* * *

Meanwhile, Fighter engaged the archdemon as he charged her, and she rolled to the side several times, then grabbed a piece of debris the archdemon easily deflected as she threw it, then punched away every hand that tried to grab her, but eventually, one succeeded, then it threw her across town into a gang of enraged people that attacked her, then she stunned each with one strike. Then caught a piece of rubble the archdemon threw at her, and threw it back only for the archdemon to punch it to pieces and Fighter came through the mess and kicked him in the lower chest, then the archdemon grabbed her, slammed her into the ground and she rolled away before it could stomp her to a paste. She then had to deflect and dodge a series of punches from the archdemon and this time, she grabbed it's arm, only for it to pick her up and flick her across town yet again.

"Pathetic! Who taught you how to fight?" The archdemon asked.

"None of your business." Fighter said sharply.

"Touched a nerve did I? Good, let's see where that aggravation leads you." The archdemon said before barraging her to fireballs she flatout dodged, and she noticed her anger was making it more difficult, so she took cover, and took a moment to calm down...only for the archdemon to surprise by crashing down from above in front of her; it must have jumped. She then ran between it's legs, pulled one out from underneath it, but it caught itself on the other leg, then turned around a backhanded her across the floor. "Whoever taught you must be so proud. If only they could see you now."

"He'd be _proud_ to see me face an archdemon." Fighter snapped.

"More like he'd be aghast..." The archdemon said smugly, before Fighter yelled, charged the demon and got kicked into a house as the archdemon laughed at her. "And rightfully so, anger really suits you well."

"My...anger...is my enemy." Fighter said as she recovered.

"Nonsense, anger is why you're fighting me now, don't bother denying it! What would the people you saw die think? Surely a great and mighty adventurer can handle one demon?" The archdemon said before laughing at her as she yelled and charged at him again only to dodge a kick, then punch it right in the side of it's knee making the archdemon yell in pain, before Fighter climbed up it's back, stabbing it several times with her blades, then tried to break it's neck by grabbing it's horns, only for it to violently shake her off. "You're going to pay for that!" It then looked around for her as she wisely hid from it under a small pile of debris and she listened to it walk around in one place after another she wasn't even near. "I will find you, sooner or later. I know your feelings little girl. You hate me. You want to kill me. You...want to protect these people...and...your daughter? Ah, your fear proves me right. It's a shame she will grow up without her mother. But don't fret, after I'm done with you, she will join you...in my _belly_!" Fighter then yelled, burst out of her hiding place, the archdemon snapped it's head to her and she charged right at it, activating her force enchantment and traded punches with it, not even caring if she got hit or not.

"No one threatens my daughter!" Fighter screamed as she kept trying to hit the archdemon, as it did the same while laughing.

"I wonder why you even _had_ a daughter? You must be quite a whore to sleep with her father." the archdemon said.

"SHUT UP!" Fighter screamed as she got grabbed, kicked the arm that grabbed her, only to get grabbed with another arm, and finally restrained by all four of it's arms and tried to keep herself from getting pulled apart as her rage turned into pain.

"Yes! Come on girl! Give in to your anger! Let it all out! You know you cannot win otherwise..." The archdemon said, and she started weeping at the thought of dying to this creature...then as she let it go, her seven chakras opened for her and she freed herself by crushing the hands holding her own as the archdemon yelled in pain, then slammed her into the ground, and stomped on her...only for her to punch it's foot hard enough to crack the bones inside, and knocked it down. "WHAT?!"

"You...have insulted my father's teachings...my personal honor...hurt countless people...and threatened my _child_...I hope the rampage you went on is worth it, because you're not going to enjoy this..." Fighter growled, and the archdemon charged at her, only for her to weave around it's punches without trouble, then she climbed up, down, and around it's body as it spun around and tried to grab her, and slam her into buildings, only to impale itself on broken supports. Meanwhile, she was purging more and more of her anger every second as her Mushin was kicking in until it was gone completely, then he archdemon roared as it freed itself from the support it was impaled on.

"Where is your anger? How can you fight me without anger?" The archdemon yelled as it charged a fireball in each hand, combined them, and launched it at Fighter, who stood her ground, stopped it, then pushed it back as it exploded in the archdemon's face.

"A better question is how can you fight _with_ anger?" Fighter asked as she walked up to it's broken body, then she broke one of it's horns, making it roar in pain, then she shut it up by jamming the horn into it's throat and watched it drown in it's own blood and dissolve. "Reap what you sow, demonic asshole..."

* * *

The man who oversaw the digging in the ruins watched the entire fight from a floating platform in the Limbo dimension and the archdemon's soul joined him there.

"This woman is as stubborn as her father, and even more powerful. If she and the rest continue, my plans will fall flat on their faces." The man said before turning to some goblin paladins with the same taint as the other goblins. "All of you, make sure their touching little crusade grinds to a halt."

"Yes..." one of the paladins breathed out as they walked off.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter each took a portal back to the Temple, and when Ranger saw how beaten Fighter was, he was at her side right away.

"Fighter! Oh Fighter...what happened to you?" He asked with concern as he held her up.

"That archdemon, it was tougher than I thought it would be." Fighter said.

"Did you win?" Ranger asked.

"Yes. It was attacking a town, but I stopped it and saved at least half the people there." Fighter said.

"Oh my love, that's wonderful news." Ranger said as he hugged her close but not tightly; he didn't want to hurt her more.

"Ranger...he actually stirred my own rage..." Fighter said with shame in her voice and Ranger looked at her. "He didn't just frustrate me, he got personal; he insulted my father's teachings, he called me a whore, simply for having a daughter-" Ranger cut her off.

"What?! How did it know that?" He asked with alarm.

"I don't know, but please listen to me!" Fighter snapped before getting a grip. "I don't believe a word he said, but..."

"The heat of the moment is a bitch sometimes, especially if you're exposed to what you never really trained for." Ranger said.

"I'm just glad it's over..." Fighter said softly before Ranger kept hugging her. "Ranger..."

"Shhh...just let me hold my wife..." Ranger whispered and Fighter stood there before hugging him back and the two stood there for the better part of a minute shifting every now and then. "Now, the disaster I looked into was a series of ships being destroyed."

"No..." Fighter whispered in horror.

"Yes and...I don't know what it was, but a creature destroyed them. A _big_ one." Ranger said.

"What do we do?" Fighter asked.

"We'll need more information about it, and get the team of course." Ranger said before opening a portal to the frontier.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wizard was working of replicating the effect of mixing angel, demon, and dragon blood together like Cherub did with Warrior's sword...after paying out the ass for an alchemy lab. She tried placing the effect on a blade...before the thing melts and explodes, spraying cool liquid metal everywhere.

"Damn, stupid, motherfucking piece of _shit_!" Wizard yelled in frustration before pounding a table.

"What the hell happened here?" Fighter asked looking over the room.

"What do you _think_ happened here?! That's the sixth time in a row that happened to me!" Wizard snapped.

"What did you do?" Ranger asked.

"Oh, how about try to replicate the effect on Warrior's sword, so the average person can protect themselves in case of a demonic _goblin_ attack! Now, unless this is important, please get out." Wizard said impatiently.

"How about a sea monster sinking ships left and right?" Ranger said seriously and Wizard went pale.

"Please tell me you're joking..." She said while shaking.

"I wish." Ranger said and Wizard sat down.

"Fuck me...any game plan?" Wizard asked.

"Get information about it, find it's weak point, and hit it hard." Ranger said.

"Subtle." Wizard said with a chuckle. "Wait, I've got an idea. Fighter, can you do that...world energy tapping trick you do?"

"Yeah. Why?" Fighter asked.

"What if it were possible to combine it with the Life Sight spell in some way? Then we could find the creature wherever it may be!" Wizard said.

"Isn't that alittle...extreme? The country, nevermind the ocean, is enormous." Fighter asked.

"We don't have to use it on the whole country, just a piece at a time, starting with this town, well...an area as big as this town." Wizard said.

"Still...that kind of strain could kill either of you, and that risk is out of the question." Ranger said seriously.

"Of course, it's just food for thought." Wizard said.

"If you know a way for whomever uses this tactic to be able to bare the strain, then it could be considerable, but until then...it's off the table." Ranger said.

"Right, so...how are we going to find this beast anyhow?" Wizard asked.

"Well...it's in bad taste, but we'll have to look for ships and wait for something to happen." Ranger said and both ladies looked at him funny. "Look,the place I investigated is close to an oceanic city, a place famous for importing and exporting goods, and this creature was likely put there to stop it, unless it simply woke up and developed a taste for ships, which I doubt, so unless someone wants to search the entire ocean for a creature so big it's shadow can bloat out the horizon, we're waiting at the cliffs."

"Before we do...I've been putting on a brave face, but that archdemon I fought really did a number on me." Fighter said.

"Say no more..." Ranger said as he helped his wife sit down and left to find Priestess.

"You beat an archdemon?" Wizard asked with her eyes popping out of their sockets.

"Yes, physically and mentally; the damned bastard tried to make me lose my temper, and lose _to_ my temper." Fighter said.

"Holy shit..." Wizard said and Priestess showed up a few seconds later.

"How bad is it?" Priestess asked.

"Pretty bad..." Fighter said before Priestess sprinkled holy water on her staff.

"Hear me O merciful Earth Mother. Place your hand on this your child, and heal her." Priestess prayed and Fighter started glowing and sucked in a breath as her bones stopped aching, her joints became less stiff, and her back became more cooperative.

"Thank you." Fighter said and Priestess smiled and nodded, then Fighter stood and hugged her husband tightly. "Now I can hug you for real..."

"Now that's one to grow on." Ranger said before the two kissed briefly but sweetly.

* * *

Ranger then opened a portal to the top of the cliff he saw the wreckages and the team starred at them in awe and concern. Priestess even collapsed to her knees in shock and horror; she always was a sensitive soul, except towards her foes. Ranger didn't even pay attention to the team speaking to themselves as he saw some sort of phantom image in the corner of his eye. It was a strange man in a cloak staring at the horizon. There was a series of ships...then the man raised his arms and spoke in a strange tongue that according to the team's lack of a reaction, only Ranger could hear.

"Everyone! Heads up!" Ranger yelled and the team snapped to attention, then...the ships were all smashed all at once by a massive fish that popped up out of the water and it dived back underwater with it's length becoming more and more apparent every second.

"Ho...ly..shit..." Warrior said shaking in terror as the fish kept surfacing and diving the length of it's body for about 30 seconds. How long was this thing?! When it eventually showed it's tail before going back underwater, the ships were in pieces, if they were even present. "Holy shit...ho..ly...SHIT!"

"Sword Maiden!? Are you seeing this?" Ranger said after opening a portal to her chamber.

"Yes Ranger. I also just sensed a- No...a series of ships just went down, just off the coast from where it happened last-" Ranger barely let her finish.

"Your Grace...it's a giant fish! The Evil Sect is destroying ships with a _giant fish_!" Ranger exclaimed before looking back at the ocean.

* * *

**Holy shit indeed Warrior. Anyway, that was actually a Gears of War reference. For those of you that don't know, in Gears of War 2, you kill a worm that's several miles long from the inside out, and a giant fish later on by throwing bombs down it's throat, well...this is both those cases in one. As for why I went back to the drawing board...that man who summoned that fish is one I had scenes in mind for, but I forgot them until a few hours from when I got started on this chapter. But that's enough for now. Who is the man? Why is he doing these things? How will he fit into the story? Rate, Review, and Share and stay tuned to find out.**

**P.S. thumbs up to Fighter for kicking demon ass...**


	16. Chapter 8 Part II

**Happy April Fool's Day and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. The team sure have one hell of a fish to fry don't they? Not to mention that mystery guy who summoned it. Well...let's get to it shall we?**

**Review response: Yeah...the Evil Sect better bring their A-game if they're going to fight the team after the stunts they pulled.**

**I somehow didn't consider the idea of the townsfolk needing therapy, although...Fighter knocked their asses out out, so at least the damage was healed at least a bit, or at the very least was prevented from being worse. As for how it knew about her child...well, it demonstrated that it can read people's feelings, and by extension know what those feelings are towards.**

**Also...I'm pretty sure Doom Guy would be proud of her for killing the archdemon with it's own horn; that demonic asshole, as the rolling quip goes, sure learned what happens when you threaten Fighter's baby anyway you slice it. She's on her way to becoming a female Doom Slayer herself; she definitely Rip-and-Tear's like one...as if this wasn't enough of a tribute already... **

**Nevermind smearing goblin blood all over themselves, the team was brutalizing goblins left and right in just about every way you can think of, including ripping out their guts and leaving them to die as they tried to put their guts back inside their abdomens, so...if they kill that beast of a fish, it won't be too bad.**

**I'm sure Wizard's failures weren't funny to her...although, it's quite an early April Fools Day for her wasn't it?**

* * *

"This...this is insane...dear Supreme in Heaven..." Wizard whispered while shaking.

"Nevermind doing enough damage, how are we supposed to fight that thing? We're literally out of our element." Warrior asked.

"Who knows...?" Fighter said with some uneasy breathing of her own.

"Let's just return to the Temple of Law..." Ranger said as they went through the portal he opened and Sword Maiden was still there waiting for them.

"Your Grace...what was that thing?" Warrior asked.

"I'll answer that." Cherub said after poofing in.

"Well, don't leave us in the dark-" Cherub barely let Wizard finish.

"A leviathan, and not just any leviathan; the oldest, largest, and most vicious." Cherub said seriously.

"How are we supposed to fight it?" Wizard asked.

"You're not, you're supposed to kill it, and don't tell me one comes before the other; assassins kill without fighting all the time." Cherub said.

"Still...how do we kill something without getting underwater and being at it's mercy?" Ranger asked.

"Get it above water then hit it as hard as you can. Duh." Cherub said.

"Wait, I have a lightning hammer-" Cherub cuts Warrior off.

"You better bring a ton of lightning with you; that leviathan is roughly five miles long." Cherub said.

"Five miles?!" The whole team exclaimed at once.

"You saw the thing with your own eyes. Is it really that hard to believe?" Cherub asked.

"Still, that's quite a number." Fighter said.

"Hey boss? Can you use that Army of One miracle again?" Wizard asked.

"Yes, but only once more this week, so it's only if I absolutely need it." Ranger said.

"Right. Wizard said.

"Well, here's hoping it doesn't really matter." Warrior said.

"If you're going to fight this thing, you're going to need some help; you all might be powerful, but this leviathan isn't just large, it's also incredibly durable; a normal sword or even a ballista would be useless. I've seen some ships that were sunk shooting ballistas, or even large guns called cannons at it, and the leviathan wasn't even phased by it." Cherub said.

"O.k...that's just great." Fighter said.

"Wait...what about my new sword?" Warrior asked.

"That might work." Cherub said.

"Then could you _please_ show me how to replicate the effect?" Wizard pleaded.

"As long as you promise not to abuse it." Cherub said seriously.

"Yes." Wizard said honestly.

"Then hold still." Cherub said before flying towards her, and lightly poking her forehead, his fingertip glowed, and Wizard snapped her eyes open and sucked in a breath.

"Whoa...I know how to do it now..." Wizard said under her breath.

"What did you do?" Ranger asked.

"I gave her the knowledge of how to replicate the effect. What's it look like I did?" Cherub said with a raised eyebrow.

"Smart alec..." Ranger said dryly.

"You have a fish to fry. Get hopping." Cherub said before poofing away.

"Dammit!" Ranger yelled.

"What?" Fighter asked.

"He left before I could ask him about the man I saw." Ranger said.

"What man?" Wizard asked.

"I saw...some sort of phantom image of a man floating in mid-air, just before the leviathan attacked." Ranger said.

"We didn't see any man." Warrior said.

"Probably because you weren't looking, then again...he also spoke some sort of language I didn't know." Ranger said.

"Probably the language of the Demon Lord. The demons have their own language just like all races do, and those that learn it, can use unspeakably dark magic, including the power to control minds." Sword Maiden said.

"So...this man is controlling the leviathan and commanding it to attack ships?" Ranger asked with alarm.

"Most likely." Sword Maiden said.

"That's spooky..." Fighter said.

"Well, we'll deal with him later, first...we have a fish to fry." Warrior said

"Should...we get Goblin Slayer and company in on this?" Wizard asked.

"He's not going to want to fight a gigantic fish monster." Warrior said.

"We might get jumped by some of those hell goblins on the way, and he'll be on board for that any day." Fighter said.

"Good point." Warrior said.

"Then it's settled. Find him and his team, and stop that leviathan before any more lives are lost." Sword Maiden said seriously before Ranger opened a portal to the frontier, and the team went to the guild hall.

* * *

"Welcome back team." Guild Girl said warmly.

"Is Goblin Slayer here?" Ranger asked.

"He...should be around- oh, there he is." Guild Girl said as she spotted GS standing there as if waiting for someone...without his armor. Everyone knew what he looked like now, so there was no point hiding his face now.

"Goblin Slayer, do we have a quest for you." Warrior said.

"What is it?" GS asked.

"A leviathan." Warrior said.

"What's that?" GS asked.

"A giant fish monster that's tearing through ships to and from the oceanic city." Wizard said.

"No goblins?" GS asked.

"There might be; those hell rifts can appear anywhere remember?" Fighter said.

"Give me a moment first." GS said.

"For what?" Ranger asked.

"My armor is being worked on." GS said simply.

"O.k...you really need to let me work on it; it could save you time, effort, and money in the long run, and that smith you hired can serve people other than you." Wizard said.

"Maybe." GS said.

"If you had earlier, we would be on our way by now!" Wizard exclaimed.

"Maybe." GS said.

"Oh for crying out loud..." Wizard said under her breath.

"Give it a rest baby." Warrior said as he put a hand on her shoulder and she eased up a bit.

"Sir Ranger! It is good to see you and your friends again." Lizard Priest said as he came down the stairs before his two companions.

"And what's this leviathan I heard about doing on this world?" High Elf Archer asked seriously.

"What do you mean?" Ranger asked.

"According to legend, the leviathans are abyssal creatures spawned from the deepest, darkest pit of Hell. What are they doing here?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Your guess is probably better than mine, but it needs to be stopped regardless." Ranger said.

"Well, count us in. How about you Beard-Cutter?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"I guess." GS said.

"Well, let's go get Priestess and break the news to her." Fighter said.

"But before we go...do any of you know where the oceanic city is?" Ranger asked.

"Unfortunately no." Lizard Priest said, then Dwarf Shaman shook his head.

"I'm lost too." H.E. Archer said, then Ranger went to Guild Girl.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Do you know where the oceanic city is?" Ranger asked then Guild Girl sifted through a collection of maps.

"Here it is." She said before handing it over.

"This checks out." Ranger said.

"May I ask?" Guild Girl asked.

"A leviathan." Ranger said and her eyes widened.

"But...I thought those were a myth." Guild Girl said with disbelief.

"They're real alright; we saw one with our own eyes." Ranger said seriously.

"And it's destroying ships left and right along the oceanic city's coast." Fighter said.

"No..." Guild Girl whispered.

"Don't worry, we're going to stop it. I don't know how, but we'll think of something." Ranger said.

"I wish you the best of luck..." Guild Girl said seriously as Ranger and GS' teams left.

"Unfortunately I need a visualization of where I'm supposed to be, and this map doesn't do much. How's my horse?" Ranger asked Warrior.

"I looked after her as if I raised her myself boss." Warrior said.

"It's true; I even gave him a hand." Wizard said.

"In that case, we're going to need a ride." Ranger said.

"And maybe when this is over we could pay a visit to that collection of beach houses Wizard made a gateway to?" H.E. Archer asked.

"A beach would be a pleasant place to get some rest." Lizard Priest said.

"I thought your people didn't stick to beaches Scaly?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"We don't, but as cold-blooded creatures, we do enjoy the difference in climate if the time is right." Lizard Priest said.

"Well, I for one would love to get some sun." H.E. Archer said softly.

"What about you Sir Goblin Slayer?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Maybe." GS said.

"Oh come on, you have to learn to enjoy yourself outside of killing goblins Orcbolg." H.E. Archer said cheekily.

"Right." GS said before going to get his stuff when an apprentice smith signaled him.

"And he's off..." Warrior said dryly.

"Well, let's set up my horse and wait for him and Priestess to show up." Ranger said.

"I'll get my brother and Rhea Fighter." Wizard said.

"And I'll go get Priestess." Fighter said as she ran to the temple as the rest set up the horse and cart for the trip.

* * *

"I knew we should have joined the vampire queen against the Hero the first time." Warlock said to the silver-haired man as they both overlooked the excavation, done by slaves...

"And if you had found the husk of the Demon Lord's pet like you were supposed to a year ago, we would have been able to!" The man exclaimed.

"To think she'd fall to a pack of little girls and a brat..." Warlock said.

"That "pack of little girls and a brat" are clearly strong enough to pull off feats worthy of a Platinum Rank adventurer. You would be wise to remember that. I am amazed the Demon Lord puts up with all of you. He would shred your souls and scatter the pieces across the world if he knew what I knew." The man said.

"Well, he's not here is he?" Warlock said smugly before the man gripped his hand.

"Care is well-advised, Warlock. Do not forget it was by _my_ doing you returned from the grave. You owe me more than you owe your mother." The man said sharply as the man's hand rapidly decayed then was restored when the man let go. "Now, from what I've heard, there will be a festival celebrating this Ranger person's victory over Her late Majesty, this will be a golden opportunity."

"We should hit them then and there!" Warlock said.

"No. The leviathan will handle him and his team." The man said.

"What if they kill the beast?" Warlock asked.

"What if they do? I always had a feeling they would be a match for it, but as far as I'm concerned, it's a win-win." The man said.

"Oh?" Warlock said.

"Think about it. If it kills them, then we have nothing to worry about by default. If it doesn't, we'll get a sense of what we're dealing with. Either way...it will be a victory." The man said.

"What if the Sword Maiden intervenes again?" Warlock asked.

"She will not. The last time she did, she burned out her powers; only the intervention of others protected her from the goblin assault. But even if she regains her full power, it will not be before I obtain the husk from the Pope." The man said.

"Excellent! I can taste our victory already." Warlock said with glee.

"Do not get too confident. We have not obtained our victory until we have obtained our victory. Come, we have ruins to restore..." The man said.

* * *

Meanwhile, the hybrid team was riding to the oceanic city which was going to take an average of three hours, and who knows what happen in that time?

"It just occurred to me that this oceanic city will be a place we set up new assets, like we did in Water Town." Wizard said.

"That's a good point." Priestess said seriously.

"We'll see what happens. Although...a gateway could be called for." Ranger said.

"Me and Wizard might even move there, if things are well enough. Sheesh, look at us, we go from high-tier adventurers to potential tycoons...how?" Warrior said.

"It's called being ambitious." H.E. Archer teased.

"You don't say..." Warrior said dryly.

"Depending on what this oceanic city is like, that's not a bad idea." Priestess said.

"So, anything new?" Ranger asked

"Actually, I actually looked into illusion magic a bit more in my spare time, and...holy shit..." Wizard said.

"What did you discover Lady Wizard?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Well, usually it's done to play tricks on people, either inside, or outside of battle, but when it's used in battle, it either gives a...pretty obvious edge over your enemy. Afterall, how do you beat someone when you can't even trust your senses?" Wizard asked.

"Good point. Just the idea is pretty scary." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Now, the lesser spells can be broken simply by the target's awareness of the fact they're under the spell, but the higher-lever ones? Totally different story." Wizard said.

"Dare I ask?" Fighter said.

"Well...in extreme cases they can cause so much psychological trauma that it physically damages their brain." Wizard said.

"Yikes!" Fighter exclaimed and several others got pale as well.

"Not only that, but people caught in a high-level illusion spell are actually aware of the fact they're under the effects of one...but can't do anything about it." Wizard said.

"Sounds like something to use against the goblins." Ranger said.

"I agree." GS said.

"Typical..." H.E. Archer said.

"Hey, I used my fair share of illusion magic. A Rage and Fear spell respectively." Ranger said.

"Please don't remind us." Wizard's brother said.

"Anyway, illusion magic can be used benevolently, like all magic types, like showing someone memories, like the event recallers, or in the best cases, healing minds with some sort of powerful knowledge." Wizard said.

"Oh?" Fighter said.

"Say you go through something...really bad, and you can't deal with it, then you learn how to deal with it. Well, thanks to illusion magic, you can share your newfound wisdom with others, and boom, they're equipped to deal with whatever you went through." Wizard said.

"Sounds good on paper, but does it work?" Ranger asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'd kill a legion of goblins by myself to learn if that's doable." Wizard said.

"At this rate, you might be able to." Fighter said with a smile, which was returned.

"I for one would love to see that." Warrior said.

"As would I Lady Wizard." Lizard Priest said.

"O.k. o.k...I get the point." Wizard said while flushed.

"Regardless, illusion magic is fairly controversial, hence why we haven't spoken about it out in the open all this time. Even healing minds with it is probably going to divide opinions." Wizard's brother said.

"But...using magic to heal minds-" Wizard cuts H.E. Archer off.

"People don't like having their minds messed with, period. To some people, magic isn't natural, and by default, isn't trustworthy, especially if it's used intimately." Wizard said.

"And what could be more intimate than messing with people's heads...?" Warrior said.

"Right, some people get disturbed by the thought; if it were to actually be used on them...they'd probably go berserk." Wizard said.

"This...illusion magic that damages the brain sounds like it's own slice of Purgatory, and the idea of healing PTSD sounds like a complete shoo-in for a holy person to have." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"Indeed, each end of that spectrum is intriguing, but I pray to every god in existence that the former knowledge does not fall into the wrong hands." Lizard Priest said.

"So do I." Priestess said softly. The poor girl must be shaking like a leaf inside; even Ranger was a bit disturbed by the thought of someone being traumatized that badly, especially for someone's sadistic game.

"Also...Summoner stopped by and taught me a thing or two about that World Spawn thingie he summoned at the vampire queen's fortress." Wizard's brother said.

"Me too." Wizard said.

"And?" Fighter asked.

"According to him, the World Spawn is, without contest, the most powerful creature that can be summoned with arcane means alone." Wizard's brother said.

"It also uses fire, water, earth, air, and sometimes ice and lightning, not to mention it's as big as a tree, at _least_, and does not lose speed because of it's bulk; it's actually about twice as fast as a horse at top speed, maybe even three times." Wizard said.

"Holy shit on a _stick_! And you _both_ learned how to make one?" Warrior exclaimed.

"Not yet, but once we do...the Evil Sect had better watch it." Wizard's brother said with pride.

"Don't get cocky. We had to band together, use high-end abilities, sharp tactics, or all three at the same time to conquer our foes so far, and that's not likely to change anything some. Brute force approaches might be attractive, but that alone is going to get you only so far." Ranger said.

"Yeah, yeah, we hear you. but think of the perks, especially if the two of us draw power from the World Spawns; we'd be our own armies!" Wizard's brother said.

"That would be a sight to behold alright." H.E. Archer said as she leaned back.

"See? Long Ears gets the message." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Very funny." H.E. Archer said.

"I was also given the miracle of Purge while you were away." Priestess said.

"Purge? That sounds like what the Abbot used during the time we watched him fight off those demons when we met him." Warrior said.

"You remember that?" Fighter teased.

"It's hard not to! That fight blows my mind to this day." Warrior said.

"Although...Restoration is the only one I have yet to acquire.

"Isn't Restoration what the Sword Maiden used during our fight with the vampire queen?" Wizard asked.

"Yes, but I doubt I can make it that powerful." Priestess said.

"You don't have to." Ranger said.

"Right...just the fact that you can save our skins with it is good enough." Fighter said as she rubbed the younger girl's arm as they side-hugged.

* * *

About an hour later, the team stopped at a clearing, Ranger gave the horse some fruits and veggies, and some water from a large bag, as the team set up to have their own lunch. Warrior and Lizard Priest looked around for firewood so they can cook some things, Fighter and Priestess kept an eye peeled for any hell rifts, H.E. Archer and Dwarf Shaman actually cooperated well enough during their camp's set-up that no one got a headache from their ramblings. Ranger then joined the set-up when his horse was satisfied. GS then helped him bring some food with Fighter and Priestess joining as well.

"Oh...sweet nectar!" Lizard Priest said as he ate some cheese-covered meat and slammed his tail into he ground.

"Do you _ever_ get sick of that stuff?" Rhea Fighter asked amused.

"Not at all..." Lizard Priest said in bliss.

"We also had ice cream made every now and then, and...it is all the rage; the stall we have set up almost every afternoon is practically _exploding_ with people each time we open it." Wizard's brother said.

"Especially since we practically give it away; we make so much coin that we barely know what to do with it, so we sell the stuff for chump change basically." Warrior said.

"Aren't you guys generous?" Fighter said.

"You are clearly doing the gods' work, giving such away such a delicacy." Lizard Priest said seriously.

"It's a shame we rarely get to talk about these things so freely." Priestess said somberly.

"Well, to be fair, we don't get many chances, what with the country needing to be supported and business coming between us, not to mention...things just don't come to mind." Wizard said.

"Still, the five of us are practically _family_; we were with each other since the beginning, and I would love to see us remain this close." Priestess said and Fighter put her hand on her shoulder.

"Hey...we're here now, and we're not drifting apart anytime soon. Even if life comes between us, we're still the team you know... o.k?" Fighter said.

"O.k..." Priestess said with a small smile as Fighter hugged her surrogate little sister.

"Aren't you guys adorable?" H.E. Archer said seriously.

"Give them their moment Long Ears; you can practically feel how close they are from here." Dwarf Shaman said.

"The only person I feel close to me is you, though I could probably feel you being close from the other side of the field." H.E. Archer said.

"Knock it off you two." Ranger said seriously.

"Is something wrong boss?" Warrior asked and Ranger sighed.

"Well, before I say my problem, I do agree with my wife; we are the team that aided Goblin Slayer's campaign, and look what we have to show for it. We're _this_ close to Gold, or in my case, quite possibly a _Platinum_ Rank-" H.E. Archer cuts him off with an exclamation.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" She asked.

"I didn't get the chance to." Ranger said simply.

"Still, congratulations Sir Ranger. You will be the 11th Platinum Rank in history." Lizard Priest said with reverence.

"So I've heard. I cannot believe I was Porcelain Ranked just over a year ago..." Ranger said.

"We all were, and thanks to you, our great and honorable leader...here we are." Warrior said and Ranger couldn't help but smile.

"Anyway...part of why I agreed to ask Goblin Slayer along is that he's a master of improvisation, and we're probably going to need it." Ranger said.

"Can you treat it like a goblin?" GS asked and several people groaned.

"How can you treat a colossal fish monster like a goblin?" Warrior asked.

"I don't know." GS said.

"You can't!" Warrior, Wizard, her brother, Fighter, and H.E. Archer all said at once.

"Oh..." GS said.

"You're hopeless..." Fighter said.

"Anyway, apparently people actually shot the monster with ballistas, and even cannons, and it wasn't even tickled." Ranger said.

"Eh, considering what you did to the vampire queen's home, it's probably going to get "tickled" all over the sea." Warrior said half-jokingly.

"I can't just pull the Army of One miracle out of my ass." Ranger said seriously.

"Can't you just pray for another- Ranger cut Priestess off.

"No, Army of One isn't some trick card I can slip into one sleeve and pull out the other; it's practically a world-ender." Ranger said.

"Good Ranger...if you need to use the power you were given, then use it. There is no shame in using this kind to power when you need it in the moment, even if you _might_ need it later." Dwarf Shaman said.

"I'm not using it unless there's no other option, end of story. If you want me to use it, exhaust _every_ other option first." Ranger said.

"It is his power Sir Mage, therefore it is his responsibility to use it as he sees fit, and be willing to both face the consequences and reap the rewards that come his way." Lizard Priest said.

"Alright alright." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Another option could be our chakras." Fighter said.

"Oh yeah, that's right! Our chakras opening might make you and me an Army of On- I mean Two." Rhea Fighter said.

"O.k. I've got to learn to do that someday..." Warrior said.

"Hey, once I upgrade your suit fully, you'll probably be Hero-level normally." Wizard said.

"That, plus the chakras would be even more beastly." Warrior said.

"Don't get greedy now." Fighter said with a small chuckle, then several hell rifts opened behind them and Priestess put some holy water on her staff as the teams braced for a fight, and Lizard Priest summoned a Dragontooth warrior to fight with them. Next thing they knew, dozens of hell goblins poured out of them and charged the team, and Warrior morphed a crossbow, and opened fire as Fighter and H.E. Archer shot arrows at the goblins. GS, Lizard Priest and the summoned warrior crave through the goblins while they were getting shot at. Dwarf Shaman slung rocks at the goblins to boot, Priestess shined holy light on them to weaken them after pouring holy water on her staff, and Ranger himself pulled his pistol and blew the goblins' brains out one by one. He eventually ran out of bullets and put it away so it could remake it's ammo, then morphed his blades, and joined the slaughterfest by punching and kicking the goblins to a paste, as a hell shroud appeared, and four hell goblin champions appeared and...they looked familiar...

"Wait...those are the same ones the Revenant killed at the farm a year ago!" H.E. Archer exclaimed as a larger portal appeared and a goblin paladin showed up.

"Oh shit, somebody upgraded." Warrior said in awe as Ranger pulled his gun, opened fire, and the bullets bounced off the paladin's armor, and it got mad and yelled at the "sky", and the champions each surged with hell energy, and Priestess evened the odds with an Empower miracle, and Fighter and Warrior de-morphed their weapons, Warrior pulled his sword as Fighter popped her arm and leg blades and they joined the massacre. Wizard and her brother summoned elementals and familiars to help out as the champions got involved. The paladin pulled a pair of large, serrated swords and shredded the familiars with grace that rivaled Ranger's, whom had to engage the paladin up-close with a greatsword, since he was the only one strong enough to do so. The champions were occupied by a stone elemental, one for each of them, but they two struggling sides actually got smart and hit opponents their teammates were occupied with. Rhea Fighter was trying to open her chakras, but the noise was making it hard to open the chakra blocked by fear, and without it...the rest won't follow.

"I'm running out of arrows!" H.E. Archer yelled, then Wizard's brother bashed a goblin that snuck up on her with his flanged mace.

"Give some to me, I'll get you more with this." He said as the elf gave the last of her arrows to him, and he put his mace on them. "Dwarf. Give me some rocks."

"Alright." Dwarf Shaman said as he made some rocks, shattered them into smaller ones, and handed them over.

"Transmute." Wizard's brother said as the stones turned into copies of the arrows.

"Well that ever not be useful?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Not likely." Wizard's brother said with pride as the elf got back to shooting, and Wizard's brother bashed more goblins down as he morphed his armor just as a goblin tried to spear him. "Surprise bitch!" He then bashed it's brains in as a squirrel familiar he summoned showed up carrying some arrows and bolts shot at the goblins and returned them to their owners.

Meanwhile, GS chopped down one hell goblin after another, then climbed up one of the distracted champions, and blew it's brains out with his shotgun, and once he did, it was the beginning of the end for the champions. The elemental it was fighting grabbed another champion, and it, and the elemental that champion was fighting pinned it down and beat it to death, then turned to another champion, clobbered it, and the last one actually absorbed power from the three fallen champions, and destroyed each elemental with one punch for each of them.

"Hey! That's not fair! Oh who am I kidding? I can do that too." Wizard said as she absorbed power from the elementals' husks, braced her glaive, and charged into the crowd of goblins with her armor morphed and plowed through each one like they were made of rubber, and clashed with the champion over and over as Ranger engaged the paladin in a frenzy of blows, jumps, flips, and swings.

"How many of these damned things are coming?" Warrior yelled as he craved through the hell goblins by the dozen.

"Just keep swinging that blade!" Fighter yelled as she shredded, clobbered, and stomped the hell goblins.

Wizard ducked an axe swing from the champion that wound up killing several of it's own allies who tried to jump on her from behind, then Wizard stabbed the champion's shin, moved back before she could get grabbed, cut into it's forearm halfway, stabbed it repeatedly in the gut, through it's armor, if you can even call it that, focused her energy into the glaive, then stabbed it in the chest, which caused a small explosion in it's chest and sprayed some blood out of it's wounds, but not much else as it fell down. Then she turned to the enraged goblins looking to avenge their fallen brother, only to be swept away by her spinning her glaive like a fan blade, swinging from side-to-side, diagonally, or both, if they weren't just plain stabbed and flung into another goblin.

Ranger meanwhile was struggling to keep himself alive for one of the few times in recent memory; a goblin paladin was hard with a whole _team_ fighting a non-empowered one at the farm a year ago. He eventually backed up, made his greatsword slightly larger than he was, jumped up, and threw it at the goblin paladin, who took a direct hit, but was still kicking. He then harpooned it, came down with a morphed gauntlet, punched it square in the face which knocked it down, then the paladin landed a kick which made Ranger fly back a dozen feet and roll across the ground, then Ranger threw several morphed one-handed scythes at it as a distraction, then pulled his gun, shot it several times, with one bullet hitting an eye which actually regenerated, but it didn't matter. Ranger then recalled his thrown weapons, morphed them into a pair of dual swords he heated up, then swung at the paladin which made waves of heat fly at it to distract it some more, and the paladin eventually has enough and charges at Ranger...but that's what he was hoping for. He threw a Fear spell at it, hitting it right in the face, and it coughed several times, then started to freak out and swing wildly at the air.

"Wizard! Now!" Ranger yelled and Wizard prepared a magic trap as Ranger cut down the goblins trying to stop here, and when Wizard finished, she throw it in the paladin's direction and when the paladin stepped on it...it sank into the ground, and got crushed between the walls.

"Great Lord of Justice. Lend me the strength to cleanse the corrupt and aid the pure in this struggle between them. Purge!" Priestess prayed and a burst of holy energy washed over the team, vaporized the goblins, removed the hell shroud, and partially closed the portals then she collapsed to her knees.

"Priestess!" Fighter yelled as she rushed over to her. "Are you alright?"

"I will be..." Priestess said as she tried catching her breath and Fighter held her upright.

"Well, how are we going to get those rifts closed?" H.E. Archer asked then Cherub poofed in and cleared his throat.

"Wings, reality control powers, holy magic, these things mean anything to you?" He asked.

"Where were you in the start?" H.E. Archer asked.

"I may be powerful, but I'm not an adventurer; you people need the experience more than you need me to save your bacon." Cherub said dryly then launched a burst of holy magic at the rifts, closing them. "There. Now you can be on your way. Next time you better not give me as much lip..." He then poofed away.

"Nice to see _him_ in as nice a mood as ever. Says the girl who's the same way a good chunk of the time..." Wizard said and got some funny looks. "Hey I'm allowed to make fun of myself."

* * *

The team got back in the cart and hit the road again, and as twilight neared it's end, they saw the oceanic city. It was a melting pot of different cultures, mostly dwarven and human, with an enclave of elven mages who kept to themselves thrown into the mix. Their presence was fairly controversial; some people believed they were conspiring with the Evil Sect in secret, but others believed they were keeping an eye on them. Either way, they were causing no problems directly for the people; Wizard could sense nothing magical going on in town, and she was attuned to arcane forces more than anyone. They then got their hands on some temporary housing for their mission first-thing in the morning, but Ranger and Fighter of course had no intention of staying there; they had a baby to look after, and a way to portal back there, which they did once the rest of their team got settled; they could check in with everyone noteworthy in the morning. Ranger then checked on their baby who was sound asleep before joining his wife in bed after they shed their outfits, and then snuggled up to each other in bed.

* * *

Sword Maiden meanwhile was waiting in her chamber sitting on her bed looking out the window at the twin moons waiting for her protector to return, then she heard the door open...

"Sword Maiden? I'm back." Storm Mage said as he came in and Sword Maiden stood up while still looking at the moons.

"Come here..." She breathed out as he walked towards her, stood by her, took her hand before she slowly moved towards him and pressed her lips to his with zero force, as he embraced her back and ran his hands through her hair as they stood there basking in each other's warmth, she then reluctantly broke the kiss. "Remove your armor..." He backed up and snapped each major buckle keeping his armor attached, leaving only his undersuit on his body, then he went to hold her again then she stopped him.

"Your Grace?" Storm Mage said puzzled before Sword Maiden shed her dress, leaving her completely bare-skinned before her guardian and lover, before laying down straight as if waiting.

"I'm ready..." She whispered before Storm Mage shed his undersuit and joined her on the bed, touched her face and lightly kissed her as he laid down on top of her, pressing his iron muscles into her supple flesh.. She moaned as soon as she felt him do so, and chuckled when he adjusted his manhood to lay down against her body instead of poking her.

"I'm a man; I have a muscle that flexes by itself, o.k.?" Storm Mage said half-jokingly as Sword Maiden chuckled more.

"I know, but it's still amusing." Sword Maiden said trying to get a grip.

"You're hopeless." Storm Mage said.

"Thanks to you...hope is all I know. Hope...and _love_..." Sword Maiden said softly before pulling him back down to kiss him again, and he gave her multiple kisses in secession while stroking her face. "Touch me..." He then gripped one of her breasts and gave it slow but strong, and through squeezes which made her groan with pleasure. He then broke the kiss to hear her groan more clearly, then he kissed up and down her neck until he reached her spare breast and sucked and licked her nipple which made her tense up and hold his head.

"Oh yes...! _Yes_! Keep going...!" She gasped as he licked her nipples fervently before switching to the other and squeezed the one he finished licking until she actually squirted out some milk from each breast... which he licked up."How is it...?"

"It might not have any serious taste...but it doesn't have to." Storm Mage said softly as he kept squeezing her breasts, then he kissed her again before she stuck her tongue into his mouth and held his head as he stopped squeezing her breasts to give her a break, then he wrapped his arms around her as she gave space between her and her hair that was pressed against the bed. This was her own personal heaven. Her, in a space she can call her own being loved by one of the most powerful men she's ever met, who proved he could protect and save her from even her greatest nightmares. A man who knew her body inside and out and was doing nothing but use their bodies as instruments of divine bliss, instead of hellish perversion. The contrast was so strong, she was amazed the world wasn't destroyed by it.

"Keep touching me. I want this night to be the same as it was in the bath..." Sword Maiden said.

"Of course..." Storm Mage said before stroking her belly and sides, making her giggle from the ticklishness. Then he kept kissing her neck as she gasped and held his head again. He eventually got off of her and massaged her legs, especially her outer...and inner thighs making her gasp and moan even more. The blissful and relaxed look on her face was all the motivation he needed. "You should see herself Sword Maiden..."

"I am certain the look on my face reflects the bliss I feel, thanks to you..." Sword Maiden said softly.

"There is plenty more bliss to come...my cherished Sword Maiden." Storm Mage said before going down to her feet and squeezing them gently and Sword Maiden simply gave off a throaty chuckle; the feet were sensitive of course, but he made no effort to tickle her, although that was probably unavoidable in the end. "Flip over..." Sword Maiden did just that, and he brushed the hair off her back and his eyes feasted on the sight of her long hair splayed out a bit like wings, then he got back to massaging her legs, and eventually her wide, round, and supremely fleshy buttocks. She started chuckling and moaning as soon as he pressed his hands into her cheeks and fondled them from each angle. "Was this worth the wait?"

"I would wait twice as long for _this_..." Sword Maiden groaned.

"Would you like me to stroke you between the legs again, or...should I actually connect to you?" Storm Mage asked and Sword Maiden started thinking.

"Did you already take some potion?" She asked.

"No. Until I know for sure you're ready, I won't even consider taking a drink." Storm Mage said seriously.

"Then...why ask if you can connect to me?" Sword Maiden asked.

"I'm willing to put myself inside you for a moment or two, just to give you a chance to get used to it, but that's all." Storm Mage said.

"Then do it...connect us, before I change my mind..." Sword Maiden said seriously but nervously before Storm Mage rose her lower body off the bed, and pushed into her moist womanhood slowly and she groaned a bit and breathed heavily.

"Your Grace?" Storm Mage asked with concern.

"Don't move! I'll be fine...like before, I need to face this..." Sword Maiden said while shaking and breathing hard.

"O.k...if you say so..." Storm Mage said as he held perfectly still and watched her get a grip slowly but steadily. "Remember who you're with..."

"I cannot forget." Sword Maiden said softly as she focused on the pleasure she felt earlier. "Please remove yourself now." Storm Mage pulled out of her right away, let her slouch down to the bed and laid down next to her as she hugged him close and started weeping quietly. "I'm so sorry..."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I said I'm here for you, and I meant every word." Storm Mage said softly as he held the crying woman as close as he could.

"I want this. I want to experience proper love-making more than anything, but...how can I?" Sword Maiden asked with anger and despair in her voice.

"You can get through this, and I'll help you through this for _years_ if I must." Storm Mage said firmly.

"Really?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Yes..." Storm Mage said before kissing her forehead and drying her tears with his thumb. "That's how love works."

"Thank you so much..." Sword Maiden said before tearing up a second time while kissing him and holding his hand as they snuggled into each other and he pulled the blankets over them. "I think I'll get through this eventually, but until then...don't stop touching my body. I love it as much as you do." To prove her point, she took the hand she has holding and put it on her butt, and he fondled her flesh and listened to her chuckle before she kissed his neck.

"I will never stop pleasing you Sword Maiden, nor will I stop being grateful for the chance to touch this _divine_ body of yours..." Storm Mage said with softness and lust in his voice as he lifted her chin to kiss her lips.

* * *

In the morning, Ranger and Fighter woke up to each other's smiles again.

"One more day...just one more day, and we get our new ranks." Ranger said as his throat woke up with him.

"First, we have a _fish_ to fry." Fighter said with confidence.

"Careful, you keep talking like that, I'm going to hammer you into the mattress." Ranger softly growled out.

"I wonder why that sounds familiar?" Fighter teased.

"You heard it before after we gave the queen's head to the king." Ranger said.

"Wow...that sounded like a line from a novel." Fighter said seriously.

"Might as well be. Now...let's get back to the oceanic city and fry that fish." Ranger said

"What about our baby?" Fighter asked.

"Already done. Me and Songstress handled her while you were asleep. Despite the language barrier..." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: you gave each other signals instead of talking?" Fighter asked.

"Give the girl a prize." Ranger said before Fighter stole a kiss. "Smartass." He then lightly gripped her butt.

"Literally." Fighter teased before Ranger opened a portal to the apartment building the teams were at, and helped them get ready.

* * *

When they were ready, they went to the guild hall and saw the place bustling with adventurers looking for quests to do, with the most impressive grouping a man, who from the looks of his gold-plated armor was a paladin, and he had one young man, and two women with him. The man must be the paladin's apprentice, and the women were both rogues from the look of their light armor and blades. Ranger actually recognized one of them as a ranger herself, which got his attention right away, but they had information to acquire.

"Ah, new people?" The man at the desk asked.

"We're hunting a sea monster." Ranger said seriously.

"A sea monster? There's no shortage of those in the ocean here." the guild man said.

"What about a leviathan?" Fighter asked and she was laughed at by a few people.

"Leviathans are a myth!" One of them said.

"No they're not, we saw one with our own eyes. One burst out of the water and destroyed several ships by itself, with one attack." Fighter said seriously and the laughter died down.

"Wait...it destroyed some ships? No wonder no ships were seen recently..." the guild man said with a face that expressed realization. "You must talk to the sea monster hunters at the docks. Maybe they can help you out."

"Thanks for the info." Wizard said with annoyance on behalf of the teams.

* * *

"Bunch of morons." High Elf Archer said under her breath.

"Ease up Long Ears. They thought leviathans were a myth, and only the lack of any ships swayed their minds." Dwarf Shaman said.

"No kidding, but why would they think a pack of Silver Ranks came here on a wild goose chase?" H.E. Archer asked.

"It doesn't matter, they helped us in the end, and they learned their lesson quickly. Thank the Supreme." Ranger said.

"So, where are these monster hunters?" Priestess asked.

"Those docks look enormous; it might be some time before we find them." Lizard Priest said.

"Actually, not at all." A female Rhea said with a confident, and even sultry look in the face as she stood there with a hand on her hip and smile on her face as the team turned to see her. "I happen to work for them."

"And what exactly do you do? Stand around and motivate the men?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Most of us are women believe it or not; you can count the amount of men we have with the fingers on one hand, and no, polyamory is not a thing in our group." Rhea Hunter said.

"Poly- what?" H.E. Archer asked.

"That means having more than one person involved in a relationship." Wizard's brother said.

"Oh...wow..." H.E. Archer said.

"Anyway, can you help us find a-" Rhea Hunter cut Ranger off.

"Talk to my boss will you? This way." She said before leading the team to a ship at the end of the pier, the had all sorts of weapons on it, from cannons, to ballistas, to massive harpoons, to a catapult, to a serrated spearhead on the bow. Definitely a ship belonging to monster hunters. "Hey boss! Look who I found." A dark-skinned, large-muscled woman with a two-handed axe and a skimpy outfit that showed off her bulk stood up from a crowd of women who all looked like they meant business. She was Amazon Warrior; the same one who was there at the goblin siege at the farm a year ago.

"Hey! I remember you. Fancy meeting Goblin Slayer and his cronies here." A.W. said with her usual laid-back attitude.

"We're not his cronies first of all, and secondly...since when do you lead a crew of sea monster hunters?" Wizard asked.

"Oh, about two months ago actually, and we got some sweet deals out of it as well. We even took down some pirate gangs and took their booty. Right girls?" A.W. said to the women who all laughed. "So what brings you to these parts, aside from monster hunting?"

"That's all we came here for." Ranger said.

"Oh...well, you came to the right place. Let's set sail girls." A.W. said as they packed up and got on-board.

* * *

As they got ready to set sail, the Rhea hunter climbed to the crow's nest as the rest got ready. Two men got the sail itself ready, some dwarf women got a series of propeller blades ready at the stern, and some samurai-looking man took the helm and stirred them out to sea.

"So, what's new?" Amazon Warrior asked Ranger at the side of the ship.

"We killed the vampire queen and tore down her fortress for one thing." Ranger said.

"No shit? How hard was it?" A.W. asked.

"It was...without question, the hardest fight we were part of. Even the goblin legion didn't give this much of a hard time." Ranger said.

"Sorry I missed it; could've bailed you out." A.W. said while nudging him playfully.

"I doubt it; even the Hero couldn't beat her alone, plus we had to get the Sword Maiden to help us." Ranger said seriously.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! You lost me at "the Hero couldn't beat her alone" and you make me call bullshit at "the Sword Maiden helped us"!" A.W. said.

"As a servant of the War God, and an advocate of the Supreme God, I speak nothing but the truth." Ranger said seriously.

"You...turned into quite a figure these last few months haven't you...? A.W. asked in awe.

"You don't know the half of it." Fighter said as she came up behind them.

"And you missy, are quite a lucky girl to marry this beast of a man right here." A.W. said.

"She killed a rampaging archdemon yesterday as well." Ranger said.

"And the hits just keep coming! If you two keep this up my brain's going to pop out the top of my head!" A.W. exclaimed and the pair laughed at the bulky woman's antics.

"Well, brace for one more: the monster we're hunting is a leviathan that's wrecking ships." Ranger said.

"A mythical creature! Motherf- Boy, how many shocks do you have bouncing around that castle-sized mind of yours?" A.W. asked.

"Don't know where to start counting..." Ranger said half-jokingly.

"Well...me and my crew will make fishsticks out of it before too long." A.W. said.

"Think you can handle a fish five miles long?" Fighter asked and A.W. laughed at her.

"Girl...my crew fought off an entire school of sharks that tried taking bites out of this ship, one by one, and we didn't lose a single person. We also killed a trio of krakens that tried and failed to bring down this ship, one after another, and we _still_ didn't lose anyone. I myself killed one by jumping into it's mouth, crushing it's brain, then swam out of it's mouth back to the surface. We will be a-okay." A.W. said.

"So...who's that samurai?" Ranger asked.

"Believe it or not...that's my man." A.W. said with a smirk.

"No kidding." Fighter said.

"Nope. He might be short, no-nonsense, and sometimes downright gruff, but he's one hell of a fighter." A.W. said.

"That's what happens when you grow up in a society that demands the perfect warrior." Ranger said.

"Not only that, but if you ask me, he's a class-A adventurer, Bronze Rank too. I've seen him refuse payments before, and not just little ones either. Granted we didn't need the money; we had too much as it was, but still." A.W. said.

"Ships! Off the Starboard bow!" Rhea Hunter yelled and the people who weren't busy rushed to look at it and there were two ships at a distance.

"Pirates!" Samurai called as he looked through a telescope.

"Brace for com-" A.W. cut herself off when the ship violently shook a bit.

"What...was that...?" High Elf Archer asked with fear in her voice.

"Nothing good." Warrior said as a shadow loomed underneath the ship.

"Dear Supreme in Heaven! It's the leviathan isn't it?" Rhea Fighter asked terrified.

"Yes...and that was just the tail." Ranger said seriously.

"You said it was five miles long? Then...that means-" A.W. stopped talking once the pirate ships got ensnared by tentacles.

"It has tentacles!?" Rhea Fighter exclaimed and a few seconds later, the ships got snapped in two. "A giant fish, with _tentacles_!"

"Not for long. Arm the weapons and get this ship mobile!" A.W. yelled. " The crew then armed as many cannons, ballistas, and normal weapons as possible as Samurai got the ship to max speed to the pirate ships to see what they could salvage, and they kept an eye out for the monster. "Get those supplies on-board!" The crew then threw nets out to get the floating items into their ship, then the leviathan poked it's head out of the water before crashing back down and made the ship move involuntarily forward just the nets came in and every got knocked off-balanced. Wizard then used Levitation to make things stop moving so much, then put as much as they could back in it's place...and one of the dwarves had the same idea and helped her out.

"Anyone have a plan?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Don't get killed." A.W. said.

"Yeah, that's a good plan..." Warrior said as the leviathan came out of the surface at distance and swam towards the ship.

"Out there!" one of the crew called, then Priestes used Empower on the ship and the cannons and ballistas shot at it, and made it dive under before it hit the ship, then swam under it.

"I...think I'm going to need a bigger bow..." H.E. Archer said nervously.

"Sir Goblin Slayer! Do you have any ideas?" Lizard Priest asked.

"No. That thing isn't a goblin, and we can't treat it like one." GS said.

"Aren't _you_ helpful...?" H.E. Archer said before the leviathan burst out of the water right in front of the ship.

"OH SHIT!" One of the crew yelled as the leviathan sank it's teeth into the bow, only for Samurai to pull a lever, and make the spearhead shot forward, impale the beast, and pulled the lever back and ripped out a chunk of it's face as it backed off and roared in pain as it swam away.

"OHHH! That's gotta hurt!" Warrior said while cringing.

"That's a weak spot! Everyone! Hit that wound hard!" A.W. yelled and several tentacles came out of the water, and slammed into the ship, and the team was on it right away. They cut into and through each tentacle until the ship was freed, and the tentacles were absolutely shredded; the leviathan was probably too pissed off to care about itself and just wanted them dead, so they had to remove it's ability to grab the ship. Luckily, thanks to Empower, there wasn't much damage done to the ship, nevermind the iron-cladding.

"How much of a beating can this thing take!?" Wizard asked.

"How much can a five mile long sea monster take?" Fighter asked rhetorically.

"Smartass." Ranger teased.

"Don't even." Fighter snapped before the leviathan burst out of the water beneath the ship, heavily damaging it and throwing it into the air, and Ranger thought quickly, and opened a portal.

"Everyone through the portal!" Ranger yelled and the crew didn't even question it and just ran through the portal but the team wasn't so lucky. The ship hit the water and knocked them all to the ground and some were knocked out as they hit their heads. Then the leviathan came out again...and swallowed the whole ship...

* * *

**Well shit...the team's fish food...or are they? I'm pretty you all know where this is going, but there's no way I'm telling myself, so Rate, Review, and Share until then. Also...Amazon Warrior made an appearance, as the leader of a team of monster hunters, with a Samurai on her team like Carlos asked about, and yes I intend to flesh the two out, not much, but still. I do do requests people. Please keep that in mind; I'm a man of my word afterall. I couldn't help but notice that...in hindsight, Fighter and Priestess have some pretty nice "sisterly" moments in this story; I get that's vaguely canon, but still. And no, illusion magic and genjutsu from Naruto being similar is just a coincidence. In any case...next time, the team fillets a fish, so stay tuned.**


	17. Chapter 9

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Well...the team got swallowed by a giant fish, and have to kill it. How hardcore can you be? And...I was debating whether or not to make this is tribute to Gears of War based on what inspired the leviathan fight, but...well, see for yourself what I do.**

**Review Response: I'm not even sure how borrowing spells works, plus Warrior has an electric hammer himself so...**

**To be fair, H.E. Archer didn't dismiss the idea of a leviathan, and asked an intelligent question about it, and had a point in regards to Silver Ranks, i.e. veterans, coming in search of a monster that doesn't exist.**

**Cow Girl coming to the beach isn't a bad idea, especially in regards to GS himself. Also...Cow Girl in swimwear...that mental image speaks for itself...**

**The silver-haired man is dangerous? Engineer...you do not know the half of it...**

* * *

Wizard looked around a pitch-black room that had only a faint amount of light in the place she was occupying, and as she walked around, the light followed her; it was as if she was her own light source.

"Hello? Anyone here?" She called as the stone walls echoed her voice. It was pretty eerie to be the only one there, but then it hit her: she had same hat, cloak, dress and staff she had when she was Porcelain Rank! Where the hell was her glaive, armored robe, and hooded cloak? She then heard goblins snarling behind her. "Firestream!" Nothing happened and she freaked out as the goblins grabbed her legs and pulled her down. Then they laughed at her as they tried tearing off her dress as a longsword tore through their necks. "Warrior...?"

"Are you alright Wizard? Wizard? WIZARD?!" Warrior yelled.

* * *

"Wizard! Wake up!" Wizard snapped her eyes open and saw Warrior with his present-day/real-world armor and other gear as she looked around with Priestess lighting up the place with Holy Light...

"Boss...? Please tell me we aren't where I think we are..." Wizard said cautiously.

"I wish I could." Ranger said as Cherub poofed in clapping.

"Congratulations. You're inside a giant, ship-eating fish. What will you do now?" Cherub said.

"We're not cutting our way out, that's for damn sure." Warrior said.

"No kidding. That's not only a death sentence for us given how we could be miles underwater right now, but it's also probably impossible." H.E. Archer said.

"But it is a death sentence for the leviathan." Ranger said.

"What?" Warrior asked.

"Nothing isn't vulnerable from the inside." Fighter said.

"Well, do you have any ideas Mrs. Fancy Hands?" H.E. Archer asked.

"We either rip it's heart out, or destroy it's brain." Ranger said and everyone looked at him.

"O...k. then." H.E. Archer said.

"But first, you should think this through." Cherub said as he pointed to the "roof" "That skull is harder and thicker than a tree trunk, and don't get me started on how much force would be required to get to it's brainstem, or how you'd get out with what's left of this ship."

"Can't you get the ship out?" Warrior asked.

"Sure I can, and don't ask me if I should; that question answers itself." Cherub said.

"Does that portal gem still work?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"It should, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be smart about this." Ranger said.

"We should hit the roof with as much as we can all at once." GS said as he continued looking at the roof.

"Alright, who goes first?" Warrior asked.

"Goblin Slayer, you throw your bombs up there first. Warrior and Wizard, you and your brother charge up as much power as you can, while me and Fighter do the same. Priestess, you empower us; the moment you do is when we launch our assault. What about you three?" Ranger said.

"The ship should have enough rock and metal for me to work with." Dwarf Shaman said.

"I never thought I'd say this, but...can I borrow that enhanced bow of yours?" H.E. Archer asked Fighter.

"So now it's appealing?" Fighter asked cheekily.

"Oh hush..." H.E. Archer said as Fighter morphed it then tossed it over.

"I regret to say I cannot aid you in this." Lizard Priest said.

"You don't have to, but we can give you something to prevent that later, unless you would like to borrow my gun?" Ranger asked as he pulled it.

"Very well." Lizard Priest said as he took the gun, looked it over, and held it like he's going to use it.

"Anyway, you should waste no time; that leviathan is going to go berserk for obvious reasons once you attack it, and you're going to need to get through that portal _fast_." Cherub said.

"Don't worry, we will. Now, everyone get ready!" Ranger said as they got ready in their own ways, which included Ranger preparing a massive harpoon. "Priestess?"

"Great Supreme god. Lord Of Justice and the Scale. Grant us strength in this battle. Empower!" Priestess prayed and every weapon in the area glowed with holy power, and they shot projectiles, hurled bombs, shot magic, and launched objects at the roof until the flesh was so torn up that blood rained down from the sky, and Priestess put up a Protection Barrier to keep the team from being crushed. The leviathan of course roared and thrashed around and water poured in from the side which meant that it was underwater.

"We're going to drown if we don't hurry up!" Warrior yelled as he kept shooting lightning.

"Then keep the lightning flowing!" Fighter yelled as she shot a ballista bolt at the roof as the water kept coming. Eventually, the spine was exposed and Ranger opened a portal as Wizard and her brother launched a pair of charged-up fireballs into the wound and blew it apart.

"Into the portal now!" Ranger yelled and everyone rushed through it to the cliff they first saw the beast and he yanked Priestess through it and they narrowly avoided being crushed under the water's weight.

* * *

"That...was too close..." Rhea Fighter said before the leviathan burst out of the water and into the sky...giving everyone a view of how massive the beast was before it crashed back into the water, making a small tsunami that Ranger made another portal to the Temple of Law to before it could hit them. "Correction: THAT was close!"

"Wait...where are we?" Wizard's brother asked as he looked around the garden they were in.

"This...is the Temple of Law. Home to he Sword Maiden." Ranger said.

"This place is really _beautiful_..." Rhea Fighter said as she looked around.

"So is the Sword Maiden herself." Priestess said with reverence.

"Oh?" Wizard's brother asked.

"She's involved with a man already, one who killed a heap of goblins looking to sink their teeth into her." Fighter said.

"I wasn't looking to hook up with her. Sheesh, what do you take me for." Wizard's brother said.

"Right..." His sister said.

"I mean it." He said.

"Well, we should check in with her and get back to the oceanic city to talk to those hunters." Ranger said.

"Then, beach time!" H.E. Archer yelled.

"We should also get Goblin Slayer's farm girl friend involved." Warrior said.

"Huh, that's not a bad idea..." Fighter said.

"No kidding, if there's one person who can get good old Goblin Slayer to loosen up, it's her. Right?" Wizard's brother teased.

"Maybe." GS said.

* * *

"Yes...yes...yes...!" Sword Maiden gasped as Storm Mage stroked her womanhood with his fingers slowly but steadily while watching her face twist in pleasure he was responsible for, until he slowed down to get her attention, and then approached her ear.

"That's it, let it all out. There is no shame in this moment...only my desire to see your heart burst with the pleasure I have to offer you." Storm Mage whispered, and Sword Maiden let out a trembling gasp at the tone he used. He then picked up the pace and rolled her nub around and she continued to gasp and shook from the intensity and moaned even more until her whole body tensed up and she let out an elongated moan that signaled an orgasm. He then watched her heaving breasts go up and down as she breathed deeply and kept giving off her musical, throaty groans as she simply laid there with her eyes closed and a face-splitting smile, letting the bliss sink in.

"Have I served my lady enough?" Storm Mage teased.

"Very much so...will my...cherished protector...grace me...with a kiss...?" Sword whispered and Storm Mage wasted no time molding his lips against hers multiple times, as well as lash tongues inside and outside of their mouths, and he caressed her thighs as the two tasted each other's flavor. She then turned to the side so he can grip her butt and she moaned into their kiss as he squeezed her plump, abundant flesh.

"I grace you with a kiss, you grace me with a chance to grip you." Storm Mage groaned.

"Your powerful hands do me wonders. I like I said, I'm happy you enjoy my body, a gift of the Love Goddess." Sword Maiden said as she got on top of him completely, took his other hand, and put it on the other side of her buttocks.

"A gift that will not go to waste..." Storm Mage whispered as she scooched up and let him suck her breasts while he kept squeezing her ass, and rubbing her thighs as she kept gasping in bliss. "Tell me how you feel..."

"Nothing but the gift of pleasure you give me. I cannot even wish for something better..." Sword Maiden said as she caressed his muscles and shifted herself against him...then a knock on the door came and she cringed...hard.

"Excuse me Your Grace?" An acolyte asked through the door.

"I will come out soon." Sword Maiden called as she looked down at Storm Mage.

"We've had plenty of time together as it is Sword Maiden." He said.

"Still...I want as much as I can get from you." Sword Maiden said softly as she got off of him, and grabbed her dress.

"Should I drink some potion?" Storm Mage asked and Sword Maiden took a moment to think..

"No...not yet, but I believe I'll be able to handle that kind of intimacy soon." Sword Maiden said honestly and Storm Mage got up and hugged her still-naked form.

"I will keep it with me at all times Your Grace..." Storm Mage whispered as Sword Maiden returned the hug and started shifting against him, then moved her lips to his ear.

"Thank you again. Not only do you keep my home safe from demons, and now goblins...you purged the demons in _me_." She said as she slowly stroked his manhood and he tensed up. "You deserve all the pleasure you get some touching me, and from me touching you, and when we finally..._finally_ make love, will you keep your promise, and give me all the bliss you can offer...?"

"Of course..." Storm Mage said firmly as she kept stroking him and pressing her breasts into his pecs and he gave her soft, round, and warm butt a firm, but loving rub.

"These demons I mentioned. They would haunt me until the day I died, which might be years, or decades from now. You wouldn't want we to suffer that long would you?" Sword Maiden asked with the softest voice she ever used with him.

"No..!" Storm Mage whispered, and Sword Maiden chuckled as he gave her butt an even more thorough treatment. He pressed his hands into her flesh from the sides, caressed it from top to bottom, shook it, and even lightly pinched it from various angles. Sword Maiden meanwhile continued stroking Storm Mage's swollen manhood and pressed her breasts into his chest even more enthusiastically as her free arm wrapped around his waist.

"You're such a good man..." Sword Maiden whispered before licking his ear and exhaling at the same time. Storm Mage began trembling as his lady rewarded him for his services in the best possible way. She even clamped her supremely kissable lips against his neck as he groaned in bliss while Sword Maiden's soft, delicate hand continued pleasuring him like he pleasured her before.

"Sword Maiden...I'm going to..." Storm Mage trailed off.

"We both need to clean ourselves off; we might as well use this time to reap the rewards...and you have many rewards to reap." Sword Maiden said before dragging her tongue up Storm Mage's neck and she felt his throat vibrate as he groaned, and streams of his seed squirted out of his manhood as her hand drove him to orgasm.

Storm Mage then took a moment to compose himself as Sword Maiden let go of him, and then held him from behind, with her large, perfectly plump breasts pressing into his muscular back. He then turned to her as she reached around to caress his chest and abdomen and rested her chin on his shoulder. He then place an equally firm and loving kiss on her enticing lips that tugged her heartstrings, and made her moan like she tasted the sweetest fruit she ever bit into, before backing off.

"We should clean off now..." He whispered.

"Thank the Supreme you though of bringing a water bucket here." Sword Maiden said.

"Anything for my sweet Sword Maiden." Storm Mage said softly, before Sword Maiden went to a closet to grab the bucket...and even brushed her ankle-length hair to the side to grace Storm Mage with a view of her buttocks. Her gift was not wasted as Storm Mage watched her wide hips sway and each side of her buttocks tighten and soften as she walked. He was grateful they were able to please each other without her fear coming between them, and even more so that he was using his knowledge of physical arts to tear down her mental decay, but seeing her as the pure, noble, and supremely graceful woman she was, rather than just another woman to warm his bed, despite how she proudly flaunts her physical blessings made him proud of himself all the more despite how scummy he used to be. He then silently renewed his vow to make the time she does let him mate with her as blissful as he could...and he could probably start by mating with her from behind, and listening to her buttocks ripple while slamming into it.

She then interrupted his thought by grabbing the bucket and taking it to him, the two then cleaned their hands, both together, and by themselves, and then kissed again, before Sword Maiden broke the kiss and began speaking against his lips.

"Wait for me...just wait for me..." She said.

"Always..." Storm Mage whispered before kissing her again with her plea getting the best of him. The two then broke the kiss and Sword Maiden embraced her protector and shifted against him while her eyes watered.

* * *

"The leviathan is dead." Ranger said as Sword Maiden and Storm Mage showed up.

"You actually killed it?" Sword Maiden asked in awe.

"We made a serious mess, but yes we killed it." Ranger said as Cherub poofed in.

"You did more than just save the navy; that cursed thing was devouring the sea life. If you tried to get to it's heart, you would've found who-knows-how-many whale, shark, and fish carcasses in it's stomach." Cherub said.

"O...k...then." Wizard said with a raised eyebrow.

"What about the ship?" Warrior asked.

"It's fine, and if anyone asks how you got it out, just say you teleported it out; it's not wrong." Cherub said.

"It's not right either." Fighter said dryly.

"Ugh, just say it's alright now and you got it out before it was completely totaled." Cherub said.

"Who was the man I saw?" Ranger piped up.

"Man?" Cherub asked.

"I saw a man summon the leviathan before we first sat it eat those ships, and...he looked like a phantom. Who was he?" Ranger asked and Cherub sighed.

"A Cambion. A child of human, and demon. The powers of a demon, and the spiritual stability of a human being added together." Cherub said grimly.

"How do we fight him?" H.E. Archer asked.

"In your current state, even Army of One will give you little aid against him, and thanks to his spiritual stability, holy magic attacks will be useless, at least directly." Cherub said.

"I can still empower people, or use attacks on the environment itself." Priestess said.

"Right. All-in-all, count yourself lucky if you can avoid fighting him." Cherub said before poofing away.

"Eh, we'll be ready for him." Warrior said casually.

"If Army of One really is not enough to face him, then we will need the War God himself to aid us." Ranger said seriously.

"Should I come with you?" Storm Mage asked.

"No, you stay with Her Grace. We will handle this Cambion." Ranger said.

"Your Grace...is there any training you can give me?" Priestess asked and got a smile and a hand on the face from Sword Maiden.

"I'm sure there is my child." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Not yet there isn't, we have a beach to hit." H.E. Archer said.

"Right." Priestess said.

"Do enjoy yourselves." Sword Maiden said with a small bow as Ranger opened a portal to the oceanic city.

"Sword Maiden?" Storm Mage said as she deflated a bit.

"Hold me..." She whispered as Storm Mage hugged her close. "This...Cambion person, how could he have gotten his demonic blood?"

"Cambions are more common than you think my love, and most work for the Evil Sect, if they don't go rogue." Storm Mage said.

"And this one?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Clearly one that stands apart from the others." Storm Mage said before pushing off her a bit. "Whatever the case may be, the team that just left should be o.k. as long as they keep their heads down until they're good enough to face him."

"Supreme be with them all." Sword Maiden whispered before Storm Mage kissed her. "You as well, my cherished Storm Mage."

"I will be back soon, my cherished Sword Maiden." Storm Mage said as he held her hand, then left to search the town for demons after kissing her knuckles.

* * *

"Hey! You crazy pack of bastards and bitches! I thought that fish ate you!" Amazon Warrior yelled as the team approached the docks.

"It did, but it quickly wished it didn't." Warrior said.

"So...?" Rhea Hunter trailed off.

"Scratch one leviathan." Wizard said proudly as the hunters murmured to themselves.

"Well, you can thank us for the opportunity to kill a legendary monster with half the pay, and...you owe us a new ship." A.W. said.

"Your ship is fine. We got it out of the leviathan's body." Wizard's brother said.

"What? How?" A.W. asked.

"Teleportation of course." Wizard's brother said.

"Speaking of which...where the hell did you get a crystal that lets you warp space?" Rhea Hunter asked.

"It's a gift." Ranger said simply.

"A gift?" A.W. asked with disbelief.

"Look...I can't say much, but the demons aren't the only ones with their fingers in certain matters; the angels are involved as well." Ranger said.

"So an angel gave you that? Sweet..." Rhea Hunter said genuine impressed.

"You don't know the half of it." Fighter said.

"So, where's our ship?" A.W. asked and Cherub poofed in making her, and her team back up and scream.

"Your ship is on it's way here." Cherub said as the hunters stared at him. "What? You've never seen a cherub before?"

"Uhhh, no." A.W. said.

"Well, don't get used to it, because I'm about to leave. In fact..." Cherub said before poofing away.

"O...k..._that_ happened." Rhea Hunter said awkwardly.

"Now, truth-be-told, we didn't really do this with a reward promised to us." Ranger said honestly.

"Be that as it may, me and my brother will fix it for you with a spell or two." Wizard said.

"I'd hope to hell so." A.W. said.

"The guild can still pay us for our services." Samurai said with a stern yet truthful tone to his voice.

"Right..." A.W. said.

"Well, it's been nice catching up, but we have some looking around to do." Ranger said.

"What about the beach?" H.E. Archer whined then Ranger sighed and opened a portal to the frontier.

"Go get Goblin Slayer's farm girl friend and take the gateway there. We'll join you when we can." Ranger said.

"You know, that really isn't a bad idea..." Warrior said thoughtfully.

"You just want to look over that girl's body don't you? Maybe brush her leg again...?" Wizard teased.

"You are never going to let me live that down are you?" Warrior asked as his girlfriend laughed at him.

"Oh relax, this is about Goblin Slayer, not you and me; I was just pulling your chain." Wizard said.

"Good luck Sir Ranger." Lizard Priest said.

"Come on Orcbolg. Let's get your farm girl friend." H.E. Archer said as he pulled GS through the portal with Lizard Priest and Dwarf Shaman following.

"What kind of "looking around" do you have in mind?" Rhea Hunter asked.

"We have assets in the frontier, and a home in Water Town, now we want to see what we can get here." Ranger said.

"Well, we have an elven alchemist as a patron and supplier, and by default, he's in league with those elves uptop, and those guys practically run this town, whether people know it or not." Rhea Hunter said.

"Hmm, can we get in-touch with them?" Ranger asked.

"Huh, we killed a leviathan together; that's going to get their attention more than anything we've done so far." A.W. said.

"Then let's get going." Wizard said as A.W. and Rhea Hunter led the way as the ship popped out of the water and made everyone jump.

"Angel magic...gotta love it." Rhea Hunter said casually while shaking her head.

"All of you, get to work on her!" A.W. yelled and her crew went to see what they could do with it.

"On second thought, maybe we should throw some spells on it before we go." Wizard said.

"Right. Priestess?" Her brother asked.

"I'll put some empower miracles on stand-by if you need them." She said as the trio went to help the crew.

* * *

Meanwhile, GS' team checked in with the guild that was empty and had no quest posters on the board, for obvious reasons...

"You're back! Where's Ranger's team?" Guild Girl asked.

"They're still in the oceanic city." GS said.

"And we killed us a leviathan." H.E. Archer boasted.

"You did!?" Guild Girl asked in awe. "Then you just got 500 gold richer!" She then forked over a sack of coins than Lizard Priest carried since he was the strongest one in the group.

"We thank you for your patronage." He said.

"Now let's get that farm girl and get to the damn beach!" H.E. Archer yelled.

"Beach? You're going to celebrate at a beach?" Guild Girl asked.

"Yes." GS said.

"Oh, I want to go too." Guild Girl whined.

"Well, it's almost time for us to turn in, so why don't we come too?" Inspector asked.

"Good point." Guild Girl said.

"We'd be happy to have you ladies along for the trip." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Yay! Let's get ready!" Guild Girl said.

"Not so fast, I said it's _almost_ time for us to turn in." Inspector said and Guild Girl pouted and put her head down like a little girl which got some laughs from some people at her expense.

* * *

"Hi Goblin Slayer, and company." Cow Girl said cheerily as the team approached the fortified farm as she was churning some butter.

"We just killed a leviathan." GS said and the girl raised an eyebrow. "A supposedly mythical beast-"

"Yeah, I know the legend, but...how did you find one?" Cow Girl asked as they went inside.

* * *

"...and we came here to ask if you would like to come with us to a beach to celebrate." Lizard Priest said.

"Would I ever!?" Cow Girl exclaimed as he stood up.

"Enjoy yourself sweetie." Her uncle said with a smile as she hugged him.

"Thanks." Cow Girl said before letting go. "When do we leave?"

"Once Ranger gets back with his team from the oceanic city." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Alright." Cow Girl said. "Oh! Here you go." She then tossed over a cheese wheel.

"NECTAR!" Lizard Priest cheered.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranger and company looked over the elf mage's spire and it was breath-taking. The walls of the spire went up at least 50 feet, and they were on the first floor. Blue crystals lit up the place and made the place unironically spellbinding. They also saw elves of all shapes and sizes working on potions, special items, stones, crystals, and trying spells. Amazon Warrior leads the team to a high elf woman with long strawberry-blonde hair and a fancier outfit than the others; she was clearly the boss. She was looking over some papers when the team engaged her.

"Archmage? We have company." Rhea Hunter said as the archmage looked up.

"This better be important. We're doing critical work here." High Elf Archmage snapped.

"We just killed that leviathan-" H.E. Archmage cuts Fighter off.

"Yes, I already know, _and_ you had a cherub helping you." H.E. Archmage said.

"Let me guess: you have trackers helping you keep an eye on things?" Wizard asked.

"Not just trackers, ones that scour Limbo itself." H.E. Archmage said.

"Limbo? As in the void between life and the afterlife Limbo?" Warrior asked.

"The same one. Now, what do you want?" H.E. Archmage snapped.

"Can you give us anything in return for our services?" Ranger asked.

"Actually...the armor you all wear intrigues me; I sense alchemical properties in them. Perhaps some armor my alchemical forge cooked up will be to your liking?" H.E. Archmage said with more sweetness in her voice.

"Maybe so. Either way, I'm sure we can find some use for it." Ranger said.

"Then take what you wish." H.E. Archmage said as she motioned to a door to the side.

* * *

"What was her problem?" Warrior asked as they walked through a hallway.

"Oh, she's always like that; she's so focused on her work, she might as well have telescopes for eyes." Rhea Hunter said.

"That's...quite an analogy." Fighter said with a raised eyebrow.

"And it's true." Rhea Hunter said dryly.

"What the hell's a tracker?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Basically magical scouts that let someone keep an eye on things at a distance while they physically stay somewhere else." Wizard said.

"Sounds handy." Rhea Fighter said.

"You've no idea. My familiars do the same thing, only...they have to either die, or return to me, and I can't toss them into Limbo." Wizard's borther said as they reached a magical forge, and Fighter let off a whistle.

"This is quite a forge." Priestess said as she looked it over.

"This is quite the spire." Fighter said and Priestess smiled in response.

"You two really are adorable." Ranger said softly.

"Yeah, what else is new?" Fighter said.

"I take it that's the armor?" Wizard's brother asked as he pointed to a wall with pieces of a suit of elven armor hanging on it.

"Now _that_ is what I call armor!" Warrior said with awe.

"Not so fast. Let's compare it to what we have now..." Wizard said as she and her brother approached it and analyzed it. "Well, it rivals the armor we have now, but it's more about avoiding hits than taking them."

"So we'll add the sum of each of our armors' traits, to the sum of what traits we'd have if each of us had this armor, and bam. We each become like a team of magic armor-wearers." Wizard's brother said and got some eyebrows raised at him. "What?"

"That's one of the most insane ideas I've ever heard." Wizard said.

"Can you copy it and take some with us?" Ranger asked.

"Maybe not copy it but..." Wizard closes her eyes, drew a magic symbol with her finger and she and her brother each got the same glowing spot on their foreheads that Cherub put on her forehead. "Got it, now we can copy it."

"With the right materials." Wizard's brother said.

"That shouldn't be a problem." Ranger said.

"Speak for yourself; these materials are rare as chicken teeth!" Wizard's brother exclaimed.

"Damn..." Fighter whispered.

"Can't you just get some from an elven caravan? I have a map of their trade routes." Rhea Hunter said.

"Because?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Heh, we get _alot_ of good shit from those resourceful, long-eared bastards." A.W. said.

"Dwarves are also decently resourceful." Priestess said.

"Decently? My good girl, those guys are so resourceful that they slapped together a bunch of minerals and made gunpowder, which literally lets you blow things up, without using magic." Rhea Hunter said.

"Like this?" Ranger said as he whipped out his gun.

"What is _that_?" A.W. asked with an eyebrow raised.

"A _gun_." Ranger said like it was obvious.

"Is it good?" A.W. asked.

"I did not just hear that..." Warrior said to himself.

"This thing launches small metal projectiles with enough force and speed to not only be impossible to dodge...well, normally at least, anyway, they can also cause the part of the body they hit to collapse in on itself." Ranger said.

"Ho...ly...shit..." Rhea Hunter said, a bit nervous.

"It was pricey as all hell by the way; this thing cost me 500 gold, and that's including a discount when I agreed to demonstrate what it can do." Ranger said.

"Well, I'll bet the alchemists here would be thrilled to have it." A.W. said.

"Sorry, not an option; I need this thing." Ranger said as he put it away.

"Well, let's just get back to everyone and get that beach before that elf archer throws a fit." Fighter said before Ranger opens a portal.

"We'll cover for you. See ya later." A.W. said as the team went through the portal.

* * *

"Alright, let's get some stuff ready team." Warrior said as they all went to their rooms.

"Hey, that's my line asshole." Ranger said playfully and Warrior snickered at him.

"This place has so many memories..." Fighter said softly.

"Like that bed...?" Ranger teased as he pointed to their old bed and Fighter chuckled.

"Especially that bed." Fighter said before kissing her husband. "Get some of that potion. When we hit that beach...you're mine."

"I take it your womb is alright?" Ranger asked seriously.

"Even if it wasn't...I want our flame back, in flesh, and spirit." Fighter said softly.

"My dear Fighter...Our flame can't go out just like that." Ranger said as he hugged her tight.

"You know as well as I do the spirit and flesh are closely linked." Fighter said seriously.

"Right...but for the record, I'm not refusing; if I ever refuse sex with you, plunge a blade into my throat; that person is probably an imposter." Ranger said.

"You _did_ refuse sex with me once remember?" Fighter said.

"You were tipsy..." Ranger softly snapped.

"Right. Do you want to drink some potion, or should I?" Fighter asked and Ranger thought for a bit.

"Who did it last time?" Ranger asked.

"Don't know. You know what? I will..." Fighter said as she reluctantly took a swig as Ranger watched.

"I have half a mind to toss you onto that bed right now." Ranger teased as fighter chuckled a bit and walked towards him.

"You know it takes about an hour to kick in- oh, I forgot Wizard modified it to take half that long." Fighter said.

"All the less time to wait." Ranger said before Fighter knowingly licked her lips then Ranger slammed his own against hers and they shifted several times against each other. Shame they were still in their outfits.

* * *

"Wow..." Guild Girl breathed out as she eyeballed the beach, and the beach houses.

"See all that? That all belongs to us now." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: you lay claim to this territory in the name of the War God right?" Fighter teased.

"Yes...yes I do." Ranger said.

"You two can knock each other's brains out all you want later, let's just get down there." H.E. Archer said as she rushed down to the beach as the others came with her.

"I'm chec-" Cow Girl cut GS off.

"You...will come with me." Cow Girl said firmly as she grabbed his hand and practically dragged him along to join the others.

* * *

"Nice to see your face again Orcbolg." H.E. Archer said as she came out of the house the ladies were changing in.

"You _could_ use some sun you know." Warrior said from inside the men's house as they put anti-sun gel on themselves.

"Maybe." GS said as Ranger came out and looked around and saw Lizard Priest laying down on the sand and Dwarf Shaman setting up some chairs, and other "furniture" out of stone.

"You are one lucky lady..." Inspector whispered to Fighter as she looked over Ranger's bulk.

"So I keep hearing." Fighter said smugly as she came out in her swimwear, and with her hair down, and when Ranger looked in her direction...he looked nowhere else, especially when she actually came out. Even Cow Girl didn't sway his attention like it did with Wizard's brother and even Warrior; talk about "look but don't touch". Ranger then joined Fighter as she sat down on the sand. "Looking for someone?"

"No one but you love...no one but you." Ranger said as her took Fighter's hand. "I will never get how you can have such angelic hands, when I've seen them cause devilish bloodshed."

"I've shed devilish blood, so it balances itself out." Fighter said.

"I married a poet." Ranger teased.

"So did I..." Fighter whispered as they kissed then saw Guild Girl and Inspector get in the water. "Should we get in and check the water?"

"We killed the worst thing that can be in the water, plus...I still have this buckle we store our armor in, and so do you. What do we have to worry about?" Ranger said.

"Good point, although...I want to swim with you later on." Fighter said as she leaned against him and he held her close.

* * *

"I can't believe they got you to come to a beach." Cow Girl said to GS.

"Believe it." GS said simply and Cow Girl chuckled. "What?"

"You rarely ever quip; you should more often." Cow Girl said warmly.

"Maybe." GS said.

"Just try to enjoy yourself please." Cow Girl said.

"I enjoy myself plenty." GS said.

"There's more to life than killing goblins; what will you do once the last one dies?" Cow Girl asked.

"I...don't know." GS said.

"Come with me..." Cow girl said as she pulled his arm softly and he willingly followed her.

"What is it?" GS asked.

"It's just...I know you can handle goblins; you helped bring down a whole legion of them a year ago, but...what if you get knocked down and don't get back up? The others are accepting help from sources that are either divine, or just plain magical, and...you're not." Cow Girl said with a cracked voice.

"I don't need-" Cow Girl cuts him off.

"You _didn't_ need to, but now it's becoming more serious; I'm even thinking of leaving the farm because of how scared I am of something worse than that legion hitting us, without any warning, and then...unless someone is already there, what will we do?" She asked.

"I don't know." GS said before Cow Girl hugged him.

"Please...don't shut out your options. Ranger is a servant of the War God because of how serious things have gotten. The War God! I don't expect you to do the same, but-" GS returning the hug cut her off.

"I get it. I will be more open to what I can do." GS said and Cow Girl tightened her hold. "I actually got out more as an adventurer like I promised, sometimes without being told to."

"Good..."She whispered. "Do you know why I'm telling you this?"

"I can guess." GS said.

"Then I'll just tell you...I don't know why I didn't tell you sooner, but Ranger said you thought of me as your only remaining family. Is he right?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yes..." GS whispered without pause and Cow Girl's eyes widen and got a bit watery. "I asked you to leave the farm because I couldn't stand the idea of the goblins getting their hands on you, and I still can't...! Now the goblins are getting stronger-" Cow Girl puts a finger on his lips to shut him up.

"Don't...I don't want to hear that at a time like this; we came here to have fun, but...I needed to let you know that...but also..." She then paused and kissed his cheek. "I care about you...alot."

"I care about you too." GS said softly but still as deeply as ever. She then steeled herself and kissed his lips for once and he simply closed his eyes and let her kiss him for about five seconds. "Now...let's have fun."

"O.k..." Cow Girl said as the intensity of their moment sunk in.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rhea Fighter was climbing trees and gathering coconuts while Warrior practiced throwing his hammer without magic, except for when he called it back to his hand,and Wizard snuck up on him and pressed her barely-covered breasts into his back.

"Even in a place like this, you're still the meathead I love." Wizard teased.

"Says the girl who lets a meathead screw her brains out." Warrior teased back.

"Pray no one heard you say that." Wizard said seriously.

"Oh relax, they're all the way back there, talking and playing." Warrior said before turning around.

"And you're here acting like a macho badass." Wizard said.

"You know you like it." Warrior said.

"Yes...I do." Wizard said before kissing her handsome dragon slayer. "Let's go swimming."

"Alright, just get our-" Wizard materializing the underwater helms she enchanted out of her belt buckle shut him up. "helmets..."

"Aren't you lucky to have such a genius girlfriend?" Wizard boasted.

"A _sexy_ one too." Warrior said before taking his helmet.

"Keep that up and I'll down some potion..." Wizard said with a smirk.

"Why didn't you?" Warrior asked.

"I noticed our potion was less full than normal, and I'll give you three guesses who took some." Wizard said before pointing at Ranger and Fighter. "And I am _not_ getting involved in an orgy with them."

"Yeah, good point..." Warrior said.

"Well, let's get in the water before our feet catch fire." Wizard said before Warrior slipped his hammer into his belt, chased her to the water and they dived in after putting on their helmets.

* * *

"You alright?" H.E. Archer said to Priestess as she saw the girl stand by the house while she herself laid down in the sun.

"I just remember when I talked about how we were a family..." Priestess said softly.

"Hey, everyone's having the time of their lives, even Orcbolg got involved." H.E. Archer said before sitting up. "Speaking of which, where is he?"

"His farm girl friend wanted to talk to him alone." Priestess said before H.E. Archer laid back down.

"Oh well, let them talk...So...you want to go swimming?" She asked.

"Maybe later." Priestess said.

"I can't get over how clear the water is; you can actually see the bottom! It kind of reminds me of home, only...we don't have an entire ocean there." H.E. Archer said before Guild Girl and Inspector came back to shore and went to get some towels. "Enjoy yourselves?"

"Very much so." Inspector said.

"I can't remember the last time I was this refreshed..." Guild Girl said with relief as she dried her hair.

"Aren't you getting in Priestess?" Inspector asked.

"I already asked her that, she'll get in at sunset." H.E. Archer said knowing the lady is a human lie detector.

"You're lying." Inspector said as H.E. Archer laughed at her.

"It's called joking lady; she said she'll get in later." H.E. Archer said.

"Right." Priestess said.

"Aww, look at them..." Guild Girl said dreamily as she watched Ranger and Fighter kiss sweetly and hold each other close.

"And the Sword Maiden married them..." Inspector said with a smile of her own.

"She has a demon hunter as a bodyguard now." H.E. Archer said and the two ladies gasped.

"A demon hunter? Wow..." Inspector said.

"Wait, you mean Storm Mage, or one of the others?" Guild Girl asked.

"Storm Mage, and...I think they're in love." Priestess said.

"Oh...lucky him. Her Grace is an _incredibly_ beautiful woman." Inspector said.

"She deserves a person to love too..." Priestess said softly.

"What do you mean?" Guild Girl asked.

"Sorry, but it's not our place to tell." H.E. Archer said seriously.

"She's not hurt is she?" Inspector asked with concern.

"All I'm going to say is that she _was_ hurt, but she's o.k. now, based on what I saw." H.E. Archer said.

"What happen-" H.E. Archer cuts Guild Girl off.

"What part of "all I'm going to say" don't you understand?" She snapped.

"Right...sorry." Guild Girl said.

"Whatever it is, I hope she really is alright now." Inspector said softly.

* * *

Wizard and Warrior were looking around underwater, mostly at fish and the occasional octopus, sea turtle, and other creatures. Warrior then pulled his hammer when he spotted a tiger shark at a distance prowling the ocean floor. It's a well-known fact that tiger sharks are one of the most dangerous types in the world; there were cases of murderers dumping the bodies of their victims into the sea so tiger sharks could eat the corpse and destroy the evidence. Some tiger sharks were even found with literal garbage in their stomachs, including bags of coins. It probably made whoever found them happy...if they got past the fact that they were in a shark's gut that is. Some other sharks were seen at a distance, but they were common reef sharks, none were dangerous unless harassed, and...who in their right mind harasses a shark? Eventually they had enough and returned to shore to meet Ranger and Fighter.

"Had enough?" Fighter asked as the two removed their helmets and Warrior put his hammer away.

"Yes..." Wizard said.

"Why the hammer? Fighter asked.

"I was practicing with it, and we spotted a tiger shark." Warrior said.

"A tiger?" Ranger asked with his eyes popping out.

"Yes." Wizard said.

"Shit..." Ranger whispered.

"Should we kill it?" Warrior asked.

"No, but this does give me an idea..." Ranger asked as he got up and went to the ladies. "Anyone see a boat around here?"

"I saw one earlier Sir Ranger, just on the side of one of these huts." Lizard Priest called and pointed to the hut he mentioned, and Ranger jogged to it.

"Hmm, it looks like about six people can fit inside it comfortably, and that's including serious gear." Ranger said as he looked it over.

"Well, we don't have serious gear, so...that bumps it up to about ten." Fighter said.

"Count us out, we already had our fill of the sea." Wizard said.

"Damn straight." Warrior said.

"Chickens..." Fighter whispered.

"We heard that." Warrior snapped and got some laughs from the crowd.

"I'd like to do some seafaring myself." Dwarf Shaman said.

"You'd probably capsize us before we got halfway out to sea." H.E. Archer said dryly.

"Very funny Long Ears." Dwarf Shaman said.

"We'd also like to sit this out..." Guild Girl said.

"Yeah, sorry but...sharks are a deal-breaker for us." Inspector said.

"If we do this smart, we'll be fine." Ranger said.

"Do what smart?" Cow Girl asked as she and GS came out.

"Seafaring my dear." Dwarf Shaman said.

"As in, take this boat and go out there? Wasn't the leviathan enough?" GS asked.

"That was a monster hunt! This is just us looking at the aquatic life." Fighter said.

"I see..." GS said.

"What do you say?" Fighter asked.

"We're in!" Cow Girl said.

"Priestess?" Ranger asked.

"Yes." Priestess said with a confident look in the face.

"So am I." H.E. Archer said.

"Last chance ladies." Fighter said.

"Oh...alright." Guild Girl said.

"Because Goblin Slayer and Ranger are coming, right?" Inspector teased.

"They're both able to hold their own against a leviathan, and those things are much worse than sharks. Of course I'm alright now." Guild Girl said seriously.

"Scaly?" Dwarf Shaman called.

"No thank you Sir Mage. I prefer to stay in the sun and warm my blood as much as possible." Lizard Priest said as he laid there.

"Have it your way." Dwarf Shaman said.

"What about us?" Rhea Fighter said as she and Wizard's brother showed up from their coconut gathering spree.

"Well, do you want to come?" Ranger asked.

"Yes!" Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother asked at the same time.

"Then come." Ranger said simply.

"Alright, let's go!" Cow Girl said with her usual spunk.

The team spent the better part of an hour sailing and rowing up and down the beach, occasionally stopping to swim around and look at the ocean life with the water-breathing helmets. Guild Girl and Inspector got involved, as long as Fighter, H.E. Archer, or one of the men was with them. They spotted some sharks of course, but kept their distance, and the two ladies followed advice and kept their cool, especially by focusing on the fact they were being guarded by Silver Ranks. Ranger having Life Sight helped alot as well, so he could spot clusters of sea creatures to watch.

They even went far out to sea and encountered some larger shark species, including a great hammerhead, and even an oceanic whitetip, one of the most dangerous sharks in the sea. Great hammerheads were nothing to laugh at...but whitetips were notorious for attacking anything given the chance. There were even tales of shipwrecked people having their numbers cut down by whitetips. Goblins were one thing, but at least you have a chance to fight them off; in the sea...it was no wonder some people didn't like it. But the group stayed together to either give the sharks multiple targets, or outright discourage an attack, and as luck would have it, neither shark bit someone.

* * *

Eventually, they found a half-submerged cave, that went up for about 40 ft, then Ranger opened a portal back home to get a pickaxe or five, so the team could do some mining, then they craved out quite a bit of ore, fancy rocks, and even a couple of small gems, including an amethyst he gave to Wizard's brother, who transmuted it into some rock, that he a transmuted into a necklace that Ranger then gave to Fighter.

"You shouldn't have..." She teased.

"Why not? Purple is your color." Ranger said before giving her a quick but sweet kiss.

"Aww, you two... Cow Girl said before hugging the two with each arm.

"Wow...you Ranger, are in a three-way hug with two beautiful women with almost no clothes on." Wizard's brother teased.

"First off, I'm married to one, and close friends with the other..." Ranger said.

"Secondly, thanks for the compliment." Cow Girl said seriously.

"And third, don't tell me you're jealous." Fighter said.

"Please..." Wizard's brother said.

"Can I have my own necklace?" Cow Girl asked.

"If you must, which gem would you like?" Wizard's brother asked as Ranger showed the gems.

"That one." Cow Girl said as she pointed at the emerald, and Wizard's brother made her a necklace she gave to GS. "Put it on me."

"Alright." GS said as she turned and let him put it on her from behind.

"Such a gentleman." Cow Girl teased.

"You asked me to." GS said.

"Hey, when a girl gives you a compliment, you accept it and move on." Cow Girl said playfully.

"O.k...thank you." GS said and got some laughs.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wizard's brother and Rhea Fighter cracked open several coconuts with Lizard Priest and Dwarf Shaman's stones helping out. It was known that coconuts were some of the healthiest consumable plants in the world. The flesh, the "milk", even the shell itself was usable; oil could be used to help the skin, if not the heart itself if consumed, and the shell was rock solid, so it could be used for anything a rock could be used for.

Wizard and Warrior did some exploring of their own, and found a grotto to the side no one checked out, and it was breath-taking. The place had caves, various plants and small trees and waterfalls galore everywhere they looked.

"Wow...this beach really is a nice getaway spot." Warrior whispered.

"No kidding...let's check it out!" Wizard said with enthusiasm as her dragon-killer boyfriend followed and they checked out the place. Wizard even got a bit hectic for once, tried balancing on a rock, only to fall into a deep pool and got laughed at by Warrior. "You're lucky I don't have my staff."

"Hey, you're lucky you're adorable when you get like this." Warrior said as she got out of the water.

"You weren't going to help me?" Wizard asked.

"Were you going to pull me in?" Warrior countered.

"Good point..." Wizard said.

"I rest my case, but still...I love seeing you like this." Warrior said as he walked up to her and they held each other close.

"And I love being like this." Wizard said softly before she shifted against him. "But not as much as I love you..."

"I love you too." Warrior said before kissing her sweetly, then stared at her after they broke the kiss.

"You're not going to look at this place?" Wizard asked.

"Seeing you in this place is more than enough." Warrior said and got a chuckle out of the lovely and magical girl in his arms.

"Charmer..." Wizard said before kissing him, then putting one of his hands on her soft ass.

"You really like me doing that don't you?" Warrior teased.

"If we had taken any potion, I'd ask you to fuck me right here and now. Now be a good boyfriend and squeeze me like a lemon." Wizard said with lust in her voice.

"Yes ma'am." Warrior teased and he kept squeezing and rubbing the flesh of her butt as she kissed and lashed tongues with him as she pressed her freshly uncovered breasts into his chest.

* * *

It was nearly twilight when they got back, and Fighter went out to the house on the pier and looked it over. It had a decent bed, some chests and jars to store things in. It was probably a chief or high priest's room. She then found a transparent gown and tried it on; it fit her like a glove. She then went outside and sat down on the edge of the bridge as her husband surfaced from looking around a bit, then grabbed her leg that she used to pull him up.

"Find anything?" Fighter teased.

"You're hilarious." Ranger said dryly as Fighter chuckled and helped dry her husband off with a towel for him.

"You gave me a necklace, I give you dried-off muscles." Fighter said.

"You're too kind." Ranger teased.

"And you're not kind enough." Fighter teased back and Ranger turned and picked her up bridal style.

"Can't have that can we?" Ranger asked as he took her into the hut and sat down with her. "Tell me what I can do to make up for that..."

"You can start by kissing me." Fighter said as he kissed her and they went from playful to loving in a few seconds. She caressed his freshly-moistened muscles as he ran his hands through her hair, across her own muscles through her new gown, and across her lovely face.

"This gown really does fit you." Ranger whispered against her lips as he kissed her again.

"It's mine now..." Fighter said seriously.

"Keep this up and you'll look like a princess. Well..._more_ like a princess." Ranger said.

"As long as I'm _your_ princess." Fighter said as she stroked his face.

"More like the queen to my king, right?" Ranger asked as she smiled.

"Of course." Fighter said as softly as ever.

"Would my queen like anything else?" Ranger asked as he held her hand.

"Yes...make love to me..." Fighter whispered as he kissed her as slowly and deeply as possible, she pulled him onto the bed with her, he gently removed her gown, then she sat up, he removed his pants and belt, then she looked him over as she removed her bra, and silently signaled him to remove her lower swimwear, then he massaged her legs, starting from her feet, to her calves, to her strong, yet smooth and silky thighs, then back down to her feet. "I don't think I'll ever get used to having these unknown aches removed."

"Then I should massage you more often." Ranger said as he squeezed her feet then moved back up her leg.

"That sounds heavenly." Fighter said while breathing as deeply as ever then gasped as her husband stroked her womanhood a bit.

"Does this feel heavenly?" Ranger teased as he stroked her.

"Yes...but, do other things first. Really make me feel it." Fighter said.

"Right, you're not wet enough." Ranger said seriously, but it still earned him a weird look from his wife. "Not one word..." Fighter then tightened her lips. "Smartass." She then burst out laughing at him, then gasped as he gripped her breasts and kneaded them. "This is supposed to be a love-making session, not a circus act."

"Right..." Fighter said as she tried getting ahold of herself and Ranger sighed.

"I love you to pieces, but you're utterly hopeless sometimes." Ranger said and Fighter touched his face.

"I'm sorry...I just can't help but get a good laugh out of what you say and do sometimes. I know my timing is awful sometimes, but that unintentionally funny side of you is part of why I married you." Fighter said and Ranger got a grip.

"Now I know how that farm girl feels..." Ranger said.

"What?" Fighter asked.

"She got absolutely no where with Goblin Slayer for years on-end, and I can tell he amused her by being unintentionally funny sometimes, and...you asked me to make love to you-" Fighter cuts him off.

"And I still want that. I'm sorry I couldn't stay as devoted as you are, but I want to be, so...let's start over, and do this the right way." Fighter said.

"You remember what I did to your legs, let's go from there..." Ranger said.

"O.k..." Fighter said softly as she reached up him to come down and kiss her, which he smiled at and he followed her lead as he kissed her as slowly and deeply as before as she held him in place. "You think the Sea Goddess has a strong presence here still?"

"I don't know...but we can look into that later." Ranger said before Fighter touched her necklace. "You want an enchantment on it?"

"Maybe...but what?" Fighter asked.

"Again, we can look into that later." Ranger said before kissing her again as she removed her necklace and dropped it on the floor; she'd get it later. She then sat up, and they kept running their hands all over each other's bodies, from the faces, to their chests, to their arms and abs. She then got against the wall, held up her breasts from underneath, which is a signal he responded to right away by stuffing as much of her right breast into his mouth and lashed her nipple with his tongue while squeezing and rubbing the other as he listened to her pleasured moans for about half a minute before switching to the other.

* * *

Back at home, Bard and Songstress were rehearsing a song that discussed why suffering was needed, and how it overstays it's welcome, and how there's always hope it will not last. Songstress even learned the human tongue for this song in particular. They made sure tone keep the tune of the music, and the tone of their voices as pleasant as possible in case the baby heard them.

* * *

While Ranger and Fighter had their moment, Cow Girl and GS went for a swim, with her in the lead. She wasn't aware if he was looking her over; she noticed countless men trying to undress her with their eyes; she knew her body and why it drew so much attention, but GS was a complete question mark. Then again, the Sword Maiden got the same reaction, and she was no less developed.

* * *

Storm Mage was putting his twin sword whips to work by cutting down a swarm of imps, Wrathers, and Gluttons while in Limbo. Having two of them made all the difference, he'd lash out with one, then sweep across a group with the other, and his spin moves became more reliable since he could give the demons twice as much to worry about. The Gluttons also learned the hard way that the extra sword whip made his lightning more usable to boot; one tried to latched onto him with his tongues, only to get enough lightning poured into it to blow it, and the demons around it to pieces. A pair of Wrather tried to grab him from behind, only for him to jump over them, latch onto their necks, and rip off their heads.

"You demonic shitstains need to learn that I'm alot scarier than you are..." Storm Mage boasted as he lashed into the crowd.

* * *

Fighter then pushed Ranger down and massaged his pecs, abs, and limbs, running her fingers along some pressure points for good measure. Her husband simply laid there taking the treatment and breathing deeply. She then slowly rubbed his abs and chest with her breasts after putting some coconut oil all over them; thanks to Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother for their coconut hunt.

"Seriously...?" Ranger asked with an amused huff.

"What? Coconut oil does a body good, or two in this case." Fighter teased as she kept rubbing away. "Also...your hands are being awfully idle." Ranger then roughly gripped her butt in response and she tensed up before he kneaded her strong, yet tender flesh.

"Can't have that can we?" Ranger teased as he fondled her priceless ass as she stopped rubbing him and laid down on top of him flat, softening her butt, then kissing him deeply and lashing tongues with him, moaning and chuckling all the while. He then flipped them over, looked down at her groin, then she spread her legs before he pushed into her and heard her groan a bit...then heard her moan and gasp as he moved in and out slowly, then rapidly. "You're just as narrow and _slick_ as I remember..."

"_Shut_..._up_...!" Fighter groaned as her husband fucked her senseless for no less than 20 seconds, before they both snapped one after the other. He then carefully fell on top of her as they laid their catching their breath.

"Want some more...?" Ranger asked with a deepened voice.

"I want everything you have..." Fighter groaned out before Ranger detached himself from her body, fondled her breasts that were still covered in coconut oil, and rubbed her abs, sides, and thighs as well as she gasped and smiled at his treatment. She then noticed him getting hard again, then flipped herself over and got on all fours, then Ranger gripped her waist and pushed into her again, and pounded away while she gasped, moaned and even panted.

"Such an insatiable hunger..." Ranger teased as he kept pounding her womanhood as she made her throaty music which climaxed when they both burst again with an elongated moan. He then removed himself from her and got on top of her.

"I love you so much..." Fighter groaned with both sexual satisfaction, and pure love in her voice, then Ranger kissed her cheek.

"And I love you." Ranger said before his wife slowly flipped over, and looked up at him with a soft gaze, touched his face and he came down to kiss her. Their hunger was ironically satisfied, and now love had the floor. "I forgot...we get so..."

"Childish?" Fighter said bluntly.

"I was going it say it nicer, but yes. Anyway, we get like this because we feel so comfortable around each other, that we feel we can get away with not taking things seriously, even when we should." Ranger said.

"Funny enough, I forgot that myself." Fighter said seriously.

"Well...that's part of the beauty of being so hopelessly in love isn't it? Love makes people do and say pretty questionable things, which by default stems from stranger thoughts." Ranger said.

"But now, I don't know about you, but my lust spell is more broken than a goblin's skull after you and Goblin Slayer both took turns stomping on it." Fighter said and Ranger flinched.

"Holy _shit..._that's pretty damn broken..." Ranger said with a scoff and chuckle.

"My point exactly." Fighter said with a soft smile. "Now...no more roughness, make love to me. _True_ love..."

"Of course..." Ranger whispered before going down to give the slowest, deepest, and softest kiss he could, and she held him close with zero force and they ran their hands up and down each other's bodies, touching all the right places, in all the right ways. The contrast was night and day; they rubbed instead of gripped, touched instead of held, and tasted instead of bit. When he finally pushed into her, it was a slow, steady, and powerful series of strokes that tugged her heartstrings. This wasn't some animalistic mating ritual; she asked him to make love to her, and he was making so much it rivaled the ocean itself in that one moment. Her lustful moans from earlier were replaced with pure, blissful gasps and pleas, even as he picked up speed.

"Please...keep that up...oh yes..." Fighter whispered next to her husband's head as he kept mating with her. Eventually they both let out an elongated series of gasps and groans as they both finished and went limp in each other's warm, welcoming embrace as they interlocked their fingers.

* * *

Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother went on a brief scouting trip and found nothing worth looking at so far...then the ground shook a bit and they checked it out, and their eyes popped out of their sockets. The ruins that GS' team checked out days ago were being restored: the broken parts were being magically smoothed out, the cracks were closing, and even the parts that fell off the main structure reattached to the building itself. What, or who did that, and why?

* * *

**Sheesh, what an eventful chapter, hence why it took me a couple of days to write, not to mention...well, life happens. Anyway, beach time was finally happening, and how well-earned it was...and how fruitful. I'll bet you weren't expecting a Cow Girl x Goblin Slayer motion eh? Let alone Guild Girl and Inspector getting some sun time. The shark dive part was inspired by the movie Shark Quest, which did have some guys swim with a hammerhead, and a whitetip in succession, and this wasn't really a movie; it was supposedly the real deal. Anyway, now we know who the silver-haired man is: a Cambion...just like Dante from Devil May Cry, only...Dante is a straight-up hero, and this Cambion is part of the Evil Sect. What's his agenda? What's up with these ruins? Find out next time, so Rate, Review, and Share, and stay tuned...**


	18. Chapter 10 Part I

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Quite a bit of time at the beach eh? Well, now it's back to business for the two teams since the ruins were restored by some unknown force. It must be the Evil Sect...or was it?**

**Review Response: Well...yeah, why would the team waste time tearing it's insides when they could just blow it's brains apart? Doesn't make alot of sense if you think about it. As for Cherub restoring the ship and the team getting info from the elves...well, why not?**

**The Cambion's origins and plans are yet to be revealed, but chances are...he either spawned from a high-ranking demon, or got tainted. I'll never tell...**

**Huh...GS retiring or continuing to adventure are pretty obvious...unless some third option comes up.**

**Damn straight the ruins are going to get attention...**

* * *

Storm Mage lashed into the crowd of imps and shredded/paralyzed roughly a dozen in one swipe, and finished them off with the other. He even latched onto some flying imps, or Prides, and either yanked them into other demons, or even pulled himself to them and punched them into the others, or used them to jump off of and whip others. Several imps jumped up at him, and he spun around rapidly, keeping himself in mid-air and shredding the imps. Some where even pulled into the tornado of blood he was making out of the imps' comrades and were shredded themselves. He then used some of his alchemical prowess to rid himself of the demon blood by absorbing it into his armor.

"Anyone else what some?" Storm Mage called out, then a Luster burst out of the ground and lashed around with it's tentacles, and he put his sword-whips away and unloaded some lightning into it and it spasmed out, then while it was vulnerable, he charged up his sword-whips as much as possible, then tore open it's abdomen, if you can call it that, latched onto the beasts' heart, and flooded it with enough lightning to make it pop inside it's body as it shrivels up like a dying flower. Then he looks around to see if any other demons wanted a piece of him, and when none appeared, he exited Limbo, and went back to the Guild Hall to talk to the other demon hunters.

* * *

"What's new brother?" Summoner asked.

"Well, I just tore a bunch of demons a new one in Limbo." Storm Mage said as he sat down.

"The second sword-whip help?" Summoner asked.

"You've no idea." Storm Mage said.

"Is Her Grace doing alright?" Summoner asked knowingly and Storm Mage looked at the people who were giving the two demon hunters a wide berth since...demon hunters aren't known for being socially desirable.

"In more ways than one, yes." Storm Mage said with zero shame.

"Good for you both." Summoner said seriously. His brother sleeping with the Archbishop was nothing to make fun of, even if her ordeal wasn't common knowledge by any means.

"Do you have anything new yourself?" Storm Mage asked.

"Other than the last time I saw that Wizard girl, I taught her how to make a World Spawn, and what the pros and cons are." Summoner said.

"May I ask what they are?" Storm Mage asked.

"Well...the pros are pretty obvious; it's the strongest type of summon for a reason, but the cons are that it's about as far from stealthy, and space-saving as it can get, and it costs a shit ton of summon stones just to make one of them." Summoner said.

"O.k. then..." Storm Mage said in exasperation.

"You keep tabs on those people? Cause I don't." Summoner said.

"Not excessively, but last I heard from them, they mentioned hitting a beach." Storm Mage said.

"Wow...lucky bastards. I'll bet Her Grace would like that sometime." Summoner said.

"Maybe..." Storm Mage said before sighing. "How's your team?"

"We went our separate ways remember?" Summoner said.

"There's no way you don't keep tabs on them." Storm Mage said.

"Right...well, they're inside and probably looking for a new quest, as if they needed to look inside." Summoner said.

"So, why are they?" Storm Mage asked.

"Probably to get a laugh out of some people's reactions to them." Summoner said dryly.

"Right..." Storm Mage said as he shook his head before Assassin came out.

"We have a new contact..." Assassin said and Elder Revenant followed her out and the two brothers stood up.

"And...you are?" Summoner asked.

"An enemy of your enemies." Elder Revenant said.

"O...k...you have a job for us?" Storm Mage asked.

"Not you; the Sword Maiden still has need of you. Your three demon hunting companions however, could be of service outside of Water Town." Elder Revenant said.

"I'm not leaving my brother." Storm Mage said.

"As you wish..." Elder Revenant said.

"Alright, let's go save some people." Summoner said with confidence.

"The people are already dead, but we can contain and destroy the demons and goblins responsible." Elder Revenant said.

"O...k...let's go avenge some people." Summoner said and Elder Revenant took the three demon hunters to a hidden place, took out a scythe, charged it up, cut into space itself, and they went to a fortified farm overrun with goblins and demons.

* * *

The slaughter was quick and undeniable. Assassin and Werewolf tore through every goblin in sight, Summoner spawned elements by the handful of just about every type, Storm Mage shredded and paralyzed goblins and demons that got too close with his sword-whips, and Elder Revenant...his case was the most extreme by far...

Elder Revenant charged him with purple energy, dashed around around and sliced up the Wrathers with one swing of his scythe for each of them, sometimes summoned his skeletal avatar and had it sweep it's scythe around to clear out some Prides, he jumped, rolled, and flipped over and around several foes while slicing through them, or others, and since demons didn't have souls; they _were_ their souls, and they "re-spawned" in Hell, ripping out their souls was pointless, same with this particular bunch of goblins. But the dead could be raised and turned into allies, so them, on top of the flocks of crow familiars Elder Revenant summoned turned this into a massacre he alone could do alone. The undead juggernaut even poured dust, and shards of bone out of his body that tore the goblins and demons apart on their own accord, and when some more Wrathers and Gluttons showed up, he spawned some phantoms copies of himself to engage them while his physical body engaged the goblins trying to flee itself by throwing scythes that homed in on them, as he charged after them and clobbered them while his scythes continued to fly around and carve through the goblins far from him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the farm, Assassin was dancing, kicking, stabbing, and slicing through goblins and demons galore, if she wasn't throwing and shooting her knives at them. Werewolf was chopping down goblins and demons with his axes. You'd think axes wouldn't be much good for finesse, but people who think that never met Werewolf; he wielded his axes as if they weighed nothing, and they were laced with silver to weaken the demons so he weakens them before cleaving through them like melted butter. Eventually, he shifted to his wolf form let off an ear-splitting howl that stunned the goblins, then started tearing, crushing, shredding, and even tossing goblins around like ragdolls, and mauled the demons with just as much ease. He partially had his mate to thank; she crippled a Wrather or two, and he finished it off. He was hit by a goblin's spear every now and then, but as a werewolf, his regeneration, inhuman durability, and his killer instincts ensured it didn't mean much. Assassin then took her own werewolf form and doubled the slaughter, especially since the two lycanthropes ganged up on some demons to take them down.

The two mage brothers were watching the others tear through the unholy horde with awe in their faces.

"You have any spare storm elemental stones?" Storm Mage asked.

"Knock yourself out." Summoner said as he forked over 4 of them.

"I don't need them now...hopefully, but I want to help Her Grace as much as I can." Storm Mage said seriously.

"Unreal, even at a time like this you're a softie for a lady." Summoner teased.

"The best lady I ever met brother." Storm Mage said and a Pride swooping down, only to be skewered by an ice elemental got their heads back in the fight.

"Right, kill now, everything else later." Summoner said as he drew power from the ice elemental, and made a fortified ice tower to freeze, and shoot ice spikes at the demons and goblins he spots. He even summons a storm elemental for his brother who was forming clouds overhead and he sparked several of them.

"Alright... this kind of power will come in handy." Storm Mage said before pulling his sword whips and thrusting his blades out to impale a Wrather right through it's gut, electrifies it so intensely, the lightning bursts out of it, hits another, then another, then he removes the blade, uppercuts a Pride behind him, ripping it vertically in half, then shreds a few dozen imps and goblins but twirling his sword-whips around in front of him. Then he puts his sword-whips away, charges his hands themselves, and then punches down goblins that either got too close, or he got close to himself. Every one of them getting their brains fried, or at least paralyzed. When he was done, he stomped the paralyzed ones' heads in. He couldn't help but notice the amount of force he used was abit overkill; maybe the Sword Maiden's ordeal lingered in his mind a bit...but that was all the more reason to be with her; not only does her case need to be addressed, but his own apparently.

"That should be all of them..." Elder Revenant said as he returned to the demon hunters casually.

"I'd hope so, there must be dozens, if not hundreds of dead goblins and demons here." Storm Mage said with emphasis.

"Now there's only two more things for me to do..." Elder Revenant said as he went to a nearby shrine with twin scythes.

"Wait a minute...I recognize this shrine. This is the same farm I helped defend a year ago! I barely recognized it with all the fortifications." Storm Mage said in awe.

"For all the good they did." Assassin said casually. "There's a dead man in the main house. I'm guessing he ran this place."

"What? Dear Supreme, no!" Storm Mage said in horror as he rushed to the house and found the man he somehow recognized as Cow Girl's uncle; those sick bastards butchered him, probably while he was alive and screaming!

"You know this man?" Summoner asked as Storm Mage looked over the man's barely recognizable body.

"Yes...he helped me when I got injured by a hob. I hope his niece is at the beach with the others; I can't stand the idea of her being used by these things..." Storm Mage said.

"She must be. I sense no other souls except that man's, and no other revenants were here." Elder Revenant said.

"So you _are_ a revenant!" Storm Mage said.

"Not just a revenant, I am probably the oldest, and most powerful revenant in the entire country. Maybe in history." Elder Revenant said as he walked to the man's body and knelt.

"What are you doing?" Assassin asked as the revenant extracted the man's soul.

"We revenants give souls to the Death God in exchange for more power, and every soul counts, even if our goal wasn't for personal gain." Elder Revenant said as he walked off. "Now...there are a bounty of souls to collect elsewhere..."

"Hey! Could you at least send us back home?" Storm Mage called and Elder Revenant casually tore open a portal back to Water Town.

"You have one minute..." Elder Revenant said as he kept walking, then the team went through the portal.

"Supreme be with that farm girl when she sees this..." Storm Mage whispered.

"I'll look around the frontier in case any more attacks like this happen. If something too serious happens, I'm come get you." Summoner said.

"Well, good luck brother." Storm Mage said as the two brothers embraced.

"Give my best to Her Grace." Summoner said as he let go and walked off and Storm Mage went through the portal his undead friend left.

* * *

"Yes...yes...ohhh yeeees...!" Wizard moaned as Warrior slipped into her womanhood three times a second against a moss-covered rock about the size of a bed as he listened to the music coming out of her open, kissable mouth. Eventually, he pulled out of her, pointed away from the entrance, and the two stroked themselves until they both burst, then Warrior smothered her with his body and the two inhaled each other's enticing scents and caught their breath.

"You really _are_ a genius..." Warrior groaned and Wizard chuckled as he sucked on her neck, rubbed her thigh, and squeezed her butt.

"You mean because of that way we could enjoy ourselves without a potion, or the modify-a-rock plan?" Wizard asked as Warrior kept working her body.

"Both..." Warrior said against her neck as he moved his hand up her belly to her breast, then got up to fondle each one as she stroked his manhood which was still slick with both their fluids as they both groaned in pleasure. He then slammed his mouth against hers as she sat up and then caressed his lovely muscles as he broke the kiss. "Pays to have a meathead with you doesn't it?"

"You're never going to drop that aren't you?" Wizard asked as her breasts kept being worked.

"Nope, I'm going to milk it for all it's worth. Speaking of milk..." Warrior teased as he rapidly fondled her breasts and watched them bounce and jiggle.

"Very funny..." Wizard teased back before stopping him. "They're not toys; you're supposed to handle them, not play with them. Yes, I know, sometimes I wouldn't mind, but...this isn't sometimes."

"Clever." Warrior said.

"Hey, they're _my_ boobs; what I say goes." Wizard said seriously.

"Alright, alright, point taken several times over. You still think I'm sexy right?" Warrior teased.

"That...and you're as good with your body as I am with my brain." Wizard said with a smirk.

"And that is quite a feat." Warrior said before kissing her again and lashing tongues with her. "Shame I spent more time training people then I did practicing magic..."

"Hey, you have that lightning hammer for a reason, and let's face it...what can be done against lightning that can be done against fire, ice, or even force? Not much." Wizard said.

"I know." Warrior said as he picked Wizard up, with his hands under her butt.

"You know a lady could get used to having such a strong fellow to hold her." Wizard teased as she caressed his upper torso.

"Typical..." Warrior said.

"Hey, at this rate, you're going to look like the boss someday, and he's practically a stone golem." Wizard said seriously.

"Right...well, until then, this is all you're getting, not that it's not enough right? Right?" Warrior asked as she squeezed her ass again and she chuckles in response before putting her feet on the ground while holding onto his shoulders.

"You've no idea..." Wizard said with a husky voice as she slowly and deeply kissed him, shifting her lips against his and moaning as he groped, rubbed, and stroked up and down her supple body, and she meanwhile did the same with his muscled form.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter meanwhile were still in their bed caressing and kissing each other sweetly, softly, and slowly, with her letting off horny chuckles as he squeezed and fondled her breasts with one hand, before gently twisted and pinching her nipples, making her groan in bliss, before he slid his hand down her belly, rubbed her there, before she turned on her side and let him rub and fondle her round, fleshy buttocks as she, meanwhile caressed and massaged his dense, and bulky muscles, the same ones that tore the vampire queen's fortress apart.

"You know, before long, Warrior's muscles will be like yours." Fighter teased.

"Thick chance of Wizard's being like yours though." Ranger teased back.

"Right...although like we established, different people prefer different body types, and he apparently enjoys the hell out of hers." Fighter said before Ranger pinched her ass.

"I enjoy the hell out of yours, that's for sure." Ranger teased.

"I noticed. I make sure to keep my "goods" as sweet as possible at all times." Fighter teased before stroking his still-slick manhood a single time.

"They only get sweeter too; I remember this ass being quite a bit smaller back in the day." Ranger teased back before she lightly smacked his chest.

"You know that can imply I'm getting fat right?" Fighter said.

"Please, you wouldn't get fat in a million years, not with all the insane things you put yourself through." Ranger said and Fighter's face fell with her mood. "Is it something I said?"

"No...it's something I did." Fighter said before laying down on him as he held her close.

"What's wrong love?" Ranger asked softly.

"Do you want to have another child? Or, do you think Warrior and Wizard will have one soon? I know having more kids is off-the-table with that Cambion guy running around, but still." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"Maybe...but why do you ask?" Ranger asked.

"It's that archdemon. He didn't just beat me senseless...he nearly killed me. If he had...you and our daughter, our beautiful daughter, would grow up without her mother..." Fighter said before silently weeping into her husband's neck as he held her closer.

"My love and life..." Ranger whispered softly as she continued letting out her despair and sorrow.

"Thank that guru for teaching me about the chakras, if he hadn't, that archdemon would've torn me apart with my last thoughts being about how you and our child would continue living without me. I have no problem risking my life, but...to think you and our child would continue living, missing me as much as I miss my father...it's _torture_!" Fighter said before bursting into sobs and burying her face into the space between Ranger's neck and their pillow as Ranger continued to hold her tightly.

"But you made it. You put that archdemon down, saved countless lives, and returned in one piece. Our daughter, myself, neither or us will miss you; we don't have to; you're here in my arms, and I love you as much as I always did, and as long as I lead this team...we will not lose you." Ranger said softly, yet seriously, and Fighter got a grip and looked into his eyes.

"I love you...so much." Fighter whispered before Ranger dried her tears himself as she smiled at his gesture.

"I love you as well...I love you so much I don't know what to do with all of it." Ranger said and Fighter giggled at him which helped her return to her old self.

"Is this what it felt like at he pond when we had our first true moment of love?" Fighter asked.

"Most likely." Ranger said honestly before kissing her, and she deepened the kiss as much as possible; her need for his affection was omnivorous at this point and time. "Do you want me to take you again?"

"Please..." Fighter whispered against his lips before kissing him again quickly.

"How so?" Ranger asked.

"Like this..." Fighter said before she got off of him, and got on all fours. Then he got behind her, signaled her to spread her legs a bit by pressing his hand into her inner thighs a bit, stroked her womanhood with his finger to get her ready, then slid into her moist and swollen passage, and she reacted by gasping right away as he went in and out with slow, steady, and powerful strokes. "Harder...please...!" He didn't need to be told twice before he started pounding into her, making ripples in the flesh of her perfect butt as he slammed into her and heard her gasps turn into throaty, lustful groans. Her earlier sorrow was forgotten and replaced with pure, refined, euphoria, made even sweeter by the knowledge that the man shagging her like an animal _wants_ her to feel this way. Eventually he let out an elongated moan, followed by a few shorter moans as they both burst with an orgasm the size of an ogre.

"This is how it should be..." Ranger said as the two collapsed onto the bed, with his manhood still buried inside her, and his shaven groin pressed into her buttocks. "No archdemon, no goblins, no Cambion...just you, me, and a room full of bliss."

"Bliss you make me feel..." Fighter breathed out.

"And there will always be some for you, as long as you're with me." Ranger said softly before pulling out of her, getting a small groan out of her, then she reached up to him, then he came down to kiss her. "We should get back to the others soon..."

"Hey! Everyone! We saw the ruins repair themselves!" They heard Rhea Fighter yell.

"O.k...now we really have to get back to the others." Fighter said with disappointment before picking up her discarded amethyst necklace, putting it on and Ranger hugged her from behind. "This is the last time I'm taking this off..."

"Purple really is your color..." Ranger whispered as Fighter smiled.

* * *

"They just...put themselves back together!" Rhea Fighter said to the others as she and Wizard's brother came back.

"How?" Cow Girl asked as she finished putting her overalls back on.

"No idea, but it didn't happen by itself; the places was practically _bursting_ with magical influence, and that's impossible to fake." Wizard's brother said as Wizard and Warrior came back.

"What do you think caused it?" Wizard asked.

"My guess, this Cambion guy the cherub mentioned." her brother said.

"Cambion?" Guild Girl asked.

"Demon-human hybrid, not good company." Warrior said simply.

"Doesn't sound like good company." Inspector said.

"We saw him call that leviathan out of the water to sink some ships just before we told the two of you about it." Priestess said.

"Yikes." Cow Girl exclaimed.

"You three should get back to the frontier; we'll take care of the ruins." Ranger said as he and Fighter came out in their armor.

"We'll give the usual reward for an investigation quest, on top of whatever you find yourselves, whether it's information, or treasure." Guild Girl said.

"Alright, everyone get your stuff together. We have some ruins to tear up." Ranger said as the teams got their stuff together, then he opened a portal to he frontier for Guild girl, Cow Girl, and Inspector to use.

"Be careful..." Cow Girl said to GS.

"I will." GS said simply before putting his helmet on and the three ladies used the portal.

* * *

The pair of teams, went through the woods, with H.E. Archer leading the way, with Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother backing her up, and when they got to the clearing the ruins were...H.E. Archer's jaw dropped.

"These are the ruins we looked over before?" She exclaimed.

"The place looks like it was just built. Who knows what it looks like on the inside." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Let's find out shall we? Wait...anyone see any guards?" Warrior asked.

"I don't see anything." Ranger said while using Life Sight.

"Me neither." Wizard said.

"Or me." Her brother said.

"Well, we should still be cautious." Warrior said thoughtfully.

"You're starting to sound like my husband." Fighter teased.

"Stop me if I start copying him in other ways." Warrior said seriously.

"I don't know, you could do well to learn from other people." H.E. Archer said.

"Speak for yourself Long Ears." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Oh shut it." H.E. Archer said.

"Enough, let's just go have a look." GS said.

"We are with you Sir Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said as they went down to the entrance and still found no one.

"You're quiet as hell; are you alright?" Fighter asked Rhea Fighter.

"It's just...when do I get my moment in the sun? Last time we were attacked, I tried opening the chakras, and got nowhere. I want to have my time to shine just like all of you did." Rhea Fighter said somberly.

"Hey, you'll get a chance. We all do." Priestess said.

"Alright, I trust you." Rhea Fighter said before they went inside.

* * *

The group traveled through a large hallway lined with small pillars with Priestess lighting the place with Holy Light and Wizard and her brother using fire magic to boot.

"Anything you can tell us about this place?" Ranger asked.

"We only discovered that this place is similar to the place with the ogre we fought." H.E. Archer said.

"Ah, those were the days..." Wizard said sarcastically; the elf girl they rescued from there still left a bad taste in the mouth.

"Regardless, this place used to be sacred to the Sea Goddess, as well as a few lesser nature gods." Lizard Priest said as they approached a fresh mural of a large woman with a blue dress and a bunch of people surrounding her. "The priests and priestess who lived at the huts we used earlier conducted their rites and said their prayers here."

"And now?" Priestess asked.

"Now, it's like used by the Evil Sect." Dwarf Shaman said and H.E. Archer scoffed.

"What is it with goblins, demons, the Evil Sect, whatever, and using abandoned and once-sacred places for their operations?" H.E. Archer asked.

"It's called purpose corruption, and it's a bitch." Wizard's brother said.

"At least the place is freshly restored; we shouldn't encounter anything too nasty, I hope." Rhea Fighter said.

"Uh, considering the hell rifts can open anywhere..." Priestess trailed off.

"We'll be ready." GS said as he looked to the sides.

"I don't even see any chaffing on the floor; I can't tell if anyone has been through here." Dwarf Shaman said as he looked at the ground.

"I can't see anything out of the ordinary either." H.E. Archer said as she looked around.

"Me neither." Wizard said.

"Just keep a _fucking_ eye peeled...!" Ranger said with annoyance in his voice.

"Lady Priestess? Do you think you can track any demon forces?" Lizard Priest asked.

"I don't think so, but this Holy Light is probably keeping anything demonic at bay." Priestess said.

"Then we'll have to go after them." Warrior said as a squirrel familiar showed up, Wizard's brother picked it up, then dispelled it.

"And I know exactly where to go." He said as he pointed the way and walked just ahead of everyone down a hallway.

"What about the other way?" Wizard asked.

"There's nothing down there but dust bunnies. Besides, we can loot this place later." Her brother said as he led them down another hallway.

"I hope restoring the place included some of the collapsed hallways; there could've been something useful there." H.E. Archer said.

"Most likely, although...chances are they were sealed on purpose." GS said.

"Quite perceptive Beard-Cutter." Dwarf Shaman said.

* * *

Storm Mage returned to the Temple of Law...and the Sword Maiden to give her the word, and she was in the main chamber in all her glory when he got to her.

"Hello? Oh, Storm Mage. You've returned." She said softly with a smile as Storm Mage took her hand and kissed it.

"Yes I did, myself, those demons hunters...and a revenant killed a small army of goblins and demons at the same farm Ranger and company fought that goblin legion." Storm Mage said and Sword Maiden removed her hand from his.

"What?" She asked in awe.

"The place was attacked again, and...unfortunately the only person there was killed, somewhat horribly." Storm Mage said.

"No..." Sword Maiden whispered as Storm Mage hugged her.

"Those monsters will not do that again, although...my heart goes out to the girl who lives with the man. She helped nurse me when one of the larger goblins injured me." Storm Mage said.

"My hearts goes out to her as well." Sword Maiden said as she returned the embrace with her free arm; she wasn't about to drop her scepter.

"That revenant however...he knew the one who helped us at the farm, the same revenant who got his soul back from the Death God, gave his life to defend it from...the strongest goblin I've ever seen, and willingly gave his life to the Death God." Storm Mage said.

"I see..." Sword Maiden said simply.

"Too much to take in? Storm Mage asked.

"A bit yes." Sword Maiden whispered as she kept holding her protector.

"I must admit...I took the slaughter personally; I remembered the time the goblins were in this room...and I nearly lost it." Storm Mage said somberly.

"Stop...just hold me..." Sword Maiden said while shaking.

"I'm sorry..." Storm Mage said softly, then she stopped shaking and kissed his cheek.

"I forgive you..." She whispered next to her ear, then she turned his head for him and planted a soft, sweet kiss on his lips that he couldn't help but return. "I also love you..."

"And I love you...my dear Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage whispered against her lips before kissing her himself and had stop himself from reaching into her dress; she was the archbishop at this point and who knows how was watching.

"Storm Mage...give me that sterility potion." Sword Maiden said.

"Your Grace?" Storm Mage asked.

"I want to have the idea on my own mind, and no one else's, least of all yours; you have enough to think about as it is." Sword Maiden said honestly.

"Very well...I'll put it in your room before I leave." Storm Mage said.

"You're leaving again?" Sword Maiden asked disappointed.

"I also killed a pack of demons in Limbo, and who knows if there's more." Storm Mage said.

"Alright..." Sword Maiden said , then Storm Mage touched her soft, baby-like face.

"Hey...I keep your blessing on my mind, and your touch in my heart; those demons never have a chance." Storm Mage boasted and got a giggle out of the archbishop. "Besides...the chance to return to the Temple of Law, and kiss the one and only Sword Maiden, is worth nearly anything."

"I'm sure it is..." Sword Maiden teased before kissing him again.

"Wait for me; I will return, and when I do...I'll touch you as much as you want." Storm Mage said and Sword Maiden shook and breathed hard in anticipation.

"I look forward to it, my cherished protector." Sword Maiden said as her turned to leave then stopped suddenly.

"By the way, my brother sends his regards." Storm Mage said and Sword Maiden simply smiled.

* * *

Back at the ruins, the group looked over each nook and cranny for signs of activity, but nothing came up, until they entered a room so spacious, that their lights couldn't penetrate deep enough to see the end.

"Anyone sense an ambush?" Wizard's brother asked.

"This isn't a hell shroud; the whole thing would be dispelled by now if it was." Priestess said thoughtfully.

"Could we be getting alittle paranoid?" H.E. Archer asked.

"No, you can never be paranoid where the Evil Sect is concerned, especially given their recent activities." Ranger said.

"I concur. The hell rifts, the leviathan, all of these things demand to be considered signs of what is to come." Lizard Priest said as lavender orbs with streams of energy coming out of them start flying around.

"What the hell...?" Warrior said as the orbs flew around the room lighting it up and showing more murals.

"They must be souls. Remember the souls the revenants remove from people? They were the same color." Fighter said.

"But what are souls doing here?" Rhea Fighter asked and Ranger walked forward.

"Wait, boss!" Warrior exclaimed as Ranger approached on of the murals.

"I've seen this one in a dream..." Ranger said in awe.

"Who is that?" H.E. Archer asked.

"The War God's champion, wearing the Apocalypse armor..." Ranger said.

"You...saw this...in a dream?" H.E. Archer asked in disbelief.

"Yes. The armor, the monsters, the burned-up environment. It all fits." Ranger said.

"What's happening here?" Priestess asked as Ranger pointed to different parts of it.

"There's the dead abyssal creatures he cut down, there's the fortress he's assaulting. No idea who ran the show, or why, but he went there to kill some sort of noble, or royal who apparently worked for the Evil Sect, and my dream ended with him getting sliced into at least three pieces." Ranger said.

"That must've been some dream." Wizard's brother said,

"You have no idea." Ranger said.

"What do you make of this Beard-Cutter?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"Are these gods going to help us?" GS asked.

"Uh, how do you think I took down the vampire queen, and how we got our weapon and armor morphing powers?" Ranger asked.

"Alchemy." GS said simply.

"O.k...yes alchemy, but the War god gave me his power to kill the vampire queen." Ranger said.

"Which probably inspired the goblins to leave Hell." GS said.

"Now wait just a damn minute! The vampire queen was going to engage in a war around the entire northern kingdom. There's no way the goblins wouldn't get involved in that. For all we know, the goblins simply timed it so their invasion would happen at the same time the queen's did." H.E. Archer said.

"Lady Ranger is right Sir Goblin Slayer; that open space Sir Ranger and Lady Hero fought those hell goblins could not have been there by accident." Lizard Priest said.

"Or maybe we did provoke them..." Ranger said and everyone turned to him. "Maybe that Restoration miracle the Sword Maiden cast kicked a hornet's nest in Hell and inspired them to unleash the goblins trapped there?"

"It doesn't matter now. They're here, and need to be sent back to Hell. Now let's keep moving." GS said as he walked off.

"Alright..." H.E. Archer said as they followed him.

* * *

Elsewhere, Elder Revenant was walking through the town the archdemon rampaged through and the people who survived were savaged by hell goblins. He then saw after images of the goblins killing, violating, torturing, and dancing to their hearts content, and the Hero's team came through and wiped them out in one swing of her holy sword in the middle of their sick festival. Now...here he was, cleaning up the mess. He walked from one corpse to another, removing the souls from each man, woman, and child in sight. He even found a woman shivering and weeping from what the goblins did to her...then her heart gave out and Elder Revenant removed her soul.

"Heaven will hold joy that surpasses your pain young one..." Elder Revenant said with his voice as gravelly as ever as he put the soul away, then moved on to the next bodies, removed their souls, and went to a body that was charred black in a pile of still-smoldering wood, then removed that one's soul. "Tis a shame those goblins can only die once...but should they dare show their faces on this world again, they shall only know...death."

* * *

Back at the ruins, the team was walking through the same hallway, until a series of smaller hallways was found.

"O.k...some of these doors were destroyed when we were last here." H.E. Archer said.

"Couldn't you just remove the rocks in the way?" Wizard's brother asked before summoning some squirrels familiars to look around.

"No, there was too much, and who knows if that would even help." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Let me guess: you mean a possible cave-in?" Fighter asked.

"Quite right my dear." Dwarf Shaman said as the squirrels came back.

"Not much in the way of treasure, but one of the hallways goes on longer than the others." Wizard's brother said.

"Those familiars you have scout for us save quite a bit of time Sir Wizard." Lizard Priest said as Wizard's brother led the way.

"That's what they're here for." Wizard's brother said proudly, as he led them down a hallway.

"Wait! That panel on the floor doesn't look right." H.E. Archer said as she slowly approached it, then tripped over a cable that opened the panel to reveal spikes, and Wizard yanked her back with Levitate.

"O.k...this place is full of traps...go to know." Fighter said as H.E. Archer caught her breath.

"Would've been better to know before I nearly got turned into meatloaf!" H.E. Archer exclaimed.

"Well, now we know. We can be on the lookout for more traps. Plus...it doesn't look like a goblin made this; it's too old, and too refined." GS said as he inspector the cable.

"The fact that a trap is here means someone doesn't want outsiders in that room." Ranger said as Dwarf Shaman filled the spike pit with cement, then hardened it.

"There, we should be alright now." He said.

"Are you sure?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Have faith Lady Ranger." Lizard Priest said as he walked across it and the team followed. Lizard Priest was probably the heaviest one in the group; if the concrete could hold him, it could hold them.

* * *

At the frontier, Guild Girl and Inspector went to the tavern to see what was up, and all they had to do was show their faces, with Cow Girl dropping by to get some supplies, then Summoner showed up.

"Summoner? What brings you here?" Guild Girl asked.

"I heard talk about a demon and goblin massacre around here. Anything you can tell me?" Summoner asked.

"Ehhh, no...sorry, nothing came up about goblins or demons in quite some time." Guild Girl said.

"Oh well, that just means I'll have to roll up my sleeves and get the job done myself." Summoner said casually.

"Should be no problem for a Gold Rank." Inspector said and Summoner huffed.

"Hopefully...see you later." Summoner said as the ladies waved at him. then Summoner bumped into Cow Girl.

"Oh, hello." She said.

"Have anyone going with you?" Summoner asked.

"No, but I can handle this." Cow Girl said.

"It's still risky going alone." Summoner said.

"Oh well, at least I'll have someone to talk to." Cow Girl said cheerily as the two hit the road.

"And I...get some pleasant company." Summoner said with a smirk as Cow Girl giggled.

"You always flirt with girls you encounter like this?" She asked.

"Flirt? My dear farm girl, I was simply stating a fact." Summoner said simply.

"Well, I do appreciate your concern, but-" Summoner cuts her off.

"You have a man in your life? I'm surprised beyond words..." He said with no conviction.

"Goblin Slayer actually." Cow Girl said.

"So, he wised up and asked for your hand eh?" Summoner asked.

"Actually, I went to him." Cow Girl said.

"Either way, he's one of the luckiest men I know now." Summoner said honestly.

"Right...I've seen how men look at me." Cow Girl said.

"Can you blame them? Lots of women would kill to have a body like yours, and I'm dead serious; I'm not trying to be fresh." Summoner said with a tone to match his words.

"Thanks for the compliment, and the escort." Cow Girl said with a smile, as the two kept going to her home...which was smoking in the distance.

"What the hell...?" Summoner asked in alarm before Cow Girl let go of the cart she was hauling and rushed to see the farm with Summoner chasing her, and when they got there...the place was in ruins.

"No..." Cow Girl whispered in horror, and her eyes watered as she looked over the butchered and partially eaten corpses of the cattle and other farm animals, the destroyed houses, and eventually...the dead body of her uncle. "NO!" She then collapsed to her knees and bawled her eyes out.

"_This_ is where you live...?" Summoner asked as he looked over the dead goblins and demons, and gave the poor woman he escorted her space until she finally got a grip. "I cannot believe this. This is the same place we cleared out."

"What have they done to my uncle...? What am I going to do _now_...?" Cow Girl asked with a sob-choked voice.

"Do you know where Goblin Slayer is now?" Summoner asked softly.

"He's...exploring some ruins with his friends, but I can't ask him to come back and help with this farm. Just _look_ at it...!" Cow Girl said while still crying.

"Do you have any other family to take you?" Summoner asked.

"No...! My uncle was all I had..." Cow Girl said and sobbed a bit harder.

"Then we should go back and wait for Goblin Slayer and company to come back. I'm sure he'll have an answer, if one of his friends doesn't." Summoner said.

"And if they don't?" Cow Girl asked as she looked up at him with the evidence of her sorrow written all over her face.

"They must have something. They're all at least Silver Rank; you don't get that high a rank if you're not smart." Summoner said seriously, then held his hand out and she reluctantly took it.

"O.k..." Cow Girl said with a broken voice as she let him pull her up, then walked back to town with his arm around her waist.

* * *

Back at the ruins, GS and company watched a few dozen souls fly around some kind of crystal eyeball.

"What is that?" Warrior asked and Cherub poofed in.

"Sorry, I couldn't come to you sooner; only that Ether Gazer's presence let me come here...am I interrupting something?" Cherub asked.

"No, but you answered my question." Warrior said.

"What question?" Cherub asked.

"What that is." Warrior said as he pointed at the crystal eyeball.

"Ah...Ether Gazers are basically living relics made in Heaven, and put here on Earth. They're not common; you can count the amount of them left with the fingers on one hand, and those that are...they're pretty well-hidden, and protected. Whoever put it here was keen on leaving it here and making sure no one got their hands on it. Which may explain why these ruins were destroyed." Cherub said.

"What does it do?" Fighter asked.

"First off...you see these souls flying around? Well...Ether Gazers actually peer into the world of Limbo, and let living and dead people interact, and that's only one of it's tricks." Cherub said.

"Wait...you can interact with dead people's souls?" Fighter asked.

"Yes, but you can't bring them back to life; you can only speak to them. You have someone you want to see?" Cherub asked.

"Yes." Fighter said.

"Then look into the Gazer, think about who you want to see, and you'll see them." Cherub said as Fighter approached the Gazer, with Ranger behind her, and a man materialized.

"Fighter? Who is he?" Ranger asked and Fighter stayed silent for a bit.

"My father..." Fighter whispered and Ranger looked back and forth between them. "I just wanted to see him, and to let him know...I still love him, and I meant every word I said at his grave. I think of little else but the promise I made."

"I'm sure he's as proud of you as ever my love..." Ranger said as he held her hand, then she locked their fingers together.

"And I'm proud to be a mother. One I'm sure will mirror the three of us." Fighter said with a sob in her voice, then her father's ghost touched her face, making her suck in a breath, then vanish, then Fighter turned to Ranger and sobbed her eyes out into his shoulder as he stood there holding his beloved, not caring who saw. Then Priestess walked up to them, with Warrior, Wizard, and even GS' team behind her, all to support their sister, and/or comrade. GS himself just stood there observing.

"Quite a sight isn't it?" Cherub asked.

"Yes." GS said with a hint of softness in his own voice.

"Ohhh, the big, bad Goblin Slayer does have a soft spot." Cherub teased.

"They're not goblins." GS said simply.

"Figures..." Cherub said as the team's moment came to a close with Fighter letting go of Ranger, wiping her eyes and steeling herself. "This is where you people should split up. There are demonic forces gathering underneath these ruins, and you should hit them all at once to keep your backs covered."

"Who should go where?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Ranger can handle the ones down there alone, Goblin Slayer, you take your team and go down there. The rest of you, take the final staircase there." Cherub said.

"You know, the fact the demons are gathering in force underneath makes sense since we never encountered anything above ground, or at the entrance." H.E. Archer said.

"Demons are known for being devious creatures. It should surprise no one they lurked underground." Lizard Priest said.

"Like goblins." GS said.

"Correct." Lizard Priest said.

"Well, let's split up like the good cherub said." Ranger said.

"Take care of yourself please." Fighter said.

"Cherub said I can handle it alone, and I believe him. You should probably follow in his footsteps." Ranger said.

"Alright..." Fighter said before giving him a quick kiss before he walked off while morphing his heavier armor, mask, and a pair of leaf-shaped swords.

* * *

GS' team went through a series of hallways by torchlight, then he threw his torch into a room, a hell goblin investigated, then got a dagger through it's face and evaporated.

"Silver daggers, way to take some advice from the demon hunters Orcbolg." H.E. Archer said as GS went out to get his knives, then got jumped by several other hell goblins, who all got cut apart by GS' molten silver-coated blade.

"He also had me give him a silvery solution to coat his blade with." Dwarf Shaman said as GS craved through one hell goblin after another, sometimes killing them with a mere scratch, then his team watched them all choke and spasm in their last moments of life...if they survived the cuts themselves.

"He's not the only one who took some advice either." H.E. Archer boasted as she shot some silver-tipped arrows into the goblins at a distance, as Dwarf Shaman launched a volley of pebbles at the hell goblins who dropped down from the ceiling, only to be shredded by the pebbles, and Lizard Priest summoned a Dragontooth warrior, and the two jumped into the fray with GS, who was craving through every hell goblin in sight.

"57...64...71...78...81...87...97..." GS counted as he cut down goblins and the team joined in.

* * *

Ranger meanwhile was using his glowing blade as a light, then saw a room lined with flesh. It was a trip to Hell all over again. He was somewhat disturbed by the sight, but gagged at the smell and morphed a thicker and more refined mask to relieve himself of the smell. Then zombies spawned from the messes of flesh, and he craved through their skulls, then dozens more appeared, and even some skeletons come out of the flesh-covered walls, and he pulled his gun and shot them down as he split the skull of any unlucky ghoul that got too close with his sword, or with a pistol-whipping. When he was done, he put both away.

"Lord of the Sword. Master of the Mace. Cleanse my foes with the foulest aspect of nature. Pestilence." Ranger prayed and the flesh quickly became necrotic and weathered away within seconds. He actually closed his eyes not wanting to see it happen; few things wrenched his stomach, let alone scared him, but necrosis is one of them... "Dear Supreme in Heaven, why am I doing this...? Grrr, focus Ranger. You have demons, goblins, and apparently undead to purge..."

He then went to the next room, and a pair of Wrathers were there, and charged him the moment he showed up, then he jumped over them, shot them both in he head, but that just made them angrier, and he rolled out of the way of another charge, and morphed a greatsword larger than he was, impaled one through the heart as it charged him, and he slid along the ground as it fell on him, then he flicked the corpse at he other one, and plunged his greatsword right through it's face, out the back of it's head. "Lord of the Sword. Master of the Mace. Smith me arms, for the battle I wage." He prayed and a copy of his greatsword spawned in his other hand. He then heated both swords up and walked forward.

"Your ties to the War God are strong...but they will not save you." A booming voice came from the other side of the room and an archdemon was seen sitting on a throne that looked like it was made of bones. "You must be that Fighter girl's boy toy. Hehehe...you look smaller than I pictured you."

"You will come down to my level before I kill you...!" Ranger growled before the archdemon stood up.

"Let us see if you heart is as large as your swords, and if you swords are as sharp as your tongue." the archdemon said as it set it's fists on fire.

* * *

Meanwhile, Priestess, Fighter, Warrior, Wizard, her brother, and Rhea Fighter went down a hallway with Priestess leading the way with Holy Light of course, and they heard a twisting sound and stopped.

"What was that?" Rhea Fighter asked as Fighter peered into a room and gagged.

"This place has demons running through it alright..." Fighter said as the team looked inside and saw a few imps huddled around a structure that looked like a pair of hearts mashed together.

"O.k...that's just gross..." Wizard's brother said.

"I am so opening the chakras now..." Rhea Fighter said as she stayed put and started mediating.

"Just don't take too long..." Warrior said as the girl sat down, and about 15 seconds later, just when the team was losing patience, Rhea Fight slowly stood up and her eyes were blueish-green.

"Alright, let's see what you can do..." Fighter said with pride as Rhea Fighter went out to face the imps, who all pounced at her, only for her to blow them away with the force of one punch. Then more imps spawned from small rifts in the walls and he punched, kicked, spun around/jumped over, slammed, threw, and tore apart every imp who got too close, sometimes in mid-air, or on the ground. Some were slammed into each other, thrown into the walls, or had their bones busted, organs torn out, or their heads cracked open.

"And _this_ is coming from a girl who has an anxiety issue..." Wizard said in awe as the slaughter continued.

"She wanted a moment in the spotlight...wish granted." Fighter said with a chuckle, then Rhea popped her limb blades, and the carnage _really_ got under way.

* * *

"130...142...151...165...178...193..." GS counted as he kicked, sliced, smashed, or launched the hell goblins who got too close away, or blew them up with bombs, froze them with ice bombs, or watched his teammates do their thing until it was over. "That makes 203..."

"Over 200 dead goblins. Too bad we don't get that much gold for it." Dwarf Shaman said.

"You'd just spend it on a feast you big tub of lard." H.E. Archer teased.

"Actually I'd give it to you so you'd grow a chest Long Ears." Dwarf Shaman retorted.

"Why didn't we feed this guy to he hell goblins again?" H.E. Archer snapped.

"Enough. There's bound to be more down the line-" GS stopped talking when a rift opened and a hell goblin paladin showed up, and GS rolled an ice bomb at it, and it's foot froze...for about 2 seconds. The paladin then stabbed into the ground, and a phantom blade popped out of the ground, and GS narrowly avoided getting skewered by it, then H.E. Archer climbed a nearby staircase while it was distracted and hit it's eyes with a silver arrow making it yell and thrash around trying to remove the arrow.

"Elven bitch!" The paladin yelled and threw a sword at her, and she narrowly avoided getting her belly ripped open by it's serrations. Then Dwarf Shaman then hurled a large boulder at the paladin, who caught it...barely, then raised it over it's head to throw it back, just in time for Lizard Priest, and the Dragontooth warrior to cut it's elbows and pin it underneath the boulder...only for it to toss the boulder aside, remove the arrow, and stand there. "Why won't my eyes regenerate...?" GS then threw a silver powder bomb at it and it's elbows and eye burst into white flames and the paladin thrashed around trying to put the fire out, bit it did nothing.

"That's makes 204..." GS said simply as the paladin evaporated.

"Good thing you took some advice from those demon hunters Orcbolg." H.E. Archer said.

"If I didn't I wouldn't be the Goblin Slayer." GS said simply.

"Hell Goblin Slayer in this case." Lizard Priest said seriously and got some snickers out of H.E. Archer.

"That's funny because it's true." H.E. Archer said.

"Now, let's move on..." GS said as Cherub poofed in.

"This is all there was; that hallway will take you to the rest." Cherub said.

"Then let us forge on." Lizard Priest said as they walked off.

* * *

Ranger and the archdemon were clashing blades, after the archdemon summoned his own serrated sword in each hand, Ranger was able to keep up the dizzying pace with his greatswords. Granted he had to move around, backwards, and jump over some sword swings, and even block some sword swings in mid-air, and jump off a sword's wide part and the he swatted away a barrage of fireballs, then the two stood there to take a breather.

"That whore fought me much harder than you did." the archdemon taunted.

"Whatever whore you fought must've died, because if my wife crushed you, and so can I." Ranger countered and the archdemon laughed at him.

"Well...I'm ready for you..." the archdemon said knowingly and a pair of Gluttons, one on each side latched onto each of his arms and pulled him in each direction, and he pulled back as the archdemon watched him struggle while laughing. Ranger then noticed the beating heart down their throats, and he morphed his gun, shot one of them, then the other once the tongues holding his gun arm went limp. The archdemon then charged up a fireball, then Ranger shot the archdemon several times in the face, then it's fireball blew up in it's hands, and some of it's fingers fell off, only to get re-attached, then the archdemon charged at Ranger, who harpooned up to the ceiling, shot the archdemon several more times in the top of the head, then the archdemon barraged him with fireballs, and Ranger dropped down with a body-engulfing shield and when he hit the ground, he morphed his shield into two dozen silver, hand-sized throwing stars, each one cut into it's arms, it's chest, the sides of it's legs, and it's face. Then he morphed a greatsword, charged it, chopped into one of it knees, then stabbed it in the gut, then got bashed away across the floor, then the archdemon removed the sword. "Just like your little-"

"...like your little whore. That joke wasn't funny the first time you told it." Ranger said with annoyance, then shot a harpoon at it, hit it in the chest, pulled as hard as he could, then the archdemon pulled himself...but that was Ranger wanted. His armor then absorbed the greatsword the archdemon tried to impale him with, surprising it, then Ranger morphed a gauntlet, punched it across the face, broke two of it's horns, then jammed one into it's tailbone, paralyzing it's legs, then jammed the other horn into it's throat and watched it choke as he stood on it's chest. "That's twice you got this treatment. Unless you want a third time, stay away from my family." He then got off the archdemon's chest as it went limp, then walked down a hallway to the side...after checking the other side, and found a ton of crystals that looked like the Ether Gazer in a stone chest that he sent to his home's storage room via a portal.

* * *

Rhea Fighter meanwhile retreated back to the others as her stamina wore out, then took a life potion from Warrior as Warrior zapped the room full of imps with his hammer, and Priestess shined her Holy Light even brighter to weaken them. Then a pack of Wrathers came out, and Wizard and her brother used Firestorm to blow them to pieces. Fighter meanwhile ran up the wall to engage some Prides in mid-air by grappling them to the floor, jumping from one to the other while she snapped their necks, and even threw the dead bodies into the living Prides. Warrior then sliced up some demonic worms that burst out of the ground and tried to eat the team, specifically Priestess; she was probably a huge pain in the ass for the demons thanks to her Holy Light. When it was over, the team progressed...then the team fell into a trapdoor pit, and each of them went down three different slides...

* * *

GS and company followed a pathway to another hallway, and Lizard Priest stopped a demonic worm from eating him, then GS plunged a silver-poisoned sword into it.

"O.k...since when are there demonic worms in this place?" H.E. Archer exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter. They won't stop us." GS said as he kept going.

"Quite right Sir Goblin Slayer, but we must still be cautious; like the good Sir Ranger said, we wouldn't last long without being cautious." Lizard Priest said before Priestess, and Wizard's brother flew out of a panel in the wall and rolled across the ground.

"Holy...are you two alright?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Yes, but the others were separated from us!" Priestess exclaimed.

"Not good, splitting up in a place like this without being informed of what's ahead is not desirable." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Well excuse us for falling into a trap!" Wizard's brother said.

"Let's just go find them." GS said as they kept going.

* * *

Ranger was craving through one round of hell goblins are another when Wizard, Warrior, and Rhea Fighter, fell from the ceiling out of a panel, and Wizard used Levitation to keep herself, Warrior, and Rhea Fighter from breaking their necks.

"What? What happened? Where are the others?" Ranger asked with concern.

"We fell for a damn trapdoor. The others could be anywhere." Warrior said as they got up.

"Then we should go find them." Ranger said as he led the way through the hallway, and eventually...they found GS' team.

"There you are! We were worried sick! Wait...where's Fighter?" Warrior asked.

"We thought she was with you?" Priestess said and everyone got worried.

"That's not good...not good at all!" Rhea Fighter exclaimed and Ranger used Life Sight and frantically looked around, then bolted off down a hallway, craving through every unfortunately goblin, demon, worm, or whatever else got in his way. Nothing was getting between him and the woman he revered. He eventually got to the hall she was in...and his heart sank. She was laying there, completely motionless, and she had an unfocused and lifeless look in the face. He then rushed to her side, the risks be damned, even if she _was_ the only life form in the area.

"Fighter? Fighter! My wife...my dear wife...What happened? Fighter! Wake up! Please wake up..." Ranger pleaded as he shook her, looked into her blank eyes and his eyes started watering as Wizard approached and put her hand on her head. "What the hell is wrong with her...?

"Illusion magic...she's trapped in a nightmare. I don't know what she's experiencing, but that's all she can experience; she can't sense anything outside of her mind or body. Trying to coax her out of it is pointless." Wizard said sadly and Ranger tensed up and lowered his head with grief and rage before opening a portal.

"_Go_...take her to my home, and _fix_ her..." Ranger whispered as his tears hit his wife's face, then Wizard and Priestess took her through the portal.

"I'm not coming back; if the Cambion is here, I won't be much help anyway." Priestess said.

"I can handle him! Just fix her..." Ranger growled as the portal closed.

"Boss...?" Warrior asked cautiously as he reached out and pulled back when Ranger started talking again.

"May...whoever did this...suffer every curse...in every...tongue in existence. May they _drown_ in the tears shed for their pain, and their corpse be fed to the most ill-mannered _filth in Hell_!" Ranger growled as he kept shaking.

* * *

**Hoo boy this chapter got dark didn't it, and it was so happy in the last part. But...whoever broke Fighter's mind really fucked up good; wrong a servant of the War God, you get an entire war's worth of trauma focused on yourself, not to mention what Cow Girl went through...who knows how she'll react. Maybe she'll become an adventurer herself, or work at a new farm, who knows? I sure don't, so be sure to Rate, Review, Share, and stay tuned to find out.**


	19. Chapter 10 Part II

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Well...let's see what kind of hell Ranger's going to raze. Knowing him, and what he did to the vampire queen...it's probably going to be a case of him going Doomguy on everyone's ass.**

**Review Response: Hey, at least Elder Revenant and company avenged the man, and...it's not likely the team can resurrect him. Goblin Slayer, and the rest of the team training Cow Girl is a decent idea, and is a complete shoo-in for Cow Girl to have more moments with GS, I mean...look at Ranger and Fighter.**

**Speaking of whom: it's pretty poetic for Ranger to follow in his wife's footsteps like that isn't it? As for her "personal hell"? Well...like Wizard established, illusion magic is a planet-sized bitch sometimes.**

**I forgot about GS' sister completely...oh well, it's not too late for him to see her again; they're still in the ruins...**

* * *

Sword Maiden finished putting on the ponytail she used to have back in the day, was about to get undressed for when Storm Mage returned, and kept his promise to give her his liberating touch; she even drank some sterility potion for the occasion...before cringing so hard she was amazed she didn't suffer muscle cramps as she fell back into the bed. Immeasurable fury, grief, and mind-shattering confusion and turmoil flooded her entire being out of nowhere. It was like an out-of-body experience, and a complete-body experience at once, but...the pain didn't belong to her, otherwise she would probably have died from brain damage by now. Then it hit her: she was feeling the combined suffering of both Ranger and Fighter at once, and her current ordeal was her divine awareness kicking in and letting her know what happened. She tried and failed for the better part of an hour to get her random and violent shaking spells under control, and when she finally did...Storm Mage came in.

"Your Grace? I'm sorry I couldn't return earlier." Storm Mage said before noticing her on the bed sideways. "Uh, Your Grace?"

"Storm Mage..." Sword Maiden said with a broken tone to her voice that Storm Mage was alarmed by and rushed to her side.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked with concern.

"Pain...wrath...grief...horror...all of it..." Sword Maiden said as she kept shaking.

"What about it? What happened to you?" Storm Mage asked as he removed his armor and got in bed with her and positioned her so her head was on the pillow.

"It's not me...it's Ranger, and Fighter. Both are in their own personal level of hell." Sword Maiden said with nothing but sympathy and heartache in her voice.

"What can we do?" Storm Mage asked.

"Nothing...they're both on their own, but I can tell...Fighter is being healed as we speak, and Ranger? He's going to unleash his rage on a great number of his foes..." Sword Maiden said with her heartache replaced with concern.

* * *

Ranger meanwhile was still shaking with rage and grief over seeing his wife mentally broken, and not being there to help her.

"How could they...? My dear, sweet Fighter..." Ranger whispered as he stayed on his knees and his tears kept flowing. The team could believe what happened to Fighter either; she never looked more pitiful. And Ranger...he looked like a man defeated, but at least his case made sense; he loved Fighter with his entire being, and he was probably weeping on everyone's behalf.

"Boss...Wizard and Priestess can heal her. We should go back and wait for her to recov-" Ranger cuts Warrior off.

"To hell with that...! I'm going to avenge her, even if I have to bring this place down a second time to do it!" He growled as he stood up.

"O.k. we did come here to check it out, and it needs to be cleared out, but we don't know what else is down there. Priestess and Wiz-" Ranger cuts H.E. Archer off.

"I don't need them!" Ranger yelled as he snapped his flushed, tear-stained face to the rest and most flinch. "I can clear this place out by myself if I have to. I might even try it."

"Are you crazy? There could be a legion of demons down there for all you know!" Wizard's brother exclaimed.

"They'll need _ten_ legions to save them...!" Ranger growled as he morphed a pair of greatswords. "I took down the vampire queen and still had enough strength left in me to slaughter hundreds of empowered goblins without Holy Light there to weaken them. I killed an archdemon before I came here and didn't get injured _once_, even though it fought dishonestly. I may not be Platinum Ranked, yet, but I am still the only one here who has a chance to become Platinum Ranked. All of you can remain Silver for all the damns I give..."

"Please Sir Ranger, there is no reason to get personal with us, or with the goblins or demons for that mat-" Ranger cuts Lizard Priest off.

"_They_ made this personal! I've seen them butcher and violate countless people, I even put some girls out of their misery in my first quest and paid for it ever since, but this? This time they've gone too far. Every single beast that dares call this place home, will pay every price imaginable, for what they did to my wife...!" Ranger yelled, and With that, he rushed down a hallway into the unknown.

"Boss!" Warrior yelled and Lizard Priest stopped him.

"Let him go. If we want to help him, we should do so without directly interfering." Lizard Priest said.

"He's right young Warrior; that man is too beside himself with anger to let us help him, and honestly...I can't blame him." Dwarf Shaman said.

"I love Fighter too; she's the sister I never had, and I know how the boss feels about her first-hand, but I have faith that Wizard and Priestess can help her. Then again...the boss has always been more passionate than most." Warrior said thoughtfully.

"Personally, I agree with Ranger." Rhea Fighter said and got some looks from the group. "Fighter's a martial artist. Same as me, and her mind was shattered, and that...is a fate worse than death. If Ranger cares about her even half as much as he says he does, his rage is 110% justified."

"Ironically, this is probably the first time I ever felt sorry for the goblins; he's proven he can think of ways to get the job done even when enraged. He's probably going to cook up some...pretty horrifying things for those little green bastards." Wizard's brother said as GS turned to leave. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Ranger is going to kill the remaining goblins and demons...plus, there's someone I want to see." GS said as he walked out.

* * *

Wizard was looking over the illusion curse put on Fighter, trying as hard as possible to ignore the disheartening look on her face; Priestess actually rushed out of the room crying her eyes out because of it, not that Wizard could blame her; Fighter and Priestess were like sisters, and Priestess always was the gentlest spirit in the team, and who knows what hell Ranger was going to raise on the poor SOBs that did Fighter this way.

"Come on..." Wizard said with impatience. For all she knew, Fighter's condition was getting worse, and the risk of her staying like this for good was too much to ignore.

"Can you do _anything_?" Priestess asked with concern and nervousness in her voice.

"I don't know. I can't even pinpoint what the curse is doing to her in detail, and until I do...I won't even know where to begin!" Wizard said with her own nerves being fried. "Wait...my book!" She then rushed to her bag and got out a grimoire and looked into illusion spells as Priestess went over to Fighter's bed and put holy water on her staff.

"Hear me O merciful Earth Mother. Lay your hand on this, your suffering child, and bless her with Healing." Priestess prayed with her eyes still watering and she felt the miracle do it's job, but Fighter still remained unresponsive. "Why didn't it work?!"

"I already tried healing her remember? You can repair the damage, but until the spell is broken...she's not going anywhere." Wizard said.

* * *

Ranger rushed through the hallways using Life Sight to see where any foes were, and every time he got into a room full of goblins or demons, he tore through them like wet paper. He dashed from one hob or Wrather or another, chopping them in half in his greatswords, shot the ones he spared in the head with his guns. Morphed his greatswords into throwing stars that shredded the smaller goblins or imps, and they even moved from one target to another, while embedding into their chests and spinning while embedded, which shredded their hearts and lungs, He even morphed arm and legs blades like his wife's, and shredded the rest of the goblins that got too close, screaming in rage all the while.

When he was done there, more goblins rushed in thanks to the noise, only to get their insides blown out by Ranger's guns, who hit them in their torsos rather than their heads; headshots were too good for them. The noise and piles of their dead and dying comrades were starting to wear of their morale Ranger noticed...good. This fight is even easier than it was before, plus...it was fitting for them.

He then rushed into the crowd of nervous goblins and tore their limbs off, impaled them with their own bones, tore off their heads and thrown them into the others, stomped their guts in, punched their jaws off, slammed them into the ground hard enough to crack the ground itself, ripped out their guts and left them to die, and even harpooned a fleeing shaman and held it there as it choked to death for the rest of the goblins to see, then it slung the corpse at them with enough force to kill two of them...then he shot the fleeing goblins in the legs or spines as they ran.

"Try running now you damn parasites. Now...where are the rest of you?" Ranger growled as he ran to the next area.

* * *

"So...who is it you want to see Beard-Cutter?" Dwarf Shaman asked as GS approached the Ether Gazer.

"My sister..." GS said softly, and lo and behold she appeared right in front of him.

"I missed you brother." She said softly and GS removed his helmet.

"I missed you too." GS said as he reached out his hand, with her holding it in return.

"I know what you did while I was gone, and I know why. I used to be worried about you, but I'm glad you found a new family. Also...I'm alright now, as are the rest of the goblins' victims with me. The Supreme God saw to it that all the pain we suffered in life was made up for. The Supreme is even saving a place for you." GS' sister said.

"Why?" GS asked.

"Why? Because there's lots of people still breathing and not suffering thanks to the goblins, and a good chunk of it is because of you." GS' sister said.

"If I was as strong then as I am now..." GS said with regret in his voice.

"You wouldn't be where you are, but even if it would be better off that way...it isn't that way. Don't waste your time on what could've, or even should've been. You're the Goblin Slayer, here and now. Now go back out there and keep saving lives, and get yourself a life worth living." GS' sister said.

"Alright..." GS said as he let go and she started fading.

"Whatever happens, just know I, and our mom and dad love you, and always have." GS' sister said before vanishing completely. GS then put his helmet back on.

"Damn..." Warrior whispered and Rhea Fighter sniffled a bit.

"I don't know how much more I can take..." She said.

"Me neither. First Fighter, now this? What next...?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Who the hell knows? But we should go take out some goblins in the other rooms." Warrior said.

"Right. Sir Ranger may not need our help, but nevertheless he should have it." Lizard Priest said.

"On top of that...we can't let him take too much of the credit can we?" H.E. Archer said.

* * *

The Hero's party was looking through a cave rumored to be home to a small army for the Evil Sect...then they found a trail of dead goblins, all of whom showed no signs of injury.

"O..k..this is new..." Hero said.

"Look. That blood..." Sage said as she looked it over.

"Don't _touch_ it!" Hero exclaimed in disgust.

"I'm not, it's just...this blood is coagulated." Sage said.

"So?" Sword Saint asked and Sage looked at her.

"Blood only does that in corpses, and these goblins look like they died two seconds ago. So either they smeared the blood of a corpse on this one spot, which makes absolutely no sense, or...we're dealing with a revenant." Sage said.

"Revenant? I thought they were just rumors?" Hero asked.

"They're real alright. They're usually friendly, or at least indifferent, but if you fight one, more often than not, it's a death sentence...unironically." Sage said.

"Oh well, I'm sure we can take him." Hero said as she walked on with her two companions following her...then a bone-rattling chill hit them all.

"Sheesh! One of these cultists a ice mage or something?" Sword Saint asked as they kept going, and found several Evil Sect acolytes with their heads missing, limbs severed, guts sliced open, or all three...then they saw the Death God himself taking souls out of Elder Revenant.

"I'd recognize those souls anywhere. There's nothing for you here, aside from getting to see the Death God." Elder Revenant said after the Death God vanished.

"That was the _Death God_?" Hero asked in awe.

"Yes, the harvester and ferryman of all souls. The rest of the treasure here is yours if you wish." Elder Revenant said as he walked past them.

"Uhhh...thanks?" Sword Saint said.

"Wait...did they have any captives?" Hero asked and the undead man stopped.

"Yes, but there isn't much left of them now." Elder Revenant said grimly.

"Did you kill them?" Sage asked.

"Of course not, but it's a miracle I was able to keep the Demon Lord from taking their souls." Elder Revenant said.

"The Demon Lord? Already?" Sage asked.

"Yes. He only appears once every ten year because that's how long it takes, but with their new leader causing a scene all over he country, the Demon Lord has a golden opportunity to return faster." Elder Revenant said.

"Then we better make sure that doesn't happen." Hero said.

"How right you are...but the rest of the abyss is another matter." Elder Revenant said.

"What do you mean?" Sage asked.

"There are worlds beyond Heaven, Hell, and Earth; I've traveled to nearly all of them. I've reaped souls, I've slain countless of those world's enemies...I've even ended some of those worlds." Elder Revenant said.

"You what?!" Hero exclaimed.

"Those worlds were dying; the people needed to be saved, and the only way I could, by taking their souls to the Supreme, lest those souls vanish into nothingness. As a revenant, souls concern me...flesh, does not." Elder Revenant said as he turned to leave.

* * *

"Can I help you in any way Your Grace?" Storm Mage asked as the two laid down in bed together.

"It's them who require your help, not me...not that you can do anything besides keep them in your prayers." Sword Maiden said.

"Point taken...but you didn't answer me." Storm Mage said.

"Just...hold me, and tell me something nice." Sword Maiden said as her protector scooped her up in his arms and thought.

"I remember you saying you had mixed feelings about the night...do you now?" Storm Mage asked and felt her shake her head. "Well, now it's my favorite time."

"It is?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Yes. Sure I can go around and do things during the day, but at night...I get to hold you, and I wouldn't trade that for _anything_." Storm Mage said as she held him back and approached his ear.

"Bathe with me...and give me the touch you promised me..." Sword Maiden whispered, and the two got up, he walked her out, and they went to the bathhouse together.

* * *

The moment they hit the water, they softly pressed their lips together and held each other as close as possible, with the warmth of each other's bodies and the water, and the contrast between the softness of her flesh, and the hardness of his clashing together deliciously, especially when they ran their hungry hands along each other's faces, hair, shoulders, sides, bellies, and then when they were satisfied for the time being, they simply sat there holding each other, and one of their hands interlocked.

"Tell me about the sky, fertility, and sea gods you pray to..." Sword Maiden said.

"Well...the sea god, is actually the Sea Goddess, and she's said to be the twin sister of the Sky Goddess, with the Fertility God being the son of the Love Goddess and War God. It's because of him that child-baring, and the rebirth of the world after warfare is possible. He even brings hope that war can lead to a new and brighter rebirth for the world itself, in addition to the hope that warfare can lead to new experiences, new ideals, new riches being made or found, you name it." Storm Mage said as her held his beloved maiden.

"The Fertility God sounds like a true servant of the Supreme..." She said in awe.

"You don't know the half of it. The Sea and Sky sisters speak for themselves. The sea and sky are as much a part of the world as the earth itself is, and lots of people know how much of a role the Earth Mother plays. And just like how Priestess gets power from her, and the Supreme God...I get my power from the Sky Goddess, and my weather control from the Sea Goddess, who in-turn, is said to be able to churn the weather." Storm Mage said.

"Oh?" Sword Maiden said.

"You know storms are stronger at sea? Well take a guess how that could work..." Storm Mage said half-jokingly and Sword Maiden smiled at this.

"That makes sense." She said with the same angelic voice that always calmed him, even when he was already calm.

"Sword Maiden...I remember Priestess telling me that when she first met you...when you still had your blindfold, you often spoke as if your words were weeping for you." Storm Mage said and her head dropped like a stone.

"Then I did a poor job hiding myself. There's a reason I never want to go back to what I used to be, and why I will always hold you in my heart for freeing me. Even more so for saving me in my time of greatest need." Sword Maiden said while shaking as her protector caressed her face.

"That's the worst time you will have with goblins with me at your side; they might get close to you again, but they will _never_ touch you again." Storm Mage said firmly.

"I sometimes wonder what would have happened if you were with me, when the goblins first-" Storm Mage cut her off.

"I was nowhere near as powerful as I am now; I would've been torn apart, and you would have had to stack whatever they did to you, on top of your heartbreak. Besides, I was too greedy to be around you and think of you as a person, rather than another mate to claim for my bed. A mindset I'm proud to have shaken off by the way." Storm Mage said.

"I see your point. Also...I drank some potion before you arrived." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"Are you sure about this? Once we start, there's no stopping until it's over." Storm Mage said.

"Yes...I enjoy you touching me more than anything, but I want all of you..." Sword Maiden breathed out as she kissed him deeply and with a spark of lust in her movement. After nearly ten seconds, she broke the kiss.

"Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage said softly.

"Touch me...touch me...kiss me...make love to me...give _everything_ you have...stop my nightmares dead in their tracks, for good." Sword Maiden said with a soft, yet demanding tone.

"Of course..." Storm Mage whispered before kissing her himself as he ran his hands up and down her belly, then squeezed, fondled, and rubbed her heavy breasts with the warm water softening them even more than usual as she moaned into their kiss and she poked her tongue through his lips as they broke the kiss with a really audible exhale as they pressed their lips back together with their tongues connecting. She let out another series of moans as her protector worked her divine bosoms with his ironically greedy hands. She then broke the kiss, pushed him back into the shallow part of the bath, licked and kissed up and down his neck as he squeezed, fondled, and rubbed her perfectly round and plump butt.

She then looked into his eyes with her eyes and mouth half-open. She was truly free now; her apprehension was replaced with desire, and he was the only one she had in mind. She then came back down to kiss him as softly as she did the first time, then his hands went from her butt, to the back of her head, as one stroked her long, silky hair. She meanwhile, held his face and ran her hands along the edges of his muscles. She said she was comforted by how strong he was, and these muscles proved how capable he was, despite how gentle he was with her soft form. She then rolled off him and laid down flat with her knees bent and her legs spread.

"I'm ready..." Sword Maiden whispered as Storm Mage got between her legs than kissed her forehead.

"Just remember who you're with, and how pleasant my touch has been so far." He said and watched her relax.

"I remember..." She whispered before he stroked her womanhood to get her going, and after she moaned a bit, he pushed into her and she cringed a bit, making him hold still, then kiss her forehead again for a longer time. "I still remember..."

"Let me know when to move." Storm Mage said softly as he kept his word and held still until she spoke again...

"You can move now." Sword Maiden said and she groaned again as her protector moved in and out. "How is this for you?"

"I'm concerned about your pleasure, but mine? Nothing to it; this is _heavenly_..." Storm Mage said with a deeper tone to his voice, and she must've been relieved, because she moaned a bit more, which encouraged him to pick up speed...which made her moan even more. Eventually, he was thrusting into her tightening womanhood two or three times a second and looking down at her face that was twisted in sexual bliss he was responsible for, and her gaping mouth unleashed sounds caused by the same bliss. Her protector and lover continued stuffing his manhood into her sacred place until she finally let out an orgasmic moan and he groaned himself a few seconds later before collapsing onto her, then rolling so she'd be on top as they laid there, in the warm water, bathing in the afterglow.

"To think that Ranger gave Fighter this kind of pleasure within these very walls..." Sword Maiden said dreamily as Storm Mage stroked her blissful face.

"I actually discussed some things he did to her in here...hard to believe I taught him nothing he knew." He said and Sword Maiden laughed at this.

"If he pleased her and much as you pleased me, and more than once...Fighter truly is the most fortunate woman I know." She said before coming down to give Storm Mage the deepest and sweetest kiss she could manage. "He cherishes her as much as I cherish you...my beloved protector."

"Your protector cherishes his lady as well." Storm Mage said against her lips before kissing her himself. "We should dry off and go to bed."

"Will you keep touching me there?" Sword Maiden asked.

"As much as you want; I have yet to massage your glorious legs." Storm Mage said.

"Please do..." Sword Maiden said before she got off him, they grabbed towels, dried off, got dressed, and went to bed.

* * *

"I've got it! I'll stop illusion magic, _with_ illusion magic." Wizard said as she put her book away then rushed to the bed Fighter was on and focused on her mind. "Fighter...I know you can hear me. I don't know what you're seeing, but this is just a nightmare. None of this is real..." Fighter then relaxed a bit.

"I think she _can_ hear you!" Priestess exclaimed with relief in her voice as she held Fighter's hand that stopped shaking once she held it. "We're here for you..."

"You're Fighter. Daughter of a martial arts master, a Silver Rank, and a demon killer. Don't let the Evil Sect win. Fight back against it!" Wizard said firmly and she felt Fighter's resolve stiffen before Wizard let go of her. "It's not good enough. She might have her will restored, but she's too weak. Back to the drawing board for me..." She then grabbed her book and kept ready. "Don't bother with a miracle; the damage is repaired, but that doesn't mean she's in the clear."

"May I ask what you did?" Priestess asked.

"Simple: I turned the illusion into my own, at least for a moment, then used it to get through to her." Wizard said as she kept reading.

"That doesn't sound simple at all." Priestess said.

"It's simple on paper, not so much in execution. It also doesn't help that illusion magic isn't my forte; if it was I probably would've broken the curse by now." Wizard said.

"At least we know we _can_." Priestess said before squeezing Fighter's hand. "Just hold on...we're going to get you out of this..."

* * *

Ranger meanwhile we marching through a hallway to a chamber full of sleeping goblins, he then harpooned up to the ceiling, scooped the place out, and saw hundreds of them fast asleep. He then had an idea: he prepared a Fear...and a Rage curse, charged it up as much as possible, then cast it all over at least a third of the goblins, did it two more times, and got all but a few lucky ones...then watched the goblins, some still unconscious, scream, stab, bite, and claw each other to death, and the ones who wake up find their brothers slaughtering each other in a mist of red and yellow smoke, then scream in terror and pain as they get swarmed and torn asunder by a bunch of their brethren.

"Come on...Hell cannot be _that_ much better." Ranger said dryly before he pulled his gun and shot down the rest of the terrified and grieving goblins, and left the ones still alive from being savaged to die from their injuries. He then dropped down to the floor, absorbed the red and yellow smoke, shot down the few survivors and strolled through the room, kicking and stepping over the corpses in his way. A lone goblin tried to throw a spear at him only to get it's brains casually blown out. He then heard a horde of goblins coming to check out the ruckus, then Ranger morphed a second pistol and shot them to pieces by the dozen. Any that managed to get close had their skulls caved in by the raging Silver Rank's guns, got their ribs stomped in, got kicked to the side/into each other, or got a foot blade it their guts, only for Ranger to twist and remove their entrails.

A Goblin Paladin and five armored hobs showed up, Ranger's bullets and thrown stars bounced off their armor, so he morphed his gauntlets, as the hobs charged him, only for Ranger to absorb the weapons and armor of the dead goblins, form two spears in mid-air, impale two hobs, re-absorb the metal, make his gauntlets, punch the axe of one hob to pieces, before punching the hob to the ground, leaving it reeling in pain, as the other hobs tried to grab him, only for Ranger to roll to the side, harpoon one hob, jump over it, and yanked it to the ground, then tricked the other hob into splitting it's head open, then Ranger let the hob grab him, made his armor bulkier, which hyper-extended the hob's fingers, then Ranger climbed it, morphed his guns, and put two bullets in the hob's head at once as the last hob threw his sword at Ranger who jumped over it, grabbed it in mid-air, threw it back, and damaged it's armor. Ranger then harpooned it, yanked himself towards it, kicked it in the gut with both feet hard enough to make it projectile vomit, then he morphed his arms blades, and rapidly stabbed it in the gut and chest. Good thing he still had his mask on...

"So...you have some skill..." The paladin said casually.

"And you're next." Ranger growled through his mask, then the paladin laughed before pulling a metal rod that spawns a double axe blade out of red energy, and a shield made of the same energy.

"We will see..." the paladin said as Ranger morphed a pair of greatswords, heated them, and charged at the paladin.

* * *

Cow Girl and Summoner were walking back to town with him still consoling her as the poor girl leaned on him, weeping quietly...

"My home is gone...not again..." She whispered.

"I know..." Summoner said as he kept her close.

"And my uncle...how could they...?" Cow Girl asked.

"Don't know, but at least it won't happen to anyone else." Summoner said.

"Thank Heaven." Cow Girl said as she dried her eyes. "Can I stay with you...at least, until Goblin Slayer and company return?"

"If you must, although...I should warn you, the fortress I run is full of demon hunters, so...don't be surprised if you see anything creepy." Summoner said.

"It can't be worse than what I just saw..." Cow Girl said with her eyes watering again.

"Fair enough." Summoner whispered as they neared the town, then she hugged him fully.

"Sorry, I don't want anyone to see me like this." Cow Girl said as her escort embraced her fully. It was impossible to ignore her figure, but now was the worst time for that. Even if she wasn't spoken for, she is clearly in no mood for being...that like.

"For all it's worth, you are quite possibly the most beautiful woman I know." Summoner said seriously.

"Thank you..." Cow Girl whispered as she kept holding him. She then kissed his cheek, he kissed hers, then he flinched away from her before he could kiss her lips.

"What am I doing...?!" Summoner asked with disgust.

"It's not entirely your fault." Cow Girl said.

"Still...here I am, getting touchy with a woman who's in an emotionally vulnerable state of mind. I'm better than this...!" Summoner said seriously.

"Summoner! Please...let's just put this behind us. Things are too messed up as it is." Cow Girl said.

"Right..." Summoner said before walking her back to town, into the tavern.

* * *

"Welcome ba- Are you alright?" Guild Girl asked when she saw Cow Girl's sorrow-ridden face.

"The farm's gone. It...it was so bad...!" Cow Girl said as she eyes watered again.

"Oh dear..." Guild Girl said with horror and concern.

"They didn't even take it over; they just tore it apart!" Cow Girl exclaimed.

"I'm so sorry..." Inspector said.

"At least the goblins and demons responsible won't do it again-" Cow Girl cut Summoner off.

"They killed my uncle!" She screamed which staggered the three people in her company.

"Listen...why don't we get you something to eat? I have to talk to these two ladies about something." Summoner said.

"O.k..." Cow Girl whispered as they got her a sandwich, then Summoner went back to the desk.

"That was kind of you." Inspector said.

"Now...I didn't want to ask this in front of her...have you gotten reports of similar attacks?" Summoner asked.

"Yes, but most ended with the goblins, demons, or both being routed by Gold and Silver Rank teams. I never thought it would happen this close." Guild Girl said with worry.

"I myself actually stopped some attacks myself; damned things were no match for my elementals." Summoner boasted.

"By yourself? That's impressive." Inspector said.

"That's summoning for you. Serves us demon hunters quite well. But I can't take all the credit; a chunk of the attacks were stopped by crusaders sent by the Pope himself." Summoner said seriously.

"The Pope? Sheesh..." Guild Girl said.

"I know. I was thinking about joining those crusaders myself; I'm certainly high enough rank to do so, but then...who would lead those demon hunters at the fortress?" Summoner asked.

"Right. Well, nice going helping that girl there." Inspector said warmly.

"Didn't have much choice, and no, I didn't just help her because of a pretty face. Although it's kinda hard not to be since...look at her. Cannot believe I almost kissed her..." Summoner said seriously.

"You what?" Guild Girl asked in disbelief.

"Not my proudest moment, but I nearly kissed her while she was weeping over her uncle. There's no way I'm taking advantage of her like that; that's just sick in the head. Anyway, I'm taking her to the fortress until Goblin Slayer returns, so if he gets here, please let him know we're waiting for him. He knows where it is." Summoner said.

"Will do." Guild Girl said.

"Hey, do you have anyone who follows the Supreme God at the fortress?" Inspector asked.

"Actually, the Abbot stops by every now and then." Summoner said.

"Does he now? I don't know why I didn't ask him to teach me earlier." Inspector said.

"Teach you what? You already know enough." Guild Girl asked.

"Given how dire things were getting in the last year, it's only fitting I get my hands on at least some sort of protection." Inspector said.

"Don't tell me you want to become a crusader." Summoner said.

"No no no no no! Nothing that serious! I'm just saying that we should all keep up with the times." Inspector said honestly.

"You got a point there." Summoner said as Guild Girl yawned out of nowhere. "Sleepy?"

"Getting there." Guild Girl said with a small giggle.

"Well, we're going to hit the road soon so...see you later." Summoner said as he walked over to Cow Girl.

"Bye bye." Inspector said.

"Bye bye? What are you, six?" Guild Girl teased.

"Oh shut it..." Inspector said.

* * *

Ranger clashed blades with the goblin paladin for the better part of a minute with each of them getting nowhere, mostly thanks to the paladin's shield; Ranger tried throwing scythes, stars, axes, and even chunks of the ground at the paladin, but the shield held firm. Even Ranger's guns did no serious damage. The paladin meanwhile threw his axe at Ranger, and the axe slipped by, or out of his hand as he tried to grab it, then the axe returned to the paladin, and Ranger had to duck under it to avoid getting cleaved in two. Then he rolled a flash-bang under it's shield, harpooned the wall, yanked himself away from the paladin and the bomb went off, making the paladin yell and cover it's ears.

Ranger meanwhile spammed his guns at the paladin while it was distracted, and noticed some weak points, and shot them as the paladin either started bleeding from those places, or at least got staggered. Then Ranger rushed it snatched the axe, plunged it into the paladin's mid-section, tore off it's helmet, grabbed one of it's fists as it tried to punch him...and started crushing it's hand as it snarled in pain.

"If you paladins are supposed to be the equivalent of Platinum Ranks, you little green wretches need to raise your standards...badly." Ranger spat out, then the paladin twisted it's fist out of Ranger's gauntlet, tried punching him again, then Ranger jumped off to the side, ripped it's arms off, making the paladin yell in pain as Ranger beats it's face in with the arm, then finished it off by punching it several times in the face with his gauntlet. He then walked off as Cherub poofed in.

"Ranger, this rampage is only going to accomplish so much." Cherub said as Ranger kept walking. "Fighter-" Ranger stops walking and cuts him off.

"I'm not going to talk about her! Return to Heaven and leave me be." He said.

"She is being healed as we speak." Cherub said.

"If you want to help, go help her...like I couldn't." Ranger said while shaking.

"What happened to her isn't your fault. For crying out loud, stop and think about this. You really think this is going to help her? You're just endangering yourself, and risking that she carries on without you. She made a point of saying that she doesn't want you to carry on without her, why is your case any different?" Cherub asked.

"I am Platinum tier...like I always wanted to be. I'm going to put these monsters down, and you...will not get in my way again." Ranger said as Cherub poofed away with a disappointed look in the face and Ranger kept going.

* * *

GS and company went through one chamber after another, taking note of how much damage was done to the goblins and demons in each room.

"He did all this...by himself?" H.E. Archer asked in disbelief.

"He killed the vampire queen, and tore her fortress apart; this doesn't surprise me at all." Warrior said.

"Speak for yourself. I've never been this happy to be on his side." Wizard's brother said.

"Same here...this sends a pretty clear signal that Fighter is a not-safe zone for anyone looking to cause mischief." Rhea Fighter said.

"Heaven help anyone who manages to kill her." H.E. Archer said seriously.

"He also has the portal gem we need to return home." GS said.

"You want to get out of here as soon as you can huh?" Warrior asked.

"As to I Sir Warrior. Too much has happened in this ruins for my comfort." Lizard Priest said.

"I concur Scaly. I'm going to need a huge feast to drown out the sorrows found here." Dwarf Shaman said.

"For once, I'm on board that line of thought." H.E. Archer said before the team found a secret passage uncovered by a hole in the wall.

"That hole must've happened during the fighting." Lizard Priest said before he made it bigger and they found a treasure trove of items, including a suit of armor that resembled GS', but more intimidating.

"O.k...I want to take that with us." Warrior said in awe.

"Not so fast...let's see what this armor is, or does." Wizard's brother said as he looked it over, touched it, and analyzed it with his magic. "Well, it's made of some kind of iron-steel hybird, which is kinda strange since steel is basically enhanced iron. Aside from that...there's an enchantment on it I've never seen before; I don't even know if it's an enchantment, or if it's just how the armor works."

"What do you mean?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"I can't know unless it's put to use in some way..." Wizard's brother said.

"I'll try it. Not now of course." Warrior said.

"Damn right not now. For all we know, the armor could suck the blood out of you." Wizard's brother said seriously as Rhea Fighter looked at a sword handle.

"What about this-" Rhea Fighter stopped talking once the handle spawned a sword blade made of silver light with an axe blade at the tip.

"O.k...that's a keeper." Warrior said as he took the light sword, craved into the wall, and the blade burned through it much to the team's awe. "Goblin Slayer...take this, now." He then tossed it over, and GS caught it.

"This could come in handy." GS said before looking at the armor. "That armor is useless until we know what it can do."

"I will carry it for us, but we must find Sir Ranger in order to leave." Lizard Priest said.

* * *

"O.k...to hell with the controversy. I'm going to use an illusion spell of my own." Wizard said firmly as she walked over to Fighter and read from her book as she put her hand on Fighter's forehead, not daring to look her in the face. "I solemnly vow, by the Lords and Ladies of the Arcane, my goal in this rite is to peer into the unknown, and make it known. Let the void between our minds be torn asunder, and be remade as one. I order this to be done out of logical intrigue, and ethical stability." As she read those words, a stream of lavender energy surged between the heads of the two women, and Wizard twitched a bit before the streams were suddenly severed out of nowhere and Fighter finally closed her eyes.

"What happened?" Priestess asked.

"It's done...the curse is broken. Now, we wait for her to wake up." Wizard said as she sucked in a few deep breaths.

"How long will that take?" Priestess asked.

"Minutes, hours, days, weeks or months...who knows?" Wizard said.

"Well, I'll going to stay here until she wakes." Priestess said firmly.

"Might as well; the boss has the only way for us to get back." Wizard said then Cherub poofed in.

"She'll wake in about three hours, but until then, take this portal back to the ruins. Ranger needs your help." He said.

"Why?" Priestess asked.

"He's rampaging through the ruins, cutting down every goblin and demon in sight, and it's all for revenge." Cherub said.

"No..." Priestess said in horror.

"Yes. I tried telling him he was endangering himself by doing so, but he didn't listen, even when I mentioned Fighter was torn up over not wanting him to live without her...his sympathy was no where to be found." Cherub said and Wizard sighed.

"Figures..." She said before Cherub opened a portal and the two girls went through it after Priestess looked at Fighter who was sleeping like a baby.

* * *

Summoner hired a carriage to carry him and Cow Girl to the fortress. She didn't say a damn word the whole time, and Summoner couldn't blame her; what was there to talk about? Even if she wasn't emotionally devastated, he couldn't think of a thing to talk about that wasn't casual. About an hour later, they reached the fortress that was practically exploding with activity. Demon hunters galore were training, working on the fortress itself, eating, drinking, and bantering, some were brewing potions and enchanting items, and a whole bunch of other things. Summoner then led the girl to a spare bed.

"You can stay in any of these rooms until Goblin Slayer comes back. I'll come by to check on you if you'd like?" Summoner said.

"No thanks...I'd like to be alone for a while." Cow Girl said.

"Alright, I'll let everyone know." Summoner said as he left her be.

Once he left, she looked around the place, saw that it was nothing unusual. Bed? Check. Nightstand? Check. Bookshelf? Check. Lack of occult objects you'd expect from demon hunters? Huge check. She then stripped herself naked, got in bed and noted that it was somewhat better then her old bed, which was a bit of comfort she was pleasantly surprised by, but it didn't fill the void. She was a farmhand, not an adventurer, let alone a damn demon hunter! It made her feel pretty safe knowing that she was in the middle of a fortress full of them, and you don't hunt demons without being a badass, or a very good team player...but she still felt like a fish out of water. Her homesickness finally got the better of her and she started weeping while facing the wall.

"Goblin Slayer..._please_ come back..." Cow Girl whispered.

* * *

Ranger was walking through the ruins looking for more goblins and demons to slaughter, when Priestess and Wizard came through a portal.

"What are you doing here?!" He asked.

"Fighter's curse is broken. She'll awake up in about three hours." Wizard said and Ranger thought for a moment. "We can go home now."

"Forget it." Ranger said simply.

"What?" Wizard asked.

"I'm not leaving until I kill the maggot that did that to her." Ranger said.

"But sir, getting revenge isn't going to help either of you." Priestess said.

"Are you saying I should just let this slide?" Ranger asked.

"I'm saying that if you keep this up, you might cause more damage than you repair." Priestess said.

"There's no damage to repair in the first place, and causing damage is the point here." Ranger said.

"Sir...Mother Superior once said that hating someone is like drinking poison, and expecting the other person to suffer." Priestess said.

"Hate might lead you to suffer...but not more than seeing my wife..." Ranger didn't dare finish that sentence. "No, the one who did this is going to die...and to _hell_ with him!" He then walked off and stopped once he saw a lone figure just outside the ruins sitting down, then he charged outside to face them with a greatsword out, then put his blade at his throat.

"It took you long enough to get here." The man said casually, not bothering to look at Ranger.

"Wait...I remember your voice. You're the one who summoned that leviathan!" Ranger growled.

"I merely called it; I don't know how it got out of the abyss, but it's commendable that you put it down." Cambion said.

"You're awfully calm for someone who broke my wife's mind, released the hell goblins, and endangered the archbishop." Ranger said.

"Believe it or not, I had no hand in your wife being cursed, or the hell rifts, and I have nothing but sympathy for Her Grace; I've done quite a few diabolical things, but I never once condoned...intimate maulings." Cambion said still not looking at the blade at his throat.

"Why should I believe you? I know you have demon blood in your veins. A better question is why shouldn't I spill it?" Ranger asked.

"Simple: you _can't_..." Cambion said before he grabbed the blade with two fingers, stood up still not caring about Ranger's anger, and when Ranger tried thrusting forward...his blade didn't move an inch, then Cambion glanced at him, smirked, and snapped the blade in two, shocking the three people before him, then dropped the blade to the ground. "Now...before this gets even more out-of-hand, I suggest you go home, take your friends, and the other half of your sword with you, and leave me to my work. But before you go...a Warlock I revived is the one who cursed your wife. Also...I will warn you, this _one_ time. Continue to hound me, and I will spare neither you, your homes, or your daughter..." With that, Cambion vanished in a burst of fire that spelled out a message.

"I believe in fairness, especially with these circumstances, and I want you to know that unlike the rest of the Evil Sect, I have a goal in mind, one that I believe you will condone in the end. To prove to you, and myself that my words hold truth, I will give you a month to prepare. What you do with that month, and what happens after that month, is in your hands." Wizard read, then Ranger finally calmed down, absorbed his broken sword and then GS' team showed up.

"Boss! Are you alri- Wizard? Priestess? How's Fighter?" Warrior asked he ran up to the ladies.

"She's fine. Her curse is lifted, she'll be awake in about three hours, and...we just ran into the Evil Sect's leader." Wizard said.

"And?" Warrior asked.

"He's given us a month to prepare for...what he has in mind." Ranger said with his voice finally even again.

"Well that's just peachy." H.E. Archer said sarcastically.

"Also, what is with that armor?" Wizard asked as she pointed to he armor Lizard Priest was holding.

"We were hoping you and your kin could find out for us Lady Wizard." Lizard Priest said.

"We'll find out later..." Ranger said before opening a portal to the frontier, they stored the armor away, then went to the tavern.

* * *

"Oh, welcome back teams." Guild Girl said casually.

"The ruins are cleared...at last." Wizard's brother said.

"Well, here's your reward." Guild Girl said before handing over a sack of silver. "Oh, Summoner came by with that farm girl and...I've got terrible news."

"What? Priestess asked and Guild Girl sucked in a breath.

"Remember that farm you saved from a goblin legion a year ago? It's been destroyed." She said.

"What...?" GS asked with concern.

"And the man who ran the place died in the attack." Guild Girl said, and GS lowered his head.

"Are she and Summoner alright at least?" He asked.

"Yes, they're at the demon hunter fortress not far from here. You should go soon; she looked terrible, and probably misses you." Guild Girl said and GS immediately left.

"Goblin Slayer..." Priestess said under her breath as she chased him.

"Thanks for the information." Ranger said.

"I wish I had better information to give..." Guild Girl said as the team left, then she put her head down and sobbed a bit herself.

* * *

Ranger and company rigged his horse and cart together, put the new armor in it, and rode out of town, catching GS and Priestess on the road.

"Maybe the demon hunters will have an idea of what to do with the armor." Rhea Fighter said.

"One can hope." Warrior said, and about 30 minutes later, they reached the fortress, went inside, and looked around for Summoner.

"Ah, there you are!" He said as the team went inside.

"Where is she?" GS asked, not wasting any time.

"Right this way." Summoner said as he led GS down the hall and knocked on the door. "Excuse me? Goblin Slayer is here. I'll leave you two alone..." He then left as Cow Girl opened the door halfway with her blanket covering her body, then she pulled him inside and wrapped her arms around his still-armored body so tightly, her blanket had no chance of falling, not that she cared if it did.

"Where were you...?" Cow Girl whispered as GS returned the hug.

"I'm sorry." He said.

* * *

**Well, at least things are wrapping up nicely. All I can say for Ranger's rampage is: Rip and Tear motherfuckers, rip and tear. For those of you that don't know: that light blade Goblin Slayer got his hands on is a reference to the Crucible in the Doom reboot, specifically in Doom: Eternal; I know it's like a lightsaber, but please take my word for it. Now...I have a few questions: should that armor they found be like the Berserker Armor Guts uses, or something else? Also...how much do you want to bet that the rhea that gave Cambion information in his first appearance, is the Rhea Scout? You know the one who took a promotion exam, and flipped out over getting caught being shady, then...apparently tried to assassinate Guild Girl and Goblin Slayer to cause chaos while the Dark Elf tried to summon an eldritch abomination? What if that same rhea works for Cambion now? Please let me know with a Rate, Review, and/or Share, yes I know that only makes some sense, but stay tuned anyway...pleeeeease.**


	20. Chapter 11

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Fighter's curse is lifted, the ruins are cleared, Cow Girl and Goblin Slayer are reunited, the Cambion gave them a deadline, and the team has an armor to look into. What else could there possibly be? Let's find out.**

**Review Response: Like Rhea Fighter said: considering how much Ranger cares about Fighter, at least his wrath is justified, and...Ranger does have a reason to be confident, considering he can think logically despite being vengeful. Contrary to popular opinion, rage doesn't always strip someone of their ability to think clearly; rage can sway the direction your thoughts travel, but blind, out-of-control rampages that go all over the place isn't the only outcome. Hence the idea of Tranquil Fury, hence the fact Ranger thought his attacks through instead of just charging into the fray.**

**As for Cambion? Good point, Ranger uses probably his strongest weapon against Cambion...and his greatsword gets snapped like a toothpick. Most people would shit their pants at the thought of fighting someone that strong. As for his words? What's not to get? And FYI...Ranger's greatswords are about as big as Guts' Dragonslayer...and thanks to basically a bubble made of willpower, yes I know how bullshit that sounds, but Superman does the same thing. Anyway, because of that, Ranger can actually dual-wield them like they were made of cardboard.  
**

**O.k...Rhea Scout being in the picture is established, but what about the idea of Goblin Slayer getting his own Berserker Armor, or his own Crucible for that matter? Wait...either a Berserker Armor, or a Praetor Armor, no the armor won't look like either one, not that you can tell from just reading, but still.  
**

**I never heard the GS theme music, let alone read the lyrics, so I'll take your word for it, although it's hilarious that I keep up with a series that frankly...I'm not fond of, despite not knowing many minor details, if you can call it minor.**

**On that note: the fact I'm not fond of the GS series is why I'm making this story; the fact that I'm making this story as "damage control" so to speak...gives me both pride and disgust at the same time. Outside of this story, I never want to touch GS again. Nevermind that unholy 1st episode, but the fact that the series treats serious issues, without balancing them with other things, like I try my damnedest to do in this story, disgusts me. My pride comes from the chance to balance things out at least a little bit. In other words: GS basically slaps people in the face with it's dark themes unlike Berserk, which people dare compare it to, which just lets people know that the world is a dark one, which is why Berserk is Dark Fantasy series done right. There's also the fact that GS was a pretty nasty bait-and-switch in it's hayday, but that's another story...  
**

**Anyway, in GS and Cow Girl's case? Well...she needs him now more than ever, and no, I'm not planning any lemons for them to sink their teeth into, but considering how I didn't plan any with Sword Maiden and Storm Mage, yeah, don't take my word for it...**

* * *

Ever since the team got situated in the demon hunters' fortress, they made a halfhearted attempt to look around the place, but saw nothing that got their attention, not that anything seemed appealing given the sour mood. Fighter was still at home recovering from a mental assault of who-knows-how-serious proportions, Goblin Slayer was nursing the heart and soul of his childhood friend, and they were possibly in the same boat when it came to who had more family still alive. Even training for Cambion's plot, and even their damn promotion ceremony in the north seemed bleak at this point.

"How sour of an irony can it be that we invite that poor girl to the beach, only to come home to...this." Wizard's brother said bitterly as he looked in the direction of Cow Girl's room.

"At least she's back with Goblin Slayer." Priestess said softly as Warrior slammed a knife into a wooden plank.

"Doesn't make much difference does it? That farm we busted our asses trying to save is gone...and we weren't there to stop it..." Warrior said with the same bitterness as he pulled the knife out and slammed it back in.

"I don't know about all of you, but becoming Gold or even Platinum Ranked seems a bit less sweet at this point." Rhea Fighter said.

"The whole world seems a bit dimmer, nevermind our promised promotions." Wizard said as she sat on a sack of flour resting her head on her fist.

"Sir? Do you have any thoughts on this?" Priestess asked Ranger who was staring into space with his rage apparently drained out of him.

"If she feels like I do...she just wants to bathe in Goblin Slayer's presence, just like I want to see Fighter smile again." Ranger said before pursing his lips and looking away.

"Would you like to bring her here?" Priestess asked.

"No...I want to go home, hold my child, and when Fighter wakes up...I want to know she's alright, and to let her know I will be." Ranger said firmly, yet softly.

"What about Cambion? That crazy bastard snapped one of the boss' swords in half like it was made of glass." Wizard asked.

"There's nothing we can do until he makes his next move, and we have some moves to make ourselves, like what the hell is up with that armor we brought with us." Warrior said as Summoner walked in.

"What armor?" He asked.

"This armor, Sir Summoner." Lizard Priest said as he came in with the armor they found in the ruins, and Summoner looked it over.

"This...this is armor used by demon hunters. Where did you find it?" Summoner asked.

"The ruins we just came back from. Ruins of a temple sacred to the Sea Goddess, and apparently, a champion of the War God." Lizard Priest said before Abbot showed up.

"Father Superior?" Priestess asked.

"I wasn't expecting to see all of you here." Abbot said curiously.

"Us neither Father." Wizard said.

"I come here on occasion to give these demon hunters a hand every now and then, but...I can tell this is not a social visit." Abbot said.

"You're more right than you know Father..." Ranger said somberly.

"May I ask?" Abbot asked and Ranger sucked in a breath.

"Fighter was hit by a curse that mentally broke her, and me and Wizard had to put her back together." Priestess said.

"Oh...I hope she's alright now." Abbot said.

"She is, but it'll be a few hours before she wakes." Wizard said.

"But when she does, she'll have us to-" Ranger cuts Warrior off.

"No, she'll have _me_, and our daughter there." He said seriously.

"My son...I sense a great rage stirring in you. I also know that you and previously, your wife fought an archdemon that thrives on wrath as a concept. It will do you no service to hold onto your desire for revenge." Abbot said.

"Did you watch your wife's eyes go blank? Did she completely ignore you after you _begged_ her to wake up?" Ranger asked seriously.

"No, but I have seen countless people go down the same road you are now, and it always ended in them sacrificing, or ignoring what could make their life worth living, and wish they hadn't. Please think about this." Abbot said.

"What's there to think about? I still cherish what, and who, I have, and if I encounter the rat who broke Fighter...he dies." Ranger said simply.

"How can you talk about this so casually!?" Priestess asked.

"You still have yet to answer my question from earlier: do you think I should let this slide?" Ranger asked.

"No...but please, don't let this-" Ranger cuts Priestess off.

"You are not married! No one is except me, therefore, no one else can sympathize with seeing your spouse get their mind shattered." Ranger said.

"Boss, she's the closest thing I have to a sister, but these two are right." Warrior said.

"Then you clearly don't love her as much as I do." Ranger said sharply.

"Ranger...!" Warrior whispered harshly.

"O.k...this is getting out-of-hand. Can we please get some sleep and talk about this in the morning, if at all?" Rhea Fighter asked with the tense atmosphere wearing on her nerves and Ranger got a grip.

"Right...where do you all want to go?" Ranger asked.

"We'll stay here." H.E. Archer said for her team.

"Yes, that girl needs Beard Cutter, and he needs us." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Not to mention we could get some more information on this armor." Lizard Priest said.

"Us too." Wizard said.

"Alright..." Ranger said before opening a portal to his manor.

"Good night sir." Priestess said as Ranger nodded at her and he went through the portal, then everyone deflated.

"Well...let's get some sleep shall we?" Warrior said to the group, and they all nodded, to each other, if they didn't say "good night", or simply glanced at each other.

"You know where the beds are." Summoner said as he left the room.

* * *

"Honey?" Wizard said to Warrior, who held her close by his side as they walked to into a bedroom, stripped each other naked, got in bed together and deflated even more.

"Thank you so much for helping Fighter..." Warrior said as he held his girlfriend as tightly as possible.

"There is no way I was going to let her suffer like this, I just hope she can get through to the boss." Wizard said softly.

"Well...if anyone can, it's her. She might even teach him to open the chakras, and who knows? She might become the 12th Platinum Rank after we get her a suit of superarmor of her own. Yes I know she has armor, she can morph it on and off, yadda yadda, but I meant "super" superarmor." Warrior said and Wizard was genuinely impressed with the idea.

"And I thought _I_ was a genius." Wizard said with a smirk as she traced his abs with one finger.

"I took after you afterall." Warrior teased then Wizard touched his face.

"You took after each of us." She said softly before kissing him softly. "And I love you all the more for it."

"I love you too." Warrior said with the atmosphere going from melancholic to romantic as the two laid there kissing, touching each other's faces, and rubbing their bodies together as they snuggled together and went to sleep. "Good night sweetheart..."

"Good night..." Wizard whispered.

* * *

"I should've asked my uncle to come with us..." Cow Girl whispered as GS kept holding her.

"How could you have known the farm would be ruined?" He asked.

"Do you know how much I wanted to be there to share his final moments while I was with Summoner? It's a miracle he was able to break me out of that without even trying to." Cow Girl said seriously.

"You know they wouldn't have killed you..." GS said grimly.

"They might as well have..." Cow Girl said with a broken voice.

"No...there are plenty of other farms are us to live on." GS said.

"It's not the same! You said you thought I was the only family you have, well...now you're the only family I have." Cow Girl said.

"Alright." GS said and Cow Girl got a grip.

"Please...sleep next to me." She said.

"Why?" GS asked.

"Why? Why!? I don't know a thing about where I am, I'm scared, I'm in alot of pain, and I just poured my heart out to you. _That's_ why!" Cow Girl exclaimed.

"I see..." GS said with actual shame in his voice then Cow Girl took another moment.

"I'm sorry I exploded at you, but...please, sleep with me...in this bed." Cow Girl pleaded.

"Alright." GS said before she backed up, let him remove his armor, then moved to the bed before Cow Girl took his hand with her other hand holding up her blanket.

"I forgot to ask...what exactly do you think of me? Other than a family member?" Cow Girl asked.

"You're not my sister; I know that much." GS said simply.

"That's not what I meant. I meant...have you noticed I've gotten...attention from other men?" Cow Girl asked.

"No." GS said.

"Well, I have, and...I'm not stupid; I know that my...figure, isn't what most would consider unappealing, to put it lightly, and I know you spent alot of time with the Sword Maiden, and I know her body got the same reaction from the guys as mine did, but...what do you think of it?" Cow Girl said.

"Nothing." GS said.

"Nothing? How?" Cow Girl asked confused.

"I was never interested in anything aside from slaying goblins. People's appearances only meant a way to tell one apart from another to me." GS said.

"You never thought of settling down, like how Ranger and Fighter did? They have their own manor and a baby daughter, don't you want something like that?" Cow Girl asked.

"Maybe...once-" Cow Girl cut him off.

"I know, you want the last goblin to die before you do anything serious." Cow Girl said with annoyance.

"I was going to say once I get some sleep." GS said and Cow Girl gasped. "I...saw my sister in the ruins..."

"Your...sister...?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yes. An Ether Gazer, a relic that lets people talk to the dead, let me speak to her ghost. She wants me to be happy, and acknowledged me as the Goblin Slayer. She even said that the Supreme God is saving a place for me in Heaven." GS said and Cow Girl fell to her knees.

"That's incredible..." She said in awe.

"Do you still want me to sleep with you?" GS asked then Cow Girl removed the blanket, showing her heavenly body, then laid the blanket out on the bed, on top of GS, then got next to him.

"Does this answer your question?" She asked seriously as she lightly snuggled into him and wrapped a leg around his lower abdomen.

"Yes." GS said simply, then she grabbed his hand and put it on her thigh. "What are you-"

"I want you to touch me." Cow Girl said.

"But...you're making me touch you." GS said.

"Doesn't matter. Please...rub my leg." Cow Girl said.

"Alright." GS said as he ran his hand up and down her soft, creamy leg as she eased up.

"That's it..." Cow Girl whispered.

"Should I stop?" GS asked.

"Yes, that should do. Good night." Cow Girl said.

"Good night..." GS said as the two went to sleep.

* * *

Back at the Temple of Law, Storm Mage set up his armor on a the table nearby as Sword Maiden looked out the window, staring at the twin moons, then heard her protector approach from the side, then she looked at his face that held nothing but admiration as she held out her hand, and he took it as they smiled at each other.

"This light is absolutely flawless for you my love." Storm Mage said softly.

"For you as well...my love." Sword Maiden said before kissing him as he held her as close as possible.

"Could your kiss be any sweeter...?" Storm Mage whispered against her lips as he kissed her again twice and she giggled.

"I thought you shed your greed?" Sword Maiden teased.

"My greed only extends to your touch, just like yours extends to mine." Storm Mage said as they exhaled deeply.

"Speaking of which...you still owe me a leg massage." Sword Maiden said next to his ear.

"We should get some sleep soon." Storm Mage said.

"Ohhh, I want a massage...!" Sword Maiden whined and Storm Mage couldn't help but laugh at her.

"You are such a little girl sometimes." Storm Mage teased.

"I just love your touch, is that a sin?" Sword Maiden asked seriously.

"Not at all. Now...shed that dress, lay down, and I'll get to work." Storm Mage said half-jokingly, then she stripped herself naked, and laid down flat, waiting for the bliss to come...and it did. She moaned quietly the moment she felt his strong, gentle hands press into her round, wide, and fleshy buttocks. She couldn't keep the smile off her face the whole time her protector squeezed and fondled her. He then rubbed and squeezed up and down her thighs, then her calves and feet. "You enjoying yourself yet?"

"Very much so..." Sword Maiden groaned as her protector kept working the plump flesh of her lower body, which eventually included her inner thighs and she tensed up for a split second. After about 30 seconds of her treatment, she flipped over, and he gave the front of her legs the same treatment. She watched him be as tender as she felt. The efficiency and enthusiasm he expressed was as awe-inspiring as the bliss he gave her was. Storm Mage then looked eyes with her and returned the smile she was gracing him with while he continued rubbing her legs.

"Would you like more?" Storm Mage asked.

"No...my legs are alright now." Sword Maiden said before Storm Mage crawled over to her and claimed Sword Maiden's enticing lips with his own. She then wrapped her arms around his torso while shifting her lips against his own; her desire for his affection was as subtle as a Wrather. Storm Mage then pulled away and caressed her face.

"I love you so much..." Storm Mage whispered.

"And I love you." Sword Maiden said softly. Next thing Storm Mage knew, the goddess beneath him turned over and got on all four's. "Take me again."

"Are you sure?" Storm Mage asked with concern.

"Yes...show me what it's supposed to feel like again." Sword Maiden said, then Storm Mage got behind her, rubbed the tip of his manhood against her opening, just to get her as prepared as possible, then pushed into her. Sword Maiden tensed up the moment she felt Storm Mage's rock-solid manhood move in and out slowly as she tried getting used to the idea of him being inside her. She was silently grateful that his love for her was more powerful than his lust for her body...which was quite an accomplishment.

Sword Maiden then let out one quiet yet euphoric moan after another as her protector pounded into her with vigor, heard and watched his groin produce ripples in the flesh of her bottom. Once again, the torment wrought upon her by the goblins was recalled...only to be snuffed out like a candle in the ocean by the mind-flooding pleasure Storm Mage was giving to her. Eventually, the two burst and she laid down flat while panting and staring into space as Storm Mage collapsed on top of her, brushed her hair out of her face, kissed her cheek and got a throaty chuckle out of her.

"Have I pleased my lady enough?" Storm Mage asked.

"Very much so..." Sword Maiden breathed out as Storm Mage detached himself from her, rolled her over, she opened her mouth, he came down to kiss her and she held his head as she lashed tongues with him as he squeezed her heaving breasts as she hungrily sucked and moaned into his mouth.

"We really should get some sleep..." Storm Mage said as he managed to break the kiss.

"But I want more!" Sword Maiden whined.

"There will be plenty more in the morning, now please, go to sleep." Storm Mage said.

"Promise?" Sword Maiden asked, then Storm Mage gave her breasts a quick but loving squeeze.

"Promise." Storm Mage said before kissing her again, laying down next to her, gently rubbed the leg she wrapped around his hip as she snuggled into him, then kissed her forehead. "I cherish you."

"And I cherish you...my great, powerful, and _wonderful_ protector." Sword Maiden said dreamily while caressing, shifting and breathing against him.

* * *

When Ranger got back home, he used Life Sight to see everyone was asleep, he then worked up the nerve to go into his and Fighter's room...and there she was, in their bed, still in her armor, sleeping like a baby. Gone was the blank, lifeless look on her face which Ranger dreaded seeing again...thank the Supreme he didn't have to see it again.

"Fighter? Fighter? Fighter, baby...I'm back. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, but I am now. Fighter? My dear wife, can you hear me? Dammit! It's me, Ranger! Your husband! Please wake up. I need you back..." Ranger pleaded and shook her a bit before kissing her forehead. "I'll tell you everything when you wake. Please, by all that is sacred, wake up soon..."

He then paid his baby a visit who was crying and he came in to see what was wrong...then noticed she needed a changing, so he did. Good thing he was used to the smell of guts; baby stool was nothing. When he was done cleaning her, he got her to calm down, then talked to her as he sat down holding her as she looked into her father's eyes.

"I'm sorry we weren't here for a while dear daughter, but guess what? We're going to head up north for a festival in your mother and father's honor. Countless people, including our friends will be there as well. The king of that region will be there too; I only met him once, but he seems like a wise, and respectable man, as befitting of a king. I hope your mother wakes up soon; something bad happened to her...I cried myself over it. Yes...your father actually wept, but then...I would weep over something terrible happening to your mother anytime. We would like to take you with us up north; the other two people who look after you will be there too." Ranger said before the baby reached for his face, as he raised her up some more, then let her touch his face as he closed his eyes and felt his dear child's tiny hands touch his face. He then kissed her forehead, put her back in her pen and stayed with her until she fell asleep. "Your parents will always be there for you, even on the off-chance we die fighting the things that dare threaten you, or your home." With that...Ranger went back and checked on Fighter, who was still asleep...the he went down to the living room and laid own on the couch, not having it in him to sleep next to his wife in her condition.

"Hello? Hello...?" Fighter's voice came from down the hall and Ranger snapped out of his half-asleep state, and rushed to see her roaming the hall, then she snapped to see him and the two stood there wide-eyed.

"My love and life..." Ranger said softly as he rushed to her and hugged her as tightly as possible. "Thank the Supreme..."

"What are you...what happened?" Fighter asked.

"You were out cold, and...I dare not think about it; I'm just glad you're awake." Ranger said, and Fighter returned the hug.

"Ranger..." She whispered.

"We won..." Ranger said.

"The ruins?" Fighter asked and Ranger nodded vigorously. "Wait...how did I get here?"

"Priestess and Wizard took a portal I made and healed you. Bless them both." Ranger said with a cracked voice.

"What did they heal?" Fighter asked confused and Ranger pulled back.

"You... you really don't remember what happened?" He asked.

"Well, we fell down a portal, some old, grizzled man grabbed my face, and...now I'm here. I don't feel any different aside from that." Fighter said honestly.

"He broke your mind!" Ranger snapped and Fighter recoiled. "I've never seen a more heart-wrenching look on anyone's face..."

"Ranger..." Fighter said softly before Ranger hugged her again.

"I pleaded and prodded you to wake up, and nothing worked. I started to think you weren't going to wake up, even with those two girls helping you. Probably the worst part is that I didn't know how badly your mind would be damaged. Would you be immobile for the rest of your life? Unable to feel emotion, or even just pleasure or pain? Would you be able to think? Remember? Learn? Teach? Everything was a blank! Words cannot express how relieved I am that you only suffered a minor lapse but...being in the dark about your condition is the worst thing I ever went through...!" Ranger said as he wept into her hair, and the stunned woman stood there letting him let his despair and anguish out as she hugged him back. It was their time at the pond all over again, and this time...her beloved Ranger was weeping specifically for _her_. About a minute later he pulled back and looked at her with his eyes and cheeks flushed red and dripping with tears.

"I love you as much as I did before. It's going to take more than a curse to change that." Fighter said firmly as she dried his tears.

"And I love you..." Ranger whispered harshly as he kissed her, sank to his knees, and the two sat there holding each other. Ranger de-morphed his armor and she did the same. Humorous as it was that the armor was in the way...neither could so much as smile at it. "How did you do it?"

"What?" Fighter asked.

"How did you get your mind shattered and come back the same? You're the single strongest woman I know, but...I thought you were done for just like that. Somehow...that life I saw on your lovely face when we first met stayed true. It's the same life you gave me...!" Ranger said with a cracked voice as he held her close again.

"I remember one time, while whatever happened to my mind was going on..I heard Priestess she was there for me, and I became aware of what happened, and...without even thinking, I fought back. It didn't do any good, but it was something." Fighter said.

"You really are a one-woman army." Ranger said with reverence and Fighter smiled at him which made him breathe hard again. "I wanted to see you smile for too damn long..."

"Well, now I can smile as long as you give me a reason to." Fighter said softly, then Ranger touched both her cheeks.

"I'll give you as much reason as I can." He whispered before kissing her as softly, deeply, and sweetly as possible, and holding her there as she did the same for about ten seconds. "Best kiss we ever had..."

"Yes..." Fighter whispered before kissing him again the same way as before, and then he returned her smile. "Come on, we have a festival to rest up for."

"Should we take our baby and her caretakers as well?" Ranger asked.

"What kind of question is that? We're absolutely taking them." Fighter said as they got up, went to their room, stripped each other naked, kissed before getting in bed, then he got on top of her as they poured their love into that kiss. She then stroked his shoulders, arms, chest, sides, and hips as he wrapped his arms around her raised-up midsection, then lightly kissed down her face, to her neck and back up, making her giggle. He then kissed her again with the same tenderness as before, and her mood went from playful, to loving once again as she held his head in place before he broke the kiss. "Feeling better?"

"You have no idea..." Ranger said before getting on his side and hugging her close. "We can portal back to that Ether Gazer to see your father again in the morning."

"Maybe...maybe he can see his granddaughter." Fighter said.

"Lovely idea from a lovely woman." Ranger said seriously and his wife shifted again him in response.

"I'll be here for you in the morning." Fighter said softly.

"In the morning, we have to talk." Ranger said seriously.

"About what?" Fighter asked.

"The ruins, but...now is not the time." Ranger said.

"Alright..." Fighter said as they went to sleep.

* * *

Elder Revenant trekked through the ruins recently cleared, noted the state the dead goblins and demons were in, then kept going since they had no souls to harvest.

"To think...a place sacred to the Sea Goddess would be stained by this level of corruption." Elder Revenant said as he walked down a hallway to the large room Ranger used a Fear and Rage spell in. "These goblins...they killed each other? Hmm...I sense illusion magic at work here. Done by that servant of the War God nonetheless." He then turned to the hole in the wall GS' team got that unknown suit of armor from. "They even took the armor I hid here? They had better know what they're doing..." He then sliced a portal open with his scythe, and enter another set of ruins, this one being looked through by Spearman and Witch.

"My...someone who knows space magic. That's quite rare indeed." Witch said as Elder Revenant came through.

"Who the hell are you?" Spearman asked cautiously as he prepared his spear.

"Someone whom you need not concern yourselves with." Elder Revenant said.

"Uh, excuse me? You come out of nowhere, interrupt our concerns, and you give us that? Sorry pal, it doesn't work like that." Spearman said.

"Careful. You are capable of dying. I am not." Elder Revenant said.

"Wait...you're a revenant aren't you?" Witch asked.

"Yes I am." Elder Revenant said.

"Great, not another one." Spearman said.

"Oh, show some respect dear." Witch said.

"I am here to retrieve something I left here. Come with me if you wish, but do not question me; my reasons for doing what I'm doing...are my own." Elder Revenant said seriously.

"Oh...alright, but we better get something out of this." Spearman said as they followed the undead man.

* * *

Back at the demon hunter's fortress, Priestess was actually outside; she got out of bed, and went up to the roof to get some air and hopefully get tired that way. She also heard the door to the roof open behind her and had a sense of who it was...

"Are you unwell my child?" Abbot asked.

"It's Ranger Father...I'm worried about him and Fighter." Priestess said as Abbot sat down.

"They will be fine. Supreme willing." Abbot said and Priestess leaned into him.

"His rage...as much as I agree with it, I'm worried about what it will do to him. What it _is_ doing to him." Priestess said with genuine fear in her voice.

"Rage is a bitter substitute for joy, but once he sees his wife healed, he will surely return to his old self." Abbot said.

"I sincerely hope so." Priestess said as the two sat there looking at the horizon.

"I remember when we met over a year ago, you were all Steel Rank and below." Abbot said trying to lighten the mood.

"Then you faced a horde of demons alone, and won. Warrior wouldn't stop talking about it." Priestess said lightly as the mood suddenly changed.

"I'll bet he didn't. One so young normally wouldn't expect an old man to have so much power in him." Abbot said with some amusement of his own.

"He actually stressed how impressive that was." Priestess said and Abbot chuckled heartily.

"I can only imagine how impressive it must be to add the rank difference to the mix. An old man, who's also a Gold Rank, facing a swarm of demons, with no help, and coming out on top without the slightest fatigue, or injury." He said.

"And now we're going to become Gold Ranks ourselves, partially thanks to you." Priestess said.

"Come now, all I did was give you some items, you did the rest yourselves, but point taken." Abbot said.

"Do you think I should become a demon hunter?" Priestess asked.

"In a way, you are already, although...to be honest, I can't see you swinging a weapon at them." Abbot said.

"I don't see that happening either, but it's comforting to know it's possible." Priestess said.

"Child...you might very well be able to succeed the Sword Maiden some day, if not in rank or fame, then in power or feats." Abbot said.

"You mean...cast miracles like the one at the vampire queen's fortress?" Priestess asked.

"Maybe, although...I doubt very strongly that it's that simple; she may have had a great deal of help, probably the kind you lack." Abbot said.

"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter if I have my team to help me, and I help them in return." Priestess said.

"As a lady of faith, that's the best position you can be in." Abbot said before standing up. "Come, let's get you to bed."

"O.k." Priestess said as he walked her back inside.

* * *

In the morning, Wizard woke Warrior from his slumber and she stared right at him.

"Rise and shine sleepy head." She teased and Warrior smirked at her.

"Today's the day isn't it?" Warrior asked.

"Yep, we're going to be Gold Ranks!" Wizard said.

"And I get to fuck your brains out afterward?" Warrior asked and Wizard laughed at him.

"If I don't fuck yours out first, then again...I'd have less trouble." Wizard said before Warrior squeezed her breast out of nowhere.

"Very funny." Warrior said before Wizard kissed him awake and moaned when he groped her butt and fondled away as she lashed tongues with him, continuing to moan in bliss as she caressed his torso in return.

"And...I'm not going to spoil it, but I have a special outfit design in mind for the festival." Wizard said.

"What?" Warrior asked.

"You heard me, and like I said...I'm not spoiling it." Wizard said.

"Right, but until then?" Warrior asked.

"Squeeze away my dear dragon killer." Wizard teased and Warrior kept squeezing and rubbing her lovely buttocks as she let out horny chuckles while sucking on his neck.

* * *

Cow Girl and GS meanwhile were still sleeping soundly, with Cow Girl waking up first and watching GS sleep, noting how peaceful he looked instead of being the silent, yet inwardly raging goblin-killer she grew up with. Now...he was more peaceful now thanks to his sister; she noticed it before, but now knew why that was. She thought about getting up, but decided to relish the fact they were laying in bed, together...naked. Eventually...he woke as well, and turned to see her smiling at him.

"Good morning." She said sweetly.

"Good morning." GS said simply, then she gave him a quick kiss. "What was that for?"

"Being here with me...being here _for_ me." Cow Girl said softly as she snuggled into him.

"Yeah." GS said before actually holding her close which surprised her.

"Goblin Slayer?" Cow Girl asked.

"You're in alot of pain, aren't you?" GS asked and Cow Girl snuggled into him.

"Yes...I am...but not anymore." She said softly, then she touched his face and kissed him again. "That's because I love you."

"I see..." GS whispered.

"This is the part where you say I love you too." Cow Girl whispered back.

"O.k...I love you too." GS said simply and Cow Girl chuckled.

"Do you really mean it?" She asked.

"Should I?" GS asked.

"Yes!" Cow Girl exclaimed.

"O.k...then I mean it." GS said.

"Did you just say you mean it because I said you should mean it?" Cow Girl asked.

"Uhhh...maybe?" GS said.

"You're such a dummy." Cow Girl said.

"Sorry..." GS said.

"Nevermind...let's just stay like this a while longer." Cow Girl said.

"Alright." GS said.

* * *

Fighter meanwhile woke up to see Ranger watching her sleep, then run his hand through her free-flowing hair with reverence.

"Good morning." She said softly.

"Good morning." Ranger said still a bit emotional beaten, then the two embraced, with Ranger inhaling her intoxicating scent.

"Ranger?" Fighter said with concern.

"Just let me remember my wife is with me..." Ranger whispered as if pleading, then she returned the embrace with all due seriousness.

"Your wife _is_ here..." Fighter whispered.

"And I'm going to take care of her, like she always cared for me." Ranger said with nothing but love in his voice, and the two simply laid there, holding, touching, and inhaling each other's pheromones. In that moment, both of them, Ranger in particular wanted nothing to do with any part of the world that didn't have them in it. Even their child was an afterthought, but they were going to make up for that 100 times over at the festival.

She then brushed his hair away from his face, kissed his cheek, then he turned his head to kiss her lips. His misery drained out of him the moment their mouths latched onto each other and he silently reveled in their intimacy. When they broke their kiss, he kept his eyes closed while she caressed his face and hair. It was both touching and shameful that her husband cared for her well-being so much, only to have his own heart torn asunder by his care.

"Last night, you said we have to talk...what about?" Fighter asked softly and Ranger sucked in a breath.

"I cleared half the ruins myself." Ranger said seriously.

"That's...actually quite impressive." Fighter said honestly.

"The others tried to talk me into letting them help, but I ran off to slaughter every goblin and demon in sight. Priestess and even Abbot talked to me about how much danger I was putting myself in, and how much I was risking letting you and our daughter live on without _me_. I have to admit...I don't regret anything I did, except for ignoring how similar our positions were, even though I killed the same archdemon you fought." Ranger said.

"Dear Supreme...that's insane..." Fighter breathed out with the intensity getting to her.

"I don't think I've ever been as pissed off as I was then...or as miserable as I am now." Ranger said then Fighter touched his face, making him look at her.

"I'm alright now; you're here with me, and I love you as much as I did before, and as much as I always will." She said with as much love as she could and Ranger held her hands before she hugged him.

"Fighter...my _dear_ Fighter..." Ranger whispered as he held her close for the better part of a minute.

"Maybe I should ask Wizard to make some anti-illusion items." Fighter said and Ranger actually chuckled.

"I ever tell you I love you?" Ranger asked with a genuine smile.

"No, you haven't." Fighter teased.

"You liar." Ranger said.

"And you still love the air I breathe." Fighter said.

"That, and everything else." Ranger said seriously before pulling her down for a kiss, then getting on top of her as their mouths stayed connected, then he squeezed her breast and listened to her enchanting moans. He then slid his hand down to rub her belly as she giggled, then gasped as he started sucking her other breast, stuffing as much in his mouth as possible, working it with his gums, and licking her nipple.

"Oh! You sneak..." Fighter breathed out as he released her breast and watched it jiggle a bit.

"I just want to see you in bliss again." Ranger said sensually.

"Quest...complete..." Fighter said with a smile, before Ranger went up to kiss her lips as his hand went up her belly to the breast it was handling before.

"When did you drink that potion?" Ranger asked.

"Less than 24 hours ago, that's for sure." Fighter said catching on.

"So...we still have a window." Ranger said.

"Just make love to me..." Fighter breathed out as she spread her legs, Ranger then got between them, watched her lick her lips, which silently encouraged him to push into her as she tensed up again and shut her eyes at the contact, then felt her husband push in and out of her swollen womanhood, then wrapped her strong legs around his ass to discourage him from stopping. He clearly got the message because he thrusted into her with as much power as he could, while putting speed in second place and heard her groan in bliss as he did the same. Eventually, they both snapped and collapsed from the intensity of their mating session. "Morning sex...the best kind..."

"Heaven is sweetest after you've tasted Hell first, and we've each had a mouthful." Ranger said softly as Fighter put her arms around him.

"When the afterglow is over...let's get back to the others, with some friends of course." Fighter said.

"Right...we have some Gold and Platinum tags with our names on them." Ranger said as Fighter giggled and pulled him down for a kiss.

* * *

Elder Revenant spotted a small band of outlaws camping in a large chamber with some ill-gotten goods, and a strange suit of armor being worked on by some of them.

"...sure we've probably gotten our hands on a dud, but even if it's not useful, we're still bloody rich!" One of the outlaws said.

"Hell yeah! We're going to live like kings after this." Another yelled.

"Hey, did anyone secure the doors?" Another asked.

"Against what? We searched every nook and cranny; there's not a soul in this place but us." Another said.

"Just keep an eye peeled..." the previous one said as they went back to work.

"Damned bandits..." Spearman groaned, then a armored bandit came out with a tied-up man with him.

"So...troops, with this haul...I agree with our friend over there; we _will_ live like kings." the leader said with a smile. "So much so, that at this rate, the Evil Sect itself will have nothing on us. We might even become Platinum tier one day, even our traitorous friend here will have a piece of the pie. Bet it'll be sweeter than his mama's pie, that's for damn sure!" Several bandits laughed at this for a good 10 seconds. "Zip it!"

"I swear...I didn't betray anyone! I simply cut my losses." The tied-up man pleaded then the leader turned to him.

"Oh I'm aware...we all do what we gotta do to survive, and you, my good sir, are a true survivor. Ain't I right?" The leader said to the others who cheered a bit. "How the fuck do you feel right now mister?"

"I feel like a little worm on a big fucking hook...!" The man said as the others laughed at him.

"A little worm on a big fucking hook? Well, I'll bet your mama's damn proud of you!" The leader said as he joined in the laughter and Elder Revenant went right out in the open.

"Are you nuts...?" Spearman whispered harshly

"Now now, let's see what he can do." Witch said keeping her partner and crush back.

"Hey! Who are you and what ar-" Elder Revenant cut the bandit yelling at him off by throwing a scythe at him, and piercing his brain through his chin as the others stared in horror and awe.

"That armor belongs to me..." Elder Revenant growled.

"Well, you can't have it." The outlaw's leader said casually.

"You want to challenge me?" Elder Revenant asked.

"Boy...I want you out of my sight." The leader said as a few outlaws pointed crossbows at Elder Revenant.

"That...is not going to happen." Elder Revenant as he morphed two more scythes.

"Ohh... scary..." The leader said while fluttering his hands at his sides.

"Last chance. Give me the armor, or I will take it." Elder Revenant said.

"Oh this is boring the fuck out of me. Kill this ass-munch." The leader said as the outlaws put one bolt after another in the undead man's chest, and he just stood there.

"What the fuck...?" An outlaw whispered in awe, before Elder Revenant formed his ethereal skeleton, and scythe, craved down the crossbowmen, dispelled it, casually walked towards the leader as the other outlaws ran away only for a scythe to get thrown at each of them one-by-one. The leader then finally gets up and backs off.

"Alright...you made your point. The armor's yours...let's just walk away and be friends now." the leader said nervously.

"I have a better idea..." Elder Revenant said simply before flashing his scythe across his lower chest and the leader falls down and keeps his insides from spilling out as Elder Revenant grabbed the armor, it vanished, and he rejoined his "teammates".

"Good Heavens..." Witch said as the undead man approached.

"Let us leave." He said before cutting open a portal.

"Uh, we're not leaving without the stuff they took." Spearman said.

"Then don't." Elder Revenant said as he went through the portal, leaving them behind.

"Now that's just plain wrong..." Spearman groaned.

* * *

Storm Mage and Sword Maiden woke up themselves, and greeted each other with a smile. They didn't even bother with foreplay this time aside from getting each other in the mood with some caressing...but that's all it took. Now...she was laying there breathing deeply after her protector plunged into her womanhood over and over, with him smothering her with his bulk as his manhood stretched out her inner walls. The goddess beneath him gasped and moaned in bliss as the man above her plunged into her body with the sole intention of making sure the agony in her past is made up for, and the intention itself that was always present made her heart as warm as the rest of her body. Sword Maiden eventually climaxed along with Storm Mage as his thick manhood twitched inside her. He then lightly kissed her cheek and got a chuckle out of her.

"Have I pleased my lady?" Storm Mage said in line with their routine, and got a softer chuckle out of her.

"Very much so." Sword Maiden said softly before he kissed her, then she deepened the kiss, before he broke it and they smiled at each other, then stroked each other's hair and faces.

"Ranger and company are going to get promoted today." Storm Mage said softly.

"I hope he remembers us." Sword Maiden said.

"Who knows? Maybe he'll open a portal for us, and the people get to see the one and only Sword Maiden, and her protector and savior of course." Storm Mage said with hope and pride in his voice.

"Supreme willing..." Sword Maiden said softly before pulling him back down to embrace him, not caring he was still connected to her. "If you ask me, you should get a Gold Rank yourself, not only for protecting this temple, and myself...but also for helping Ranger find his way to the War God."

"Maybe...are you going to talk to His Majesty about this, or should I?" Storm Mage asked.

"I planned on it myself actually." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"Really? You surprise me Your Grace." Storm Mage teased before kissing her again, and squeezing her breasts, as his manhood hardened again and he plunged in and out of her again as she moaned into their kiss before having to break it as he shook their bed with his thrusts.

"You...surprise...me...yourself...!" Sword Maiden groaned as pleasure overran her mind piece by piece until she had a second orgasm and tried to catch her breath.

"I don't think I will ever tire of seeing you like this." Storm Mage teased.

"Oh...?" Sword Maiden breathed out.

"Come now, seeing the most glorious woman I know having her mind flooded with pleasure I caused, after she went through a special kind of hell? The Love Goddess would probably think of me as a son for this if I do this often enough." Storm Mage boasted.

"I actually concur." Sword Maiden said with a giggle before he removed himself from her womanhood as she groaned in disappointment.

"I had to separate our bodies at some point." Storm Mage said.

"But I want to be connected to you forever..." Sword Maiden whined and Storm Mage chuckled at her.

"When did you get so adorable?" He teased.

"Let's just get ready for the festival." Sword Maiden said before Storm Mage got off of her, she got out of bed, stopped, and looked back at him. "Well? Get up."

"Alright." Storm Mage got out of bed himself as she went to get her dress, and his armored robe, but she stopped him from putting it on.

"Touch me one last time before we assume our roles..." Sword Maiden breathed out before Storm Mage hugged her close, pressing her breasts into his chest, and part of his abdomen, as she kissed his neck as he gripped and rubbed her butt...which made her give his neck an even more intimate treatment.

"You know the north is cold as all hell? I doubt I'll be able to keep you warm with my touch alone..." Storm Mage said seriously before Sword Maiden pulled away to speak in his ear.

"Then I'll just have to dress warmer. I _have_ dressed in ways aside from this when I saw younger." She said softly and reveled in how her protector and lover shuddered at the spell her voice put on him, and his lust for her increased as he rubbed her perfectly round butt with even more vigor.

"I look forward to seeing how you look..." Storm Mage whispered as he released his grip on her butt and ran his hands through her hair as she turned his head to kiss her.

"Actually...make love to me again." Sword Maiden said sensually against his lips and he gave her one last kiss, that she took up a notch by lashing tongues with him.

"Insatiable fox." Storm Mage whispered before Sword Maiden continued giving him kisses.

"Your lady just gave you an order." She said playfully.

"Then who am I to deny her...?" Storm Mage said before lightly spanking her as she lashed tongues with him. When they finally disconnected, Sword Maiden placed her hands on the side of the bed, presenting her butt to her lover. Storm Mage then lovingly caressed her hips and buttocks before nudging her feet with his own to get her to spread her legs some more. He then carefully slid his manhood into her, which earned him a gasp from the woman in front of him, which turned into a minor groan as he continued filling her entrance.

Storm Mage then slowly but steadily thrusted in and out of the archbishop who's pleasured moans drove him to mate with her with more speed and power. Eventually, the room was filled with the sounds of his groin slamming into his lady's bottom as she continued moaning and gasping in euphoria. Her entrance then constricted the solid organ inside it, as if the friction wasn't sweet enough for both of them; Storm Mage then slowed down to keep himself from climaxing too soon, as Sword Maiden's pleasure was going to come first as usual. She then looked back at him curiously, and just as she did...she went right back to her moaning as Storm Mage picked up the pace again, and she eventually spasmed out as she climaxed...but Storm Mage still kept going until he climaxed himself, which consequently dragged out her own climax and made her spasm even more.

"Oh Storm Mage..." Sword Maiden groaned as she laid on the bed gasping for air before Storm Mage removed himself from her body. He then took a moment to get his mind in order before looking at his work; Sword Maiden was having the same hard time focusing as he had, only her case was even more serious. He then flipped her over by pushing her hip, and picked her up by the legs and set her entire body on the bed before laying next to her.

"You know...I have yet to treat your breasts yet." Storm Mage said.

"Please..." Sword Maiden whispered, and Storm Mage immediately got to work on her chest. He grabbed each breast from underneath, and listened to Sword Maiden breath deeper as Storm Mage played with his favorite parts of her body. He squeezed and rubbed each breast with the same tenderness he treated the rest of her body with, and occasionally changed the angle to keep things fresh. Sword Maiden couldn't keep herself from smiling the whole time as her already-bliss-addled mind wouldn't allow it.

"How am I doing?" Storm Mage asked while continuing to fondle Sword Maiden's breasts.

"Very well..." She breathed out.

"How do your breasts feel compared to your bottom?" Storm Mage asked.

"I doubt you're finished with my breasts..." Sword Maiden trailed off.

"How right you are." Storm Mage said, and Sword Maiden gasped and tensed up as Storm Mage stuffed as much of her breast into his mouth and playfully chewed on it while licking her erect nipple. He eventually switched to the other nipple and his lady held onto him with her arms and legs at the same time as her protector continued pleasuring her even more than he already did.

"Storm Mage...! If you...keep this up I'll...I'll want you inside me yet again...!" Sword Maiden breathed out as Storm Mage released her breasts from his mouth and continued fondling them with his hands.

"You really can't get enough of this can you?" He teased.

"Your mastery of the body never ceases to amaze me; I could spent a whole day drowning in the pleasures you have to offer me..." Sword Maiden said.

"As could I my love...as could I." Storm Mage said, before coming down to give her a series of rapid, but deep and sweet kisses before breaking off and smiling down at her.

"Words cannot express how thankful I am for you being with me." Sword Maiden said softly.

"I feel no different..." Storm Mage whispered before pulling Sword Maiden up and holding her close. The two then spent about a minute hugging and gently caressing each other.

"Tell me about that Thunderstrike spell you used to save me..." Sword Maiden said.

"It's only the most powerful lightning spell there is." Storm Mage said. "Although...it's technically also called Thunderstruck; either one works."

"I see..." Sword Maiden said.

"It might be powerful, but it also drains my power like it was a legion of horses drinking from a single puddle, hence why I couldn't use any more lightning and had to pray for more." Storm Mage said.

"Please...if this temple is invaded again, be more conservative with your power." Sword Maiden said with a minor crack in her voice and Storm Mage held her face.

"I promised I wouldn't let those abominations touch you again, and I meant every word." Storm Mage said seriously before kissing her as softly as possible.

"I believe you..." Sword Maiden whispered.

"And if they know what's good for them...they will never even try to touch you again." Storm Mage said seriously.

"Storm Mage...as much as I believe you, what would you do if you failed?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Sword Maiden...if they touched you the same way they did on that day I will never stopped cursing, I will unleash a storm that would return every blow they dared strike against you...if Goblin Slayer, Ranger, or their teams didn't beat me to it of course. Your fears, no longer have a place in your life, especially not with the pleasure that will always be available to you...like it was now." Storm Mage said, and Sword Maiden held him tighter, and he felt her shake.

"Thank you..." She whispered as Storm Mage ran his hand through her hair, and his caring touch, in addition to simply being there specifically for her calmed her down.

"For everything that it's worth, I love you too much to fail you that badly; death itself couldn't keep me from failing, and that was the closest I've ever come to dying. Which is quite a statement since I fight demons for a living...and we all know how vicious they can be." Storm Mage said.

"If you had died protecting me...I doubt there would be anything left of me to save after the goblins were done with me; I probably would have would up as broken as most women they capture and...play with." Sword Maiden said.

"That will not happen! Please...get your mind out of that place." Storm Mage said softly.

"Sorry..." Sword Maiden said before kissing her protector one last time. "I love you."

"And I love you, my sweet Sword Maiden." Storm Mage said before they each put their clothes on and left.

* * *

Back at the demon hunter fortress, Summoner and the wizard siblings were looking over the armor and Warrior was actually trying to learn some spells of his own from a grimoire.

"Hey, how about this clone spell?" Warrior asked.

"Whatever you do, do not try that spell." Summoner said seriously.

"Why not? It looks like it could come in serious handy." Warrior said.

"Simple, that spell divides your lifeforce among the clones. Yes it can lead to you becoming stronger in the long run, if it's used intelligently of course, but considering that it divides your lifeforce, and you need lifeforce to move, i.e. your heartbeat and breathing, making too many, especially hundreds or if you're extra lucky, a thousand clones, it's...it's _killed_ people." Summoner said and Warrior shut the book and put it down.

"That's the end of _that_ line of thought..." He said awkwardly.

"It's not deadly if you make one or two clones, plus they can train on your behalf, and the training they do, gets transferred to you when they're dispelled, even if they die." Summoner said and Warrior picked the book back up.

"...and that line of thought is restored." Warrior said and got some laughs from the others, especially Wizard.

"No kidding, you think one person with a lightning hammer is a monster, imagine a dozen or so." Wizard's brother said seriously.

"Don't encourage him..." Wizard said dryly.

"Don't encourage what?" H.E. Archer said as she came back with some food alongside Dwarf Shaman.

"Nothing." Wizard said.

"No seriou-" Wizard cuts H.E. Archer off.

"I said nothing." She said.

"Alright, be that way." H.E. Archer grumbled as she sat down.

"Have you made any progress Sir Summoner?" Lizard Priest asked.

"None whatsoever. We tried everything we can think of, but...we never get any special information on it. It's...like it doesn't even exist." Summoner said.

"Lovely. H.E. Archer said.

"Maybe it simply doesn't want to be analyzed?" Rhea Fighter said.

"Do you know how insane, and how accurate that sounds?" Wizard asked.

"Uh...no?" Rhea Fighter said simply.

"From what I _can_ tell, this thing has "I don't care about reality" written all over some of it's properties. I'm actually not sure if it's even safe to use..." Summoner said.

"Can't you make it safe to use?" Warrior asked.

"That's fucking stupid..." Wizard's brother said simply before Abbot and Priestess showed up.

"You're still on that armor?" Priestess asked.

"Yeah, unfortunately..." Wizard said.

"Maybe I could have a look?" Abbot asked.

"If you insist." Summoner said as Abbot approached it, held his staff up to it.

"Just as I thought, this armor was forged in pure chaos. It could either be the greatest armor in the world, or an armor no one should even touch, or something in-between. We won't know unless someone puts it on." Abbot said.

"How ironic is it that it resembles Orcbolg's armor and he's likely the one who's willing to test it if hell goblins are involved?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Ironic? It's quite fitting." Dwarf Shaman said before a portal opened...and Sword Maiden came through it first...with a blueish-green dress, with Storm Mage, Ranger, Fighter, their daughter, who was being held by Sword Maiden in one arm, and her scepter in the other, and Bard, and Songstress followed.

"Archbishop? Priestess asked.

"Boss?" Wizard asked.

"Fighter!" Warrior said before he and Fighter embraced.

"She's perfectly fine, thanks to our Priestess and Wizard here." Sword Maiden said before Cow Girl and GS came out...much to Sword Maiden's delight, and surprise.

"Are you _sure_ you're alright?" Warrior asked as he pulled away from Fighter.

"Yes. I can tell you exactly what I was like before, and how I am now; other than I don't know what happened while I was out, I'm still the same girl." Fighter said seriously as Priestess approached...and embraced her older-sister-figure. "I know you had your hand in this as well."

"Of course I did; that's what teammates do." Priestess said sweetly as Fighter stroked her hair.

"I take it you're coming to the festival with us Your Grace?" Wizard asked.

"Of course. I haven't been to the north in years, and I want to be there for my dearest friends." Sword Maiden said softly.

"You look so different Archbishop." Priestess said as she looked her over.

"Oh, this? I wanted to get back in touch with who I used to be, and what better time could there be?" Sword Maiden asked.

"None Your Grace." Warrior said with a smile.

"Perhaps You could join us on an adventure sometime?" H.E. Archer offered.

"That's kind of you to offer, but I am content with where I am now, but even if I wasn't...I am still archbishop; I cannot leave Water Town for too long, even with my protector with me." Sword Maiden said as Cow Girl approached to see the baby. "Take her if you wish."

"I wish..." Cow Girl whispered as she took the sleeping baby from Sword Maiden, with GS looking at the baby with genuine interest.

"If you're going to approach a baby, the least you can do is remove your helmet Orcbolg." H.E. Archer said.

"Why?" GS asked.

"To an infant, you would look quite daunting Sir Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said.

I see..." GS said before backing up.

"Why not just remove your helmet? We all know what you look like." Priestess said simply, then GS groaned and removed his helmet and Summoner, Storm Mage, Bard, Songstress, Sword Maiden, Rhea Fighter, and Wizard's brother all looked at him in awe.

"Oh boy, you all should've seen the first time people react to seeing his face." Warrior said.

"Ah yes...those were the days..." Dwarf Shaman said as he finished his meal, and Sword Maiden looks at GS and Ranger back and forth.

"The two of you look so much alike, except Ranger has brown hair that goes down past his shoulders and his eyes are brown as well." Sword Maiden said.

"You once said he's about as handsome as me Your Grace." Storm Mage chimed in and Ranger smirked at this.

"Yes I did..." Sword Maiden said a bit bashfully. Meanwhile Bard was translating things for Songstress, and she told him something.

"Excuse me? My elf friend here would like to know when we're leaving." Bard said.

"Not long, not long at all." Ranger said before Abbot approached Sword Maiden.

"I never got to say how good it is to see you again my dear Sword Maiden." Abbot said with reverence before kissing her hand.

"You as well Father." Sword Maiden said.

"You look as well as you did when we first met, although...you had a blindfold then." Abbot said grimly.

"I am alright now, thanks to these people, and my new protector." Sword Maiden said.

"Nice to see you again old man." Storm Mage said.

"It seems you found redemption afterall Storm Mage, good for you." Abbot said.

"You don't know the half of it..." Storm Mage said.

"Well...I'm going to let the guild know where we're going." Ranger said as he pulled out his portal gem.

"I'm coming too." Priestess said.

"Alright..." Ranger said as he opened a portal and the two stepped through to their old apartment.

"Sir...you seem less angry." Priestess said.

"Oh, I'm still angry; Fighter told me that an old grizzled man put his hand on her head and now she remembers nothing from her experience between then and now. I know that's probably a good thing, but...the memory of my wife's broken face is a memory I will never stop cursing." Ranger said before Priestess took his hand.

"She's fine! Fighter is awake, she's healthy, and she's at your side. Inflicting pain on whoever broke her is going to get you nowhere." Priestess said with concern.

"Tell me you won't don't me to spare him..." Ranger said with disbelief.

"No...but, I'm worried about you, terribly." Priestess said.

"Don't be. I can handle killing those girls in that cave, I can handle this." Ranger said simply.

"Do you even hear yourself? These things matter! You can't just blow them off like it's nothing! Goblin Slayer does that too often himself, and look how he turned out." Priestess said.

"Don't...we're not even remotely the same." Ranger said.

"For how much longer? Storm Mage warned you about how the War God's path can be a dark one, and you're on a dark path right now and...I don't want to see you destroy yourself." Priestess said with a cracked voice.

"Look...you don't want me to get my revenge? Don't put the bastard who broke her in the same room with me. I'm not going to go looking for him but if he shows his face, I'm going to cut it, and the rest of the body it's attached to, in half." Ranger said as he removed his hand and walked outside to the tavern.

"Dear Supreme...please let him see what kind of person he really is." Priestess said while weeping a bit.

* * *

"Ah, Ranger! Where's the rest of your team?" Guild Girl asked.

"They're waiting for me at the fortress; I took a portal here. I just came here to tell you...next time you see me, I'll be either Gold...or Platinum Rank." Ranger said.

"The 11th in history...that would be a glorious day." Inspector said.

"No kidding. We'll be sure to have a celebration of our own for when you get back." Guild Girl said.

"My team will also get new ranks, so give some to them as well." Ranger said.

"Not a problem, have fun up north." Guild Girl said cheerily as Ranger left, came to the apartment, and opened a new portal, to see the team chatting, Cow Girl holding his and Fighter's daughter, with the two ladies interacting with the child with Sword Maiden joining the mix, then the two teammates went through the portal. "Alright...let's go up north."

"Wait, we're going to have to make this look convincing; who's going to believe we walked up there? Even if they do, that portal gem needs to stay secret right?" Wizard said and Ranger nodded. "Well, let's take a cart there through a portal, just outside of range of the High King's castle's eyes."

"Alright..." Ranger said.

"Don't worry about my men; they're used to seeing supernatural stunts, like that portal gem of yours, plus we have a spare cart that should be plenty big enough for all of you." Summoner said.

"You're not coming?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Sorry, I can't. This fortress needs me, but I look forward to seeing more Gold Ranks...and one more Platinum Rank around here." Summoner said with a smile.

"Thank you for your hospitality Summoner." Cow Girl said before giving the baby to her mother, then hugging Summoner who returned it.

"Any time..." Summoner said softly, before the team went to get their cart and portal to the north.

* * *

They got to the north's capital ten minutes later, and the place was bustling with people getting ready for the festival. The High King spared no expense either; kids were playing games, eating sweets and snacks, running around, even play-fighting. The adults were preparing decorations, keeping the peace, and more. When they approached the castle itself, they were stopped by the guards, showed their faces...and when the Sword Maiden stepped out, the guards instantly recognized her.

"It is an honor Your Grace." One of the guards said.

"The honor is mine gentlemen. May we see His Majesty soon?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Yes Your Grace, we will inform him of your arrival at once." The guard said.

"Much appreciated." Sword Maiden said.

"Please come with me." Another guard said as he led her, and the team inside, and they saw lords and ladies gathering in a ballroom, some stopping their conversations to gawk and bask in the Sword Maiden's presence, either because of her beauty, reputation, position in the church, or any combination of the three.

"Wow...His Majesty really spared no expense..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Just like I didn't for Ranger and Fighter's wedding." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Right..." Ranger whispered.

"Nervous?" Wizard asked.

"Restless." Ranger said.

"We'll get through this soon enough." Warrior said.

"The High King will see you soon enough. Please, do make yourselves at home, especially you Your Grace." A guard said.

"Will do." Sword Maiden said as some nobles asked for some time with her, and she and Storm Mage went to speak to them.

"Figures..." Wizard's brother said.

"The lady's _famous_; she's probably had hundreds of people do this to her." Wizard said.

"Here's hoping they don't get too personal." Priestess said.

"She has Storm Mage; he'll cover her if he needs to." Fighter said.

"Well, in the meantime, shall we mingle ourselves?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Might as well, but we do so in groups." Ranger said.

"You go, we'll catch up." Warrior said as Wizard, her brother, and Rhea Fighter left to talk to some people.

"What's up?" Fighter asked.

"I want to ask Wizard to marry me...here, at this festival." Warrior said.

"You bold little monkey..." Fighter said with a headshake.

"That's incredible!" Priestess squealed as she hugged Warrior.

"O.k. o.k...but I need some help." Warrior said as he pulled away.

"With?" Fighter asked.

"I need to borrow your ring." Warrior said.

"What?" Fighter asked.

"I didn't tell her, but I practiced some alchemy of my own. I want to turn this ring, into a copy of that one." Warrior said as he pulled a copper ring out of his pocket. "I know, it's more meaningful if I get one myself, but...I want to give her something I made."

"Warrior...that's perfect." Fighter said before hugging him herself which he returned, then gave her ring to him, concealed what he was doing from prying eyes, then slowly turned the copper into platinum.

"Alright...that should do. I owe you a big one." Warrior said as he gave the ring back.

"Yes you do. Now go join your future wife." Fighter said, then Warrior shook his head as he left.

"Now...let's talk to these nice people." Ranger said.

"Right." Priestess said before she, Ranger and Fighter took one side, the rest of his team took the other, and GS' team stayed with Cow Girl, to keep the baby under control. About half an half was spent with the team telling about the fight at the vampire queen's fortress, what else they did, and some secrets were asked about, but of course were kept secret. Eventually, some trumpets were blown.

"His Majesty, the High King of the North!" A herald called and the team formed up as the court formed a space for them in the middle.

"Before us, stand the adventurers responsible for leading the siege at the vampire queen's fortress. May their leader step forward?" High King said and Ranger stepped forward. "Ranger...you have defeated the vampire queen, destroyed her fortress, and returned with her head. You have vanquished one of the greatest threats to my kingdom, avenged and saved countless lives. On behalf of them, my court, and my family, I hereby declare you, hero and champion of the north...and the 11th Platinum Rank!" The court then started clapping. "Remove those Silver tags, and replace them...with this Platinum." Ranger practically tore his tags off, looked over his new ones and put them on, turned to the court, and morphed two greatswords before crossing them over his head as a display of power. Then a big surprise: Hero and her party stepped forward and she crossed her sword with his. No one stopped her since they knew she was the 10th Platinum rank.

"Welcome aboard Ranger." Hero said and Ranger smiled at her, before joining her team on the side.

"The rest of you. I am certain this would not have been a victory without all of you. I do not know any of you personally, any more than I know of your leader...but nevertheless, I am honored to be the one to present all of you Gold Ranks of your own." High King said before giving Priestess, Fighter, Warrior, and Wizard Gold tags, they looked at each other before putting their tags on as the crowd applauded them, then the team bowed to the High King.

"Thank you Your Majesty." Priestess said.

"No...thank all of you." High King said before raising his arms. "Now, rejoice my people! This festival in their well-deserved honor, is now at hand!" The crowd then cheered once again, the two teams then embraced each other and/or congratulated each other, and some music played as the teams left to go outside and Hero and Ranger raised their swords to encourage the people as they were carried down the street on a large pedestal attached to a team of horses, with soldiers marching with them in rows. The people waved, cheered and yelled their praise the whole time.

"Too much yet?" Hero asked.

"No, I sort of expected this." Ranger said dryly.

"Is there anything you don't expect?" Hero asked.

"Didn't expect this a year ago when I was still Porcelain Rank." Ranger said.

"Well...now you're the same rank as me: the top of the class." Hero said.

"Yes...yes I am." Ranger boasted.

* * *

"Your Majesty?" Sword Maiden said as she approached the throne.

"Sword Maiden! It is both an honor and a surprise to see you here." High King said.

"I apologize for not telling you I was coming; it was short notice for myself as well." Sword Maiden said.

"No matter. You are quite welcome here, and if I may be so bold...you are as lovely as I had heard." High King said.

"You honor me good king." Sword Maiden said with a smile.

"Who is this?" High King said motioning to Storm Mage.

"I am her protector Your Majesty." Storm Mage said with a bow.

"Wait...that mark..." High King said curiously.

"The mark of the War God, the same as the one Ranger has." Storm Mage said.

"The War God..." High King whispered.

"Yes, without his blessing, Ranger would not have defeated the vampire queen." Storm Mage said.

"I see...I must admit, I am ill at ease with the War God, but before I became High King, I learned to not let my fears rules me, lest my kingdom suffer for it...but now my mind is at peace for good." High King said.

"I am pleased to hear this, and proud to say I introduced the good Ranger to the War God." Storm Mage said.

"He is also responsible for protecting me during an invasion of the Temple of Law...by the forces of Hell." Sword Maiden said.

"Truly? Then you deserve a Gold Rank of you own. Steward! Fetch another Gold Rank tag." High King said.

"Right away sire." Steward said as he left.

"Now...to what do I owe the honor of your presence good lady?" High King asked.

"Ranger and his team are personal friends of mine. They saved the Temple of Law themselves, they helped me...conquer a personal milestone, which the good Storm Mage here finished, I even arranged Ranger's wedding." Sword Maiden said.

"He's married? To whom?" High King asked.

"That black-haired girl you gave a Gold Rank to." Storm Mage said.

"I see...she is a lovely maiden herself." High King said as Cow Girl approached with the baby still in her arms, with GS' team behind her.

"This is their daughter Your Majesty." Cow Girl said as she showed the baby.

"Ahhh...the daughter of a Platinum Rank with the War God's blessing. I regret I do not know her mother, but I'm certain she is extraordinary to have won his heart." High King said.

"They are both equally extraordinary Your Majesty, and I'm certain this is only the firstborn; they mentioned having more than one child in the future." Sword Maiden said.

"May their children reach the same level of greatness as their parents, and should anyone harm their children...heads will roll!" High King said.

* * *

The next several hours were spent with the team giving demonstrations of their skills, which includes Wizard and her brother showing off their fire magic, summoning creatures, using alchemy to make new things, and even gifting them to people, and Warrior drawing lightning from the clouds. Ranger and Fighter also gave some acrobatic and parkour demos, alongside Warrior and Wizard who had their own stunts to pull.

Hero even had a false duel with Ranger that was more about showing their bond as equal-ranked adventurers then seeing who's better, it even ended with them putting a sword at each other's throats.

Bard and Songstress played some music and vocalized to give the demos some spice, alongside some other musicians of course.

Before anyone knew it, it was twilight, and the teams bid the people farewell as they returned to the castle to wrap things up.

* * *

The wrap-up was a ball and feast, and the teams went to their rooms to get ready...and Wizard had a surprise in store.

"Wizard? Sweetheart, are you read-" Warrior shut up the moment Wizard opened her door. She shed her armor, had a crimson, long-sleeve, silk dress that hugged her waist, emphasized her chest, yet was free-flowing from the waist down, and glittered like it was covered in rubies. Her eyes and lips had dark red eyeshadow/lipstick, and her hair looked freshly washed, yet no water was dripping from it. Warrior couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

"I look ready? You sure do." Wizard teased as she looked her boyfriend over. He had a suit that reminded her of Ranger's old wedding outfit. Warrior had his hair in a ponytail for the first time in months, wore a pitch black suit with white trim, dark brown pants, and silver buttons.

"FYI, Ranger has a similar outfit, only...his isn't as stuffy." Warrior said.

"You didn't answer me: Do I look ready?" Wizard asked.

"You look like a living ruby." Warrior said seriously.

"I was going for a walking pile of "Take me now", but that works too." Wizard teased.

"I'll take you as many times as you want after this ball." Wizard said as she gave him a deep and surprisingly sweet kiss.

"I love you so much." Wizard whispered against his lips.

"And I love you..." Warrior whispered before kissing her a few times in quick succession.

"Well...what are we waiting for?" Wizard asked.

"Wait, before we go, I want to talk to you, alone." Warrior said.

"Alright..." Wizard said before opening the door and letting him in. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to let you know...I was working on some alchemy of my own, and it worked like a charm." Warrior said somewhat nervously.

"Did it? May I ask _what_ you did?" Wizard asked.

"Nothing serious, just turned one material into another." Warrior said.

"Oh...well, good start I suppose." Wizard said.

"Alright. Now...I was going to tell you something else, but now I want the whole team's input." Warrior said.

"Well, let's go find them then." Wizard said before practically dragged him out of the room.

* * *

The next hour was spent with the team feasting, drinking, and dancing, not in that order; good luck dancing while drunk. Ranger danced with Fighter, obviously, Warrior danced with Wizard...again, obviously, Storm Mage stayed with Sword Maiden, and several lords asked to dance with her, but she politely turned them down, same goes for Storm Mage and some ladies. Priestess stayed and watched the dances, until Cow Girl asked her and Sword Maiden to watch the baby, as Cow Girl danced with Ranger, Warrior danced with Fighter, and Wizard took a breather, then danced with Ranger, then Cow Girl danced with Warrior, with the other two ladies taking a breather. Cow Girl then finally danced with Goblin Slayer and she gave him much more slack than the other two men; since when did GS dance on his own accord? The team was thanked by lords and ladies as they left and returned home.

"Well, shall we remain here, or return home?" Sword Maiden asked.

"I'd like to stay here, if it's all the same with you guys." Rhea Fighter said.

"Alright, Boss?" Wizard asked.

"We stay here." Ranger said.

"Well, good night everyone." Priestess said.

"Wait...Wizard, I have to tell you something, and I'm pretty sure all of you would like to know. That hammer I use? It's not just a weapon to me, it's a symbol; just like in life itself, you've given me...quite a bit to magic to work with. In fact..." Warrior then removed his tags and gave them to her. "Now give me yours."

"O..k..." Wizard said with anticipation as she replaced her tags with his. "What was this abou- Dear Supreme!" She got flustered when Warrior knelt and presented a ring much to half the group's amazement.

"Wizard...will you marry me?" Warrior asked and Wizard got even more flustered.

"Yes...yes yes yes!" Wizard said with excitement as she held her hand out, Warrior slipped on the ring and the group either clapped or gave their congrats as the pair kissed as deeply as possible.

* * *

**FINALLY! I've been at this chapter for way too damn long. Well...Ranger is now the 11th Platinum Rank...at last, Warrior and Wizard are engaged, Cow Girl is getting somewhere with GS, and a bunch of other things are going down. As for the armors? Well...I'll let my wise and loyal fans decide, if they'll kindly Rate, Review, Share and stay tuned for what's next that is.  
**


	21. Chapter 12 Part I

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Now that Ranger is Platinum Rank and his team (and Storm Mage) are Gold Ranked...let's see where they go from here.**

**Review Response: Yeah, I can see why a "Praetor" armor beats the Berserker Armor, although...GS facing his inner demons could make a world of difference...although Cow Girl having him do that would secure their relationship quite well. But you have a point; poor girl's been through hell recently, so even if GS was interested in sex, which I doubt considering his introduction to it...I doubt he'd go for that, or even be very good at it.  
**

**It's "Revenant"; the 1st one acted like he cared about nothing, when he really just wanted to be able to live again...even though he wanted to provide the greatest service which meant he couldn't really live. Elder Revenant doesn't have that problem. As for his quest for armor? Well...we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.**

**I honestly never thought about Wizard's bro and Rhea Fighter's ranks, and I'm a bit embarrassed. Also...I saw that Rhea Fighter has a sword and shield...I wish I knew about that earlier; she's a complete shoo-in for several upgrades!  
**

* * *

"I would be honored to marry the two of you like I did for them." Sword Maiden said.

"That would be lovely Your Grace." Wizard said as she kept holding her new fiance.

"Will it be another big wedding?" Cow Girl asked.

"I don't think so; let's surprise everyone with our marriage itself this time." Warrior said.

"For once, you're thinking like me." Wizard teased.

"Hey, what do you mean "for once"? I may not have a brain the size of a mountain, but I can still think on my toes like the best of them." Warrior said.

"Says the guy who would still have trouble swinging his blade in a straight line if it wasn't for my husband here." Fighter teased.

"O.k. that is a low blow..." Warrior said dryly and the others laughed at the antics presented to them.

"Now, I'm happy for the two of you and all, but when do the two of us get our Gold Ranks? I don't want to be Steel Rank forever." Wizard's brother said.

"Me neither." Rhea Fighter said.

"Well, since we have some time to spare, we'll get to work on your stuff right away. As for you, my dear brother...well, we'll get you sorted out when we get back." Wizard said with genuine sugar in her voice.

"Someone's in a good mood." Fighter said knowingly.

"Hey, what girl wouldn't be?" Wizard asked dryly.

"Next to me? Probably none." Warrior boasted.

"You're luc-" Warrior cuts her off.

"...lucky I don't have my staff. I love you to pieces, but you're more predictable than I could ever be." Warrior said and a few people laughed.

"Can we go to bed now?" Priestess asked.

"First...I want to dance again, as an engaged lady...by ourselves." Wizard said while leaning into her fiance.

"Alright, say no more. Let's go people." H.E. Archer said as several of them left...except for Priestess, Ranger, Fighter, and Wizard's brother.

"Why are you still here?" Wizard asked.

"Cambion...he said we have a month to prepare...but what if he does something between then and now?" Ranger asked then Cherub poofed in.

"If he does, I'll let you know. Now, put that month to use, get some training and head-busting in, and you two, get married pronto." He said.

"Well _that's_ romantic..." Wizard said sarcastically.

"You don't even want a huge wedding anyway; getting one set up should be cake." Fighter said.

"She's got a point." Warrior said.

"And it's taken." Wizard said with a huff.

"Alright...now, get some shut-eye...you're going to need it." Cherub said before vanishing.

"Nice of him to drop by. I swear, these cases can be more awkward than the talk we had with Sword Maiden after our marriage." Fighter said.

"What did she want?" Warrior asked.

"Oh...just about what our roles are, and that I had a duel with Goblin Slayer that ended in a draw." Ranger said and Rhea Fighter, and Wizard's brother raised their eyebrows.

"What did you say about us?" Wizard asked and Fighter groaned awkwardly. "You didn't say anything did you?"

"About you? Yes, plenty. About him? Ehhh, no...didn't get a chance." Fighter said.

"Are you kidding me? Are you _kidding_ me?! You had a golden opportunity to put in a good word for me with the freaking _Sword Maiden_ and you didn't take it? That's the stinkiest pile of donkey shit you've ever dropped on me!" Warrior exclaimed.

"We can do so now, especially since we're Gold Rank now." Priestess said.

"Oh...I have quite a bit to tell Her Grace, I promise you that; I'm even going to tell your stories I've heard about, just to show you how it's done." Warrior said.

"Boom! There's the fire of a dragon right there." Wizard said playfully.

"Well...while you do that, I'm going to bed." Wizard's brother said as he walked away.

"Me too." Rhea Fighter said as she followed.

"So am I, enjoy your dance you two." Priestess said with a small bow before leaving.

"Look...we're sorry,. If we could've talked to Sword Maiden about what you do for the team, we would've." Fighter said.

"Believe it or not, the fact that she went an entire year without knowing what I do for this team is what gets me." Warrior said.

"Well, we probably would've said you've been taking after me, and...it's not wrong." Ranger said.

"No it's not..." Wizard said with a small smile.

"So, what? You would've married the boss if Fighter hadn't gotten him first?" Warrior asked and Wizard stared at him.

"That is the weirdest question I've ever been asked..." She said.

"Maybe in some other reality, you two did get hooked up. But in this one...I'm not sharing." Fighter said as she tugged on Ranger's arm playfully.

"Right. Now get your asses to bed, and let me take my future husband to that floor." Wizard said.

"Asses on the way out." Ranger said casually as the two left.

"Shall we?" Warrior said with a bow, then Wizard smiled and curtsied.

"We shall." She said before taking his hand, they went into the middle of the floor, held each other while looking into each other's eyes, then they went side to side, turned and swayed, spun every now and then, and eventually...just stood there in each other's arms, then the two embraced as closely as they could. I love you...so much..."

"I love you too." Warrior whispered before she slowly pulled away, looked up at him, then they kept dancing while they kissed just as slowly and sweetly.

* * *

Cow Girl meanwhile was still holding Ranger and Fighter's daughter while Sword Maiden kept fawning over the baby.

"Can we have our baby back?" Fighter asked half-jokingly, as Cow Girl handed over the baby to her mother.

"Sorry..." She said.

"You training for your own or something?" Ranger asked.

"Oh no...I just...o.k. maybe part of me is planning to be a mom, but there's no way I'm just going into it." Cow Girl said seriously.

"No kidding." Ranger said before turning to the baby and putting his finger in grabbing range. "You enjoy your first time at the north little one?" The baby then grabbed his finger. "I thought you might..." Meanwhile, Sword Maiden watched this man, this powerful, well-trained, and apparently incredibly wrathful man, handle his baby daughter liker she was made of glass. What a sharp contrast...

"Could you please give us a moment to talk?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Of course Your Grace." Cow Girl said before leaving.

"Ranger...while you were at the frontier, we talked about your rampage at the ruins..." Sword Maiden said with worry.

"With all due respect Your Grace...that subject is resolved." Ranger said somewhat bitterly.

"No, it's _far_ from resolved. Remember when I told you following the War God is risky? You are getting close to taking probably the greatest risk of all." Storm Mage said seriously.

"I am not going to endanger the people, let alone my team, or family." Ranger said firmly.

"And if the choice is made for you while your desire for revenge is blinding you? What then?" Storm Mage asked and Ranger took a moment to think.

"Ranger...your rage is justified, but that doesn't make it safe." Sword Maiden said before motioning to Fighter and the baby she was holding. "Look at them...yes your wife was wronged, severely, but she is alright now, and your daughter will not grow up taking care of her, rather than the other way around. Please...focus on that instead of revenge."

"I am amazed how no one understands but me..." Ranger grumbled.

"We do understand. You feel an insane amount of grief and anger. How do you think I felt about the goblin that stabbed you near your heart, or that goblin champion after it reflected Wizard's fire back at you?" Fighter asked.

"Don't...they're not even remotely the same." Ranger said.

"How? Because you pushed Wizard out of the way voluntarily? I know that. Or that the goblin snuck up on you? That's expected." Fighter said.

"This was neither!" Ranger snapped and the baby started crying and Fighter shushed and rocked the baby and Ranger snapped out of it and looked at his crying daughter ashamed of himself.

"You see? What if something worse than this happens because of you? Directly, or indirectly." Storm Mage said and Ranger tensed up like he wanted to smash something, then relaxed before his daughter finally stopped crying and Fighter dried her daughter's tears.

"I'm so sorry..." Ranger whispered as he took his daughter from Fighter.

"Let's just get some sleep." She said exhausted physically and emotionally as the people went to bed.

* * *

Warrior and Wizard meanwhile, went back to their room then Wizard walked over to the window, and looked at the twin moons...then the aurora, and her breathed hitched as Warrior came up behind her to look at it with her...only to see her eyes water.

"It's so _beautiful_..." Wizard said with a cracked voice as she put her hands on her face, and Warrior hugged her from behind.

"It's like the gods put it there for us." He said softly, then Wizard hugged him before sobbing into his shoulder, and he returned the embrace, and allowed her to her let her feelings out for about 10 to 15 seconds, then dried her tears and saw her smile at his gesture, then they looked at each other in the light. "Red is definitely your color..."

"Then I'll wear at least some of this from now on." Wizard said softly before kissing her fiance as softly as she could. "I want to get something from our apartment. Wait here a minute." She then went over to her bag and got her gateway scroll, and true to her word, she came back...only to see Warrior hanging up his suit, and she looked him over a bit, then he noticed her.

"So...what did you get?" He asked, then she held up a med-sized cup of ice cream. "You really are a genius..."

"I know, now let's share it..." Wizard said before handing him a spoon, then they took turns eating some ice cream.

"Like how we traded Gold Tags." Warrior said before eating a spoonful of ice cream.

"Now _that_ was a genius move; we each have each other's tags...talk about a symbolic connection." Wizard said before licking the spoon.

"You read my mind like a book." Warrior said as they finished it and rubbed his head.

"Brain freeze?" Wizard asked and Warrior nodded. "That's what you get for eating too fast."

"It was worth it though. Those lights, this ice cream...what could top this?" Warrior asked and Wizard unbuttoned his undershirt.

"I also drank some potion earlier..." She said.

"Seriously...?" Warrior asked.

"Yes. We're engaged now, and the mood is absolutely flawless, so please...make love to me." Wizard said softly and the two kissed softly, as he helped her remove her dress before she pulled him onto the bed, removed his pants for him with her magic making her break the kiss, see her smirk at him, then continued their passionate kiss as they removed their underwear as well before getting under the covers. "The ice cream we ate makes this even better..." Warrior chuckled at this before locking lips with his fiance again.

"Makes kissing you sweeter too." He said before he kissed her cheek, and then went up and down her neck as she held his head there, then gasping in bliss as he slowly licked up and down her swan-like neck as she leans back, offering him more space to work, and smiling and chuckling before he groped and played with her generously-sized breasts, and stifled her moans with a kiss. She, in return, held onto him as she stuck her tongue into his mouth and he moaned himself as their tongues danced together. She then flipped them over, they took a moment to look each other over and catch their breath, as she caressed his face.

"My strong, handsome dragon killer...who also kills goblins and demons." Wizard said as Warrior chuckled at her while running his hand through her silky, shoulder-length hair.

"A strong and handsome dragon, goblin, and demon killer, in bed with a lovely and powerful sorceress...how fitting." He said softly before pulling her down to another sweet kiss before they looked each other over again and basked in each other's glow as she caressed his chest.

"This lovely and powerful sorceress wants her strong and handsome monster killer to keep touching her." Wizard said seriously.

"I'm sure he can oblige..." Warrior said before kissing her yet again while lightly gripping her waist, and sliding his hands up and down her round, plump butt, which makes her chuckle into their kiss.

"You just can't help yourself can you?" Wizard teased.

"That's what you get for having such a nice ass...and you know you like this." Warrior said before fondling her butt some more.

"You're not wrong, my love..." Wizard said against his lips before molding them together. He then stopped playing with her butt and rubbed her sides and back before she scooched up, dangled her breasts in his face, and he sucked her nipples, making her chuckle and gasp some more. He then threw some fondling into the mix before she got off of him snuggled into his side a bit, before kissing him again and fondled his manhood making him groan. "What's wrong? Too much for the big, tough hunk in my bed to handle?"

"Not if it's from the gorgeous goddess in _my_ bed." Warrior groaned out before stopping her with a...pretty tight grip. "But...if she keeps this up, I'll make a mess." He then notices how tight his grip is, and stroked her lovely hand with his own. "Sorry..."

"Don't worry." Wizard said before making her hand glow dimly. "Alright, good as new."

"You didn't put a spell on me did you?" Warrior asked making Wizard chuckle and stroke his face.

"Would you like me to?" She teased.

"Please...I've been under your spell since...well, a couple of months after we met." Warrior said seriously.

"Makes sense...I never did anything serious for you like Fighter did for the boss." Wizard said somberly, before Warrior hugged her.

"Wizard...you do serious things for everyone. If you ask me..._you're_ the one who should be Platinum Ranked." He said and Wizard flinched abit. "Think about it, where would we be without you to supply us, support us, or just plain be there to give us a hand?"

"Good point...I guess I took after the boss as well didn't I?" Wizard said with pride as she hugged him back.

"I love you in the same way Fighter loves Ranger; she and I have more in common than I thought." Warrior said.

"Do you want children like they have?" Wizard asked before Warrior looked her in the face.

"I want children like we will have." He said softly before kissing her forehead, holding her close and interlocking their fingers.

"Well, we have quite a bit to do before then. But for now...please...make love to me." Wizard said softly as if pleading with him, then he got between her legs, pushed into her womanhood, and watched her take in the sensation as he moved in and out slowly but steadily, picking up speed overtime, and her gasps turned into moans that got louder and more frequent as her fiance pounded her slick opening like a hammer on a nail, until they both snapped from the euphoria and he collapsed on top of her, and she interlocked their fingers before he gave her a series of sweet, deep, and soft kisses one after the other before he pulled away and looked at her incredibly happy face.

"I ever tell you your hands are as lovely as your face?" Warrior asked softly.

"Once or twice..." Wizard whispered.

"Make it thrice then." Warrior teased before giving her a quick kiss, removes his manhood, rolls to the side and holds her close. "Can you imagine me using that clone spell at a time like this."

"You dirty little mutt..." Wizard said with a lusty voice before kissing him as deeply as possible..before he roughly squeezes her ass.

"Hey, several clones of me all taking a piece of you? Don't tell me you wouldn't love that." Warrior teased as he kept working her ass.

"I do love the idea..." Wizard said.

"But not as much as you love me, right?" Warrior said.

"You know me so well..." Wizard said with a smile.

"Good night..." Warrior said softly.

"Good night." Wizard whispered as she snuggled into him a bit more.

* * *

"It pleases me to have another wedding to bless." Sword Maiden said as she put her scepter in the corner and start removing her dress.

"I'm certain. May I ask how Fighter and Ranger's wedding went? I mean, just how much it meant to you?" Storm Mage asked as he removed his armor and Sword Maiden stopped cold as she was about to remove her underwear.

"It was...it was more personal than I dare measure. Seeing those two, so very much in love; so hungry for each other to be part of each other's lives in holy matrimony. I don't ever want to forget it." She said with a sob before Storm Mage removed his shirt and hugged her.

"And now you can do it again, and this time...with me as your protector and a witness." He said as he dried her tears and got a smile from her.

"I look forward to it." Sword Maiden said before her protector graced her with a kiss, then they looked at each other softly.

"I love that dress you wore. It's a shame your role as the archbishop prevents it so often." Storm Mage said as he brushed her hair out of her face.

"Were that not the case, I would never remove it, unless your _divine_ touch was promised. It's a greater shame we cannot make love here, even if we had drunk a potion." Sword Maiden said.

"My touch is as ever-present as I am, my dear Sword Maiden." Storm Mage whispered before Sword Maiden held him closer, despite her enormous breasts squishing against his chest.

"Give it to me..." She said before he kissed her again. She then peeled off her underwear, and moaned as her protector and lover squeezed and massaged her soft buttocks while kissing her more deeply. She then laid down on the bed with her eyes closed, waiting for him to treat her breasts...and he did. She inhaled deeply as she felt his warm, strong hands press into her breasts before squeezing them with his usual power and affection and smiling in response. "Talk to me..."

"What would you like to hear?" Storm Mage asked.

"Tell me why you love me, enjoy my body...and your promise..." Sword Maiden breathed out before Storm Mage touched her face as she looked up at him to see a face full of affection.

"I swore I would protect you from the goblins, and you saw me keep that promise when you needed me the most, and as long as I'm with you...those worthless beasts will _never_ touch you again...only I will, and when I do, the blessings the Love Goddess gave you will be respected, not squandered. Most of all, I love you for what you did for me, what you have done...and what you are." Storm Mage said softly.

"And my blessings?" Sword Maiden asked.

"These blessings...I don't know why or how you got them, but your flesh reflects your divinity flawlessly." Storm Mage said before he ran his hand from her thigh, to her belly, to her chest to her face, and she held his hand there.

"My blessings are available to you, as long as your caring touch is available to me." Sword Maiden said as Storm Mage ran his thumb across her cheek.

"Always...my sweet Sword Maiden." Storm Mage whispered before kissing her softly and they interlock their fingers. "Now...I confess, I was sourly jealous of the Goblin Slayer for having your heart before me, despite how hypocritical that must sound..."

"I do still care about him, but...he is not my protector, no matter how much I used to wish he was." Sword Maiden said.

"And now?" Storm Mage asked seriously.

"Now...I realize he is needed elsewhere, but you? Your place is in Water Town, to protect me from the goblins, and to warm by bed." Sword Maiden said.

"I will protect Water Town to the best of my ability; I've done so countless times before, but...I would protect you above all." Storm Mage said firmly.

"Storm Mage..." Sword Maiden whispered.

"I'm not ashamed of putting you first; you're not just the woman I cherish, but the archbishop. If something happened to you, the entire country would grieve...and I would grieve more than anyone." Storm Mage said seriously.

"At this rate...you will become a Platinum Rank yourself." Sword Maiden said.

"You wouldn't mind your protector outranking you?" Storm Mage asked.

"I told you, I have no intention of resuming my time as an adventurer; I have things to do in the church, and...ironically, that includes aiding other adventurers, like at the siege." Sword Maiden said.

"In that case...I would gladly accept a Platinum Rank." Storm Mage said proudly.

"If you were to become one, would you have any targets?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Huh, that's easy, the God of Wisdom...if he can even be called that." Storm Mage said bitterly.

"Why?" Sword Maiden asked in awe.

"Sword Maiden...if it wasn't for him, the goblins wouldn't be the abominations they are now; what they did to you wouldn't have happened!" Storm Mage exclaimed before getting a grip and Sword Maiden touched his face.

"I'm alright now. You freed me remember?" She asked.

"You still shouldn't have had to go through that kind of hell; I'd give just about anything to undo whatever happened..." Storm Mage said softly.

"But you cannot; all you can do...is keep the promise you already made, and you are." Sword Maiden said before pulling him down for an elongated kiss.

"I love you so much..." Storm Mage whispered.

"And I love you." Sword Maiden said as Storm Mage came down to claim her lips again, and the two spent the better part of a minute laying there kissing. As they laid on that bed, only the feeling of each other's lips touching their own, and their hands touching each other's skin, especially their faces was prevalent. Storm Mage then locked one hand with hers and continuing shifting his lips against his lady's. He then pulled away, saw the bright smile on Sword Maiden's angelic face, then continued kissing her as sweetly as ever.

"Tell me how our first connection felt..." Storm Mage said against her lips...and she shuddered in bliss.

"Oh...the _memory_, it's overwhelming..." Sword Maiden breathed out as she remembered the feelings of Storm Mage's manhood filling her lower body after his masterful hands prepared her body for the most incredible experience of her life.

"From the sound of your voice, I cleansed you in more ways then one." Storm Mage said proudly.

"Very much so. Before you...I knew only the pain of a goblin's touch, but yours? Yours conquers every pain I felt because of them, and others." Sword Maiden said before holding Storm Mage close, and he approached her ear.

"Shall I continue touching my lady?" He asked.

"Please..." Sword Maiden whispered before he got back to work on her body, starting with a massage for her thick, creamy legs and plump, deeply-curved buttocks. Storm Mage then fondled and squeezed the breasts he loved so much, and licked her nipples, with Sword Maiden's moans and occasional spasms encouraging him. He then finished by kissing up and down her neck, and running his hands through her hair and along the rest of her creamy skin. She eventually returned the favor by stroking his muscled form up and down, with the same strength and affection he graced her with. "Stay with me..."

"As long as the Supreme deems me worthy of your presence, my love..." Storm Mage said before they held each other and bathed in each other's glow.

"It truly is a shame we cannot make love now. I miss being connected to you." Sword Maiden breathed out while shifting against him.

"Next time we do make love...well, you know what to expect." Storm Mage said.

"Sing to me..." Sword Maiden whispered, then after thinking for a bit, he choose a song that tells the person listening that pain can be overcome thanks to the singer's love, and even how it can be easy to look at how messed up, or how lovely the world can be...the message and tone of his voice eventually made the woman sob into his neck as he held her tightly. Storm Mage couldn't help but smile for her and caress her hair as she poured her heart and soul out in his arms she saw as her safe haven. She eventually got a ahold of herself, backed up, and dried her tears...before he dried some for her which earned him a smile and a kiss.

"Good night my love." Storm Mage whispered.

"Good night my love..." Sword Maiden said softly before snuggling into him as sleep claimed them both.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter went straight to their room not wasting any time, then Ranger removed his suit, then held up his Platinum tag, still unable to believe he once envied Hero for hers. But now...here he was: the champion and hero of the north, even though he spent almost no time here. Granted he killed the vampire queen, and several other grave threats in-between now and the first time he came here...and even did things Hero couldn't, despite her not being alone.

"Ranger?" Fighter asked as she entered and watched him look over his tag.

"I remember when I asked about Platinum Rank, just before our first quest...how uncommon it was, and how I wanted all of us to obtain such a rank ourselves." Ranger said seriously.

"Just because there's two Platinum Ranks around, we're not out of the woods yet." Fighter said as she approached him, then looked at her Gold tag.

"I'm sure there's going to be more than that. I don't know when, but each of you can become just as powerful; Priestess might be able to blow up a castle with one Holy Smite.." Ranger said.

"That...would be insane, although at this rate, it's not unlikely." Fighter said, then sucked in a breath, but before she could speak...he beats her to it.

"That purple dress really suits you..." Ranger said softly as he looked her over, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Anything would suit me in your eyes." Fighter said.

"True..but I'd only tell you if it was a special case." Ranger said before pulling her into a kiss.

"You remember our first kiss?" Fighter asked softly.

"How can I forget? The moment our lips connected...I knew we would go somewhere major." Ranger said.

"So did I...which is why I'm so worried about you. I'm scared actually..." Fighter said and Ranger let go of her.

"Why?" He asked.

"I have a better question: do you love me more than you hate that man who cursed me?" Fighter asked seriously.

"How can you say that?! We're married aren't we?" Ranger asked in disbelief.

"Yes..." Fighter said.

"Then you should understand my anger-" Fighter cuts him off.

"Of course I understand your anger! Hell...I want to crush that man for trying to come between us as well, but I refuse to let it rule my life, which is what you're doing, or at least..are on the road to doing. The very idea of you getting consumed by your desire for revenge, and sweeping everything aside...it scares me more than a room full of goblins!" Fighter said while shaking.

"Fighter..." Ranger said.

"You get it now? Priestess, Sword Maiden, even Storm Mage, they all see what I see, and they're as scared as I am! Our first time at the pond, you broke down over what happened to those girls...well, guess what? I'm going through the same damn thing, only it's fear gripping me, instead of grief. Serious difference right?" Fighter asked sarcastically before turning her back to him.

"Fighter...I do love you more than I hate the man who cursed you, but that's why I'm so angry. I...I always thought you'd be the last of us who went down. I never had an issue risking my own safety if it meant for my team, like with Wizard, and I knew you were more than able to stand your ground...but seeing you, on the ground...completely defenseless? No...when I see the man who cursed you, I'm going to treat him the way I treat goblins, even if he isn't one. As for my rage? I know it's scary to think I have this much hate inside...but I control it, not the other way around." Ranger said before hugging his wife from behind and she deflated the moment he did.

"For how much longer...?" Fighter whispered.

"As long as I have your love, the team's power, the people's well-being in mind, and this Platinum Rank." Ranger said.

"Ranger...that archdemon we fought thrives on hate. You were very lucky you fought him before you saw me like that." Fighter said with no lack of fear in her voice.

"If he tries to turn me into a weapon of his, it will not succeed. Believe it or not, I am able to focus my anger; I know I've tortured goblins and...they're goblins, but I targeted my aggression. If I didn't, that Herbalist Girl would've died in the crossfire, or at least be seriously wounded." Ranger said firmly and honestly.

"I guess..." Fighter said still somber then Ranger turned her head to him.

"Please...just trust me." Ranger said, almost pleading and watched Fighter deflate, then get ahold of herself.

"O.k..." She whispered before softly kissing her husband, then hugging him close. "I'm glad I can share my fears without you getting too worked up over it."

"All the more proof I am in control; I may get rough at times...but I would do _anything_ to protect those close to me...especially you, and our daughter." Ranger said softly and Fighter huffed a bit.

"There's the man I married, in all his glory." She said before looking up at him. "The man I love with my whole being." Ranger then smiled at her and kissed her deeply a couple of times.

"You married a man who loves you just as much." Ranger whispered against her lips before pressing his forehead into hers before they sat down for a while. She then removed her dress and underwear, not caring that Ranger was feasting on the sight of her flawless body practically dancing in front of him; she never felt dirty around him, only like she was wanted...and she knew he felt the same around her. He removed his pants and underwear himself and she couldn't help but chuckle at his arousal. She then walked over to him as he backed up and made room for her to snuggle up into him with a content sigh.

"I also apparently married a man who can't get enough of me." Fighter teased before putting one of his hands on her round butt.

"Only because you love being handled by me...like you just set up." Ranger said before squeezing her buttocks as she giggled and kissed him deeply, lashed tongues with him, and moaned in pleasure as he kept working her lower body, including the leg she wrapped around his waist.

"Too bad neither of us took a swig of that potion..." Fighter said huskily.

"Even if we did...it's a tad early isn't it? I mean...we had a bit of a spat awhile ago; wrapping it up with sex is a bit overkill." Ranger said honestly.

"You still want to touch me right?" Fighter asked.

"If I ever say no to that, clobber me." Ranger said seriously before she got on top of him with a lustful smile, laid on top of him flatly, and kissed him deeply as she could while he groped her ass with both hands, then she scooched up so he could lick her nipples...only for him to get on top of her and lick her nipples. "I'm driving this cart missy..."

"Just make sure it doesn't crash." Fighter teased as she ran her hands through his hair.

"Never..." Ranger said against her breast, with his deepened voice making it vibrate pleasantly. He then switched to the other nipple while he fondled and squeezed the one he finished licking as his wife kept gasping, chuckling, and moaning...especially when he ran his manhood along the entrance of her womanhood. "No, I'm not going inside..."

"Well, this time it was a bit alarming since...well, you know..." Fighter said nervously.

"I'm not connecting to you, and I'm sorry for the startle.." Ranger said firmly.

"Alright, I trust you. But when we get the chance...take that potion. I want to fuck me a Platinum Rank." Fighter said as her nervousness got replaced with lust.

"Not if this Platinum Rank fucks _you_ first..." Ranger said with the same tone and she kisses him with hunger instead of passion, and he does the same.

* * *

Come morning, Bard and Songstress returned with the baby to Water Town, after Ranger and Fighter said good-bye to their child, and Ranger opened a portal to their manor, and the team decided to stay a spell, along with the others. Speaking of spells, Wizard and Warrior went to the court mage, who was going over some odd crystals.

"Excuse me? What are those?" Wizard asked and Court Mage snapped his head up to look at the pair.

"These...my good miss, happen to be mana gems. They're meant to contain, and restore magicka, but I'm working on a way to get them to make a spell stronger." Court Mage said.

"Do they work?" Warrior asked.

"Not yet, and if you would kindly stop interrupting me, I will tell you later." Court Mage said before Wizard looked one over, then Court Mage caught her. "What do you think-" Wizard cuts him off.

"What exactly have you done with them so far?" Wizard asked.

"So far, not much...I tried connecting their central lattice to one of the world's spiritual veins, I tried connecting to it myself, I tried binding them together and then doing either of those things..." Court Mage said.

"Did you actually try fueling it with a spell to give it something to work with directly?" Wizard asked and Court Mage stood there awkwardly. "Didn't think so..." She when put her glaive on the mana gem and thought for a bit. "Fireball..." A small, uncharged burst of flame entered the gem and the gem absorbed it's energy and started glowing. "Transmute." The gem then merged with the mace end of her glaive.

"That was pretty damn ballsy. You sure that thing won't blow up in your face?" Warrior asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Come on, who are you talking to here?" Wizard asked with pride.

"Good point..." Warrior said with a smirk.

"I'm sensing some history here..." Court Mage said.

"_Some_ history? Boy, you need an update _badly_." Wizard said intensely.

"Nevermind...so, what will you do with that new glaive of yours?" Court Mage asked.

"Test it out. What do you think I'm going to do with it?" Wizard said like it was obvious...which it was.

"Dare I ask how?" Court Mage asked, and Wizard smirked.

* * *

"Hell yeah!" Wizard yelled as she jumped up in excitement. She used an uncharged Firestorm on a set of stone pillars a stone elemental raised out of the ground, and each pillar was blown to bits...with _blue_ fireballs!

"Well...it is officially...you have mastered fire magic-" Warrior barely had time to finish before Wizard pulled him into a surprising but sweet kiss he eventually returned before she pulled away with their lips making an audible smacking sound and she still had a face-splitting smile on her face.

"And that was an uncharged Firestorm; imagine what I can do when I'm actually _trying_!" Wizard exclaimed with pride. "I'm going to become Platinum Rank myself at this rate."

"I'm alittle afraid to ask what kind of enchantments we can get out of this..." Warrior said.

"One miracle at a time baby." Wizard teased before kissing him again.

"Well...if you would be so kind as to make more pillars so I can use my sword? I want to try something." Warrior asked.

"Alrighty..." Wizard said casually before making her elemental raise more pillars, then Warrior focused his sword's energy, making it glow a bit, and he swung several times with the usual blend of power, speed, and precision...and without even touching them, the pillars fell apart. Cherub wasn't kidding; angel blood made his already incredible sword, even more incredible. Add his armor's body-enhancing properties, and the training he went through with Ranger, and the enhancements his brilliant and powerful fiance could cook up...he was also on his way to becoming Platinum Rank. One glance and smile at Wizard and they both knew they thought the same thing.

* * *

"So...you want to tag along with us now?" Hero asked.

"Sorry, I look forward to working with you again on something just as epic as that siege, but we have our own missions to fulfill." Ranger said.

"Any plans for your time here?" Sword Saint asked.

"We might as well set things up here." Fighter said.

"Right, and since we're bigshots here, we might as well go all the way..." Ranger said before Storm Mage showed up.

"What in blazes are you doing here?" Sword Saint snapped.

"The same thing Her Grace is doing here." Storm Mage said with a raised eyebrow.

"The Sword Maiden is here?" Hero asked.

"You didn't notice? Holy shit..." Storm Mage said in awe.

"We have to see her!" Hero said as Sword Maiden came out of their room.

"Well, now's your-" Hero rushed past Storm Mage before he finished. "...chance."

"Your Grace! Your- wearing a new dress...?" Hero said puzzled.

"Yes, I've decided to get back in touch with who I was before becoming the archbishop." Sword Maiden said.

"It fits you beautifully." Sword Saint said with a small curtsy and Sage nodded with a smile.

"You're too kind ladies." Sword Maiden said warmly.

"Your Grace...may I ask why you choose Storm Mage to protect you? Are you aware of his past?" Sage asked.

"He has redeemed himself multiple times over, and I do not regret giving him a place at my side, or in my heart." Sword Maiden said.

"Your heart? Are you serious?" Sword Saint asked in awe.

"Quite serious. I know what he is guilty of, but I pardoned all crimes he stands accused of in the Supreme God's name." Sword Maiden said.

"Hard to argue with that." Hero said with a shrug.

"Well...if you think he should be your protector, who are we to argue?" Sword Saint said.

"I hate to cut this short, but we should check this region for any more hell rifts, and pray none open here..." Sage said before Storm Mage walked up behind them.

"If any open here, we'll handle them." He said.

"You make sure nothing happens to-" He then cuts Sword Saint off.

"Yeah yeah yeah, you have a country to search, and I have a castle to protect." He said.

"Let's just go." Sage said and Hero led her team to the door before stopping in front of Ranger and holding her hand out and he shook it.

"Welcome to the Platinum Ranks again." Hero said and Ranger huffed in amusement.

"You and I won't be the only two for long." Ranger said as he let her go.

"I'll bet. Say "hi" to that ball of sunshine you call a daughter for me." Hero said as she left.

"You mean "us"." Sage said as she and Sword Saint followed.

"Yeah whatever..." Hero said.

"Fun girls..." Fighter said before Priestess came out. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Priestess said warmly as she hugged Fighter, then Ranger. "I have some news. I was given the miracle of Restoration last night by the Supreme God, just like the Sword Maiden's, only...I doubt I can use it as effectively."

"No fear of that child. I only used it on the scale I did with no small amount of help; you doing it alone will be impressive enough." Sword Maiden said to her.

"How often can you use it?" Fighter asked.

"At least once a day." Priestess said.

"That's still more than my Army of One miracles; I still have only one to use this _week_." Ranger said.

"We saw you use that miracle on the vampire queen's fortress...it's official, that is the strongest miracle a person can have." Storm Mage said.

"True, but Restoration makes that kind of a difference, but in the opposite direction." Priestess said before the High King came out.

"A pleasant morning to you all!" He said.

"Good morning Your Majesty." Sword Maiden said as the team bowed a little as High King took his throne.

"May I ask what I missed?" He asked.

"The Hero and her team left to scour the country for any demonic threats, and we going over what Ranger and his team could do here." Sword Maiden said.

"Ah, well I suppose some assets could be of use to you. There is a small manor for sale, but no one wants it for some reason." High King said.

"Maybe we could look into it and see how we could improve it?" Priestess wondered.

"You couldn't be more right. How much is the manor worth Your Majesty?" Ranger asked.

"If you can improve it well enough, I'll give it to you with no charge." High King said.

"That's quite generous Your Majesty." Fighter said warmly.

"Not at all my dear; you've earned it many times over." High King said.

"In that case, we will be back." Ranger said before Sword Maiden stopped him with a paper.

"This is a layout of the city I took the liberty of retrieving. It should make your search brief." She said.

"Much appreciated." Ranger said before she hugged him.

"Are you better?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Yes Your Grace..." Ranger said as he hugged her back.

"I'm glad." Sword Maiden said before releasing him, then he, Fighter, and Priestess went to go find this manor.

* * *

Elsewhere, Elder Revenant exited a portal to a cave next to some woods, and Heavy Warrior, Female Knight, Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric were just outside the entrance...that was coated in large webs...

"Do we really have to go in there?" Apprentice Cleric asked while holding onto Rookie Warrior's shoulder.

"The spiders in there are a threat to people's safety, and peace of mind, and therefore need to be dealt with." Female Knight said.

"Do we have to go in there with you?" A.C. asked.

"You want to become better adventurers don't you? Then stick with us, swallow your fear, keep your eyes open, and we'll be fine." Heavy Warrior said.

"We also have to be smart; spider webs are stronger and tougher than steel after all, so good luck tearing free." Female Knight said.

"Well, I've got this ice axe, and a new crossbow, and she can empower us, so...I say bring it on." Rookie Warrior said before Elder Revenant showed up.

"These spiders are guarding a possession of mine. Kill all you wish, but leave the treasure hunting to myself." He said as he walked in.

"Hey! Are you crazy?" Heavy Warrior exclaimed.

"I am a revenant; your two companions know one of my companions all too well." Elder Revenant said before going in, then slicing through some webs just to make a point.

"Well...at least this got easier." A.C. said letting go of R.W.

"You know this guy?" Female Knight asked.

"No, but we've encountered a revenant before...they're tough as nails to say the least." R.W. said.

"Then let's get in there before he hogs all the kills." Heavy Warrior said as he went inside.

* * *

Elder Revenant was craving through the thickest webs without a problem looking for his item when they got to him.

"What are you looking for?" Female Knight asked.

"A suit of black armor." Elder Revenant said as tore the soul out of a body in the webs...which got the team's attention.

"Dear Supreme in Heaven...!" A.C. exclaimed in horror.

"We have to get rid of these damned things!" R.W. said firmly.

"And we will-" Female Knight shut up the movement Elder Revenant threw a scythe...and hit a 3ft wide spider in the forehead, then reanimated the body, and had it go back into the cave to look for others as A.C. cringed heavily and R.W. supported her.

"The only thing worse than a giant spider, is an undead one...!" She exclaimed as Elder Revenant walked on.

"Keep an eye on the ceiling from this point forward; they could come from anywhere." He said as he went.

"Well, I'm staying behind you." A.C. said firmly.

"And I'm going to help you." R.W. said half-jokingly.

"Fine, then leave this to the pros." Heavy Warrior said before they heard violent rustling sounds up ahead, and when they got there...three more spiders were fighting the undead one...as the undead one sank it's fangs into the skull of one of them, and the two living ones ganged up on it...only for it to turn to dust and make them flinch back and try to clean themselves...R.W. then took aim, and shot one in the face, killing it instantly.

"Gotcha!" R.W. yelled then the other rushed towards them. "Oh shit..." Elder Revenant then plunged a scythe into it's brain as Heavy Warrior cleaved it halfway down the middle, and A.C. gagged and turned away as Elder Revenant kept going.

* * *

"How many people did these bastards capture...?" Female Knight asked in horror as Elder Revenant kept taking souls out of the people in the webs as they went, and craving through the webs. Then a 5ft wide spider jumped out at him, making A.C. scream as it sank it's fangs into Elder Revenant's chest, which he didn't care about as he made it decay rapidly, and the smell made R.W. and A.C. vomit as the two Silver Ranks with them simply covered their noses.

"Let's keep going..." Elder Revenant said as the two puncture wounds in his chest healed and his robe repaired itself. When they got past the dead spider, they went down a series of pathways, and R.W. took potshots at the spiders from above...and Female Knight impaled a spider that tried to drop down from the ceiling and tossed it off the ledge, and Heavy Warrior stomped on a smaller one that tried climbing up the ledge next to him, then impaled another. A.C. meanwhile was watching the massacre still shaking in terror, but trying to get a grip knowing that there are plenty of spiders left to kill, she then spotted one crawling along the wall in her direction, steeled herself and prayed.

"Holy Smite!" She yelled and landed a direct hit and it fell off the wall and hit the ground, never to get back up. "I did it...looks like these things aren't so tough afterall."

"Hoorah for getting over your fear, now please help us!" R.W. said as he kept shooting...then ran into a problem. "I'm out of bolts!"

"Throw your axe at them." A.C. said.

"Oh yeah..." R.W. said as he pulled his axe and threw at a spider, but removed a few legs, then he called it back, froze it, threw it again and hit it just above the face, and it's suffering ended, he then called it back again, bashed a spider with the edge of his shield, caving in it's face. Elder Revenant got bored and summoned his avatar to fly around and carve up the spiders.

"Alright...now let's move on." He said before walking down another pathway, before the others followed, and A.C. stopped R.W.

"Umm, aren't you forgetting something?" She said.

"Oh right!" R.W. said as he went back to get his bolts...some of which were embedded in the bodies of dead spiders, but he prepared his axe for when any jumped at him...but none did.

* * *

Elder Revenant killed some of the smaller spiders in the way as he casually walked through the place, harvesting souls, and craving more webs...then stopped and looked forward.

"We're getting close, I can feel it." Elder Revenant then made a beeline straight ahead and the others followed at a distance; he might be immortal, but they're not. Eventually, they got to a cavern filled with eggs,

"Dear Supreme..." Female Knight whispered, then an egg hatched and a handful of 1ft wide baby spiders came out and crawled around a bit.

"What do we do? We don't have any fire spells, or incendiaries for that matter." R.W. said.

"I will deal with these spiders..." Elder Revenant said as he summoned his avatar to destroy the eggs and he decays the babies.

"Are you nuts? What if you wake mom?" Female Knight called out then heard a rustling noise in a web-covered pathway...and a spider 10ft tall came out.

"Ohhhhh shit...here's mom!" R.W. exclaimed, and the spider charged at Elder Revenant...only for his avatar to get in the way and stop her cold. Then Elder Revenant casually walked up to the beast, and plunged his scythe into her face, killing her instantly.

"Now...where...is...that armor?!" Elder Revenant growled. as he looked around, as the team looked over the massive spider.

"I don't get nightmares, but I know I'm going to see things like this in my sleep..." A.C. said while breathing hard before Elder Revenant craved through a wall, tore it down and found a black suit of armor like he described.

"Here it is..." He said as he took and absorbed it..

"O.k. now what the hell is that?" Heavy Warrior asked.

"A piece of an armor I'm looking for, that is all you need to know, and all I will tell you." Elder Revenant said before tearing open a portal and going through.

* * *

Ranger, Fighter, and Priestess were looking around for the manor, and found it pretty far out of the way from the castle, and it looked like a really small castle itself: stone walls with a garden on each side of the pathway to the manor itself, iron gates, and even a watch tower. When they got inside, it was empty aside from the usual touch-ups.

"This is a pretty decent place. Why hasn't anyone bought it?" Fighter asked as Ranger looked around.

"Maybe the others were just better?" Priestess asked.

"Or maybe this one is just plain undesirable in some way." Ranger said before he hears a creaking sound from where he steps on, and after an inspection, he removes a panel and hears a distant screeching sound that tickles his memory. "It can't be..." Ranger then checks it out, and finds a hell rift...in front of a Goblin High Priest who launches him out of the place with a magic blast and Fighter and Priestess go outside to see him halt his trip across the ground by digging two swords into it, then the two brace for a fight when a faint rumbling that stops and starts over and over, and a quick look outside reveals a sight that makes their hearts sink...

* * *

"No way..." Warrior said as a shadow loomed over the castle from the mountains in the distance...a giant!

* * *

"Everyone...I sense a disturbance..." Sword Maiden said while shaking a bit.

"Hell rifts?" Storm Mage asked and she nodded.

"Some are opening, some in the castle, others in the town!" Sword Maiden exclaimed.

"Guards! Guards! Secure the castle! See to my people! Now!" High King yelled and the guards in the area left to alert the others and sure enough, the castle was swarming with guards on alert.

"Your Grace, please follow me to my room." Cow Girl said and Sword Maiden followed her before she turned to Goblin Slayer.

"Do what you must..." She said to him.

"I will..." GS said as he walked outside and his team followed.

"So will I." Storm Mage said before turning to the High King. "Your Majesty, let these elementals be your aids." He then took out two summon stones, made a pair of humanoid clouds with sparks coming out of them.

"You're certain they're not hostile?" High King said cautiously.

"Yes. They obey only me, and I order them, to look after you should you need their protection." Storm Mage said.

"I thank you Storm Mage. Supreme help us all." High King said.

"Your Majesty, if you can, start clapping your hands as loud and as fast as you can. Goblins hate the noise; I've done it myself." Cow Girl said and he nodded as she led Sword Maiden to a room with Storm Mage staying outside in the hall as a lookout.

* * *

**Shit is going down. I repeat, shit is going down. Get the people inside! Throw me a shotgun! Batten down the hatches! lol But seriously, the kingdom is under attack from 3 different angles, with the goblin high priest making his triumphant return, and he was a total monster last time he showed up. Here's hoping things don't go too far south. Also...Wizard can use blue flames now, and according to my research, blue flames are twice as hot as orange ones, not to mention Warrior can cut things without needing to touch them...that's going to come in hand. Also...I'll bet you weren't expecting Cow Girl to reference that clapping tactic which...seems to be a recurring theme in this saga...anyway, what the hell's up with the giant? Why are hell rifts opening now? Why is the goblin high priest inside a freaking manor? Find out next time, so Rate, Review, and Share until then. Stay tuned.**


	22. Chapter 12 Part II

**Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Like I said in the previous chapter: S****hit is going down. But luckily we have more than a handful of pros on the job. Let the ass-whopping commence...**

**Review Response: You have a good point about Rhea Fighter and Wizard's bro having a golden opportunity (no pun intended) to get to Bronze, or even Gold Ranked; here's hoping whatever they were working on off-screen pays off well-enough...**

**Yeah, Elder Revenant is just tearing up the place isn't he? Also...that spider quest was inspired by Cronvangr Cave in Skyrim, and the Locust trench level in Gears of War 3...jeez, shout-outs galore in this saga. You do have a point about A.C.'s fears, and the threat giant spiders have compared to goblins, although if I had to pick which one to fight...well, I hate both options, but if I had to pick one, I'd...probably pick goblins, because...well, look how GS handles them: simple, to-the-point, sometimes creatively, sometimes straightforward...it's not exactly laser science. Same reason I'd pick living in the GS universe over the Berserk universe, because...I never saw an episode of Berserk, but I do know about it, and it's a freaking MESS. The GS universe is nothing to laugh at either, but at least there's opportunity to make a difference. Yes Guts makes a difference like the boss that he is but...he's Guts; speaks for himself...**

**Although I do apologize to any arachnophobes reading this, but I hope you had a chance to skip as much as you could; I'm trying to heal people's hearts, not put them in mental asylums here.**

**Technically Fighter was simply expressing her fears and Ranger had to reassure her. You have to admit Fighter is pretty much THE person who can talk to Ranger about something personal; I'm pretty sure their love speaks for itself. Plus Ranger is like Guts in at least a couple of ways, especially when it comes to how they handle anger. Besides...not only has Ranger dealt with enough darkness to know blind rampages are a bad idea, he's the "I keep promises I make" type through and through. As for past experiences? Well...any angle can help, and these people have been through enough to not take chances.**

**The hell rifts in the kingdom will be addressed later, and Cow Girl technically told the High King, not Sword Maiden, although...they were in the same room, so what's the difference. How funny would it be for SM to clap for the goblins to get alittle revenge?**

* * *

"A giant..." Ranger whispered as he eyed the giant as it walked through a pair of mountains on the way to the outer wall. It was about half the size of the mountain, which must have been twice as tall as the ogre they fought, and it even had scale/leather armor and light blue skin, which meant it was a frost giant.

"Here's hoping the others can handle-" Fighter stopped talking the moment it get hit by a barrage of blue fireballs. "What the hell?"

"Son of a bitch...Wizard pulled another power out of her ass." Ranger said with a smile before a gleeful chuckle came from the goblin high priest as an entourage of shamans came out of the hole in the manor with him.

"Look at this. The same adventurers who were with the revenant who killed me a year ago show up here, of all places. How fortunate can one be?" the high priest said.

"You know you're not the only one who's gotten stronger since then right?" Fighter asked.

"Oh...I'm _counting_ on it...!" The high priest said as some hobs came out and charged them.

"Holy Smite!" Priestess yelled as the hobs all got their chests blasted out...only for the high priest to reform them, and they charged again, then Ranger drank some holy water, pulled his guns and shot them all in the faces, then they were reformed yet again. Rinse and repeat a few more times.

"Oh come on!" Ranger yelled as he shot them down for the sixth time, then shot at the high priest...only for his shots to be reflected back at him, damaging his armor and staggering him but the message was clear: guns are off-the-table when fighting the high priest.

"There's no way that was hell energy repelling those shots..." Fighter said as she watched the exchange.

"No kidding. The holy water I drank would've cancelled it out." Ranger growled as he recovered from the stagger.

"I've got an idea..." Fighter said as she opened her chakras one-by-one, then charged at the hobs who all tried to grab, hit, or ram her, but failed miserably. She then hit each one in multiple critical points, which not only paralyzed them, but left them vulnerable; when she jammed her arm blades into their heads..the high priest couldn't revive them.

"So...you have a way to stop my revival spell eh?" The high priest said while Fighter stared him done while looking over her shoulder.

"Any more tricks you'd like to play?" Fighter asked before the shamans all tried to zap her, but she dodged them by moving to the sides before they could cast their spells...then launched blades at them en masse until they died.

"That is enough..." The high priest said before more hell rifts opened which he was surprised by, then goblins poured out and stumbled towards her. "Back away!" the goblins heard the high priest and did what he said before he came out

"What? A goblin with balls? Who'd have thought?" Fighter said and several goblins snarled as the high priest jumped out and took a stance

"Woman...I will enjoy this fight." The high priest said...then his opponent laughed at him,

"No you _won't_..." Fighter said while still laughing then popped her arm and leg blades.

* * *

Wizard kept shooting fireballs at the giant which only kept it staggered and away from the wall it was nearing, while Warrior shot lightning into the clouds, had it build up a bit, then brought down a stroke of lightning down on the giant's head...but it only got a few scorch marks on it's face from both their assaults.

"Who are the dead bugs who hurled those little sparks at me?" The giant grumbled.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Warrior said under his breath before Wizard put her glaive's macehead on his armor.

"Alright...plan B." She said before his armor was given a surge of power and he tensed up as the power surged through him...then he laughed with glee.

"I don't know what you did, but I love it!" Warrior exclaimed.

"I improved your armor's enhancements; getting up-close is probably going to be the way this ends." Wizard said seriously before giving herself the same treatment...then tensing up the same way, but with more restraint. Just in time too; the giant was getting close to the wall and eventually spotted them.

"There you are!" He roared before sucking in a breath, spewing frost at them, only for Wizard to counter it with Firestream, then Warrior charged up his hammer and threw it forward and had it slam into the giant's chin from underneath, making it spew frost into the sky instead of at them. Warrior then rushed to the wall, actually climbed the wall like a spider, called his hammer back to him, then discharged a burst of lightning at a fist coming down at him, which stunned the giant long enough for Warrior to draw his sword, climb on it's back, and just as he was on the brink of slicing it's spine...the giant grabbed him and threw him into the city, tearing up the street, several stands, and into a stone house.

"No..." Wizard whispered in horror, then the giant smashed the wall in, making the debris scatter throughout he city, then, in a fit of rage, Wizard used Levitation to gather about three quarters of the debris, condense it into a ball, then launched it into the giant' chest, knocking it down and heavily damaging it's armor, then she rushed to see Warrior...and he looked terrible. He was motionless, one leg and arm was bent the wrong way, his armor was smashed to hell, and when she removed his helmet...she saw a gash on his cheek, and several bruises.

She then checked his pulse with dread...he was still alive, but barely. She then used a heal spell on his chest, and Repair on his armor, but all that did was get him out of serious danger. She then screamed as she got yanked away from him...by hell goblins. The damned things took one punch after another from Wizard, only to get clawed across the face, one swipe damaging her eye making her scream again. They then dragged her to a hell rift and she struggled to get away from them...and got some of her armored robe removed in the process, and just when she was on the brink of being dragged to Hell...some phantom wolves showed up, mauled the goblins, and freed her.

"No one takes _my_ sister to Hell." Her brother growled as he showed up.

"I've never been happier to see you..." Wizard said shaking as she used Repair on her outfit, and downed half a life potion, which dulled the pain in her eye, and she knew it was a matter of time before she could see with it again. She then rushed back to Warrior. "Warrior? I have a life potion, drink it!" He didn't move, so she opened his mouth...and he had a few broken teeth, but she poured some down his throat, and prayed. A few seconds later, he coughed up a bit, then coughed much more. "Warrior?"

"Dammit!" Warrior exclaimed before he coughed some more.

"How do you feel?" Wizard asked cautiously.

"I...barely feel anything, other than the burning oil you poured down my windpipe..." Warrior said before trying to get up, and failing.

"Don't move! You took a serious beating when that giant threw you." Wizard said seriously

"Alright, but what's up with it-" Warrior stopped talking when the giant took another step, only to fall to the side, catch itself, then it's head popped off...like it was severed.

"Way to go Rhea Fighter..." Wizard's brother said impressed.

"She did that?" Wizard asked.

"Yep. I actually enhanced a short sword she used to use back in the day with the same method you used on your fiance's sword. I even took one of those mana gems for myself and tried more than a handful of spells with it." Wizard's brother said before pointing to his wolves who were mauling goblins by the dozens. "My wolves there are a prime example."

"Yes yes, very impressive, bravo, good job, hip hip hooray..." Wizard said dryly and Warrior burst out laughing despite how much pain he was in, and when he got a grip and groaned in pain, he drank more potion. "O.k...maybe I should cool it with the sarcasm..."

"Right..." Wizard's brother said.

"Anyway, she did that chakra-opening thingie didn't she?" Wizard asked.

"Most likely, and now she's most likely going to get on the rest of the goblins coming from those rifts, right alongside Goblin Slayer's ilk, who should be on-the-scene, right...about...now." Wizard's brother said dramatically before GS fired his shotgun into a crowd of goblins before his team charged into the rest.

"I have to say...I missed watching the master at work." Warrior said.

"I also gave that Storm Mage fellow a mana gem of his own. Wonder how he's handling it?" Wizard's brother said.

* * *

Storm Mage was charging his mana gem with lightning, and it eventually went from light blue...to medium purple which wowed everyone in the area as he held out the lightning orb in his hand.

"This thing works just like it's supposed to; my lightning isn't just fully charged, it's _super_ charged!" Storm Mage said with excitement.

"All the better to defend this castle." High King said with relief.

"Speaking of which, change of plans. These storm elementals should help patrol the halls, and your court mage-" He cuts Storm Mage off.

"All I know is some ice magic...o.k. granted I've mastered it, but that's the only offensive magic I know, and I know a couple of illusion spells, like visibility or muffling." He said.

"Then make ice barriers or something if we get into too much trouble." Storm Mage said.

"We can make due good Storm Mage." High King said.

"In that case...both of you! Get going." Storm Mage said to his elementals as they flew around the castle looking for hell rifts.

* * *

GS took a sickle sword from Lizard Priest after throwing his sword at a hob, and hit it right in the throat. Lizard Priest used his partial dragon miracle to get significantly stronger as he barreled down a street and tore through every goblin in sight. H.E. Archer and Dwarf Shaman shot down the goblins as well, and prioritized the goblins kidnapping people.

"It's not enough they invade the north's capitol, they have to kidnap the people too?" H.E. Archer said with disgust as she kept shooting down the hell goblins.

"Despicable or not, these things will die like the rest!" Dwarf Shaman said before launching a barrage of rocks at a small swarm of goblins, and shredded them, then GS threw a freeze bomb at another swarm, and Dwarf Shaman smashed them with a large rock.

"Well, at least he's not using explosives in the middle of this city." H.E. Archer said with pride, before plunging a silver knife into a goblin's face as it tried to jump on her from behind. Then she watched GS carve through one goblin after another after another after another at a dizzying pace, even by his standards. "Did he take a life potion or something?"

"He must have Long Ears...he must have." Dwarf Shaman said, then saw Rhea Fighter join the fun with her sword and buckler, and she carved through the goblins as well, adding flips, jumps, kicks, and even some grapples into the mix.

"Damn! Someone wanted a piece of these things badly." H.E. Archer exclaimed, then Lizard pounced down from above onto a goblin champion that came through a rift, then Rhea Fighter yelled as she charged it, slipped under it's legs, stabbed it in the spine, then Lizard Priest tore off it's head.

"Nicely done Lady Fighter." He said.

"That's the other one remember?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"I will take notice. Sir Goblin Slayer? Do you need a hand?" Lizard Priest asked as he watched GS do what he does best without paying any mind to the question, then unloads a shell from his super shotgun into a pair of hobs' faces, reloaded, then did it again, reloaded again, then loaded two shells into a fifth hob's head.

"I'm going with...no." H.E. Archer said dryly.

* * *

Fighter went after the goblin high priest who was flipping, rolling and spinning around her like she was a slowpoke, despite her moving so fast it was a bitch to keep up with her movements for a naked eye. Fighter eventually adapted and threw strikes at where he was going to be, landed a blade on her knee to his diaphragm, then leaned back as the high priest swiped upwards with his claws, tried to swipe her face, she blocked it, stab/punched him in the face, the lower gut, jammed the blade on her heel into his temple with a spin-kick...and each wound healed as fast as it was opened.

The high priest then grabbed a punch aimed at his face, slammed her into the ground, stomped on her back making her grunt as the ground split beneath her from the force...then the high priest tried tearing her arm off as she screamed in pain. Ranger was on the brink of pulled her guns, when Fighter's pained scream turned into an angry yell as she reversed the hold, and wrapped her legs around the high priest's neck and pulled him down.

"Holy Light!" Priestess yelled as the goblins were getting ready to pounce on Fighter, while she was distracted, and each one suffered serious burns and shied away form the light, and Ranger shot them down with his guns, but left the high priest be as his wife tried to strangle him between her thighs...what a way to go...or it would be, if the high priest didn't find a weak spot in her leg armor and jam his claws into them several times and the pain and damage made her release him. While she was vulnerable and screaming, the high priest tore off chunks of her armor and Ranger ran towards him while putting one bullet after another into the high priest's torso until he got knocked back, then Priestess took her back as more goblins came out of the rifts the high priest opened.

"You're going to pay for that..." Ranger said coldly as he morphed his twin greatswords before the high priest laughed at him.

"That female couldn't match me, even with no one helping me; what chance do you have when I have help?" the high priest taunted as the other goblins laughed as well.

"You clearly don't know me." Ranger said seriously.

"I'm well-aware of your divine powers, but mine far surpass yours; you can ruin an entire fortress, I can build ones greater than the vampire queen's, and this one...combined, as well as tear open Hell itself with the help of the God of Wisdom on my side." the high priest said which alarmed Ranger.

"So you opened those rifts?" Ranger asked.

"Not all of them, but a good portion of my dead brothers were staunchly in favor of joining the Demon Lord's legions, and how can we say no to such an offer?" The high priest said.

"By the time I'm done, you'll wish you had." Ranger said simply.

"Brothers? Show this non-believer what I mean!" The high priest yelled as they charged at Ranger, only for scores of them to be cleaved in half as the new Platinum Rank swung his swords around with ease and even grace as he weaved through the space he makes in their numbers. Dozens of goblins were bisects horizontally, vertically, diagonally, or any combination of the three. Some had their heads busted open, severed, or both. Others lost their legs and/or head as Ranger swung both swords at once at them.

Some went down one by one, or several at once. Even those who treated to sneak up on him had the pommel of his swords jammed into their faces, which caved in their frontal bones and shoved the bone fragments into their mid-brains. Some goblins were even splattered all over the place when Ranger bashed them with the wide part of his swords. The goblins eventually back up in fear of the hulking, armored, blood-drenched, abomination who made at least a hundred of them look like wet paper being, not that it saved them; Ranger chuckled a bit, then jumped a dozen feet into the air, morphed his guns, and spun around while spewing bullets into the crowd around him, killing dozens more with similar damage done to them by his greatswords. All the while his blades and armor were absorbing the blood they were covered in, giving him more matter to work with for the future.

Dozens of the goblins broke away from the massacre to attack Priestess, who was healing Fighter, then she took a break once the bleeding stopped, put some holy water on her staff before throwing up a Protection barrier, then Fighter shot blades and spikes at them out of her gauntlets until they all dropped dead, then she groaned and put her injured arm down.

"Ow, that's hurts..." Fighter said as Priestess got back to healing her.

"I'm not going anywhere until you're better." Priestess said with her usual concern, then Fighter smiled at her...then Ranger backflipped to the space between the girls and the manor when a squad of goblin champions showed up, and some regular goblins appeared from the house.

"What will you do now...?" The high priest asked before laughing.

"Priestess...I'm going to clear a path for you. When I do, take her somewhere safe, and help the others." Ranger said softly yet seriously.

"Can you handle this alone?" Priestess asked.

"Of course I can." Ranger said with no fear in his voice before the champions summoned bows, Ranger raised his greatswords and deflected the arrows at the goblin horde behind him. The champions then growl at him and fire with more force and frequency...only to doom even more of their brethren. Both Fighter and Priestess watched their leader risk his safety by using the champions own fire to aid them.

It became clear once again that his concern for them had no bottom; if he has to risk injury or death to make the job easier, which in-turn made their escape more likely...so be it. One of the champions charged him in a fit of rage, Ranger put a few bullets in his face, which bounce off it's helmet, but stagger it enough so he can morph his gaunlet, cave in it's chest with one punch, and hurl it into the crowd of goblins, who try to flee from it, but the dozen that doesn't gets flattened, and the survivors charge them in a fit of rage.

"Holy Light!" Priestess yelled and the goblins all get burned and blinded, which included the champions. Ranger meanwhile morphed his anti-light visor charged into the crowd and smashed and splattered them with the same brutality as he did before with his greatswords. He then rushed back to between them and the champions and blocked a blast of hell energy from the high priest, and even though he succeeded, he was staggered heavily.

"Run dammit! Take her and run!" Ranger yelled and Priestess sat there still hesitating. "I said _run_!" She then looked at Fighter who held out her hand, and Priestess took it and slung the larger woman onto her back and walked off.

"He'll be fine..." Fighter whispered and Priestess sucked in a breath despite the blood around her.

"Don't let them get away! They're going to get help!" The high priest yelled as the champions rushed forward and Ranger stomped on the ground, upturning it a bit, then hurled some debris at the champions who stopped and put up their guards.

"You might want to handle the threat first. Ever heard of business before pleasure?" Ranger asked coldly before shattered a champion's sword with one punch as the sword came down, then he absorbed the metal as he morphed a greatsword of his own, deflected a blow from a second champion, impaled the first, dodged a blow from the third and backed up a bit, before jumping over them, harpooning the second in the top of the head before slamming it into the ground, before blocking another blast from the high priest, cleaving through the third champion's legs with one sword then busting it's head open with the other sword, then blocking yet another blast...but this one sends his rolling across the ground and he lays there completely exhausted and even having trouble focusing...so he shut his eyes for a bit, and even focused on his own chakras; everyone has them afterall.

"You don't look so good..." The high priest said smugly before more goblins appeared from the rifts, and slowly approached him as if savoring the kill, then Ranger pushed himself off the ground and stared at the little bastards with piercing eyes.

* * *

Back at the castle, the two storm elementals were actually stationed in front of one hell rift for each of them vaporizing goblins by the dozen, the guards were holding them back with shield walls, and stabbing them as they got close, Storm Mage and the court mage were shredding and freezing goblins that came out of a series of hell rifts in the throne room with an ice wall with spike covering it protecting the High King on his throne. The court mage even hardened it so that it's tougher than steel. When they they done...the place was littered with dead and frozen goblins. Storm Mage even laughed at one of the frozen goblins and tapped it with his retracted sword-whip.

"It's a gob-cicle..." He said as the court mage went to the throne.

"Your Majesty?" Court Mage asked.

"I'm alright." High King said.

"Very good. If you get too cold-" High King cuts him off.

"It is better than being butchered by these monsters." He said and Court Mage nodded, before Storm Mage peered down the hall to Sword Maiden and Cow Girl's room, and saw nothing suspicious, and just as he left to return to the throne room...he heard Sword Maiden scream, and rushed into the room...only to see a hell rift opening and Sword Maiden shaking in terror as Cow Girl was there consoling her.

"Look. Your protector is here..." Cow Girl said and Sword Maiden's face brightened the moment Storm Mage arrived and his hands sparked with a storm waiting to be unleashed on her nightmares. Ones that came through the rift a few seconds later and when they did...Storm Mage unleashed his own kind of hell upon them. Sword Maiden intently watched her lover and savior fry them alive as their dying screams and the scent of their cooking flesh filled the air. The two girls covered their noses, but even still...the sight of Storm Mage once again showing the goblins what true pain and fear was made her own look pathetic.

For a moment, she recalled the pain they wrecked upon her, then the memory of his touch swooped in and snuffed it out, just like his lightning was snuffing out the goblins in the present. The intensity of the moment made her eyes water and her heart and lungs work harder. More goblins came out only to meet the same fate as their kin with what was left of his first discharge.

A handful of goblins recovered from the shock only to scream in fear and try to rush back into the portal only to be struck down again until they all succumbed to the storm. He then cracked his knuckles, his neck and walked over to his lady who watched him with pleading eyes, as she looked over his hands that stopped sparking once he got close to her, and he reached them out to her face and she cringed away.

"My dear Sword Maiden...I would no sooner harm you than myself." Storm Mage said softly before she let him touch her face and caress her ample cheeks with his thumb. "I swore I would protect you, and my storms do only what I say, and I say they are your ally." She then pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I love you so much..." Sword Maiden whispered before he returned the embrace.

"And I love you." Storm Mage whispered and she shifted against him as he stroked her hair and inhaled her enchanting scent before kissing her temple as softly as he could, and she did the same to him before smiling brightly at him. Neither cared that they were being watched. Just when their moment ended, the rift acted up and more goblins appeared...then Cow Girl started clapping, which made the goblins cover their ears, and Storm Mage watched them suffer, and to his surprise...Sword Maiden joined the fun and Storm Mage laughed at them as they went crazy and even bumped into each other.

Sword Maiden even started laughing herself, even more so when Storm Mage let out a minor discharge after another making them spasm out and the two ladies laughed as hard as they could at them...but the fun ended when Storm Mage charged up his hands and grabbed each one, and kicked the ones he missed. Several goblins landed hits, but his armor held fast, even though it was a bad time to make fun of them. He then whispered a chant in a strange tongue and the rift closed up.

"What...did you do?" Cow Girl asked with concern, and Storm Mage sighed before walking back to the ladies.

"I'm not supposed to reveal this, but...I know the Demon Lord's tongue." He said.

"What?!" Cow Girl asked.

"We demon hunters study the Demon Lord's tongue so we can decipher secret messages, writings, or even give some secret messages to each other, and now...this. Although, I typically use it to enter the Limbo dimension to fight demons on common ground, if you can call it that." Storm Mage said.

"Ironic that the Demon Lord's very language is used against him." Sword Maiden said thoughtfully.

"True, a pretty delicious irony if you ask me." Storm Mage said with pride.

"Wait, you never did that with the rifts before?" Cow Girl asked.

"I'm charged with protecting Water Town, and especially the Sword Maiden, not closing the rifts; I'm certain my brother and the other demons hunters did plenty of that themselves." Storm Mage said before Cow Girl sighed.

"Is the king alright?" She asked.

"He's fine, although...they might still need me out there." Storm Mage said and Sword Maiden deflated. "But I will not stop checking on you." He then turned to leave before Sword Maiden grabbed his hand and gave him probably the sweetest kiss he ever got from her.

"_Destroy_ these monsters...!" She breathed out with the most serious look he ever saw on her face; she probably felt a burst of courage running through her from finally striking a blow against her fears herself by clapping.

"Yes Your Grace." Storm Mage said firmly as he walked away, and just before he left, he stopped and turned to Cow Girl. "By the way...we're even now; you treated my ribs at the farm, I save you from Hell." He then walked out.

"Your Grace...?" Cow Girl said as Sword Maiden eyeballed the charred bodies of the goblins.

* * *

"Holy shit...what happened to you?" Wizard asked.

"The goblin high priest is back..." Fighter said grimly as Priestess sat her down.

"What happened to that giant?" Priestess asked.

"Rhea Fighter happened." Warrior said as the two ladies looked at him. "I'm not o.k. by the way." Priestess then went to him, put more holy water on her staff, used Heal on him, and he breathed a little easier as his body was put back together, his gash healed, his joints were relocated, and the blood covering his face was absorbed into his skin.

"What happened to you?" Fighter asked.

"That damn giant threw me." Warrior said.

"He _threw_ you?!" Fighter asked in awe.

"Yeah, and just when I was about to kill it too. So much for being a giant slayer..." Warrior said.

"Relax, there will be plenty of giants to kill later, plus you know how it's done now...and what not to do." Wizard said seriously.

"Right..." Warrior said before sucking in a breathe and standing up slowly and didn't complain about the pain and showed no signs of discomfort in the face.

"Feel anything off?" Wizard's brother asked before Warrior moved his body around in various ways.

"Not really." Warrior said in disbelief. "Shouldn't we do something?" Priestess' eyes then widened.

"Oh! We have to get back to Ranger! He's fighting all by himself!" She exclaimed.

"I'm staying here to supervise my familiars-" Wizard's brother stopped talking when two more giants showed up.

"Priestess...give me an empowerment please." Warrior said.

"Hear me Lord of the Scale. Grant this man your divine might in this our battle. Empower!" Priestess prayed and Warrior started glowing and prepared to charge at the giants.

"Are you nuts?!" Fighter exclaimed.

"Probably..." Warrior said casually, then dashed off to face the giants at an inhuman speed, dashed from side to side as he got close to the giants, sliced off one of each of their feet, and when they hit the ground, he sliced one of their throats open, and jammed his charged-up sword into the top of the other one's heads. He then dashed back to the others while mowing down some hobs that ambushed him. "The bigger they are, the better the kill..."

"It's "the bigger they are-" Warrior cuts Wizard's brother off.

"The harder they fall...not in this case, now let's go help the boss." Warrior said dryly.

"What about the city, or the castle?" Wizard asked.

"Priestess...heal me as much as you can, and we will get back to my husband. The rest of you take the castle." Fighter said firmly.

"Alright." Wizard said as she helped Warrior back to the castle.

"I can walk on my own..." Warrior said then stumbled and caught himself.

"You were saying...?" Wizard teased before holding him close to her as they went.

"Oh shut up..." Warrior said before Wizard giggled.

"Those two have such good timing..." Her brother said before some goblins showed up. Wizard then removed a mana gem, and sprung a trap that ensnared them in a triangle around them...and any that touched the rim, got disintegrated. They then got into the center shaking in fear...then the triangle enclosed on them, killing all of them and the gem reabsorbed the energy used to make the trap.

"Traps are a real bitch aren't they?" Wizard said.

"That...was a little scary..." Priestess said while healing Fighter.

"At least we're on the same side." Wizard's brother said.

"Just keep healing me." Fighter said.

"O.k..." Priestess whispered.

* * *

Ranger spent a good minute chopping, smashing, and shooting down goblins, both on the ground and in the air. He's done so while standing still, dashing, jumping, and even used his portal gem to get the drop on some hobs. He even jammed a greatsword into a champion's heart, through it's collarbone, while standing on it's shoulders. The high priest kept on reviving them as fast as they fell, but it still made no difference. Ranger switched between having one greatsword or two to save stamina; there was no point having two out when one will do just fine.

"I don't believe this...you've beaten more than half of my legion..." The high priest said.

"What? What was that you said? These are the same goblins we massacred a year ago? Interesting...if this keeps up the sun will go down before I can _tear_ all of you to shreds...!" Ranger said coldly.

Eventually...a band of goblin archers showed up on top of the house, pelted him with arrows, but not before he made his armor bulkier...only to be picked up by a goblin paladin from behind, and slammed into the ground over and over and over as the high priest laughed at him along with the others. Ranger understandably got fed up with it and morphed a greatsword, stabbed the paladin through the face...only to be thrown across the yard into a tree, and it fell on top of him.

"One down...two to go..." The high priest said before Ranger pushed the tree off of him with one arm; the other was snapped. "Still alive after all that? No matter. Everyone! He's badly injured. Now's the time to get an even sweeter victory." The goblins then surrounded him as he stood up slowly and started laughing. "Not even a servant of the War God laughs at his own funeral..."

"I'm laughing...at _yours_..." Ranger said before de-morphing his helmet and smiling at the high priest. "Lord of the Sword...Master of the Mace...strike down my foes...with the invisible grip of your will...Implosion!" He then aimed his open hand at the sky, and a swirling vortex opens up overhead and sucks in all the goblins and the high priest clung onto the ground with his claws with a terrified look in the face.

Fighter and Priestess meanwhile were approaching, then Ranger turned up the power on the portal and Fighter and Priestess were getting pulled into it as well, and Fighter shoved Priestess to the ground before she got sucked in as well. Ranger's heart sank as he saw his wife getting pulled into _his_ miracle, and launched a chain for her to grab onto, and pulled her towards him with his good arm as he weakened the portal. Once she was close enough, he strengthened the portal again, and the high priest got sucked into it...then the goblins all got launched into the sky, into the horizon, or into the ground as Ranger collapsed from fatigue.

"Ranger!" Fighter exclaimed as she removed his mask and helmet...and he was breathing quite shallowly. "Heal him...!"

"I'm out of miracles! Wait...there is one." Priestess said before pouring the last bit of holy water on Ranger's face. "Great Chief of Justice. Lord of the Scale. Grant this, your servant and soldier the power and life to continue this battle. Let your justice be known in this land and let the wicked tremble before the power you express here. Restoration!" A beam of light from the sky shined down on Ranger and his body was completely restored: his breathing became normal, his arms was relocated, his armor was repaired, and he got up with no trouble and he flexed a bit and showed no signs of discomfort.

"The Supreme even restored my stamina..." Ranger said in disbelief.

"That was the only time I can use that miracle today. I hope we don't need it again." Priestess said before Ranger put his hand on her shoulder.

"You've done enough..." Ranger said with a small smile.

"Sir...about what I said before..." Priestess said softly.

"Priestess...you're a gentle spirit, I am not. You give hope and healing to the innocent, I destroy and terrorize the wicked. That's just the way it is." Ranger said seriously.

"I know...but like you said, I give hope and healing to the innocent, and you qualify, as far as I'm concerned." Priestess said.

"You succeed at every turn; knowing that you are here to do what you do, is why I will do this a hundred times over if I must." Ranger said as Fighter watched her husband shine his own light, then the ground shattered behind them and the high priest was there laying down in a small crater as several other goblins fell down to the ground screaming before splattering all over the place, and Ranger shielded Priestess from the blood flying at them with his still-armored body as Fighter got behind Priestess. Ranger then looked at the high priest, was about to get up, then Fighter stopped him.

"If he's still alive...I will kill him." Fighter said and Ranger relented as he kept an eye on the high priest...and occasionally stare at her armored but still shapely rear as he walked up to the high priest's still-intact body, but he kept a gun at the ready in case anything happened, and at first, nothing did. "If you're still alive, I'm back to finish our fight." At this...the high priest jumped at her and she grabs him slams him back into the ground, then she clawed her face...after she morphed a metal mask, so she just got staggered. Then she jammed a blade into his side over and over, and the high priest yelled in pain as his side was shredded by the she-devil gripping him, then she raised him up and slammed him back into the ground repeatedly...then he laughed at her. "What's so funny?"

"You...you think you can kill a high priest of the God of Wisdom? I know things your puny minds cannot even dream of. When we are done here, all of you will learn the meaning of true suffering, and I? Well...I get to butcher the foolish woman who tried to kill me, while her mate is tortured and forced to watch..." The high priest said with glee while the team just stares at him.

"You're not going to do _anything_ to us..." Fighter said coldly before tearing out his throat, which healed, broke his leg, which healed, and stabbed him through the face...which healed. She then growled in frustration and cut off his head...which did not heal, but the body still came after her, until Ranger shot the head and it collapsed...but the head regenerated and the body got up to attack her again. "Oh give us a fucking break!" Fighter then threw the head away and stomped on the chest, severed both arms and legs, then chopped them at each joint and gathered all the pieces into a pile with the head. "Care to do the honors my love?"

"Gladly, my love." Ranger said before focusing. "Lord of the Sword, Master of the Mace. Raze my foes with the destructive power of chaos. Immolation!" With that, the high priest's body parts went up in flames and the three watched the small bonfire. "That...has _got_ to hurt..."

"You're scary sometimes you know that?" Fighter asked and Ranger chuckled.

"I do what I can..." He said before he turned to the city, and used Life Sight. "Looks like the others are doing well..."

"Then we should get back to the archbishop." Priestess said.

"You two go to the others, I will go to the castle." Ranger said before opening a portal to the castle...to find a big surprise.

* * *

"157...164...173...189...203..." GS counted as he shot, sliced, bashed, stomped, stabbed, and froze goblins like they were just targets, with his teammates doing the same. GS even tried his light sword to seal some hell rifts in addition to mowing down goblins that they weren't even there.

"That all of them?" H.E. Archer asked after shooting down a group with one volley of arrows.

"I believe so Lady Ranger." Lizard Priest said.

"It's a shame we couldn't save everyone..." Dwarf Shaman said somberly.

"Maybe the Sword Maiden can open a portal herself, or let us get a way to save the people?" H.E. Archer said.

"At least the goblins are all dead; we saved as many as we could, and no more will be captured." GS said.

"Way to look at the bright side Beard-Cutter." Dwarf Shaman said.

"There is still a chance to save them from the horrors they are no doubt facing in Hell. The denizens of that place are as undesirable as the world they inhabit." Lizard Priest said.

"We should get back and find out how to save them!" H.E. Archer exclaimed as she rushed back to the place.

"We're right behind you Long Ears!" Dwarf Shaman said then they spotted Rhea Fighter slicing down goblins, and even stabbing hell rifts and slowly closing them.

"What in...?" H.E. Archer said as she stopped and observed. "How did she do that?"

"Angelic blood...it's the only way to improve blades." Wizard's brother said with pride as his wolf familiars circled him and he petted them one by one.

* * *

When Storm Mage returned to the court mage, and High King, the latter was out of the ice cap he was protected by and court mage was chopping off goblin heads with an ice axe, then freezing the heads, then rolling them to some guards who stuffed them into a large bag.

"May I ask what you're doing?" Storm Mage asked.

"These heads will be a reminder of this day; I want every goblin head I can get so the number of goblins killed isn't forgotten." High King said.

"I see...well, the Sword Maiden and that farm girl are safe now." Storm Mage said.

"You make an excellent protector you do." High King said..

"Thank you Your Majesty." Storm Mage said before a hell rift develops in the middle of the throne room. "Your Majesty, you must leave now!"

"That's a large hell rift..." High King said nervously.

"That's why we must leave Your Majesty." Court Mage said as he urged the king out as the guards followed with the bag. Storm Mage then drew his sword-whips and charged them up, to prepare for whatever came through the rift. Little did he know...the Sword Maiden herself was watching from around the corner, with Cow Girl. Eventually...the goblin lord appeared with two paladins at his sides.

"So...this is a human castle? I've destroyed worse..." the lord said.

"You've got alot of nerve insulting a castle considering the holes your kind live in." Storm Mage said coldly.

"Hold your tongue before I tear it out!" the lord snapped.

"This castle and the city outside are still intact, despite your kind's best efforts. Also...I helped massacre one of your legions a year ago." Storm Mage boasted and the goblin lord laughed.

"You speak of that farm I tried to take? It's better destroyed than taken regardless, plus they got to shed some blood on the way..." The goblin lord said which made Cow Girl tense with anger and Storm Mage discharge lightning between his blades.

"So _you're_ the bastard who led that legion?" Storm Mage asked.

"Indeed...and now I'm going take this city from you, with that same legion!" The goblin lord said as he and the paladin's readied their weapons.

"You should know that's not true..." Storm Mage said coldly as he crossed his blades in front of him and let loose the lightning on the trio in front of him and they were only staggered. Then Storm Mage lashed their legs...only for each swing to bounce off their greaves, then he lashed at them all which did no damage, but still kept them at bay; the blades themselves did no damage, but the lightning could cause pain, despite their magic-resistant armor. Some smaller rifts opened and dozens of smaller goblins poured out, and Storm Mage lashed from one side with one sword-whip, then the other with both blades, lashed upwards several times, used spin moves, slammed the tips of his blades into the ground to cause small explosions, and twirled them in front of them like windmills. Only the lord and paladins survived the onslaught.

"Can you empower him?" Cow Girl asked.

"I don't know...I don't think my powers are fully restored yet. Besides...I still dread the idea of him falling to them, and then they come for me...!" Sword Maiden said.

"Then empower him." Cow Girl said firmly.

"I don't know if I can." Sword Maiden said while shaking then Cow Girl gripped her shoulders.

"Your Grace! With all due respect...you're not a little girl, you're a grown woman just like me. You defeated the Demon Lord once, the most vile being in existence! Those are just glorified rats. I know, they wronged you horribly...but right now, you have a golden opportunity to save alot of people, including the man who loves you, and get some payback for what happened to you in the process." Cow Girl said as they looked to see Storm Mage struggling to keep the trio contained. "Please, he's running out of time." Sword Maiden took a moment to steel herself...then the unthinkable happened: Storm Mage...her lover and protector...had his legs severed from beneath him by the goblin lord's axe when he dared to get close, and his scream shattered both the ladies' hearts. They didn't know where the others were and Storm Mage was doomed at this point, as the lord laughed at the man who was bleeding to death.

"Now, you fall, later...the city falls." the goblin lord said as he walked to the throne and sat down on it with the paladins standing at either side of him.

"Sword Maiden...I tried..." Storm Mage whispered as the two locked eyes and he reached for her, and went slack as Sword Maiden sank to her knees and wept, not even hearing Wizard and Warrior come in and their hearts sank at the sight.

"No..." Warrior said as he rushed to his body and checked his pulse. "He's dead..." The lord then laughed at them.

"Reinforcements? Good, this will actually be a challenge." He said before the two paladins walked towards them, and Warrior pulled his hammer and sword and yelled at them.

"You idiots just made the biggest mistake of your lives...!" Warrior growled before charging at them, throwing his hammer at a paladin who was charging an ice spell, and the hammer's lightning was conducted by the ice and the paladin fell down spasming, as the other charged at Warrior and they clashed blades over and over. Warrior even pulled a new trick out of his sleeve: phantom blades made of holy energy.

Meanwhile, Wizard checked Storm Mage's body, and...against her better judgement, seared the flesh on the stumps of his legs so the bleeding would stop, then she took a magicka-restore potion and poured every ounce of power into a heal spell to use on his heart itself. She then watched her fiance exchange blows with the paladin at a stalemate, then snapped her attention back to her patient. She even used alchemy to gather the blood that poured out of his legs and store it in the spent potion bottle. Then she pulled the body to the other two ladies.

"Is he...?" Sword Maiden asked with a broken voice.

"He's in cardiac arrest; I only have a few minutes to get him fully healed before it's too late." Wizard said before mixing a life potion with the blood she gathered.

"What are you doing?" Cow Girl asked.

"Giving him his blood back, only better. Would you mind removing his armor?" Wizard said before the two carried out her order, before she poured the blood on his face and chest, then had the blood be absorbed into his skin. She then called the two severed legs to her and magically reattached them. "Now we wait, and pray..."

"I will do more than pray...farm girl? Are you a virgin?" Sword Maiden asked seriously.

"Y...yes?" Cow Girl said.

"Then come with me...I know how to save him." Sword Maiden said.

"But Warrior needs a miracle himself." Cow Girl said and Sword Maiden looked at Storm Mage then sighed.

"Great Chief of Justice. Your archbishop asks you give these warriors the power to conquer the evil they face. Empower!" Sword Maiden prayed and both Warrior and Wizard got power boosts, then Warrior overwhelmed the paladin a few seconds later with raw speed, much to Wizard's amazement. "Make that goblin pay."

"We will..." Wizard said before walking out to join Warrior as the two ladies carried Storm Mage to bed.

"You two were given divine power? Well...you will still fair no better than that mage did." The goblin lord said.

"He's still alive." Wizard said dryly.

"What?" Warrior asked.

"I used every trick I can think of, but he'll be fine." Wizard said.

"Wizard...I owe you _alot_ of sex for this..." Warrior said.

"Down boy..." Wizard teased then the goblin lord snarled and got up.

"I will give you more than you can possibly handle, after I devour your mate...!" He said.

"I have no faith in that." Wizard said simply as the lord grabbed his axe and slammed it into the space between them, sending the two flying to each side, charged himself up with demonic power, and the two exchanged blows with the lord on equal footing for about a minute with neither side getting an edge. The pair attacked from different angles one by one, or at the same time, the same angle in the same place, but either got their attacks blocked, interrupted, were staggered, or had to dodge an axe swing.

Warrior even leap-froged with Wizard by attacking after she jumped off his back and tried to stab the lord from above, while Warrior stabbed from underneath, but the lord simply back up, and the pair nearly stabbed each other and only didn't because of their synergy, then the goblin lord swung with enough force to blow them away despite the fact that they dodged the swing itself.

"Do you know now where faith lands you? You're being toyed with like the playthings you are, and soon...I'll keep my promise." The goblin lord said before a portal opened and Ranger stepped through.

"Boss!" Wizard exclaimed with a smile as Ranger walked forward like he was the War God himself.

"Oh ho ho ho, you are _screwed_ now..." Warrior said.

"Who dares?!" The goblin lord snarled.

"Who dares indeed!" Ranger snapped before stopping between the lord and his teammates. "I don't appreciate my teammates being kicked around." The lord then growled as he saw Priestess through the portal.

"I know that girl...that's the one who helped the Goblin Slayer kill me! When I'm done with you, I'll think of something especially dire for her...!" The lord said and Ranger snarled and tensed up.

"O.k...you are _very_ screwed now!" Warrior said as he and Wizard stood up and Ranger held his arms out.

"No, I will handle him alone." Ranger said and the goblin lord laughed at him.

"You must be insane! The high priest nearly killed you, and your two companions almost died just now. What makes you think you can handle me?" The lord goblin asked.

"Do you know who I am?" Ranger asked simply.

"I know you. You're the one who aided the Goblin Slayer against my people a year ago! It's odd really...I thought you would be larger..." The goblin lord said.

"I will look larger before I kill you." Ranger said...and Sword Maiden heard him as she came back down the hall.

"Wait...I know that voice...!" Sword Maiden whispered before rushing to see Ranger and her breath caught in her throat. "We're saved...!"

"Boss...he nearly killed Storm Mage before you showed up, by cutting off his legs and letting him bleed to death." Wizard said seriously and Ranger snapped his head to her.

"Tell me you saved him!" He said.

"Yes, and apparently Her Grace is using Resurrection to finish the job, with that farm girl as a candidate." Wizard said.

"Good on all three of you." Ranger said.

"Hey! I killed two paladins _alone_." Warrior said.

"And I will avenge both of them!" The goblin lord growled before charging at Ranger only for him to punch the axe out of the goblin lord's hand with an enlarged gauntlet, then jump up and punch the lord into the ground with the other gauntlet.

"The armor I wear gives me the strength of an entire goblin legion, and I absorbed the blood of just about everything I've killed since I got this armor. Goblins, demons, vampires, even an archdemon, and of course the vampire queen. You are just a bug to crush compared to me." Ranger said seriously then the goblin lord tried to grab him, only for Ranger to grab the lord's hand, crush it, and listen to him roar in pain and try to free his hand. "What did I just tell you?" Ranger then picked the goblin lord up, threw him into the air, morphed his right gauntlet into a greatsword then sliced off his legs before climbing onto his chest and standing on it. "What did I tell you before when I said I'd look larger before killing you? And what did you say about Priestess?"

"Oh...he said he'd think of something dire to do to her." Wizard said smugly.

"Well...as a wise and lovely woman I know once said: You're not going to do anything to her." Ranger said before tapping his shoulders, which signaled Warrior to shatter both the lord's shoulders with his hammer, then Ranger glided his thumb across his gut, signalling Wizard to stab the lord in the gut, and rip it out from the other side, and Ranger jammed his hand into the lord's gut, and pulled out his heart, and held it out on display. "Funny...you never know goblins have these, unless you see it for yourself." He then saw that the goblin lord's eyes were locked on his own heart before Ranger crushes it as the goblin lord expired...before Sword Maiden walked forward and looked at Ranger in awe as he stood there watching her.

"If I lost my senses completely, I would say I was standing before the War God himself...and kneel before you." Sword Maiden said with a trembling voice.

"Wow...you _know_ you're awesome if the Sword Maiden tells you something like _that_." Wizard said tensely.

"Do I effect you that much Your Grace?" Ranger asked and his two teammates exclaimed.

"Boss...you're standing on top of the goblin lord's dead body, you have...the biggest sword I've ever seen in one hand, you're holding his crushed heart in the other hand, which has a goblin-sized gauntlet coating it, and you're wearing a blood-red cloak over a solid steel case that somehow works like armor, plus you have hair that goes down to your shoulders, like some people think the War God has. You should get a Platinum Rank for the look you're pulling off right now alone. In fact...you don't just deserve a second Platinum Rank, we should make up another one that's even better." Warrior said seriously.

"Diamond Rank?" Wizard asked and the three others looked thoughtful.

"_Why_ in the name of all that is _holy_ is that not a thing?" Warrior asked.

"Well, should it actually become a new rank, I wish you all luck in achieving it." Sword Maiden said before Ranger knelt down to her level.

"Sword Maiden...I'm sorry about Storm Mage." He said somberly.

"He will survive, and...if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have had the time we needed for the three of you to do what you did, and...I hope the trauma I suffered will give rise to a greater fortune, as will the trauma this kingdom suffered." Sword Maiden said before H.E. Archer rushed in.

"Your Grace! Your Gra-" She stopped when she saw Ranger, Warrior and Wizard. "Where have all of you been? And why are there three big, dead goblins in here?"

"In order: we had our own missions to fulfill, and these are-" GS cuts Warrior off.

"A Goblin Lord, and two paladins." He said as he walked over to the lord's corpse, then Ranger's hand that still held the lord's heart. "You ripped his heart out..."

"Yes, and the high priest is also in ashes." Ranger said.

"Good. The fewer leaders the goblins have, the less organized they'll be." GS said.

"We know; we're Gold and Platinum Rank for a reason." Wizard said.

"Right." GS said.

"Lady Archbishop. We are the bearers of terrible news. The goblin horde has abducted an untold number of people and taken them to Hell. How can we save them?" Lizard Priest asked and the team's hearts sank.

"Storm Mage...he can open and close portals himself; when he recovers he can help them. But for now...we should prepare ourselves; I sense another invasion coming, and it's focused on this castle!" Sword Maiden said as Fighter and Priestess arrived and gasped outside the room.

"You two go find the king, and if you can't get to him, make sure the goblins can't either." Ranger said to his two teammates who nodded and went out to find him. "I will stay with you Your Grace, until Storm Mage recovers."

"Alright. Goblin Slayer? Your farm girl friend helped me use the miracle of Resurrection; if you wish to protect her while they sleep..." Sword Maiden trailed off.

"Yes. I know the goblins can be dealt with by the others, but I promised I'd look after her." GS said.

"And neither of us break our promises, right Goblin Slayer?" Ranger said as he stood back up on top of the dead goblin lord.

"Right." GS said before Fighter and Priestess walked in, watched their teammates leave to go look for goblins, and stared at Ranger...who locked eyes with them, as Fighter walked up to her husband who smiled down at her.

"You should see yourself..." Fighter said dreamily.

"So I've been told." Ranger said simply despite the atmosphere.

* * *

**Damn, I cannot recall the last time there were this many goblins getting bodied, and there's more on the way? Good grief. Anyway, Warrior got to kill two giants, and Rhea Fighter showed how it was done, Storm Mage got his ass saved by Wizard, and a whole bunch of other insane shit. Honestly, that Diamond Rank thing? It's a last-second question I wondered about; I'm not really taking it seriously, but am taking it very seriously at the same time. Also...that time Ranger fought the goblin horde alone is inspired by the time Guts from Berserk fought 100 soldiers alone, only...while I do like Guts and respect him as much as he deserves, I don't think he'd stand much of a chance against Ranger; if Ranger was in the Berserk universe, he'd probably clear the place's shit out with no problem, team or no team. Back to the Resurrection miracle...I'll bet you didn't expect Cow Girl to be used for it eh? I sure didn't expect it to go that way. I do plan things out, but half the time I'm just throwing ideas around and seeing where things go, and it turns out better than I hoped ironically. Anyway, be sure to Rate, Review, and Share, and stay tuned for more carnage in the next chapter.  
**


	23. Chapter 12 Part III

**Happy Easter Week everyone, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Bravo to Rhea Fighter and Wizard's bro for stepping up to the plate eh? Well, there's still plenty of goblins that need their asses kicked, so...here's hoping they can keep it up.**

**Review Response: Warrior getting revenge just like Ranger seems to be a theme here; he avenged Storm Mage getting his ribcage smashed at the farm, he avenged Storm Mage getting his legs sliced off...sort of, and got revenge on the two giants after the first one threw him across the city...and who knows what else.**

**The high priest and goblin lord sure got a handful didn't they? Sword Maiden gave her fears an even bigger "fuck you" by empowering Warrior and Wizard to boot. As for the kidnapped people? Well, see for yourself...  
**

**GS staying with Cow Girl should be fairly self-explanatory; not only does it show his character development, but it's pretty obvious he cares about her, even in the official version of Goblin Slayer. Besides, he might get to kill two birds with one stone by killing goblins...to protect her. Not to mention...GS is by no means by himself; there's at least 12 others: Ranger and his team, that's 5, GS' own team plus himself makes 9, Rhea Fighter and Wizard's bro make 11, and Sword Maiden make 12. Soon to be 13 when Storm Mage recovers...and boy is he going to get an eyefull; Cow Girl..in my opinion the single sexiest GS character, is sleeping next to him, buck-ass naked. Yes Storm Mage regularly touches Sword Maiden's body, which is on-par with CG's, but...still.**

**I wasn't serious about Diamond Rank, but I am curious as to why that's not an official thing. As for the 1st Platinum Rank...you mean the Supreme's Champion? Well...if he were to receive a Diamond Rank, he died well before he could get it.**

* * *

"Ranger..." Priestess said softly as he got off the Goblin Lord's corpse.

"Is this the goblin lord you took out with Goblin Slayer?" Ranger asked.

"Yes. I never thought I'd see him again." Priestess said.

"Well, he got his dues didn't he?" Fighter quipped before looking at the dead goblins. "Who's going to clean up this mess?"

"Let me try something..." Ranger said before spawning chains out of his armored torso and they latched onto the dead bodies, and their demonic essence flowed along the chains and into the armor.

"Are you sure that's safe sir?" Priestess asked with concern as Ranger's chains retracted.

"It may be demonic essence, but not anymore. My armor actually changes whatever essence it absorbs into a new material completely safe for use." Ranger said.

"That cherub did you a great service good Ranger." Sword Maiden said before Priestess looked her over. "Yes my dear?"

"Your dress...you look so different." Priestess said as Sword Maiden put her hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"I assure you, I am the same as I was when you first saw me, except..." Sword Maiden trailed off.

"Free?" Ranger asked knowingly, and Sword Maiden gave him a small smile.

"Yes..." She whispered before walking towards him, and Fighter respectfully stepped aside as the archbishop embraced the new Platinum Rank. Ranger's loyalty to Fighter was bottomless, but be that as it may, it was clear to everyone that he and Sword Maiden had a place in each other's hearts. The way they held each other so close, and without any force was proof enough. Ranger even de-morphed his outer armor to make it more comfortable for Her Grace.

"Storm Mage treats you well doesn't he?" Ranger asked.

"Yes...he's every bit as good a man as you are, especially since he wants nothing more than to atone for his misdeeds." Sword Maiden said as softly as ever before Ranger pulled away and stroked her face.

"He's also a _lucky_ man. He has the heart of the one and only Sword Maiden, and everything that goes with it." Ranger said seriously, then as a tease, which got a giggle out of her.

"Ranger!" Priestess exclaimed.

"Relax, I actually find it amusing. Besides...his touch is one of the reasons I am free now, and...as distasteful as it may be, if the goblins hadn't captured me, I never would know what it would be like to be set free from my own mind." Sword Maiden said as Fighter touched her shoulder.

"You still shouldn't have had to go through that. You, or anyone for that matter." She said firmly.

"Good thing we are here to prevent more tragedies from happening." Priestess said.

"Right...as for you, my love...would you like an upgrade?" Ranger asked.

"What did you have in mind?" Fighter asked with a faint tease in her voice.

"Both a different color...and more material to use." Ranger said seriously.

"Hit me..." Fighter said before taking his hand, and liquid material poured out of his suit, into hers...and her armor was turned the same shade of purple as her dress, and was made a bit bulkier. "Wow...I do like the color. Wait...you weren't just trying to give me something sexier were you?"

"First off, no one but me touches you like that, now or ever. Secondly, even if I did, you could take a page out of that Assassin lady's book and use your looks to distract your foe-" Fighter cuts him off.

"You read too much of the War God's bible..." Fighter said.

"...and lastly...I did nothing but do you a service, like I always do my damnedest to do." Ranger said seriously.

"Well, I _do_ feel lovelier, and I'll bet you made this suit more useful." Fighter said before smiling brightly...then she and Sword Maiden snapped to attention.

"I'll stay with her, you two take out those goblins!" Ranger said as Fighter and Priestess rushed out the throne room's entrance and once they did...a large hell rift opened in the middle of the room. "Your Grace...hide behind the throne..." She did what he said before he re-morphed his bulkier armor, a greatsword, and stood there with the greatsword on his shoulder, waiting for whatever was coming through the portal...which was a Wrather twice as big as a regular one, and Ranger morphed his greatsword into a spear as big as Spearman's, then hurled it into the Wrather's chest... only for the demon to yank the spear out and charge at Ranger, who morphed his gauntlets, dash to the side, which distracted it, then he pulled one of it's legs out from under it, pinned it down, and ripped off it's head as it roared in pain and rage...then he threw the head through the portal and took a handful of goblins with it as they poured through the rift.

"Holy Light!" Sword Maiden yelled as the Wrather was disintegrated and the goblins were burned and blighted by the light. Ranger morphed his mask to be able to see her...but even his mask didn't help much.

"Did you use holy water?" Ranger asked with his mask giving his voice an echo like GS' helmet.

"I don't need to." Sword Maiden said simply and Ranger recoiled a bit. If this kind of power is normal for her...no wonder she helped take out the Demon Lord. He then watched the goblins that once petrified her turn to charred, wrinkled husks, then the light died down and Ranger removed his mask.

"Sword Maiden..." Ranger said as they smiled at each other, then they turned back to the portal. "I'm probably going to need an empowerment later on."

"I'll keep one miracle in case you need it." Sword Maiden said.

"Well, hopefully I won't need it, but I'd rather do this with you helping me, than alone." Ranger said as he looked over his suit and got an idea. He morphed a form-fitting suit made of leather-metal hybrid, with a loose apron around the waist. He then tried throwing some punches and kicks with it, some while jumping, spinning, flipping, or all three to twist it out. "Yeah...this will do."

An armored hob then came through the portal with two dozen goblins behind him, and thanks to his aura-sense that his chakra-opening skill comes with, he knew these were goblins he fought when he had his team save their first batch of girls before destroying that fort before they met GS' current team. He then morphed a pair of twin shortswords, craved up the hob's armor in it's weakest points, stabbed the openings, all while stabbing it all over it's body, then jumping up, and plunging both swords into it's head...then stabbing two goblins that tried ambushing him from the sides and flicking them back into the crowd, which floored a handful of goblins and startled the rest, then Ranger morphed his gauntlets, and picked up the hob, much to Sword Maiden's amazement.

He then jammed a morphed spike into it's gut, and as a strange energy flooded it's body, he threw it into the hell rift, and it became unstable and some goblins that were about to come through were shredded before they came through, and covered their brethren in their blood and pulped flesh, which horrified them to the point where they were shaking, exclaiming, and even weeping as Ranger stood there with his now-heated swords at the ready.

"My blades are much smaller than normal, but they're hot enough to burn through solid stone, and they have done so before, so you all better hope I kill you in one hit, or you'll wish I had..." Ranger said with vague schadenfreude in his voice.

* * *

Wizard and Warrior meanwhile were following a guard to where the king was, and when they got to his saferoom, they knocked on the door.

"Your Majesty? Are you in there?" Wizard called.

"Yes, what's happening?" High King said.

"There really is another wave coming, but we're here in case anything nasty comes this way." Warrior said.

"Good on you both. I'm loathed to hide while my people suffer, but this kingdom does need a living king." High King said.

"Don't beat yourself up too badly Your Majesty; if you can't fight as well as you should, then leave it to us." Wizard said.

"Yeah. We're more than willing to give a hand." Warrior said.

"Please do so. Without you, my kingdom is doomed." High King said as the two new Gold Ranks moved away to keep a lookout.

"You sounded a bit like the boss." Warrior said and his fiance who smirked at him.

"Stop me if I start fighting like him; that's _your_ thing." Wizard said before a small horde of goblins rushed down a hall and overwhelmed a trio of guards, who were torn apart while screaming while the rest of the goblins rushed towards the pair...only to run into an earth golem summoned by Wizard, and they got crushed by it. Then Warrior tried the clone spell to make a single duplicate to test it, and the pair looked each other over, then at the goblins who were circling the golem and came after them. The two clones then formed auto-crossbows and shot down goblins by the dozen as Wizard waited to get a chance to cut down the goblins with her glaive...but never got a chance. Besides, fire was out since it could obviously set the whole palace on fire.

She then summoned an ice elemental to deal with another horde coming from the other corridor, and took some of it's power to aid it's fight by spewing ice spikes out of her hand, and forming an ice wall...and giving the goblins in the way a nasty case of frostbite. The ice elemental was free to do it's thing while Wizard watched the two massacres, and she saw Fighter on the floor below...and almost felt sorry for her victims. Fighter was dancing all over the place and made her goblin opponents look like snails. Just as some were about to charge her...Bam! They were instantly slaughtered by the she-devil they were trapped with, while the rest got to watch their brethern get pulled apart, have their necks and/or limbs snapped, their chests kicked in, their faces punched off, organs removed, or were thrown into the others, across the room into a wall, or slammed into the ground.

Fighter once even grabbed two, slammed their heads into each other, threw one into a group of them, tore the other in half, threw both halves at the goblins who dodged the whole one, then she popped her blades and rapidly stabbed them with her arm blades, swept with her legs to clear a score of goblins in one move, then rapidly kicked a group away one by one without putting down her leg. What Wizard was most blown away by was how different Fighter looked; she recognized the way she moved, but her new purple armor and mask threw her off; Fighter wore her hair down nowadays, which helped her recognize the taijutsu specialist, but- Ranger! He must've even his wife a new suit. Fighter then stood there, removed her mask as she looked over the carnage and a single goblin stood there doing the same as he looked over the woman who showed no interest in the little monster's fear as she side-glanced at it with an icy look on her angelic face.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to tear my armor off and make me pay for tearing your brothers to pieces?" Fighter asked with a voice as cold as her gaze as the goblin tensed up. "I'll bet you can think of all kinds of nasty things to use my body for right? Just like you and the rest of those worthless parasites you call brothers did before. Although I can see why you do it: seeing your foes laying there, some fighting back, some broken and bloody, and hearing them cry as you reduce them to little wet pieces...wouldn't trade it for anything..." The goblin had enough; it yelled, charged her, and it jumped at her when it got close enough...only to have it's spear deflected, torn out of it's grip and pinned to he ground as Fighter jammed it's spear into it's lower back, heard it scream in pain, then weep at it's defeat, then jammed the spear into it's brain, finally putting it out of it's misery. "Stupid rat..." She then kicked it into the stone wall with apathy.

"Holy shit..." Wizard said with a mix of amazement and horror; goblins were as vile as they come, and it was quite satisfying seeing them get the shit kicked out of them, but...the Fighter she knew wasn't this...ruthless.

* * *

Outside, Wizard's brother used Levitation to float up to the roof of a building, as Rhea Fighter grappled up with a hook and they saw yet another giant...this time with stronger armor and a reinforced club, that it used to smash a tower full of archers shootings at it. Wizard's brother then took out a belt full of summon stones.

"Let's hope this works..." He said before he held them out in front of him. "Child of the earth, sun, sky, and seas. One who requires your aid calls you forth to face his enemies." With that, the stones start spinning like a wheel and a portal opens up and gets larger.

"It's working..." Rhea Fighter whispered in awe as a World Spawn shows up, and Wizard's brother laughs and cheers.

"I did it! I made a _World Spawn_!" He yelled before laughing and rapidly throwing punches. "I'm the best! I'm the boss! I'm..." Rhea Fighter smiling at him stopped his celebration. "Right...no celebrating until it's over. World Spawn! See that giant there? Put it down." the World Spawn walked around the houses, prepared to charge, and Wizard's brother drew power from it which he exclaimed at because of how intense it was, then the summoned giant charged at the giant, smashed through the gate and tackled the giant to the ground, then started punching it in the face over and over, only for the giant to slam it's frozen fist into the W.S.' face hard enough to stagger it. The giant then got up, and bashed the W.S. over and over with it's club.

"Oh no..." Rhea fighter said nervously before the W.S. spewed fire out of it's eyes, making the giant thrash around screaming in pain before expelling frost out of it's body to put the flames out, then the W.S. stomped it's foot in under to make an earth spike pop out of the ground and hit the giant in the gut, which damaged it's armor and staggered it, only only made the giant mad, as it bashed the W.S. across the face, broke one of it's legs and beat it's chest in over and over, until the W.S. pounded the ground, making a spike pop out of the ground from underneath the giant, making it roar and fall down as the spike penetrated half way into it's gut. The W.S. then grabbed its club, and smashed it's head in...before falling apart itself.

"Well...at least it did some good." Wizard's brother said somberly.

"Hey, at least we got to watch a giant fight." Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother smiled a bit.

"True, and I still have this power I took from it." He said as he looked over the damaged city. "We have alot of work to do..."

"We? how am I supposed to help you?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"I use earth magic, you work on everything that's not earth. Capiche?" Wizard's brother asked and Rhea Fighter sighed.

"Alright..." She said.

"On top of that, there might be more hell rifts to close, and...you're the only one who can do that." Wizard's brother said.

"Of course." Rhea Fighter said.

"Hey, you want to be Platinum Rank yourself? Then we have to get cracking." Wizard's brother said.

* * *

Storm Mage finally woke up slowly and looked around. He was in a room that looked like the castle he died in, and couldn't feel anything...until he moved and felt the softness of the bed, blankets and pillow of the bed he was laying on, and he was naked for some reason. He then moved the other side of his body...and felt the warmth, smoothness, and softness of a woman's flesh pressing into him. He turned to see the farm girl GS knew laying down next to him, with her soft, and massive breasts pressing into his arm and part of his chest, with an arm and a leg draped over him.

He didn't dare move out of fear of her waking up and finding out she was being lusted over by a man she barely knew. He may have tried to stay still, but his manhood was having none of it; the woman was _impossibly_ attractive, and old habits die hard. It also didn't help that her body was on-par with Sword Maiden's, even though Cow Girl was more muscular and had a more cheerful disposition, she had the same calm look in the face as she slept like a baby; even her breathing was adorable. He used his free hand to rub her thigh, then one of her breasts...strictly out of curiosity, and he was right: her flesh had the same smoothness and thickness that Sword Maiden had. Goblin Slayer was a lucky man indeed.

He yanked his hand off of her right away as she stirred and groaned a bit as she rolled over and stretched a bit a few seconds later and he pretended to be asleep as he kept one eye barely open to get an idea of what happened. She then flexed and shifted around and looked him over...then he put all-hands-on-deck to keep still when she checked his pulse and sighed in relief.

"Good...the Resurrection worked. Hang in there Storm Mage, you'll see the Sword Maiden real soon." Cow Girl said with a voice Storm Mage could listen to for hours and he couldn't help but inhale deeply at the sound. "Did...did you hear me?"

"Yes..." Storm Mage said as he pretended to wake up and look at her. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're voice is like ice cream for the ears?"

"No...they did not..." Cow Girl said.

"Well...it is, and...if I may be so bold, you have a body to match." Storm Mage said as Cow Girl looked herself over. "You have nothing I haven't seen before, and I've been with women with similar figures. Goblin Slayer is probably the luckiest bastard I know, except maybe Ranger."

"You...have a pretty interesting way of looking at relationships..." Cow Girl said.

"Lady...I'm an advocate for both the War and Love gods; if I tell you that you're on the way to becoming a seriously strong adventurer, or you're lucky to be involved with someone attractive, I do have authority." Storm Mage said.

"Point taken, although...I have to get dressed now." Cow Girl said.

"Don't really, I won't ogle you..." Storm Mage said and she stayed put for a while.

"Alright I trust you." Cow Girl said before he turned away, she got out of bed and grabbed her clothes and put them on.

"By the way...I probably know the Sword Maiden better than anyone else." Storm Mage said seriously and Cow Girl stopped dressing.

"I was told she was ensnared by goblins, tell me it's not true." She said.

"I wish I could, but that's all the more reason for me to stay with her." Storm Mage said as Cow Girl looked right at him.

"Does that mean you two...you know...?" Cow Girl asked cautiously.

"Heaven is sweetest when you've tasted Hell first, right? Well...giving her a taste of Heaven after she spent roughly a decade in Hell and seeing her jump for joy a thousand times a minute is worth just about anything." Storm Mage said seriously despite the humor in the statement itself.

"I'll bet..." Cow Girl said as she finished dressing. "You didn't tell me how you felt."

"Other than some minor numbness, I feel fine." Storm Mage said.

"She thought you died...when you stopped moving, she broke down crying like a baby, and honestly...I know what she feels more than I have a right to." Cow Girl said.

"Because of your uncle?" Storm Mage asked and Cow Girl nodded fiercely. "Damn...and I was there with my brother to kill the goblins who did it."

"You were there? Why didn't you help him!?" Cow Girl asked.

"We were too late; by the time we heard about it, the damage was done." Storm Mage said as he looked at the angry girl. "Look...I wish I could bring him back, but at least you have Goblin Slayer, and he has a small army with him."

"I want to join it..." Cow Girl said firmly and Storm Mage starred at her.

"Don't take this the wrong way but...are you nuts?" He asked in awe.

"I want to be at his side. I can't keep staying away while he keeps endangering himself, especially with all the new threats popping up." Cow Girl said with some tears going down her cheeks and Storm Mage sighed.

"Well...I suppose if you were trained well enough, it could work out, but other than being with Goblin Slayer, why-" She cuts him off.

"Look at what's happening to the country! If I can help stop it, I want a chance." Cow Girl said.

"Fine, but I'm in no condition to even think about it; Goblin Slayer or especially Ranger and his team, could be more qualified than me." Storm Mage said honestly.

"Alright..." Cow Girl whispered before hearing ruckus outside and her heart sank. "Goblins..." The snarls and scratching outside turned into screams and slashing sounds.

"Goblin _Slayer_..." Storm Mage said before there was a knock, and Cow Girl crept up to the door as GS showed up.

"They're gone." He said simply as Cow Girl smiled brightly.

"Thank you..." She whispered.

* * *

Ranger was slashing, kicking, and shoving the goblins around as he weaved in and out of the crowd like GS would for a good minute. True to his threat, he killed a good chunk of them in one hit...but left a few alive to terrify the rest, and it worked. Some goblins wanted nothing to do with him, but some were enraged and charged him, only to be literally stabbed to pieces by Ranger moving so fast his arms were a blur of motion, and their essence was fed to his armor.

He used his swords in just about every way they could be used, from using them both with a normal grip and using them one after the other to attack at one angle with one sword, and another angle with the other to keep his foes guessing, to using one sword being used in a reverse grip and uppercutting a goblin vertically in half then backstabbing another to the side, to using both swords in a reverse grip and slashing them all in very close quarters.

He then flipped and rolled out of the crowd, morphed his guns and shot down half of them, before he was out of ammo, and bashed and kicked the ones who were left. He even pistol-whipped one of them twice, then blew it's brains out at point-blank range, before shooting down several more in different directions. One leaped at him and he just spun out of the way and shot it dead.

"Whoa! Close one..." Ranger taunted before getting back to the shooting after his pistols reloaded themselves. The rift stabilized and more goblins poured out. Sword Maiden watched the whole thing from behind the throne and noticed that Ranger's attitude towards them went from a blazing hatred that she sensed a few days ago, to a more refined, detached, and even logical coldness towards them. Every pull of the trigger or swing of his sword was driven by a desire to cause fear and pain, rather than destroy as brutally as possible like Goblin Slayer. To the goblins, Ranger wasn't just a monster...he was a _devil_.

"Careful jackass, you might cut yourself." His playful taunt to a goblin that swung a longsword at him snapped Sword Maiden out of her thoughts, before he blocked the longsword with his gauntlet, grabbed it, picked the goblin up by the face, took it's longsword and started squeezing it's face as it's pained scream was muffled by the hand smothering it. "So...anyone feeling brave? Want to save your friend and brother from certain doom?" A few seconds passed and the goblins looked at each other, steeled themselves and several lunged at him only to be cut down. Unfortunately for them, the longsword was pretty dull, so the force of the swing was what killed or maimed them.

The few that were left watched the futile effort, then watched the devil before them impale the goblin he held in the gut without even looking at it, then throwing the dying goblin at the others like it was trash, held out his arms as if to challenge the rest. "Anyone _else_ feeling brave?" The goblins at his sides then backed up until their backs hit the wall, then Ranger morphed his guns and shot them all dead one by one, sometimes crossing his arms in doing so. He then slowly aimed his guns at the goblins in front of him, and they screamed in terror before rushing to the rift only to get shot down.

"Why...? Why were you toying with them?" Sword Maiden asked harshly.

"Don't tell me you feel sorry for them." Ranger said in disbelief.

"No...not at all, but...the way you handled them; just the idea that a pure and honorable man like yourself would be so... sadistic. It chills my bones." Sword Maiden said.

"I follow the War God; sadism towards the wicked is nothing more than poetry. Goblin Slayer himself said that goblin-killing can be fun." Ranger said.

"I feel your humanity returning...and quickly." Sword Maiden said in disbelief.

"I am well-aware of the darkness in my heart, but I've dealt with it more than often enough to know that giving into it completely is a bad idea." Ranger said, and Sword Maiden smiled.

"You truly are Platinum Ranked, in more than just title. It's a shame Goblin Slayer hasn't learned more from you, or has he?" Sword Maiden asked.

"I do not know, but I learned a great deal from him." Ranger said as he kept an eye on the rift.

"Like the Abbot told you, you all may become even greater than the Hero...and you yourself have certainly done so. You not only became stronger and have more diverse power, but a larger team of people, each of whom could probably outclass her themselves. But what impresses the most...is your devotion; you've put your teammates lives and even their training before your own, and ironically, secured your own power in the process." Sword Maiden said with reverence.

"I have heard that you were born of the people rather be prophesied as a savior, it seems we are alike in a few ways. I doubt too many people knew my legend before it came true." Ranger said.

"You speak of the stained glass window at the monastery. No...that piece of evidence is too flimsy; if that's all there is to your legend, then like me...you made your own legend." Sword Maiden said before they shared another smile, then the rift acted up. "I sense something stronger coming. Much stronger..." Ranger then morphed his heavy armor and a greatsword, then a goblin champion showed up...and he recognized it as the one who reflected Wizard's fireball back at him, and he had a flashback to when he caught fire and cringed a bit. He got a grip just in time to see it's minions come through the rift behind him.

* * *

What came next was the clash and clanging of the champion's club, and Ranger's greatsword as they banged against each other over and over. For the better part of a minute, the memories of their first fight flooded back to Ranger's mind: him, Fighter, Warrior, H.E. Archer, even Dwarf Shaman all launched one storm of projectiles after another into the mass of goblins, then Goblin Slayer charged into the mob...only to get bashed by the champion's club, and Wizard launched a fireball at it...only for it to be reflected back at him, and Ranger...fueled by an overwhelming desire to spare her from being killed by her own spell, shoved her aside, only to be torched himself. He refused to succumb to the mind-shattering pain, even when the champion tried to make a meal out of him. Then Goblin Slayer saved him, and next thing he knew...Fighter was with him. She was there for him when he was in unbearable pain, like she always is.

Now, here they were again...Ranger fighting back, by himself, with the Sword Maiden behind him. She saved his life, now he's saving hers. The force of the blows between the two titans exchanging blows was so intense that goblins didn't dare get close, so they snarled and raised their weapons to encourage their master to avenge their fallen. Despite the pressure of battle, the trauma he suffered at this monster's hand, how much of a threat it posed to the kingdom, how much Sword Maiden...and Fighter, saved him from the pain of Wizard's fire, how much he wanted to silence the goblins' chatter...Ranger thought of nothing except swinging his blade, and how he'll defend himself and damage the champion's club, which he saw was giving way. His arms were aching, his heart was racing, he was sweating harshly, and his lungs were burning, but it could be dealt with later, so his body's concerns might nothing to him.

With one final swing, filled with all his strength, his drive to destroy the threat to his home, and the Sword Maiden praying for him, he brought down his greatsword yelling at the top of his lungs...and shattered the champion's club, much to the surprise of every goblin in the room. The champion eyed his destroyed weapon, and Ranger caught his breath as the goblins looked on in disbelief. Ranger then stood up again.

"What I just did to that club...is the same thing that's going to happen, to all of you!" Ranger yelled as chains with spikes on the ends spewed out of his entire suit, impaled each goblin as the survivors screamed and looked on in horror as their brothers were drained of their blood and their bodies were slammed into them. The champions roared and tried to punch Ranger only for him to turn his greatsword into a gauntlet and deflect the champion's punch, with his own, and the champion roared in pain as a sickening crack was heard at the clash of fists. Ranger then re-morphed his greatsword, harpooned up to the champion, stabbed it in the back, climbed up to it's shoulders.

It then used it's good hand to try and grab Ranger, only to get it's fingers sliced off by a shortsword which added to it's pain and fear, then Ranger stabbed it in the top of the head, then grabbed the greatsword, and rode down it's back, craving it open in the process, before yanking it out, hold it in the air as a display of power, and plunging it into the ground to make a point to the survivors.

"Ranger! Help me!" Sword Maiden screamed as some goblins jumped on her from a portal behind her, and he shot down the ones dragging her into it, then, she frantically crawled away from it, then a shaman came out, used a paralyze curse on her, then Ranger harpooned it in the gut.

"Get over here!" Ranger yelled as he yanked the shaman towards it, wrapped the chain around it's neck and hung it from the chain like a noose as it gagged and struggled to get free...but it's efforts were in vain as Ranger tightened the chain with his grip then released it as it was about to pass out then gave it a moment to compose itself...before he wrapped his whole gauntlet around it and squeezed it to death with one crack or pop sound after another. Sword Maiden's curse wore off the moment it died and she thrashed around in fear before seeing that she and Ranger were the only ones left. "It's done."

"I...I sense no other goblins in this castle. The battle is won..." Sword Maiden said with relief as Ranger laid down on the staircase and de-morphed his heavy armor, then Sword Maiden removed his helmet and laid his head down on her lap. "Are you injured?"

"Not badly..." Ranger whispered as he caught his breath, then Sword Maiden caressed his face. "I remember the pain of being burned alive. Compared to that...this is nothing."

"You know that champion don't you?" She asked.

"It's the one that set me on fire, with _Wizard's_ spell." Ranger said tensely.

"Shhh...you got your revenge." Sword Maiden said softly.

"This wasn't for revenge, well...it was alittle bit, but the threat it posed is a greater concern to me. As for my body? I remembered the pain of the blaze you saved me from; I have half a mind to kiss you over it." Ranger said seriously.

"If you weren't married to a great...not good, but great woman, and I did not have such a great protector, I would kiss you right now." Sword Maiden said seriously and Ranger smiled.

"How does a dire threat turn into a laughing moment?" Ranger asked.

"I do not know..." Sword Maiden said.

"What do we do about those rifts?" Ranger asked then Cherub poofed in, blasted each one with a burst of holy energy and they closed.

"There you go, two sealed rifts." He said dryly.

"You couldn't have done that before?" Ranger asked.

"And miss all that fun? I don't think so...and don't get on me about "it's not fun if lives are on the line". Don't even start that; I knew you could handle it, and I know you kept me in mind, even though you kept your thick trap shut." Cherub said and Sword Maiden giggled at his antics. "Ah, the fair maiden goes from scared out of her skull, to giggling like a little kid. Classic yet justified coping mechanism. Anyway, Storm Mage is up and about, and he's eyeballing that lovely farm girl, o.k? O.k. smell you later." He then poofed away.

"Sheesh, he's a chatterbox- Wait, Storm Mage!" Ranger exclaimed before getting up...forgetting that he was exhausted and fell backward with Sword Maiden breaking his fall.

"I will go see Storm Mage, you stay here. I will call your team back to you in a while, alright?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Alright...give him my regards..." Ranger said as she laid him down gently as she walked off to see to Storm Mage.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wizard and Warrior were dancing around each other hacking down goblins from both side. They even set one or more up so the other could knock them down by blocking an attack, then opening their guard so the other could land a hit. The two elementals were still smashing, freezing, and piercing goblins by the dozen. Wizard put her glaive's range to use, chopping and stabbing goblins before they could even pounce at her, and didn't even have to wind up a swing, not that there was enough space to do so. It was also pretty funny that she just flicked her glaive from one side to the other, or even turn the blade in another direction, and slice in that direction to ruin a goblin's day.

Warrior was having the same luck with his sword and shield. He bashed one with the edge of his shield after stabbing another, then sent several falling towards Fighter so she could finish them off, if the fall didn't already. He also used the same trick with his sword as Wizard did with her glaive; even though his sword was shorter, it didn't matter; it did no less damage. He even raised the shield up to stop a pouncing goblin, slammed it into the ground, while intentionally leaving himself open...then tapped his hammer with the pommel to zap every goblin that got too close.

"Are you two having fun up there?" Fighter asked before some goblins jumped down to have at her, then she popped her arm and leg blades, then shredded them the moment they got close, or more likely...she got close to them.

"Just hush up and kill these assholes!" Wizard yelled as she kept swiping goblins with her glaive while Fighter was busy tearing open a goblin's back, and ripping out it's spine, then bashing another goblin with it. The entire massacre dragged on for about ten minutes before the rifts closed up. "What the hell..."

"There we go..." Priestess said as she came out with her staff glowing, and GS' team behind her.

"What did you do?" Warrior asked.

"I was going around the castle sealing every hell rift I came across, then I bumped into them." Priestess said as Fighter jumped up to the upper floor.

"We might as well have since I was going into the thick of it, and she's the only one of us who can use holy arts." Fighter said as she held Priestess close.

"That makes sense; it probably funneled them into this spot as well, somehow. Also...love the new suit." Wizard said and Fighter smiled.

"A gift from my loving husband." She said with pride.

"Wait, where's Orcbolg?" H.E. Archer asked.

"My guess, watching over that farm girl he's into." Warrior said.

* * *

Sword Maiden came to Storm Mage's room, and Cow girl and GS stepped back to let her through...and she saw Storm Mage sleeping.

"Storm Mage? Can you hear me?" Sword Maiden asked softly and he stirred when he heard her.

"Yes...my lady..." Storm Mage said before looking up at her, then she took his hand, which he tightened.

"We've won...again." Sword Maiden said, barely keeping herself together.

"I knew we wo-" She cuts him off.

"You gave us the window we needed for our help to arrive, and weakened their foes." Sword Maiden said.

"Your Gr-" She cuts him off again.

"Ranger used the power you introduced him to in a fight to protect me; even when you're not there...you're there." She said.

"Of cour-" She cuts him off yet again.

"He even stopped me from getting sent to Hell...he also told me to send his regards." She said while shaking.

"I wouldn't be surprise if he used my sword-whips in the fu-" She cuts him off yet again.

"You're the reason he's Platinum Ranked...you should be proud...!" She said.

"I am, now may-" She cuts him off yet again before he slams his hand over her mouth. "Enough! I thought I was dead myself, but you saved me, I knew you could, but I wasn't certain you could literally revive a dead person." He then removed his hand from her mouth when he got a grip. "Sorry..."

"No...I'm the one who needs forgiveness...I'm doing everything I can to not think about this miracle not working; I don't dare think of a time where I'm in danger of being...ensnared again, and you're not there to save me...!" Sword Maiden said.

"Come here..." Storm Mage whispered as he opened his arms, she laid down on top of him, and he embraced her as tightly as he could.

"Sing to me..." Sword Maiden whispered before he sang their song and she actually joined in at the main verses.

* * *

Ranger was about to go to sleep himself when he heard rapid footsteps and when he saw who it was...his eyes focused on the black hair, purple armor, and lively face.

"My love and life..." Ranger whispered as Fighter touched his face after removing her gauntlet, and he de-morphed his own and held her hand on his face.

"Her Grace told us what you did...how far you've come is absolutely staggering." Fighter said with reverence.

"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have come half as far as I did." Ranger said with a smile.

"If it wasn't for you...we would probably be dead." Priestess said firmly which got Ranger's attention.

"Possibly..." Ranger said.

"We really are a family aren't we?" Wizard said as he and Warrior came forward.

"Apparently." He said.

"Oh, I collected some essence after the fight for you." Wizard said.

"Keep it; I've had my fill." Ranger said.

"Alright...you're the boss." Wizard said and Priestess sighed.

"Ranger...you were my first teammate, remember?" Priestess asked.

"Oh...that...before everyone else got their hooks into us." Ranger said quipped.

"Hey, if we hadn't done that, where would we be?" Warrior asked.

"Who knows...?" Ranger said.

"And who cares? We're all Gold Ranks, the father of my daughter is the 11th Platinum Rank, and we're not far behind either." Fighter said.

"There's still the kidnapped people to save though..." Priestess said somberly.

"I'm in no condition to fight the forces of Hell itself, on top of all this." Ranger said.

"And I'm almost out of potions and spells." Wizard said.

"And I'm almost out of miracles." Priestess said.

"Great...so those people are completely fucked?" Warrior asked then Cherub poofed in.

"Let the Hero and her party save the people; all of you saved the city, let them do the rest. Besides, the goblins didn't even kidnap a tenth of the population here, and...they'll have me with them, like I was with you." He said.

"Thank you so much." Priestess said with a small bow.

"Girl, please, you're going to make me blush. I'm a handmaid of the Supreme God; this is what I do." Cherub said before poofing away.

"Well...that's one way to get a problem solved." Wizard said dryly.

"He has a good point; we just saved a kingdom's capital, we deserve some rest." Fighter said as the High King and Court Mage showed up.

"You deserve everything this kingdom has to offer, and more. I saw your last two companions summon...a World Spawn I think it was-" Wizard cuts High King off.

"Excuse me Your Majesty...but I think I heard you wrong..." She said.

"I said a World Spawn was summoned, and it was used to defeat a giant chief." High King said.

"My brother summoned a World Spawn? That's the reason Summoner became Gold Ranked!" Wizard exclaimed.

"Well, then I will have to think over what he's earned." High King said.

"Our rhea friend also took down a giant herself, and I saw her seal some hell rifts with that blessed sword of hers." Fighter said.

"All the better. They have both earned themselves at least a Ruby Rank, and I do mean at least." High King said as Sword Maiden came back with Storm Mage leaning on her, and GS' team behind her. "What happened?"

"I will explain everything later Your Majesty, but I must discuss something with these adventurers." Sword Maiden said.

"Very well then. Good night to you all..." High King said as he and court mage left.

"Are you alright?" Wizard asked.

"Thanks to you and Her Grace, yes." Storm Mage said as he sat down with Sword Maiden.

"So, how will we retrieve those kidnapped people?" H.E. Archer asked.

"We're not; Cherub stopped by a while ago, and he's going to help the Hero's team save the people." Ranger said.

"And we...are getting some sleep; I really want to see my baby first though..." Fighter said.

"Open a portal to your homes; like I said to His Majesty, I will explain everything he wants to know, and look after my protector in the process." Sword Maiden said.

"That is most generous of you Lady Archbishop, but where will we reside?" Lizard Priest said.

"My brother's fortress is a worthy base of operations, even for goblin hunters, it's also a good training ground." Storm Mage said.

"Wait, what?" Fighter asked.

"She wants to join us..." H.E. Archer said dryly.

"What?" Ranger, Warrior, Wizard and Fighter all said at once...which they were used to.

"I have nowhere to go, and I'm tired of being left out of this...war." Cow Girl said seriously.

"You do know goblin fighting isn't child's play; you're going to see things that will test your sanity." Ranger warned.

"I know exactly how bad they can be, and I'm not afraid." Cow Girl said while shaking.

"In that case...if I can, I'll give you whatever training I can give as well, if you want." Ranger said.

"Yes please..." Cow Girl said.

"The rest of us as well." Wizard said and Priestess, Warrior, and Fighter all nodded.

"With a whole team training you, you might become a female Beard-Cutter." Dwarf Shaman said.

"She's a woman; she doesn't have a beard." H.E. Archer said dryly.

"I think he means that she'll be a female version of Goblin Slayer as a person, although...hopefully not a perfect copy." Warrior said.

"No, I'm still going to be the same as I was...hopefully." Cow Girl said and Ranger stood up slowly which amazed the team; after what he just went through, he shouldn't be able to move, let along get up.

"If I know you as well as you should know yourself...that pure and innocent girl that lives in you, is unkillable." Ranger said firmly and watched her suck in a breath.

"I hope you're right..." Cow Girl said

"I know I'm right, and Goblin Slayer needs that girl as much as ever." Ranger said as they all looked at him.

"What?" GS asked simply.

"It's not a secret you care about her." Wizard said.

"Right." GS said.

"Which means you keep yourself from going off the deep end because of her." Fighter said.

"Right. GS said.

"Some would see that as the power of love." Warrior said.

"Right." GS said and H.E. Archer growled.

"Will you say something other than "right" please?" She snapped.

"Like what?" GS asked.

"Sir Goblin Slayer, are you even interested in having her as a mate?" Lizard Priest asked.

"I guess." GS said as simply as ever.

"Will you at least give her a chance Goblin Slayer? She clearly wants to be with you." Priestess said.

"Alright." GS said and Cow Girl finally walked forward and hugged him.

"Wow...throw in a few more elements and we might as well call this a wedding..." Warrior said.

"Speaking of which..." Wizard said, which made Sword Maiden giggle.

"We'll deal with that later." She said.

"For now..." Ranger said as he opened a portal to Summoner's fortress and GS' team, and Priestess went through, then he changed it to lead to his and Fighter's manor; Warrior and Wizard still had a gateway scroll to go home with, and Sword Maiden was staying here for now.

"Good night you two." Warrior said as the rest waved at him and Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother came back.

"What did we miss?" The former asked and Wizard facepalmed.

* * *

"Home sweet home..." Ranger said as he practically tore off his armor and laid down as Fighter removed her armor, and pants, only to hear her baby crying, then went to see her.

"Hey my child, your mother is back..." She said softly as she picked up her daughter, who recognized her mother's voice and stopped crying. Fighter then unhooked her bra and breastfed her daughter until she was content. "How about we go see your father?" She then re-hooked her bra and went to their room where Ranger was already asleep. "Ranger...Ranger...look." Ranger woke up and his breath became shaky as he saw the baby and reached out to her.

"My girl...my _beautiful_ little girl..." Ranger whispered as the baby grabbed his finger as his eyes watered. "It feels like I haven't seen her in years..." Fighter just stood there and watched her husband play with their daughter with a smile on his face and tears rolling down his face. "Fighter...this is absolutely worth fighting a legion of goblins. To see our child again."

"One legion, or every legion, it won't keep us apart forever." Fighter said as the baby had enough and went back to sleep eventually, then she put their daughter back in her crib as Bard was there waiting for her.

"Welcome back." He said dryly.

"I can't predict when we come back." Fighter whispered not wanting to wake her baby.

"Was it serious?" Bard whispered.

"We saved a kingdom's capitol from a Hell invasion so...yes." Fighter whispered.

"Oh...well, good night then." Bard said with the seriousness setting in as he left, and Fighter put her daughter back in her crib and went back to bed.

"She's alright now..." Fighter said as she removed her underwear, and Ranger struggled to remove his own as he got under the covers with her, as she snuggled into his side.

"I'm going to be so sore in the morning..." Ranger said as Fighter giggled.

"I'll be sure to massage you as thoroughly as possible. Do you miss the times when things weren't so dire? Those times we could just put everything aside and just live?" She asked softly yet seriously.

"Of course I do, but moments like that invasion we fought off make those moments we live possible, and each one makes the next one easier." Ranger said.

"You're the only one I know who could pull off the stunts you did." Fighter said with humor and reverence in her voice.

"Don't sell yourself and the others too short." Ranger said before he stroked her hair. "To be honest, I rarely think of the time we met, especially the fact that Priestess was my first teammate; I cannot imagine what she'd say to that..."

"I'm sure she'd forgive you; you have alot to think about afterall." Fighter said with her voice soft and breathy.

"I will certainly never forget the day we all met, especially how beautiful I thought you were, and still are." Ranger said as Fighter sat up, touched his face and gave him the softest look she could muster.

"You were also quite handsome then, and had strength and heart to match as well. Talk about a complete package." She said.

"And that strength is now _miles_ ahead of where it was, in all our cases...and the people know it too, which is why they probably expect nothing less than greatness from us, especially since we're now Gold Ranked." Ranger said seriously.

"And a certain man I married is the 11th Platinum Rank." Fighter said.

"I'm the 11th Platinum Rank because of you. Look...even without the pond incident, which I will never stop thanking you for, no matter how much I beat it into your mind...you were there at most, if not all of my worst times...and you pulled me through all of them. The pond, the time I was stabbed near my heart, the fire...all of it. I flatout said I wanted you in my life right to the Sword Maiden's face, and if I could have one wish granted with no restrictions, it would be to have you with me for decades longer." Ranger said and saw Fighter's eyes water.

"Ranger..." She whispered as Ranger hugged her close.

"I failed to mention something...you asked if I love you more than I hate the man who cursed you...the two are connected. My love for you is why I'm so angry; if you were the one that was set on fire instead of me...I would've been burning with rage, same as you did. Yes, I knew you were enraged at the time; I heard your yelling, and I know how much you love me in return. I still want to tear the man who cursed you apart, or at least I hope to see him get torn apart, but...there are in fact others things that don't deserve to be swept under the rug as a result of my wrath blinding me, which will not happen again. I promised you the man you married would not fade away didn't I?" Ranger asked.

"Yes...you did..." Fighter whispered.

"I even remember our promise when I'm engrossed in battle, and like I said to the other War God followers, it's one thing to know how to get the job done, it's another to devote your very reason for living to certain action or mindset and cling onto it with everything you have, and everything you are, and then move on to something else that's important. Heaven forbid you fight a whole team who mastered that art." Ranger said.

"Like ours?" Fighter asked.

"Exactly like ours." Ranger said before kissing her sweetly. "Now...Goblin Slayer himself hinted that enjoying goblin killing is inevitable, and...well, I do enjoy it, to the point where seeing them scared of me makes me feel powerful, but if someone wants me to just leave it at that and completely disregard the rest of what life has to offer, they can fuck right off."

"Ranger...you said the man I married wouldn't change, but you did...you're an even better man than I thought you were before." Fighter said as she kissed him passionately for about ten seconds. "And guess what? Everyone might expect greatness from you, but I always did, and you never once disappointed me, nor do I think you could."

"Thank you. I'm sorry for bringing up such a heavy topic, but...I feel you had to know what was happening with me...in detail. Like I told Her Grace...I know I have a great deal of darkness in me, but I'm keenly aware of how much of a horrible idea it is to let that darkness control me, rather than the other way around. Even with nothing or no one to protect, I want to be remembered for what I did to help save the world, not destroy it." Ranger said.

"My love and life...I could listen to you talk about things like this for hours." Fighter said as she kept staring at him, even when he yawned.

"I would, but-" Fighter shut him up with a brief but passionate kiss.

"Good night..." She whispered against his lips before he kissed her back.

"Good night..." He whispered himself before she kissed him again and they lashed tongues for a while, moaning a bit in the process and disconnected before finally going to sleep.

* * *

**Hoo boy, what a rough day for the team wasn't it? Also lol to GS continuing to say "Right" to the team as they talked about him and Cow Girl. Speaking of whom...bravo to her for helping revive Storm Mage and getting the stones to help the team...somehow. Also...I'll bet you didn't expect to see Ranger fight the same champion that set him on fire in the 1st act, and Wizard's bro summoning a fucking World Spawn did you? And...Ranger pulled one of two Mortal Kombat references out of his ass, what with the "Get over here" moment, and with the 2nd one being Fighter ripping out a spine like Sub-Zero.**

**Ironic since Scorpion and Sub-Zero are archrivals, and Ranger and Fighter are freaking married. FYI, I was going to have another trip to Hell in order after this part, but...let Hero have her fun. Now...to all of you not reviewing, am I correct in assuming that you're just letting Engineer say his piece and leaving it at that? I'm not offended if you are, I'm just wondering. Plus...Ranger taking pages out of Scarecrow's book by having his foes shit their pants before he busts a cap in their asses, then again he's fighting goblins...who gives a damn? Anyway, please keeping showing the love Ranger and Fighter are being giving a Rate, Review, and share, and stay tuned.**


	24. Chapter 13 Part I

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. With that legion of goblins defeated, and the team having a new member apparently, there's quite a bit to do in the lives of the team. Let's see what I can cook up in regards to the farm girl's progress...**

**Review Response: Yeah, Sword Maiden helping Ranger is a real big "fuck you" to her fears isn't it?**

**For those of you that don't recall/know, Summoner taught Wizard how to summon a World Spawn, but her brother apparently beat her to the punch, and since World Spawns are the biggest, baddest, most powerful summons in existence...it's a pretty big deal to summon one. As for Rhea Fighter? Well...see for yourself.**

**Cow Girl's case is one where people will have to wish me luck in doing her justice. Training her is not a problem since...look who she's working with, but setting her up properly is properly going to be a pain in her watermelon-sized ass. Yes I had to put it like that... GS saying "right" over and over was just a shoo-in.**

**Hero will see her mission as a way to not fall behind Ranger? What are they a pair of siblings playing "I did more than you"?**

**Ranger and Fighter talking before bed was something I had to do; they didn't have a sweet moment in way too long.  
**

* * *

"Dammit! I was sure that those giants would be able to make a difference." Warlock said as he watched in Limbo.

"Remember why our lord tried to keep us away from this place? This is why. Luckily he's been..busy as of late." Rhea Scout said next to Warlock.

"How so?" Warlock demanded.

"He didn't say, but I'm sure he has a plan; he sure showed that dark elf a thing or two..." Rhea Scout said and Warlock chuckled.

"Indeed...the look on his face will long be treasured." He said before Cambion himself showed up and Rhea Scout knelt before him.

"It is lucky for you that this gives us new insight into what they can do." Cambion said.

"And where were you while I was setting up a potential victory?" Warlock snapped.

"I happened to have been going over the damages done to both sides...but our losses are a gateway to a great victory." Cambion said without fear.

"Yes...for them!" Warlock exclaimed.

"Them? Hardly; they were progressing as well as I'd hoped, soon what they have sowed...we will reap." Cambion said.

"What should we do next my liege?" Rhea Scout asked.

"First, the Temple of Law is no longer a target...I will handle it myself." Cambion said which alarmed both his companions.

* * *

Ranger woke up at dawn, and as he predicted, his muscles, and even bones ached from the intense, and elongated fight with the goblins the day prior. Priestess' Restoration miracle was able to heal the damage done with the fight with the goblin high priest, but the rest took a greater toll than it had a right to take. Then again, most people don't clash weapons with a goblin champion empowered by Hell itself for over a minute straight.

He then felt his beloved Fighter shift and let off a dreamy sigh. He could help but smile at her; she must either be having a sweet dream, or must want to be as close to him as possible, even when unconscious. Either way...the happiness on her face was infectious; she was pretty on a bad day, but when she was laying down on top of him, pressing her lovely breasts into his pecs, with her night-black hair flowing down her back with a look of purified joy on her face...Ranger knew he'd fight the Demon Lord, and his armies, by himself if it meant keeping her looking like this. Despite the soreness in his arm, he stroked her hair and felt it's usual silkiness, then went back to sleep.

About an hour later...Fighter woke up and looked at her sleeping husband, then out the window and stroked his face...which he had yet to shave for a couple of days, but it made sense given what was happening, but she brushed her lips against his cheek regardless, watched him stir, then took it up a notch by sucking on his neck and he started groaning and breathing hard.

"Wake you up yet?" Fighter teased and Ranger chuckled as she came up and kissed his face in multiple places.

"Good morning beautiful..." He whispered before Fighter pressed her lips against his.

"The way you looked at our daughter last night..." Fighter trailed off and Ranger sighed.

"That baby you held is the fruit of our love in more ways than one. I'm almost anxious to have her grow up sooner so we can train her." Ranger said with both softness, and determination in his voice.

"So she can clobber, cut apart, or just plain shoot down goblins and demons herself?" Fighter asked with pride.

"Like her dad did on his first mission..." Ranger said recalling their first goblin fight.

"You killed half of them yourself, and we got the 2nd half...that's one hell of a sign for the rest of our careers." Fighter said.

"Hey, the rest of you did things I could never do, especially Wizard and Priestess." Ranger said seriously.

"And me and Warrior?" Fighter asked.

"My dear Fighter...your place with me speaks louder than everyone in this country put together could...as for Warrior? Well...he probably chewed Her Grace's ear off about he became my protegee..." Ranger said.

"He's not wrong; Wizard herself said that's part of why she loves him." Fighter said and Ranger raised an eyebrow. "Ever heard of "girl talk"?"

"Riiiight..." Ranger said and Fighter pouted at him.

"If you weren't so sore I'd pat your chest right now." She said seriously and Ranger glanced at her. "I'm not that much of a sadist..."

"As a wise man said: I like females with fire." Ranger teased and Fighter raised her hand like she was going to hit him...then ran her hand through his hair...then she licked her lips and moaned provocatively before he slammed his lips against hers over and over with audible sucking sounds between each kiss. She knew licking her lips was a _huge_ turn-on for him...but that's why she did it.

"And I like men that know what they want..." Fighter whispered against his lips as they kept kissing and lashing tongues...even outside of each other's mouths before they pulled back to catch their breath.

"What I wanted from the beginning...other than you, was for us to get to where we are now." Ranger said as he came down to Earth.

"And we did, as a team: you leading us, Priestess healing, Wizard empowering us, me and Warrior putting it all to use...and even others pitching in, like your mother and Abbot." Fighter said.

"Bless their hearts; my mother was probably bouncing off the walls with how much Wizard put her craft to use..." Ranger said.

"And Abbot's book enabled her to enchant our gear, and we all know how much of a mess that made for the goblins...honestly, what would we do without her?" Fighter said before chuckling and snuggling into him again.

"Not much...even though she didn't do much on our first quest, aside from incinerate some archers, but let's face it...where would we be, if we all worked by ourselves? Not very far..." Ranger said honestly and Fighter hummed in acknowledgement.

"That goes for your parents as well, and not just just they brought you into this world..." Fighter said as she looked into his eyes, then kissed him sweetly. "You could use a bath..."

"Join the club..." Ranger said and Fighter raised an eyebrow.

"One more crack like that, and I _will_ hit you." Fighter said half-jokingly.

"Shutting up..." Ranger said with a smirk which made Fighter kiss him quickly several times in a row.

"I believe I owe someone a massage..." She said as she ran her finger over his face.

"That someone could sure use it..." Ranger said before Fighter smirked and she sat up and noted how she just exposed her bosoms, and watched him reach up to squeeze her right one in different ways.

"Couldn't resist could you?" Fighter teased.

"I'm never too sore to give you my own treatment." Ranger teased back and Fighter actually stopped him.

"I'm supposed to be treating _you_, remember?" She asked with amusement.

"Then hop to it..." Ranger said with the same tone, as she uncovered them, and carefully stroked his arms, then squeezed gently to get him used to being touched, and when he eventually relaxed...she kneaded his muscles over his body, from his chest, to his arms, to his abs, to his thighs, calves, and feet. Noting the lines between each fiber, how dense and bulky they were, and Ranger sighed the whole time then chuckled when she analyzed his body.

"I don't recall you being this...developed back in the day..." Fighter said in awe.

"You're one to talk; you've bulked up quite a bit yourself. Does your original outfit even fit you anymore?" Ranger asked.

"Of course it does, as does the outfit I got on Wizard's birthday, which...I haven't worn in ages actually." Fighter said.

"Oh wow..." Ranger said with a huff.

"What?" Fighter asked.

"Love...those dark grey pants you got? They are _way_ too good for your ass." Ranger teased.

"Very funny; we both know you can't get enough of my ass." Fighter teased back.

"We also know that's why you picked it out: to show off at least a little bit, and then some." Ranger said.

"Also because it's easier to take off, much to your enjoyment right?" Fighter asked before stroking his manhood a bit and he breathed deeper in response.

"Baby you have no idea..." Ranger whispered with a deeper register to his voice that made Fighter's own heart and lungs work harder.

"Like I said when those two guys hit on me: I only want _your_ attention, which includes your eyes...and hands on me." She said while she got out of bed and turned around...and saw him stare at her ass. "What? Not going to call me a succubus?"

"Fighter...I killed a succubus that tried getting between us; I am _never_ calling you that again." Ranger said seriously.

"Oh...nevermind then." Fighter said thoughtfully before moving to sit back down...but stopped once Ranger lightly spanked her. "Sneaky one aren't we?"

"If you think you can show me that heavenly buttocks to me and walk away without me taking advantage of it, then you married the wrong man." Ranger teased before Fighter backed up to where she was and half-smirked at him.

"Well...good thing I _didn't_ marry the wrong man then..." Fighter said with lust in her voice as Ranger gripped and kneaded her round and firm butt cheeks while Fighter let off one horny chuckle after another.

"I remember when your ass wasn't this shapely...or fleshy. It was still shapely and fleshy, just...less so." Ranger said as he kept working her legs as well.

"Like you said...I've bulked up quite a bit." Fighter said before moaning as Ranger even stroked her womanhood.

"In all the right places too..." Ranger groaned out as he watched her tense up from the pleasure he was causing her, and she eventually moaned a bit more as his fingers slid across her swollen, and moist entrance.

"Just...keep that up...!" Fighter gasped as he kept it up as she asked him to, and her knees buckled as she threw her head back and let out a moan that signaled an orgasm and she collapsed on all fours and _really_ showed him her ass.

"I guess we're even now, since you stroked me first." Ranger teased.

"We...aren't even close...to even...and yes I know how that sounded, but you flooded my brain with this feeling..." Fighter said as she got up and leaned on the bed.g

"Guilty as charged..." Ranger teased again. "Now, will you kindly get me that towel over there so I can clean my hand?"

"You're lucky I love you so much..." Fighter snapped as she walked away.

"Truest thing you've ever said." Ranger said honestly as his wife wet the towel with a bucket of water, then cleaned his hand herself.

"Flip over..." She said as Ranger did just that...and she started kneading his ass.

"Looking to pay me back?" Ranger asked.

"Hardly...I have a massage to continue...but now that you mention it, I'm touching you _alot_ more than you're touching me." Fighter said as she went down his legs, then back up his sides, and massaged his back and shoulders.

"Well...this massage of yours is working like a charm." Ranger said honestly before Fighter stopped working him.

"Ranger...I have some soreness myself, and you actually got rid of some of it by...handling me." Fighter said.

"Sex is one hell of a painkiller isn't it? Even though..." Ranger trailed off.

"If I had anymore potion, I would've downed a shot of it by now...But I do remember how you get in bed. How can I not?" Fighter said before laying down on his back.

"Do you remember when I first touched you? I saw you change outfits...I came inside, you told me to surprise you...and I did?" Ranger asked.

"And I _loved_ it..." Fighter breathed out as she tensed up then flipped him over, and kissed him deeply and he wrapped his arms around her. Their kiss started out with hunger, which quickly turned into passion; she kissed him like he was a bottle of wine to indulge in, but that wine quickly turned into milk and honey. They were always there for each other to cure each other's hurt, fight by each other, and save people together. Their moments in bed were their love made tangible, and she wanted nothing to do with the world outside of their room. She eventually broke the kiss...and he saw the tears going down her face.

"What's wrong?" Ranger asked with concern as he stroked her ample cheeks.

"_Nothing_..." Fighter whispered. The context was clear: nothing was wrong, and she was in perfect harmony with the space she was in. This was confirmed when her eyes turned cyan out of reflex and she tensed up; her senses are sharper when her chakras open, and she was already a storm of emotion as it was, and now that they're opened...she buried her face into the pillow and sobbed while her loving husband held her tightly as she wailed her heart out. "I love you..."

"And I love you...my strong, _beautiful_ Fighter..." Ranger said as softly as he could into her hair, before she raised her head and they returned to the land of milk and honey only each other's mouths could hold the entrance to.

* * *

"Well there's a color scheme I haven't seen in a while..." Warrior said as he woke up and saw Wizard standing in front of a mirror and her dress was green, and purple with red glitter on the green part, especially on her chest.

"I want to wear this when we marry." She said as she twirled around with a bright smile on her face.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a princess." Warrior said as he sat up, and heard his fiance giggle as she walked towards him.

"I sure feel like one right now...I even have my own Prince Charming, who happens to be a nightmare for goblins and demons...and apparently dragons and giants; not even the boss can claim that." Wizard said she approached and sat next to him.

"Would my dear princess like a kiss?" Warrior asked.

"Does my Princes Charming need to ask?" Wizard teased before he put a hand on her face and she embraced him as they locked lips over and over for about 15 seconds before gazing into each other's eyes with soft smiles on their faces.

"You know none of this would've happened without your spellbinding." Warrior said.

"No kidding; how many of you could brew as many potions or antidotes, or enchant as many items?" Wizard asked with pride.

"How many people could put them to as good a use as we did?" Warrior asked.

"Touche my good man." Wizard said before kissing him again. "You know...I took some potion before you got up...and I'm curious about that clone spell..."

"You feel like a princess, yet...you want me to shag you like a whore in an army base? Shit, girl..." Warrior said in disbelief.

"Just shut up, clone yourself and have your way with me." Wizard said before she stood up and removed her dress, revealing her naked glory as Warrior made 2 clones who both walked up to her and one locked lips and lashed tongues with her, while the other massaged her legs and butt, with her moaning deeply all the while. She eventually, sat down on the 2nd clone's hands as they pressed into her round, plump ass while the original got behind Wizard and fondled her breasts from behind while the clone she was kissing broke the kiss, and saw her throw her head back while her face twisted in bliss.

"One of you...fuck me...please...!" The clone she kissed wasted no time and drove his manhood into her as she wrapped her legs around him, and rested her shoulder on the bed, and the original groped and kneaded her breasts as his clone fucked her brains out with 2 strokes every second. "Yes...yes...!" She gasped as the clone shoved himself in and out of her faithfully, as the others worked the rest of her body while hearing her enchanting moans and gasps, ending with her and the clone groaning from their orgasm, before the clone pulled out of her. "Now...the other..." The 1st clone back off while she stood up, and the other bent her over the bed and pushed into her with the same power and frequency as she moaned even more with how groggy she already was from the raw, animalistic joy she just felt.

"You having as much fun as my clones are, you hedonistic slut?" Warrior teased as he watched his fiance pant like a dog while his clone kept driving into her and slamming his groin against her butt.

"Just...wait until...I'm done here...I'm...going to...oh dear Supreme that's so _good_...!" Wizard said between gasps as another rounds of orgasms hit her one after the other and the clone treating her pulled out, then both clones re-merged with the original who groaned and spasmed from the pleasure they both felt.

"This...truly was...genius..." Warrior groaned as he tried to control his heart and lungs as Wizard got back on the bed.

"Now you know how I felt...because of you..." She whispered before slamming her lips against his as he ran his hands through her hair as they aggressively yet lovingly kissed with the dawn sun shining into the room. "Now...I want to fuck the real you..." She then pushed him onto his back, and lowered herself onto his manhood as they both groaned, and she sat up straight while she rode him slowly while he gripped and squeezed her fleshly hips, butt, and thighs...which inspired her to ride him even harder and faster while her heaving breasts flopped around and she grabbed them to keep them still while Warrior eventually met her thrusts with his own, which made them both orgasm sooner. When they did...she collapsed on top of him as they laid there catching their breath.

"Next time, how about four clones?" Warrior asked and Wizard giggled.

"And I thought _I_ was insatiable..." She said as she kissed him yet again while moaning. "But that's a damn good idea..." She then dangled her breasts over his face as he sucked and licked them while kneading her butt while her moans encouraged him to continue. He then let go off her butt, moved up her sides and worked her breasts instead.

"Good grief these _breasts_..." Warrior said with lust in his voice as he squeezed them senseless, much to his fiance's delight.

"Apparently my body works magic while my brain is occupied with life itself." She boasted as Warrior kept playing with the globes of flesh on her chest.

"And your body works magic on me..." Warrior said before stuffing as much of her breast into his mouth and playfully chewed on him as Wizard giggled and eventually flipped onto her back.

"Fuck me again..." She begged as Warrior got between her legs and pushed into her yet again and she giggled and gasped as he rapidly hammered into her tight and moist womanhood 2 times a second.

"How much can you take...Your Highness?" Warrior teased as he kept thrusting.

"As much...as you...have...!" Wizard groaned before another orgasm smashed into her and Warrior collapsed into her swollen breasts and they caught their breath, then they looked each other over as he touched her face, and she held his hand there.

"Marry me..." Warrior breathed out as she smiled at him.

"Yes..." Wizard whispered before he kissed her sweetly.

* * *

"Hello my child. I'm sorry we haven't spent much time together, but me, your mother, and our friends were helping the country; your home. I would love nothing more than to stay here, and watch you become as strong and lovely as your mother, and maybe even be to another man what she is to me." Ranger said as he held his daughter, who kept looking at him curiously. "You may not know what I'm saying, but...I hope you at least sense my hopes and love for you..." He then put his finger in gripping distance, and the baby grabbed his finger with both hands...then sucked on it. "Good thing I cleaned my hands..." Songstress then came in and looked at them, before holding up a small cup of pulped fruit.

"I brought some fruit..." She said in the human tongue.

"You're learning...?" Ranger said in disbelief, and she nodded before they got closer and she fed the baby the fruit. "Thank you for looking after her." She then looked at him funny and he sighed before Bard came in and translated for him, then Songstress got it then they spoke a bit more.

"She wants you to know you it's her pleasure to look after your child." Bard said before winking at the elf lady who then got to spoon-feeding the baby who got some over her face which made the 3 laugh...make that 4; Fighter came in and engaged her daughter as well.

"Hello..." She said to the baby.

"Hello..." The baby said and the whole room became dead silent...

* * *

"She said her first word?" Priestess exclaimed as she, Warrior, Wizard, Storm Mage and even Noble Fencer sat in the living room while Sword Maiden held the baby. She was back in her archbishop outfit...and Priestess now had an outfit similar to Sword Maiden's greenish-blue dress; she looked more like her surrogate mother than ever.

"Yep. I walked in, said "hello", and she repeated it!" Fighter said with excitement.

"O.k...that's just poetic: baby's first word is the same as the one her mommy said to her." Wizard said.

"Right..." Fighter said.

"Hey, where's everyone else?" Ranger asked.

"Goblin Slayer and company are at Summoner's fortress, and my brother and Rhea Fighter are at the frontier tavern bragging about their new Gold and Bronze ranks." Warrior said.

"Wait...who has what rank?" Ranger asked.

"My brother is the Gold; he _did_ make a World Spawn, take down a giant chief, and help rebuild an entire city afterall. Took him hours to do that last part, but still." Wizard said.

"And Rhea Fighter is Bronze because she was able to kill at least one giant alone, seal one hell rift after another, and kill a heap of goblins in the process, without much help either. All-in-all...not the easiest thing to pull off, and she pulled it off." Warrior said impressed.

"Well, she got her time to shine afterall..." Storm Mage quipped.

"Hey Fencer? You never told us how things were on your end." Fighter said.

"First off...I'm a bit overwhelmed being in a room full of Gold Ranks...and the 11th Platinum rank, despite how lucky I should feel; anyone else would probably feel untouchable." Noble Fencer said.

"No kidding..." Warrior said with pride.

"Anyway...nothing particularly interesting happened...oh who am I kidding, it as one snoozefest after another; working with a national program can be more dull than a club sometimes..." Noble Fencer said.

"Would you like to join us every now and then?" Ranger asked.

"What? You'd train me?" Noble Fencer quipped...then Ranger lowered his head and raised his eyebrows. "Why do I ask...?"

"You can use lightning can't you? You have not one, but two advocates of the War God, one of which can also use lightning, and the other is a freaking Platinum Rank. You are covered." Storm Mage said.

"Still...I can see myself defending a city more than I can see myself playing offense like all of you." Noble Fencer said.

"Alright, if you insist." Storm Mage said.

"So...how about we go see the others and...get this wedding on the road?" Warrior said and Wizard smiled at him.

"Priestess? Would you like to do the honors?" Sword Maiden asked and Priestess shared looks with her team.

"Are...you sure archbishop?" Priestess asked nervously.

"Child...you saw the way I blessed one marriage, and we are both the same rank now." Sword Maiden said.

"Besides, we don't want a huge wedding like theirs, and you don't have to bless us in the same way." Wizard said.

"On top of that, the celebration for our new ranks counts as part of the wedding...or at least, the two are connected." Warrior said.

"Then I'll do it." Priestess said firmly.

"Alright!" Fighter said before the baby starting crying and she took the baby upstairs with Ranger watching.

"Sheesh boss...you look almost horrified." Warrior said.

"That's my child, and she's _crying_; when you have your own child, you'll probably feel the same." Ranger said.

"Yeah, maybe...although we didn't even think about kids yet." Warrior said.

"Actually we discussed it once or twice, but...the point is it's not on the table, at least not yet." Wizard said.

"I'm sure you'll make pretty good parents, and from what I have seen, you and your wife certainly are." Sword Maiden said.

"It's a shame we can't be here to care for her ourselves..." Ranger said somberly then Sword Maiden put her hand on his face.

"Ranger...you were away to help keep the world safe; I'm sure your daughter will understand when she gets older, and you tell her what happened." She said softly.

"She's right sir, it's in her best interest as well." Priestess said seriously yet as soft as ever.

"I guess..." Ranger said as he snapped out of the funk he was in, then Sword Maiden hugged him.

"Our hearts may belong to others...but I still love you." She said as Ranger returned the hug.

"And I love you...Sword Maiden." Ranger said before turning to Priestess. "By the way...that dress fits you like a glove."

"Thank you sir." Priestess beamed.

"All you need is a ponytail and...well, a size increase, and you might as well say Her Grace is your actual mom." Warrior said seriously.

"There's only a ten year age difference." Fighter said dryly as she came down.

"Fine...then make it "older sister"..." Warrior deadpanned and Sword Maiden giggled a bit. "Also...Your Grace, I know these two told you about the roles we each play in this team...well, mine is that I fought like Ranger did, and even took more than one page out of his book, which includes how he fights and plans."

"Couldn't keep the flood contained could you?" Fighter asked.

"I can tell you brought quite a bit to your team good Warrior. You never had to say." Sword Maiden said honestly.

"Still...I also helped put my fiance's gear to use, both on and off the battlefield." Warrior said

"Yeah we all did, even myself." Wizard said then she touched her earrings. "I cannot believe I forgot I wore these focus-enhancing earrings this whole time!"

"I still have this regeneration necklace as well. I was injured several times while I was with Goblin Slayer, and this necklace healed me every time." Priestess said as she showed her ruby necklace.

"You still have that?" Fighter asked.

"Of course. It's not just special to me because of what it does; it's something I got from my teammate, no...my sister." Priestess said softly and Wizard hugged her.

"How's our daughter?" Ranger asked with concern.

"She's fine; all she needed was a changing and a minor burping, and she was out like a torch thrown into a river." Fighter said.

"She's coming with us, right?" Wizard asked.

"You want me, to take my less-than-a-year-old daughter, to the frontier, where just about anything can go wrong, and there's noise and action everywhere you look, at a time of celebration?" Fighter asked.

"Alright, point taken..." Wizard said.

"My parents can look after her." Ranger said and Fighter sighed.

"Alright...but I want her back here when things get too hectic." Fighter said sternly.

"Duh..." Warrior said.

"Anyway...boss? May I borrow that portal gem to let everyone know your coming? I'm sure they'd like a chance to roll out the red carpet for the 11th." Wizard said and Ranger tossed his portal gem to her. "This won't take long..." She then opened a portal to Summoner's fortress.

"Say hi to my brother for me." Storm Mage said as Wizard, Warrior, and Priestess went through the portal.

"So...Storm Mage? Any demon activity you know of?" Ranger asked.

"Haven't looked yet, although...I should probably get you involved in this case, if not just to see what it's like." Storm Mage said.

"Wait...are you sure that's wise? What if they come back while we're hunting?" Ranger asked.

"Limbo tends to shift everything, including time; we could be gone an entire year in Limbo, and only a few hours will have passed in the "real world"." Storm Mage said.

"You lost me at "Limbo"." Ranger said.

"The world between our world, Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven; it's basically a melting pot between the different worlds, and it takes a page out of each world's book; if you're on Earth, then Limbo is like Earth, only...more twisted." Storm Mage said and got funny looks from the couple, but...Sword Maiden obviously understood every word. "Heaven forbid you two become official demon hunters..."

"Hey! That's alot to take in all at once, give us a break." Fighter snapped.

"Right...I'm alittle disappointed I didn't tell that farm girl who helped heal me, but eh...heat of the moment is a pain. Besides, I'm sure my brother told her more than just a thing or two." Storm Mage said.

"Well, no more time to waste, let's check out Limbo shall we?" Ranger asked then Storm Mage walked up to him, touched his shoulder, then spoke in the Demon Lord's tongue...then they vanished with Fighter running her hand frantically through the space they were in.

"Relax, Storm Mage does this alot, and he's completely trustworthy." Sword Maiden said.

"Still..it's odd seeing them just...disappear." Fighter said with worry.

* * *

Ranger meanwhile was looking around and noticed the world was standing still...

"Welcome to Limbo." Storm Mage said.

"That language you spoke...what was it, and what did you say?" Ranger asked.

"It was the Demon Lord's language,and I said "world between worlds, I command you to swallow me and my friend so we may rummage through your bowels." Storm Mage said.

"Appetizing...wait, you know the Demon Lord's language?" Ranger asked.

"Yep, alot of demon hunters do; you can work some...pretty interesting miracles with it, like I just did, and don't get me started on how you can twist Limbo itself with the right words." Storm Mage said.

"Can my powers still work here?" Ranger asked.

"They should; Limbo is connected to Heaven as well." Storm Mage said.

"Alright...Lord of the Sword, Master of the Mace, smith me arms for the battle to come!" Ranger prayed and got a pair of copies of Storm Mage's sword-whips, and he let off a whistle.

"Flattery much?" He asked.

"I don't flatter; I was thinking of using these for some time, but never got around to it." Ranger said honestly as he merged the sword-whips into his armor.

"O.k...that was a nice trick." Storm Mage said.

"Hence why I use it so often. Now...what are we looking for?" Ranger asked then Storm Mage used his sword-whips as grappling hooks to get to the top of a building, and Ranger harpooned up to meet him, as he was looking around.

"Just keep an eye peeled for anything suspicious." Storm Mage said as they ran along the rooftops and looked around in the process...and found nothing by the time they were halfway through the city.

"How much longer do we have to do this?" Ranger asked as they kept running, and his legs were aching.

"This is what I do all the time. I have help sometimes, and this is only one time I do this daily; the rest of my day is spent co-mingling with my brother and his team, eating and of course, listening to rumors." Storm Mage said.

"Thank the Supreme not much time is passing. Wait a minute, what is this doing to our age?" Ranger asked.

"Not a damn thing; your chronological age is debatably effected, but your physical age isn't at all effected; so you don't have to change your brithday. Yay..." Storm Mage quipped.

"Good to know..." Ranger said as they kept jumping and running until they got to the docks ten minutes later.

"Hmm...still nothing. Well, let's go deeper into Limbo once, alright?" Storm Mage asked.

"Alright..." Ranger said before Storm Mage said some more incantations, and the environment became more hellish...literally. "Yeah, this should do- oh shit..." An imp spotted them and rushed off, before Ranger climbed the nearest/tallest building and spotted a swarm of Prides rushing at him and knocked him off the building, but he harpooned one and dragged it down to the ground and the drag itself slowed his fall. The rest came back for more...only for Ranger to morph a greatsword and splatter them all over the place with a single swipe of the flat side of the blade.

"Shiiiiit, I better make a note not to piss you off..." Storm Mage said with an eyebrow raised before Ranger pulled his sword-whips and looked around. "Uh, I hate to break it to you, but my sword-whips work with lightning, and last I checked...you don't have any..." Ranger then thought for a bit.

"Then I'll just will them." Ranger said.

"What?" Storm Mage asked.

"How do you think I swing such heavy swords? I have them do what I want them too. They're my swords; I want them to be swung despite weighing more than I do? They let me swing them." Ranger said.

"O.k...I know willpower is no joke, but that's abit-" Storm Mage shut up the moment Ranger made his swords go limp, then shredded some hell worms that burst out of the ground with one lash after another. "...absurd."

"Platinum Ranked...hello?" Ranger quipped.

"Alright alright, don't be a smart-ass; you're only one rank above me." Storm Mage said.

"And don't you forget it..." Ranger quipped again as he de-morphed his sword-whips, and they kept running around, zapping, shredding, chopping, and clobbering demons that attack them for about an hour straight. Storm Mage once charged up a beam of lightning that vaporized an entire team of demons that swept it around at a swarm of Prides that were flying around. He raised an eyebrow at Ranger having a pair of guns now, and he riddled a group of Gluttons with bullets until they each popped like balloons and showed the imps behind them with their pulp. Ranger then morphed his gauntlets and heavy armor and splattered them all over the place with one punch per customer...if he didn't just grab them and tear them in half or crush them in his grip. Then a rush of holy energy rushing across Limbo itself.

"Holy crap! You feel that?" Storm Mage asked.

"Yeah...what was that?" Ranger asked.

"There's only one thing I know that gives off power like that..." Storm Mage said before saying an incantation, and a phantom mirror appeared...and lo and behold, they saw the Hero, her team, and even Cherub fighting a horde of demonic soldiers not unlike the ones they fought in Water Town, but their battle was downright apocalyptic. Sword Saint danced through the crowd with grace similar to Fighter's, Sage blasted them to bits with energy balls that gave off streams of power as they flew so the ones who didn't get blown up, were vaporized...Hero slaughtered entire swarms just by swinging her blade around.

"Holy shit..." Storm Mage said in awe.

"You know...it never ceases to amaze me how Hero can make me cringe, and be astonished by how she fights." Ranger said before Storm Mage looked at him funny. "I know her sword is nothing to laugh at since...look what it's doing, but the way she uses it is just _atrocious_..."

"No kidding; Heaven forbid she has to rely on a regular sword, one that isn't so forgiving." Storm Mage said.

"Abbot actually compared my technique to hers at least once." Ranger said.

"I heard; hers does not hold any water compared to yours from what I've seen. She uses holy energy, while you use brute force and finesse...somehow at the same time. I almost feel sorry for your foes once you add holy energy into the mix." Storm Mage said and Ranger laughed.

"I cannot believe we're criticizing her when she's on a serious mission...what the hell are we doing here?" He asked.

"Good point. Here's hoping they can save those people and give the demons what's coming to them." Storm Mage said as he dispelled the mirror and they got the show on the road...which involved taking down two more demon patrols before they could open a hell rift, with Storm Mage spamming them with lightning balls while Ranger shot them down in both cases.

"Is that all?" He asked before de-morphing his guns and Storm Mage used another incantation which out an orange pulse of energy and when it came back he spoke up.

"Unbelievable...this usually takes twice as long to clear this city..." Storm Mage said.

"That's why you have a Platinum Rank with you." Ranger boasted.

"Just give some of your tricks to my brother's team alright? They could use the help." Storm Mage said.

"Alright...just send me back please." Ranger said before Storm Mage used an incantation and Ranger re-appeared in his manor, then Fighter looked at him dumbfounded.

"Ranger? What happened?" She asked.

"How long was I gone?" Ranger asked.

"A few seconds actually." Sword Maiden said.

"Huh...it felt like hours." Ranger said.

"What happened?" Fighter asked impatiently.

"Boy...do I have a tale to tell you..." Ranger said before getting to it.

* * *

"And Storm Mage deals with this every day?" Fighter asked when Ranger finished his story.

"Apparently." Ranger said.

"I'm just glad the people captured by the goblins are moments away from coming home in one piece...and I hope they weren't too badly traumatized." Sword Maiden said somberly before perking up again. "You were quite brave slaying those demons threatening our home."

"No kidding...just how strong do you have to be to just...splatter a bunch of demons across the street with one blow, and how hard was it?" Fighter asked in awe.

"Well...I didn't swing lightly, but not as hard as I could." Ranger said honestly.

"Quite impressive Ranger." Sword Maiden said.

"And Storm Mage?" Fighter asked.

"He's fine, he even asked me to show Summoner's team a thing or two, and I made these." Ranger said as he morphed his sword-whips, much to Sword Maiden's delight.

"You honor my protector Ranger." She said softly.

"He's one of the reasons I got as far as I did; this is no where enough." Ranger said before de-morphing the blades, then a portal opened and Priestess came through.

"Sir? We're ready for you now." She said.

"Well...no sense in waiting..." Fighter said before bowing to Sword Maiden, who returned it, before hugging Ranger again before the pair went through the portal to their old apartment. "Could you give us a minute?"

"Alright." Priestess said as she went downstairs.

"Remembering the time we took each other's virginity...in this room?" Ranger teased.

"That too, but...I couldn't help but noticed our first "I love you" was kind of...lacking." Fighter said somberly before Ranger hugged her from behind.

"Hey...we showed it long before we said it, and that's what matters. Besides, we told each other "I love you" in some of the best ways since." He said softly and Fighter brightened a bit.

"You're right..." she whispered before tuning to kiss him. "I do love you."

"And I love you as well." Ranger whispered before they went to the tavern...only to find it flooded with people practically worshiping Warrior and Wizard.

* * *

"There he is!" One of the female adventurers yelled and the rest cheered and toasted Ranger as he came in, with some swarming him to see his Platinum tags.

"Move it! Out of the way! That's my son!" Ranger's dad yelled as he pushed past the crowd to see the tags and look at his son frozen with awe before hugging him tightly.

"Our son...is the 11th Platinum Rank..." Ranger's mom said in tears as she took the tags and hugged her husband with Ranger in the middle of it...before his mom yanked Fighter into the mix.

"Join this family moment girl." Ranger's dad said playfully as Fighter laughed a bit,and Ranger's parents gave the tag back to their son while they back up to have their own moment together.

"Ranger! Fighter!" Guild Girl exclaimed as she rushed over to hug them one at a time, then looked Ranger over. "The 11th Platinum Rank...I'll bet you weren't expecting this when you first arrived."

"You are not wrong my good ma'am." Ranger said with a smile as Warrior and Wizard got started telling the story of how the team saved the northern capital from a hell invasion, and even a small group of giants. Inspector of course was on stand-by in case he was lying...but of course he didn't the whole time; Wizard had to correct some things and tell her own side of the story, but that's obviously different.

About an hour later, Bard and Songstress arrived with Ranger and Fighter's baby, and Ranger's parents took her from them. Some women, especially Guild Girl and Inspector were all over the baby as well, then Bard and Songstress got started on a song specifically devoted to the team...which was a huge hit if the reactions were anything to go by, what with the team looking each other other and the two pairings touching every now and then. GS, Cow Girl and the rest of the team arrived just as the song was getting started, and when the song ended, Priestess made her way to the temple to prepare Warrior and Wizard's wedding.

* * *

Back at Water Town, Sword Maiden was in her room gong over a handful of letters, when Storm Mage came in...with some food.

"I...wasn't expecting you back this soon." Sword Maiden said as Storm Mage sat down and prepared for them both.

"Ranger helped me kill the demons scouring the city, and Hero's ilk are unironically raising hell...in Hell." Storm Mage said and got a giggle out of his lady as he removed his armored robe. "So...now I'm all yours."

"And I'm thankful for it." Sword Maiden said as she sat with him to munch on the fish, potatoes, and veggies he brought them. He even got a small bottle of wine. "I didn't realize you were so devious..."

"Hey, I may be redeemed, but I still have my vices." Storm Mage said as he poured a pair of glasses...and Sword Maiden actually grinned.

"For once...I'm happy to be with a sinner." She said as they each downed some wine in one gulp.

"I thought wine was considered holy?" Storm Mage teased.

"It is the most holy, but that's more relative than one would think." Sword Maiden said before taking a bite out of one of the veggies. They spent the next ten minutes eating, drinking, and occasionally touching and even kissing once. "You taste like fish."

"Gee, I wonder why...?" Storm Mage quipped and Sword Maiden shook her head before they set up their dishes to be take out. "I'll take that out later."

"But for now...sit on the bed with me." Sword Maiden said as they sat down and he held her close with one arm.

"Is something wrong?" Storm Mage asked softly.

"No...I just want you to hold me; make me feel like a regular woman, not the archbishop." Sword Maiden said.

"Alright..." Storm Mage said as he continued to hold her and locked their fingers together as they simply sat on the bed for about a minute before he finally spoke up. "Love? May I tell you a secret?"

"What is it?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Before I became a demon hunter...I actually suffered from nightmares...hideous ones." Storm Mage said grimly as Sword Maiden's eyes widen. "There's one where...I was trapped in a building, the place collapses on top of me, rebuilds itself, then collapses again. Another where...dozens of spiders were sinking their fangs into me, all over my body, and another that made me watch people fall into the sky, then fall down on top of me while I'm tied to the ground..."

"Storm Mage..." Sword Maiden whispered in horror.

"But the one that really got to me...was one involving my brother and sister. They were both standing in front of me, no emotion in their faces...then they turned to gold. They then caught fire, melted down...and were dumped on top of me. I tried to get it off of me, but the gold solidified before I had a chance to move. It even covered my mouth so I could not scream. Then...I heard a voice: "Why are you so afraid? Is this not what you wanted?" Storm Mage said and the last part made him shake and his eyes watered. "It was at that point I realized I wasn't dreaming...and that voice did not come from my mind; it was a demon, and I doubt it was just any demon..."

"May I hear the voice?" Sword Maiden asked cautiously as Storm Mage pulled his event recaller and steeled himself for it. The voice was deep, clear, spoke slowly and elongated each word. Sword Maiden's eyes widened and she dropped the gem. "That...that was the Demon Lord himself...!"

"That's right. He tried to break me with my own greed. The message was loud and clear: I could not keep living like I did, so I joined some demon hunters, and never looked back..." Storm Mage said firmly.

"And now you are my protector...I'm sure your siblings are proud of you, and will continue to be in the future. I know I am..." Sword Maiden said as softly as he had heard. She then pulled him down and gave him the sweetest kiss she could muster, and they stayed that way, holding and tasting each other for at least ten seconds, not even shifting to get a better position, for which could be better than the one they were in?

"Sword Maiden...My _beloved_ Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage whispered as he embraced her as tightly as he could as his anguish poured out. "I have no idea if this...taint on my soul can be washed out, at least until I die-" Sword Maiden cuts him off.

"Stop...I was toyed with by goblins, and that still haunts me, and I feel it will continue to haunt me until death, but until it does...we have each other, to make the journey through life bearable." She said seriously and Storm Mage smiled at her in amusement.

"I knew it...I knew it the second I first saw you. I may have joined those demon hunters to fight back against my sins, but it was you who gave me actual peace. Who else could but this woman, this sweet, glorious woman who looks after a whole city in the Supreme God's name?" Storm Mage said with reverence.

"I do not know, but it is a great honor to be that woman..." Sword Maiden said as she kissed him again and pushed him onto the bed, and he slid his hand up the slit on the side of her dress to rub her thick leg as she softly moaned into their kiss. "Storm Mage...? Let me drink some potion..."

"Very well..." Storm Mage whispered as his lady got up, went to get the bottle, took a small swig, then walked back to bed while removing her dress, and baring her flesh before her protector who removed his underarmor just in time for Sword Maiden to crawl into bed like a cat then smile at him before claiming his mouth with hers while he ran his hands through her hair. She then pressed her breasts into his chest and they both felt their hearts and lungs raced like horses as they were consumed by their passions. She then kissed his forehead, down his cheek and neck, then licked and sucked on his neck while he held her head in place. "Sword Maiden..." The way the man beneath her whispered her name so sweetly tugged her heartstrings, hence the bright smile she graced him with as she sat up as she stroked his face, which had the most awestruck look she ever saw.

"Storm Mage..." She breathed out, before kissing him again, then flipping them over, with her wanting him on top. He then went down to her lovely breasts and licked one of her nipples while gently pressing his fingers into the other and listened to her pleasured gasps. "Ahh ! Oh yes...ohhhh... " The divine sounds she made spurred him to continue showing his love for her by working her breasts. He then licked the other nipple while rolling the one he just licked with his thumb and index finger before squeezing it as well, and she eventually gasped in pleasure as some milk squirted out, which he licked up like it was full of sugar.

"These breasts of yours..." Storm Mage said with awe as he kept weighing and rubbing them.

"Kiss them...touch them...use them as you please...give me a dream to remember..." Sword Maiden pleaded.

"As my blessed lady wishes..." Storm Mage whispered with pure love in his voice as he kissed her enchanting lips as she kept holding his face for a good ten seconds at least. "You also know how to use this mouth of yours..."

"As do you...kiss it again..." Sword Maiden said with raw sensuality in her voice which made Storm Mage kiss her and she lashed tongues with him with hunger in her movements, as her blissful, throaty moans emphasized. He then broke the kiss, watched her catch her breath as her chest moved up and down and he watched her face. Her eyes were closed, her thick, beautiful lips were parted and her expression had nothing but peace written on it.

"Do you think we had a bit too much wine?" Storm Mage asked seriously.

"I don't care...if it means we get a moment like this...we didn't drink wine often enough..." Sword Maiden said with her softest tone.

"Good point...Your Grace..." Storm Mage teased before she smiled at him as he stroked her cheek. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you and Ranger's daughter have the same face."

"Are you saying I'm baby-faced?" Sword Maiden asked.

"I am indeed, especially these cheeks; I could caress them for hours..." Storm Mage said softly as Sword Maiden held his hands against her face and closed her eyes to focus on his thumbs that were gracing her face with their loving touch...then he kissed her forehead which made her stare at him with lights in her eyes. "Thank the Supreme your eyes are alright now..."

"Yes indeed...and to Wizard for healing them for me." Sword Maiden whispered as Storm Mage picked her up and they sat there hugging.

"I love you so much..." Storm Mage whispered in her ear which made her hug him tighter and shake with a sob.

"And I love you...my _cherished_ protector...!" Sword Maiden said as she broke down weeping as they held and caressed each other. The holy woman who redeemed him let him hold her while she caressed his muscles from top to bottom for about a minute. In that minute...nothing else mattered but their ocean-deep love, and the pain they were crushing beneath it. She then backed up a bit, Storm Mage wiped her tears away and she kissed him yet again.

"Please...make love to me...I beg you..." She then pulled him down and when she hit the bed, she spread her legs, allowing her lover to penetrate her. She gasped a bit as his organ entered her, then he pulled out and pushed in as they took their sweet time swimming in the sea of pleasure they were in. He then watched the sorrow and desperation on her face give way to peace and relaxation, and listened to her breathe deeply as she felt his inch-thick manhood move in and out of her opening with nothing but precision, and care guiding it. He eventually picked up the pace and watched her moan and twist her face in euphoria until they both burst from the sexual rapture, before he collapsed on top of her. She then stroked his hair, silently thanking him for the being so gentle with her.

"Would you like the rest?" Storm Mage asked.

"Yes...my legs are yours...and everything else." Sword Maiden said with enthusiasm before he removed himself from her womanhood, flipped her over and gripped and fondled her buttocks as she giggled.

"You are so _plump_..." Storm Mage said with lust in his voice as he pressed his powerful hands into her butt and squeezed it from every angle. She then giggled a bit after he lightly spanked her and watched her butt jiggle before he moved down her legs, which weren't much worse...

"A gift from the Love Goddess...a gift to _you_..." Sword Maiden said with her own fair share of lust as he massaged her butt, legs, and feet. Eventually...she got on her hands and knees before spreading her legs again...and he pushed into her womanhood yet again, and the room was filled with the sounds of her gasps and moans, as well as the sound of his groin slamming into her butt until they both groaned with their mutual orgasms, then he collapsed on top of her again. He then brushed her hair out of her face before kissing her cheek.

"Have I pleased my lady...?" Storm Mage asked with a husky voice.

"Yes...completely..." Sword Maiden said still groggy from the pleasure, then she gasped as Storm Mage pulled out of her, flipped her over then he laid down on top of her as they held onto each other. "But...it's my turn to please you now..."

"By all means, my good lady." Storm Mage said as Sword Maiden flipped them over, caressed and massaged the muscles in his arms, torso, legs, and looked over his manhood, which was still slick with her fluids. "You want a third round so..." She responded by gripping his manhood, and lowered herself onto it before she moved up and down while breathing heavily from the minor waves of pleasure hitting her mind. When she got worked up enough, she starting moving so quickly and roughly the bed shook a bit. Then Storm Mage gripped her butt, which made her yelp from the surprise. "I'm sorry...you're just so easy to grab onto."

"I do not mind one bit..." Sword Maiden said sensually before getting on her hands as she kept thrusting as her lover fondled her ass. "Are you enjoying yourself as much as I am?" Storm Mage responded by thrusting up into her in-sync with her, then she pressed her lips to his and they entwined their tongues outside of their mouths. She then broke the kiss as he gripped her breasts again, pressed them together, licked both nipples without pause until they both snapped about ten seconds later. Even then, he wasn't satisfied and licked her nipples until they squirted more milk...which he happily drank up. She then watched him lovingly rub her breasts.

"I didn't think you could be like this..." Storm Mage said as he caught his breath.

"Then you must be rubbing off on me..." Sword Maiden teased.

"You said that before." Storm Mage said.

"Yes...about the others, but you rubbing off on me is _much_ sweeter." Sword Maiden said as she ran her finger along his face before laying down on him with a blissful sigh as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Priestess will probably marry Warrior and Wizard soon..." Storm Mage said.

"Blessings upon all three of them. May they calm the storms inside each other, like you calmed the storm in me." Sword Maiden prayed.

"Indeed..." Storm Mage whispered as he kept holding the holy woman close. "We should get back up soon..." Sword Maiden groaned at this.

"But I want to lay here with my lover...!" She whined.

"So do I, but it's still mid-day. We can fool around even more tonight..." Storm Mage hinted and Sword Maiden grinned with lust.

"I love you so much..." She said before pulling him down into a hungry kiss.

* * *

Back at the tavern, Heavy Warrior was arm-wrestling one of the larger adventurers to a stalemate as Ranger watched while leaning on the wall nursing a mug of ale. To make it a fair match, Ranger was holding Heavy Warrior's strength-enhancing gear for keeps, and who would be stupid enough to try to rob a Platinum Rank? Eventually, Heavy Warrior won the match, and some people cheered as others looked disappointed as coin was flowing between them.

"Yeah! Drinks on the house today!" One of the winners yelled.

"Hey Ranger? You want to try your hand?" Heavy Warrior asked.

"Without my armor, I would lose in no time at all, and there is no sport in this if gear is involved." Ranger said honestly.

"Humility is an endangered species in this place..." Female Knight said.

"That being said about the guy who defeated the fucking _vampire_ queen." One of the adventurers said.

"It wasn't a free win; I got my ass kicked by her in our first fight, even with the Hero helping me." Ranger said.

"So you got those Platinum Ranks on a whim then?" Another adventurer accused and Ranger smirked.

"She also tempted me to join her, only to learn what the price of testing my loyalty is: a hot blade in her gut." He said.

"Yeah...a hot blade..." Another adventurer said with lust in his voice before getting hit by one of the females.

"Let's see you resist the charm of a vampiric temptress who leads people to their deaths." She snapped.

"I for one would like to see how our ranger friend would fair if he wasn't already married." An older adventurer in a fine robe said.

"Well, since he _is_ married, and Her late Majesty is dead...we'll never know will we?" Spearman asked.

"I failed to mention that when my blade pierced her stomach and the War God's flames hugged her flesh she was shitting herself beforehand, which is the best I can hope for for anyone in her position." Ranger said.

"So much for humility..." Female Knight said.

"It's only boasting if you cannot back it up, and as the fair Inspector can testify, I speak nothing but the truth. So I raise my mug to all of you. To honest boasting...and dishonest." Ranger said before taking a drink and some murmuring turned into cheers.

"I'm certain you would've been the one to receive a Platinum Rank on the spot if you were there Fighter. Not that anyone would have the stones to face you head-to-head." One of the men said to Fighter with honest praise as the woman laughed a bit.

"I'll take her for a spin..." Female Knight said as she put her arm on the table like she wanted to arm-wrestle, then Fighter removed her strength-boosting necklace, and tossed it to Ranger.

"Let's do this then..." Fighter said and Ranger watched the two ladies have at it, with Female Knight actually taking a slim lead, then Fighter took her own. The exchange went on for about a minute with the crowd holding their breath and making a few bets, until Female Knight made a push which got her halfway to victory...then Fighter pushed back a bit to even it out again, then the two ladies went at it again for about 20 seconds before Fighter finally pushed Female Knight's arm to the table and the crowd reacted the same way they did to Heavy Warrior's win: some cheered, some were bummed out. Ranger simply finished his mug and slammed it on the table before handing Fighter her necklace back.

"Ohhh, now the lady's getting a reward!" One of the adventurers exclaimed.

"Kiss her Ranger." Another called out

"Yeah, kiss her!" Yet another said and others joined in, before Ranger morphed a gun and fired a blank into the roof and got their attention.

"That's not something to take lightly between her and me FYI, and certainly not for amusement." Ranger snapped as the crowd got a grip.

"Well, either way, that was the single closest match I ever had, and it's safe to say I lost to the best...but once I finally become a paladin...you better watch it." Female Knight said with a smirk.

"I look forward to it..." Fighter as the two ladies shook hands and even took a swig of a stamina potion to help their arms recover.

"Hey Ranger! How about you arm-wrestle Orcbolg?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Now that I've got to see..." Guild Girl said, and Ranger looked at her, then GS and thought...

"Is he even up to it?" Heavy Warrior asked.

"Yes he is, right?" H.E. Archer said to GS.

"Right..." GS said as if annoyed.

"Two goblin slayers facing off. That is truly a marvelous confrontation." Witch said as before inhaling some smoke as GS came downstairs and Ranger joined him at the table as he de-morphed his heavy armor, before locking arms with GS, and they were in a stalemate for so long people were scratching their heads.

"Why aren't you going?" One asked.

"We are..." GS said simply as he struggled against Ranger's arm. The two men sat there going from one side to the other as they tried to surpass the other. Eventually, Ranger made a push and got a lead on GS...before Gs pushed back and got the same lead which was negated at the same pace.

"Ohhh...the suspense is _killing_ me..." Inspector said as she watched the two go at it. From the looks on the crowd's faces...she spoke for them as well; everyone wanted to see who was going to one-up the other between the two famous adventurers. Eventually, Ranger's arm was starting to tire, and GS took advantage of that and made a final push...and despite GS' own arm tiring...he won the match and the crowd just stood there.

"I can't believe it...Goblin Slayer just beat a Platinum Rank." One of them said in awe.

"A Platinum Rank who said he'd lose to me without his armor, although...that's not saying much." Heavy Warrior noted.

"Not to mention Beard-Cutter does the impossible quite often." Dwarf Shaman said.

"It was nothing. Ranger can do things I cannot do; I do not have the powers of a god, nor would I be able to destroy the vampire queen's fortress without help." GS said simply.

"On top of that, I actually prayed for the strength to destroy the vampire queen's fortress, and her. It was really the War God's victory; I was simply his instrument, even though I am proud to have been." Ranger said.

"Hmm, this War God seems to be quite a noble figure, much more so than people are led to believe. Were I not so faithful to my ancestors, and their spirits, I would gladly serve the War God myself." Lizard Priest said.

"Bard! Sing of my son once again." Ranger's dad called as the crowd agreed, and Bard and Songstress played the song about Ranger's team again as some people swayed their drinks, some sang along, and some even danced.

* * *

Meanwhile...Warrior and Wizard snuck away to get married at the local temple, with Priestess finishing their simple ceremony. She still wore the dress based on the Sword Maiden's blueish-green one, and Wizard wore her multi-colored dress without the armor, with Warrior wearing a suit with the reversed color scheme and a ponytail and bangs similar to what Ranger had on his wedding day. Priestess' guardian, the temple's head nun, the goblins' former captives and some new acolytes were the only witnesses, but it was enough.

Warrior then slipped the ring onto Wizard's finger, as they looked into each other's eyes, smiled, then kissed...as husband and wife.

* * *

Back at Water Town...things weren't so happy...Cambion himself showed up at the Temple of Law, put anyone who saw him to sleep with a curse, and walked off to the main chamber...where Sword Maiden and Storm Mage were. The pair snapped their heads towards him and their breaths stopped.

"Hello Your Grace..." Cambion said with a small bow.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" Sword Maiden asked seriously.

"I am an enemy to the forces looking to make this world worse, and I bring a solution to a great many problems." Cambion said.

"What sort of solutions? We have a great many adventurers looking into all of the worst ones." Sword Maiden said.

"Yes, yes, the Ranger, Goblin Slayer, and their teams. I've seen their work...but with all due to respect to everyone involved...they are getting in the way." Cambion said.

"I find that hard to swallow..." Sword Maiden said defensively.

"Especially since you serve the Evil Sect." Storm Mage said.

"I am merely using the Evil Sect; they are pawns. It's no better than what they have done to others, and I am not responsible for the atrocities my right hands have committed. It is my hopes that the damage they've done will lead to greater benefits, like the goblins did..." Cambion said.

"You condone the trauma wrought by the goblins?" Sword Maiden asked in disbelief.

"No...not at all, but the end results are nothing less than glorious." Cambion said seriously.

"What?" Storm Mage asked.

"Think about it. If the goblins had not done what they did...then the light the people are bathing in, the light the two of you bathe in,, would not be so warm would it? Now we have an entire army running around the country facing off against Hell itself, tasting glory and showing people that hope is alive and thriving! Yes there are tragedies and casualties aplenty, but that's where the Supreme God comes in...where I, come in. All those pointless tragedies and casualties I mentioned? I mean to put an end to all of that, and like I said to the Ranger...I believe in fairness, but he has forced my hand. He has gotten in the way of other people's chances to make a difference for too long; people like him, his team, and all the rest are keeping the world stale, and I will have _nothing_ to do with it." Cambion said.

"They are keeping the world _peaceful_! Others don't have the glory you speak of because they are unable to have it, and trying to give them a chance to obtain something they cannot obtain is madness!" Sword Maiden said.

"There is no way the Supreme condones the people's weakness any more than I do. I mean to make them strong, prosperous...alive, and I will use every means at my disposal; every aspect of what the world has to offer, even if that means I must get blood on my hands. I offer you a choice now: join me, and we will use the powers of Heaven, and Hell themselves, to make this world...perfect. Or...you can remain _stagnant_, and fail every man, woman, and child forced to call this broken world home." Cambion said seriously.

"How do we know you are really proposing revolution, and not tyranny?" Storm Mage asked.

"You are _already_ under tyranny! Tyranny of your own weakness, tyranny of vices, tyranny of monsters who dare pretend themselves your masters, when they are little more than glorified beasts. At least what I propose is _honest_, and how could it possibly be worse than..._this_?" Cambion asked.

"Ten years ago...I might have agreed to what you say, but that was before I discovered that the world isn't as broken as I believed. Those people you threaten are my family and friends, and I will not betray them, even if I were to become the 12th Platinum Rank...or even the 1st Diamond Rank, as one of them stated. If you want to help this world, then forget this poisonous dream, the methods you plan to use, and help them." Sword Maiden said.

"I wish I could Your Grace...I really do, but I'm afraid I cannot, and as a wise man said: if you're not with me...you're against me." Cambion said as Storm Mage pulled his sword-whips and started sparking. Cambion then dodged one lash after another from Storm Mage's sword-whips, and even dodged a few lightning bolts.

"What-? You..? But...no one can move that fast!" Storm Mage exclaimed before he kept dodging lashes by side-stepping, jumping, flipping, ducking down, or to the sides,, and rolling across the ground, then grabbed a sword-whip with his bare hand, and took a burst of lightning from Storm Mage...and it did nothing. Cambion then morphed his arm itself into a blade made of steel and flesh, that was about as large as his entire body, yanked Storm Mage towards him with his own sword-whip...and impaled him just below the chest, through his armor, and out the back leaving Sword Maiden frozen in horror and sorrow as Storm Mage coughed up blood and took his last breath.

"Everyone dies Your Grace...the two of you are no different." Cambion said before he kicked Storm Mage's corpse to the ground by Sword Maiden's feet, rushed to her...and impaled her as well. "You had your chance to make a greater difference then anyone could dream of, but now I must take the power you wield for myself. But don't worry, the people are all..._sincerely_ going to miss you, and you each have worthy successors. So now you can both move on; be free from your pain, and his sins. Heaven holds more than enough riches for you both. I should know...I've been there..." He then removed his blade-arm from her gut, lowered her to be next to her protector as Cambion took the sword-whips for himself and tore open a hell rift, then disappeared once he went through it before Sword Maiden whispered her last word...

"Pries...tess..."

* * *

**Wow...that last part was harder to write than it had a right to be. So, there you have it: Cambion isn't some evil mastermind looking to take over the world; he actually has a goal in mind, so he's more of a "well-intentioned extremist" than an actual bad, which in my opinion, is the best kind of villain. I mean...look at Thanos. Now...I hate to add salt to the wound, but at least he killed Sword Maiden with dignity, if you can call it that. Like the Joker said: in people's moments, they sow you who they really are...and that's precisely what happened here. Anyway, I'm sorry to leave a dark tone to this chapter after all that happiness, but like with Cow Girl's uncle...there is a method to the madness, so please...keep that in mind as you get on with your lives..and please Rate, Review, Share, and stay tuned for the rest.**


	25. Chapter 13 Part II

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. With the Sword Maiden and Storm Mage dead, things just got quite a bit more serious didn't they? There is no way this won't get quite a bit of backlash from the public, let alone the team. Now...considering what stunts Cherub pulled so far, it shouldn't be a surprise if he has his fingers in this in some way. Here's hoping he can cushion the impact eh?**

**Review Response: Also considering they're both the only two known Platinum Ranks in the world, and they're on good terms now...Ranger might actually teach her a thing or two. Even though she has more raw power than he does, if you don't count Army of One, since...well, if Ranger pulls that out, it's the beginning of the end.**

**Summoning a World Spawn is an automatic promotion to Gold Rank, and Rhea Fighter outdid herself pretty damn well if you ask me.**

**I think of Cambion as a bit of a mix between Thanos and Madara Uchiha from Naruto, even though those 3 characters are not alike in most ways. Also...yeah Sword Maiden and Storm Mage biting the dust is a shame and a half, but heh, let's see Cambion make friends after pulling shit like that.**

**Warrior and Wizard's wedding being done by Priestess was a bit of a shoo-in since...I do want to see Priestess succeed Sword Maiden in as many ways as possible, but of course, I want to do it right. As for GS besting Ranger...well, it was a pretty even match, but Ranger wasn't training as long as GS was, plus Ranger is...if I'm not mistaking, about 4-5 years younger than GS, so they both trained since they were kids, but GS got in 4-5 years worth more, so...he's naturally stronger than Ranger.**

**Welcome back Danny Barefoot. It hasn't been the same without you. Even though you're a bit late to the party, input is still welcome. I may be a male, but I'm no stranger to the progression stages of child development. Using illusion to heal PTSD is something I couldn't not do, as for that term...well, I've seen it used before, and I saw nothing wrong with it, though "curvy" is still solid as a rock.  
**

* * *

In a meadow not far from the monastery, Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother were having their own private celebration for their promotions with a picnic, with Rhea Fighter practically dancing through the grass and flowers while Wizard's brother watched her have the time of her life. She was usually so insecure and nervous, but now...it's like she was a whole different person. She had the brightest look in the face he ever saw her have, and there was no sign of her nerves getting to her. For lack of better words...she was free.

"We really outdid ourselves didn't we?" She said as she returned to their blanket and Wizard's brother snapped his head down so she couldn't see him staring at her.

"Y-yes. Yes we did, very much so..." He said trying to compose himself.

"Is...something wrong?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Nothing I can't handle, and don't question me; I said all I have to." Wizard's brother said as she looked at him funny.

"O...k..." Rhea Fighter said before sitting down, grabbing a small sandwich and looking at the lovely weather...while her companion kept looking at her. Yes they were different species, and she was more than 10 years older than him, but that hasn't stopped humans and elves from having their own families together...not that he'd want a family with someone so...childish.

"So...you're a giant-killer now." Wizard's brother said as an ice-breaker.

"So are you, with a _World Spawn_ at your disposal no less!" Rhea Fighter exclaimed and got a proud smile out of him.

"Yes, I am." He said as his companion took another bite.

"Aren't you hungry?" She asked with her mouthful.

"I've..already eaten..." Wizard's brother said.

"Liar. There's still plenty of sandwiches in the basket here, and we brought a similar number with us when we came here." Rhea Fighter said.

"Alright, I didn't think about it..." Wizard's brother said and got another funny look.

"You...didn't think about eating?" Rhea Fighter asked in disbelief and Wizard's brother sighed deeply.

"I got distracted o.k.?" He said before biting into a sandwich.

"By what?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Nothing serious..." Wizard's brother said.

"Really...?" Rhea Fighter asked and Wizard's brother groaned.

"I watched you dance through the meadow o.k.? Now get off my back." Wizard's brother snapped before taking another bite.

"You...watched me?" Rhea Fighter asked and Wizard's brother nodded. "How did I look?"

"I said get off my back!" Wizard's brother snapped before getting a grip. "I'm sorry...but my sister's teasing over us supposedly being involved is just murder. I'm all for being "progressive", but there comes a point where enough is enough."

"Do you...want us to be involved? You know...like that?" Rhea Fighter asked cautiously and got stared at for a bit.

"You know, I have no fucking clue anymore..." Wizard's brother said in exasperation and they sat there eating the rest of their food in total silence until they were done. They then packed up their blanket, scraps, and the like into the basket and looked back at the monastery. "Should we pay the monks a visit?"

"Why not?" Rhea Fighter said as they headed there and saw Abbot coming out and looking into the distance clutching his heart with a worried look in the face. "Are you alright Father?"

"I feel...a great disturbance..." Abbot said harshly.

"What kind?" Wizard's brother asked with concern.

"The Sword Maiden...something terrible happened to her. I can feel it." Abbot said.

"Tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means." Rhea Fighter said with horror in her voice.

"I wish I could..." Abbot whispered and Rhea Fighter covered her face with her eyes watering.

"Dear Supreme. _No_...!" Wizard's brother breathed out before a flash happened inside the monastery...and they heard a voice.

"The Supreme always has the final say in these matters..." The voice said before the 3 could see the person.

"It can't be..." Abbot said in awe.

* * *

Meanwhile, Fighter was giving the aspiring martial artists a crash course in some of the more advanced techniques, which included the chakras being opened. A few of them even managed to get them opened, and the rest got frustrated they couldn't get them opened, and got envious of the ones who did, but after hearing Fighter tell how envy was ultimately weightless, they dropped it. Afterwards, the ones who opened their chakras, engaged Fighter in a handicap match with her against them, and even though they outnumbered her...she still outmaneuvered them like she weighed nothing.

Every time one charged at her, she tripped them, shoved them to the side, or flipped over them. Every strike was blocked, dodged, deflected, or even redirected at themselves, another, or even the ground as she slammed them into it. She even wowed the people watching by spinning and twisting around them as they charged her from different angles, sometimes in-mid air. It was like she was telling gravity "fuck you and everything you stand for". Inside the tavern...Guild Girl was doing some twisting of her own...

"You want to become an adventurer now?" She asked Cow Girl.

"I want to join Goblin Slayer's team." Cow Girl said with pure determination on her face.

"Are you sure?" Guild Girl asked.

"I've never been more sure. I've given this alot of thought, and I've seen what Goblin Slayer, Ranger, and their teams can do, and I've even tried some of their moves on my own time. Granted, I didn't do very well,; thank goodness no one saw me fail, but I know they can give me a hand, and I won't slow them down." Cow Girl said.

"Alright...but you'll have to start at Porcelain Rank." Guild Girl said.

"I don't care." Cow Girl said before getting her tag and slipping it on.

"Well, for what it's worth...Ranger and his team became Silver Rank in less than half a year, which ironically is what I predicted; I actually told them they'd make Silver Rank in less than a year to their faces." Guild Girl said.

"And with them each giving me a hand..." Cow Girl trailed off and Guild girl exhaled sharply.

"If you take a page out of each of their books, you might get to Silver Rank even sooner than they did..." Guild Girl said.

"I do like the sound of that." Cow Girl said with pride before getting a grip. "Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves..." The two ladies then saw Warrior, Wizard and Priestess come in. "Priestess? You look like a younger version of the Sword Maiden now."

"That's the idea." Priestess said with a smile before Wizard showed her ring and the ladies eyeballed it.

"You too?" Guild Girl asked.

"Yep. We just married." Wizard said.

"Surprise." Warrior said and some people heard them.

"Another marriage in the team?" One of them asked.

"What next? Priestess hooks up with a monk or something?" Another asked dryly.

"You know people of the faith rarely ever marry." Another answered.

"I was just kidding." The 2nd one responded.

"Hey Ranger? You want to duel instead of arm-wrestle? I do owe you a rematch." Heavy Warrior said and Ranger looked at him funny. "No hard feelings, but I did kind of whoop your ass when you were Steel Rank."

"Good point..." Ranger said with a smirk, then the two men went outside...and the whole tavern went with them; it's not every day you get to see a Platinum Rank in action, let alone against a Silver Rank with they have a score to settle, even if it wasn't personal. Fighter was about to come inside when the two came outside and she watched the people follow. She then watched from a distance with Cow Girl and her teammates by her side.

"Congrats on your wedding by the way." Fighter whispered to Wizard who smiled.

"Now, before we start, you should know a few things." Ranger said as they entered the arena.

"Alright, let's hear it." Heavy Warrior said as he prepared his greatsword.

"I'm not just Platinum Ranked because I killed the vampire queen; I have a whole arsenal stored in my armor." Ranger said and got some funny looks before morphing a crossbow and some people exclaimed.

"How did you do that?" Spearman asked.

"Alchemy of course, and I have 4- well...5 weapons I prefer, there's this crossbow obviously, there's these guns..." Ranger said as he turned his crossbow into a pair of revolvers. "...which are able to launch small metal projectiles at ridiculously high speeds, and hit with enough force to blow a goblin's brain out the back of it's skull with one shot. So I won't be using these, or the crossbow." He then morphed his twin swords and lashed them around like whips which wowed the crowd and made H.W. back up. "I won't use that function either, but the swords themselves? Fair game."

"Will you please get on with it?" One of the people called out.

"Hey! It's not my fault there's alot to go over, and my opponent needs to know these things! Anyway...for this duel, I'll use what you have." Ranger then morphed a greatsword. "Not this..." He then changed it so it's as big as his opponent's rather than larger than his whole body. "Now I can fight fairly."

"Well...I can see why you're Platinum Ranked now..." H.W. said a bit nervous.

"Relax, we're on the same side, and this armor was a gift, and don't ask who it was from." Ranger said.

"Hey, as long as you know which side to be on, I don't give a damn how strong you get; there aren't enough Platinum Ranks as it is, and who knows? I may very well become one myself." H.W. said as he prepared his sword.

"I would love to see that. Now...one match, or 2 out of 3?" Ranger asked and H.W. thought for a bit.

"2 out of 3. I want to see exactly what you can do..." H.W. said as Ranger prepared himself.

"I got 40 silver on the big guy." One of the adventurers said.

"I got 100 silver on Ranger." Rookie Warrior said.

"Aren't you going to make a bet?" Apprentice Cleric asked Female Knight.

"No way, I learned my lesson the hard way." F. K. said as Ranger and H.W. clashed over and over head-to-head, then Ranger turned it up a notch but dodging swings and attacking from different angles, but H.W. blocked them regardless...which gave Ranger a flashback to their first duel; he wasn't expecting H.W. to know how to cover his blindspots and got floored because of it. That wasn't going to happen again. H.W. then tried to bash Ranger with the wide end of his sword...only for Ranger to duck and move back when H.W. came back with a 2nd swing.

Meanwhile, Cow Girl was taking note of their movements. From H.W. covering his blindspots, to Ranger's movements, to them trying to attack from different angles, to H.W. using sweeping movements to cover as much ground as possible. Although...Cow Girl would need quite a bit of training before she could roll off of a greatsword's wide end mid-swing like Ranger did once.

"Enjoying the show?" Fighter asked.

"Observing actually. I want to be that good someday too." Cow Girl said.

"You can be..." Fighter said as she tapped her shoulder as the dueled raged on with it ending with them both putting their greatswords at each other's necks at the same time.

"Tied, go again..." Ranger said as they clashed again over and over with H.W. eventually hitting Ranger in the side...then Ranger morphed his _real_ greatsword. "I'm kidding; I said I was going to fight fairly, and I am. Which is why I won't use my war gauntlets in the next round."

"War gauntlets?" H.W. asked as he put his greatsword down and his eyes popped out of their sockets when Ranger's gauntlet grew x5 their normal size.

"These. The same ones I use to make goblins alot thinner." Ranger quipped and some people snickered and burst out laughing.

"Good one boss!" Warrior called out as Ranger de-morphed his gauntlets.

"Well, fists then?" H.W. asked.

"Fists, feet, heads, you name it." Ranger said as H.W. put up his fists and Ranger ducked and side-stepped one punch after another and landed a few of his own then took one to the side of the head before dropping down, and putting both feet in H.W.'s gut which staggered him as Ranger got up, and they each got their barrings.

"I'd rather see this than them arm-wrestling to be honest." R.W. said as the two kept exchanging and avoiding blows.

"Me too." A.C. said as Ranger tried to spin-kick H.W. in the head, only to have his foot caught...the Ranger tried to kick him with the other foot, H.W. ducks it, and Ranger twisted his first foot free and locks both legs around one of H.W.'s and trips him before rolling backward and onto his feet...then H.W. got up.

"I'm not done yet." he said.

"Good, I'd be a bit disappointed to end this duel on such a note." Ranger said before H.W. grabbed him, and just when he picked Ranger up to throw him, Ranger locked both legs around his neck and shoulder and didn't let go. He then twisted and pulled H.W. to the ground and held him there before H.W. tapped out and caught his breath.

"Alright...last round, winner takes all..." H.W said.

"Not so fast. You both need a drink." Female Knight said as she tossed them both a life potion and they both downed them.

"Alright...now winner takes all." H.W. said as he slammed the empty bottle to the ground and Ranger threw his away with a smirk before morphing his twin swords and they exchanged and avoided blows again. This time, with Ranger having twin swords, his ranger was inferior, but he could attack about x3 as often, so he had to be more nimble and fluid than straightforward and brutal, not that it did much good; H.W. knew just about every way to use his greatsword, and it showed.

Eventually, after deflecting one greatsword blow, Ranger jammed it into the ground, spin-kicked H.W. in the head hard enough to knock him off-balance, but H.W. recovered in time to block one stab after another from Ranger who spammed thrusting blows into the wide part of the greatsword as H.W. held it in front of him like a shield. Ranger then pushed H.W. to the ground by kicking the sword and put one sword on each side of H.W.'s neck as he was going to behead him.

"Looks like you win..." H.W. said while breathing hard.

"Yes...it does." Ranger said as he de-morphed his blades and helped his opponent up and they kept their hands locked as if to say "good game" as the crowd cheered and looked at each other.

"Well...that was something else wasn't it?" Summoner said from behind the team which startled them as he laughed at them.

"How long were you standing there?" Wizard asked.

"Long enough to see that big one get his ass kicked by someone 2/3 his size." Summoner said.

"Right..." Wizard said.

"You weren't staring at their asses were you?" Warrior asked seriously.

"Even if I was, ever hear the phrase "look but don't touch"?" Summoner said as Guild Girl came out.

"Summoner!" She exclaimed.

"In the _flesh_..." Summoner said dramatically before Ranger and H.W. were both praised by the crowd and bets were being cashed in.

"You two were awesome." Cow Girl said brightly.

"Yes she was taking notes." Fighter said knowingly.

"I'll bet..." Ranger said before noticing her tag.

"Yes, I'm sure about this." Cow Girl said as if reading his thoughts.

"Well...we'll give as many hands as we can." Ranger said and the team each nodded.

"Thank you all." Cow Girl said brightly.

"Hey, where's my horse?" Ranger asked.

"Still in the stable. Yes, I've been taking care of her for you, which includes taking her for a run every now and then, if your father didn't do it for me." Warrior said as Ranger's parents and daughter showed up.

"That's right boy, though it's mostly up to me when it comes to his horse nowadays, but to be fair...I can imagine being Platinum Ranked is quite a chore eh son?" Ranger's dad asked with amusement and pride in his voice.

"I've been less comfortable." Ranger said honestly.

"Well, how about you take that horse for a stroll while we look after our granddaughter?" Ranger's mom asked.

"Sounds like a plan, we'll get your horse while you set up the cart for once?" Warrior asked and Ranger huffed.

"Sure..." Ranger said.

"I'm coming too." Summoner said as he followed the team to get the horse.

"I'll see what Goblin Slayer's team has in mind for me." Cow Girl said.

"Sure..." Ranger said as he and Fighter went to their old apartment.

"You're starting to sound like Goblin Slayer again." Fighter teased.

"At least I'm doing my own thing as well." Ranger said and Fighter put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'll get some things set up myself, you...my dear, need to shave." She said.

"Of course, can't have my lady upset now can I?" Ranger teased as he went upstairs to shave, and when he was done and came outside, he heard a whoosh in the nearby room, and went to see a hell rift closing and a pair of sword-whips he recognized as Storm Mage's appeared as he looked at them in horror.

"What was that- What the _hell_?" Fighter exclaimed.

"We have to see the Sword Maiden about this." Ranger said urgently as he opened a portal to the Temple of Law...and saw Sword Maiden and Storm Mage's bloody corpses.

"NO!" Fighter exclaimed as she collapsed to her knees and wept as Ranger looked on in disbelief.

"But...but we...we stopped the goblins' assault we- we saved them! We _saved_ them! _How_ was it not _enough_?!" Ranger said frantically as he closed the portal and kicked over a dresser with an enraged yell before leaning against the wall while listening to his wife weep into her hands.

* * *

About 5 minutes later, the rest of the team came back, and found no cart to rig the horse to.

"Hey boss? Why's the cart-" Warrior stopped talking the moment he saw Fighter and Ranger sitting together with tears in their eyes and Storm Mage's sword-whips were on the table. "What the _fuck_ is going on?"

"We have terrible news..." Fighter said with a sob.

"What?" Wizard breathed out as Priestess started to shake.

"The Sword Maiden's been assassinated...!" Ranger said with despair in his voice as Priestess broke down crying as Warrior exhaled deeply as he leaned against the wall and Wizard sat down.

"What now...? What the hell do we do now?!" Warrior asked in desperation as Ranger finally got a grip.

"We make her death mean something..." Ranger said.

"Don't give us that crap!" Wizard snapped. "We've done nothing but that day-in and day-out for over a year now, and look what happened! The farm we fought to save is destroyed, that farm girl lost her uncle, the kingdom we saved from the goblins is in ruins, the people were literally dragged to Hell...now _this_? That future of hope and dreams we fought so hard for turned out to be complete bullshit, and if you think about it, it's all _our_ fault! The Supreme God abandoned us, our world is falling apart, and it's going to get even _more_ fucked later!" Wizard then lowered her voice as the despair sank in even further. "We might as well stab ourselves in the heart and save everyone the trouble..." Summoner then picked up the belt with the sword-whips and looked it over.

"My brother..." He whispered before holding the weapons close to his chest as Priestess got a grip...somehow.

"Come on, there has to be _something_ we can do!" She exclaimed.

"Like what? Sweep this under the rug and pretend it's no big deal? Wizard is right; we've _lost_. Everything we worked on is ruined; the Sword Maiden is _dead_...and for what? Once upon a time I might've said that she no longer has to deal with the memory of what the goblins did to her, and while that's a valid argument, the love she has between herself, Storm Mage and the people is also gone, and the world may never see that kind of love again. That is not something you just get over. If that Cambion is the one who did it, and I very much think he is, and he wants to finish whatever task he's working on...so be it." Ranger said seriously.

"I agree...the Sword Maiden was a symbol of hope to the whole country; where are we without her to light the way? Where are the _people_ for that matter?" Warrior asked with the despair getting to him as well. Priestess then looked at Ranger holding his crying wife, Wizard leaning back still fuming, and Warrior looking away.

"I don't think she would want us to be so torn up..." Priestess said softly.

"Well guess what? We didn't want to see our life's work turn into a pile of shit right in front of us after an incredibly awesome day!" Wizard snapped. "Now do us all a favor and quit trying to polish it..." Priestess then rushed upstairs, jumped onto a bed and sobbed into the pillow.

"Sword Maiden...please come back..." Priestess whispered in melancholy, then heard the door fly open and heard voices.

"You are never going to believe this!" Rhea Fighter exclaimed.

"What...?" Fighter asked with a cracked voice.

"Well...you'd have to see it first but- just follow us to the monastery; Abbot wants to show you something that will blow your minds out of your asses." Wizard's brother said seriously.

"This _better_ be good news...!" Wizard said through her teeth.

"Sis...you don't know the half of it." Her brother said.

"Seriously, if this is a wild goose chase I'm going to kill you...and I mean "end your life"." Wizard said with no trace of hyperbole in her voice.

"For crying out loud, please come with us and quit wallowing in your misery...not in that order." Rhea Fighter said urgently and one by one the team got themselves together.

"Alright..." Fighter said as she helped Warrior put the cart together as Priestess came down slowly.

"Priestess...I'm sorry I yelled at you..." Wizard said as Priestess reached for her shoulder...and Wizard didn't shoo away, but embraced her. "I can't believe I yelled at my little sister...!"

"I don't blame you; we're all emotional right now." Priestess said softly as Wizard wept a bit while the two hugged each other tightly for about half a minute. Ranger meanwhile embraced Fighter and pet his horse who was curious about their situation.

"I love you both..." Ranger said as he and Fighter touched the horse who neighed a bit. "Would you like to go see the monastery with your old rider?"

"I'm sure she would..." Fighter whispered and tried to smile despite being so torn up as Warrior hooked the horse to the cart and the team hopped in, while Ranger took the reigns as they rode off to the monastery in total silence. What was there to talk about? Sword Maiden blessed Ranger and Fighter's marriage, helped them defeat the vampire queen, gave them yet another reason to achieve greatness, helped defeat the Demon Lord 10 years prior to when Hero did, ruled over Water Town with the same grace she showed them, which was _really_ saying something, helped take care of Ranger and Fighter's child, and who knows how many others things...and now she's gone. Like Ranger said: that's not something you just get over.

And Summoner? He just came to good terms with his brother and now all he had were the weapons the Cambion must've seen to taunt them. How insulting could a gesture be?!

When they got to the monastery...Abbot was waiting for them with a bright smile on his face.

"Welcome. We've been hoping you would arrive soon." He said as they exited the cart.

"We?" Warrior asked as the team looked inside with Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother rushing ahead and joining Abbot to increase the suspense, and when the team looked inside...they couldn't believe their eyes. The Sword Maiden...the very woman they grieved over...was alive and well. She had a faint glow about her, wore a new outfit that hugged her figure and exposed none of her skin, while still leaving nothing to their imagination.

"Archbishop!" Priestess screamed as she dropped her staff, and rushed to hug Sword Maiden and cried her heart out into her bosom.

"I'm here Priestess...and I missed you terribly..." Sword Maiden said like a mother to her daughter as they embraced.

"H-how? We saw your dead body!" Fighter said in disbelief.

"My service and devotion to the Supreme God brought me to a greater level of existence. I am now a Nephilim, a human being, with an angel's power." Sword Maiden said.

"You still appear human..." Ranger said still not believing his eyes.

"Appearances can deceive good Ranger." Sword Maiden said while still holding and caressing her surrogate daughter.

"Why...? Why did they kill you?" Priestess asked with a sob-choked voice.

"It was that Cambion you spoke of, he wanted my help to aid the people in a way that was forbidden. One that was forbidden for a reason." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"What do you mean?" Warrior asked.

"He wanted me to help him give the people a chance to obtain the same glory you all have now. While his heart is in the right...his mind could not be further from." Sword Maiden said.

"What does that even mean?" Summoner asked.

"It means he wants to do what the Demon Lord wants to do..." Wizard said.

"Most likely, but other than that...he didn't say, but I didn't care. If I joined his cause, I would have betrayed everything I stood for, and everyone I care about, especially all of you." Sword Maiden said softly.

"And now you're back..." Priestess said softly as she snuggled into Sword Maiden's chest.

"I'm sorry I couldn't call you here in person; I am forbidden to leave this monastery, so I sent those two instead." Sword Maiden said.

"Don't get us started on how awe-struck we were, in multiple ways too." Rhea Fighter said as she watched the two holy women continue to embrace.

"I heard you call for me..." Sword Maiden whispered and Priestess snapped up to look at her warmly-smiling face.

"You...heard me?" Priestess asked.

"Yes. We are both devout servants of the Supreme God, and therefore, our souls are connected. Even if it's not a strong tie, it's still a tie." Sword Maiden said as she stroke Priestess' hair.

"What about my brother?" Summoner asked and Storm Mage's ghost came from behind Sword Maiden.

"I'm here brother..." Storm Mage said and Summoner walked up to him and tried to touch him, and the place he tried touched turned solid, then the two hugged.

"How...?" Summoner asked.

"Limbo travel. What's not to love?" Storm Mage quipped and Summoner laughed a bit before hugging him tighter. "Hey...I'm here aren't I-"

"You're dead! I know you thought you deserved this for the crimes you committed but...you're still my brother, and it's not going to be the same without you..." Summoner said as he buried his face into Storm Mages shoulder.

"I'm sorry..." Storm Mage whispered as he kept his hold on Summoner. "Do me a favor and tell our sister I love her as well, and I'm sorry for everything..."

"O.k..." Summoner said with a cracked voice, before getting a grip. "Did you at least go down swinging?"

"Yes...even though that Cambion bastard was actually able to dodge lightning, I'm not kidding you, I actually told myself "If I'm going to die here, at least I'm going down swinging." Storm Mage said seriously before backing up and turning into a ghost again.

"Did I hear you say he dodged _lightning_?" Wizard asked with terror in her voice.

"Yes, he also took a surge of lightning all over his body, and just stood there like I threw a handful of sand a his chest." Storm Mage said seriously and the team stood there in disbelief.

"So...he's strong enough to snap the boss' greatsword in half between his fingers, nimble enough to dodge two sword-whips lashing at him, has enough raw speed to dodge lightning, which moves nearly instantly...and he's tough enough to withstand a surge of lightning directly. How do we fight this guy?" Warrior asked.

"You'll have to find some way to weaken him, or if you can...trap him." Sword Maiden said.

"Trap him? How?" Wizard asked.

"Not how, where." Sword Maiden said.

"O.k...where?" Wizard asked and got a giggle out of Sword Maiden, and a huff out of Storm Mage.

"He's trying to dig up a passage to the abyss in another set of ruins. I'll let Priestess fill you in." Sword Maiden said.

"What? How?" Priestess asked before Sword Maiden put her hand on her head.

"I'll give you my skills and abilities, although...you should wait until the greater ones mature before you use them." Sword Maiden said before closing her eyes, then her hand glowed and Priestess spasmed a bit before sucking in one breath after another.

"I...I can map where it is..." Priestess said in awe.

"Later." Ranger said.

"Wait, can't you help us out? Get some payback if you will?" Warrior asked.

"I'm sorry, we can't. Even if we had a desire for revenge, we are here to give you all closure; Heaven awaits us." Sword Maiden said.

"But we'll miss you, the _people_ will miss you...I'll miss you." Priestess begged.

"This isn't the last time we'll see each other, and I can make a brief appearance at our funeral to let the people know we're alright." Sword Maiden said.

"As for me? Well...let me see that hammer." Storm Mage said to Warrior who pulled his hammer and Storm Mage poured a ton of lightning into it. "Alright, now it should be able to let you control not only lightning, but the weather itself."

"Wow..." Warrior whispered in awe at his hammer.

"And you my brother...those sword-whips are in good hands." Storm Mage said before sparking them as well and Summoner looked at them.

"I'll use them well..." Summoner whispered with a forced smile.

"You still remember the Demon Lord's language right?" Storm Mage asked and got a nod.

"The Demon Lord has his own language?" Wizard asked.

"...then make sure you teach these two clowns." Storm Mage teased.

"Hey!" Warrior and Wizard exclaimed at the same time and Storm Mage's face split with a grin.

"You two really are made for each other..." He said with amusement.

"Anyway, with the Demon Lord's tongue, you can work some...pretty interesting mojo, so to speak." Summoner said.

"Like?" Warrior asked.

"Like entering Limbo, like I did, although this is Her Grace's doing; I'm just a tag-along." Storm Mage said.

"You're my protector, and my lover; I couldn't not bring you." Sword Maiden said softly.

"You...gave him your heart?" Abbot asked curiously.

"I have indeed, and I never regretted anything less." Sword Maiden said softly.

"No doubt." Abbot said before Sword Maiden approached him.

"I have a parting gift for you as well..." She said as she put her hand on his chest...and his grey hair turned brown and his wrinkles disappeared. His youth was restored! The team stood their watching the miracle as Abbot stood their shaking and breathing hard as he felt his body change and looked himself over as Sword Maiden back up.

"I...feel young again...!" Abbot said.

"You _look_ young again Father." Fighter said in disbelief.

"Quite a parting gift isn't it?" Sword Maiden asked as Abbot hugged her.

"Your charity is only surpassed by your beauty Your Grace..." He said with reverence as Sword Maiden returned the embrace.

"Speaking of parting gifts..." She said as she materialized a partially used bottle of sterility potion and handed it to Fighter...who looked it over. "Yes, me and Storm Mage have made love, on more than one occasion. As much as I'm relieved to not need it anymore...I don't want someone find out, and you need it more than I do."

"I understand..." Fighter said softly.

"Now...I must go. All of you, gather your forces with the demon hunters and do to the Cambion what you did to the vampire queen." Sword Maiden said firmly.

"Our plan exactly Your Grace." Ranger said. "And I'm sorry...we were having the time of our lives, and you were in the last confrontation of your life."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm free now; I'm no longer burdened with what happened to me in life, and I get to spend an eternity with the love of my life, never to be ensnared by goblins, or anything else, ever again. And you Wizard? Your outburst was driven by despair, the Supreme knows this, as I know it." Sword Maiden said as she joined Storm Mage.

"I will do everything I can to make this team as strong as we need to, and maybe find a way to weaken that bastard who murdered you." Wizard said firmly and Warrior took her hand and she interlocked their fingers.

"I know you will succeed. You are the greatest team of adventurers I know. Not one of you is not blessed by the Supreme, whether it's on the battlefield, in love, or in fortune. Warrior and Wizard, I know how simple yet refined your wedding was, and not just as archbishop, but as your friend...I hope you obtain nothing less than what a marriage should be. Ranger and Fighter...yours was the only wedding I have blessed, and it couldn't hold a bigger place in my heart. I would say continue to stand by each other but...I can see there's no chance of you not doing so." Sword Maiden said and got a few chuckles from the team. "As for you Priestess...that Cambion said we both left worthy successors, and my last word...was your name."

"You really want me to be your heir?" Priestess asked in awe.

"It would be no less than my deepest honor to have you as my heir. You have achieved more than I did when I was your age; you have your own Gold Rank, you're part of a team led by a Platinum Rank, and you even survived a trip to Hell itself. You...have a great deal to be proud of." Sword Maiden said as she stroked her cheek, then Priestess sucked in a breath and turned to Ranger.

"Sir...may I have your hairband?" She asked and Ranger removed his and Fighter's hairband and handed it over...then Priestess tied part of her hair into a ponytail and Sword Maiden smiled brightly.

"You look just like me now..." She whispered and Priestess hugged her yet again. "This is not good-bye...but I will still miss you."

"And I'll miss you..._mother_..." Priestess said before weeping again as Sword Maiden kissed her forehead and the feelings lingered.

"Until next time...and, tell Goblin Slayer I said "Thank you"..." Sword Maiden then took Storm Mage's hand, they embraced...then vanished into thin air.

"Farewell Sword Maiden. May Heaven hold the richest place for you..." Abbot said as Priestess was surrounded by her team as Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother looked at each other as they kept watching from a respectful distance.

* * *

The team rode back to town in a much better mood, but still had nothing to talk about...until Warrior decided to break the ice.

"Wizard...I want to learn illusion magic myself. Helping heal minds is nothing to sneeze at and I'd be honored to get involved in it." He said seriously.

"Alright. I have no idea how good you'd be at it, but I cannot argue with your point to save my life." Wizard said with the same tone.

"Me neither...what kind of in-law would I be if I fought with you over something valid?" Her brother asked and a few people smiled over it.

"Well, the boss learned more than just illusion magic, so if he can do it, so can I." Warrior said.

"Typical, my husband has something, so must you." Fighter teased.

"Now to be fair, he doesn't know how to heal minds. Wait, you don't know how to heal minds right?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"No, but that's what my team is for. Like I told Priestess...I may be on the right side, but I'm not a gentle spirit; there's a reason I serve the War God with so much enthusiasm." Ranger said.

"You know the Rage and Fear illusion spells right?" Rhea Fighter asked and Ranger nodded. "Well...does a Rage spell work on allies as well?"

"It might, but there's no way I'm testing it; people under a Rage spell attack _anyone_, friend or foe until the spell wears off, and the last thing I want to see us be killed by if each other." Ranger said.

"Right. Doing it to goblins is one thing since...well, they're fucking _goblins_, but other people? Eh, that's iffy..." Wizard said as the team simply slouched into themselves as they enjoyed the rest of the ride. When they finally got back it was twilight, and when they entered the tavern...it was nearly empty since the adventurers al likely got quests...and Guild Girl and Inspector were crying as they hugged each other. Not them too...

"Ranger? Someone told us the Sword Maiden is dead...tell us it's not true!" Guild Girl pleaded and Ranger sighed and said nothing.

"How could this happen...? How can anyone be that heartless?" Inspector asked.

"It was a Cambion. The offspring of a demon and a human. He killed her because she didn't want to betray us. She died upholding the Supreme God's values. We actually came back from seeing her now-divine form giving us her blessing; she actually said I should be her successor. I even changed my appearance to honor her..." Priestess said with reverence.

"You...have got to be the sweetest person I've ever met." Inspector said with a sob. "Tell us you'll stop this Cambion before any more lives are lost."

"Mark my words: that Cambion _will_ pay for this...!" Ranger said as he walked out...leaving the team behind.

"Where is Goblin Slayer and company?" Fighter asked.

"In the back room...they heard what we heard." Guild Girl said as she dried her eyes, and spotted Summoner leaning by the door. "Summoner..?"

"My brother was murdered as well...and that Cambion had the audacity to drop his weapons off at the team's home as an insult!" Summoner said while tensing up.

"Your brother? Storm Mage?" Guild Girl asked.

"Yes Storm Mage! Who else?" Summoner snapped and the two ladies flinched before Summoner got a grip. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry, we're all emotional here." Fighter said as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Did you really see Sword Maiden's ghost?" Inspector asked.

"His and Storm Mage's, and Sword Maiden is a Nephilim now." Warrior said.

"What? I thought Nephilims were a myth." Inspector said.

"Trust me, they're as real as Cambions." Rhea Fighter said.

"Well...at least she's still watching over us from Heaven..." Inspector said with a more hopeful voice as she looked away and clutched her scale amulet.

"Let's just go get Goblin Slayer's team, head to the fort and go get that Cambion." Wizard's brother said.

"I'm staying here for a bit; I did a beer..." Summoner said as he went to the bar and got a mug while the team went to get GS' crew...who were in the back with Cow Girl and H.E. Archer mourning as well.

"When does it end...?" Wizard asked with the frequency of people being so disheartened getting to her.

"This is likely going to happen to the whole country. Like the boss would say: all we can do is stop this before it gets worse." Warrior said as Fighter worked up the nerve to go see them.

"I heard you talk to Guild Girl. Tell me this plan will work." H.E. Archer said as she held Cow Girl.

"I don't know...but it's our only shot." Fighter said and Cow Girl stood up.

"Take me there and train me _now_!" She demanded.

"Alright, and I think it's best you and I train first. If you can handle your body as if it were a weapon, using an actual weapon should be cake." Fighter said.

"Not a problem." Cow Girl said.

"And Goblin Slayer? The Sword Maiden said thank you..." Fighter said.

"Alright..." GS said softly; even he was taking this seriously. They then heard Bard and Songstress singing, and to their surprise...Summoner joined in. as the team watched them honor his brother; that song was the one he and Bard sane at Noble Fencer's birthday. They then heard Ranger yelling as a hell rift opened, and he was smashing one goblin after another to a paste with his gauntlets while everyone, especially Guild Girl, and Inspector watched from the window.

"Wait...I recognize their life forces. Those are the same goblins we fought on our first quest, and the ones we killed in that cave the 2nd time." Fighter said.

"Well, this is one hell of a way to deal with pent-up rage." Wizard said as the ground shook from Ranger stomping a goblin's brains in with a heavy boot morphed.

"Ranger..." Guild Girl whispered as she watched him literally crush the goblins like they were made of glass. Eventually, he tackled a hob to the ground, tore off it's head, then threw it at a goblin that made for the tavern to get Guild Girl and the goblin died on impact. Another hob came out, Ranger flipped it onto it's back then repeatedly punched it in the face with escalating violence.

"Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam ! Bam Ba- Sorry, couldn't resist..." Warrior said awkwardly as Ranger kept punching away until it's head was paste, then looked around at his prey and yelled to the sky in victory.

"I hope you saw that Cambion, because what he just did to those goblins, is what _I'm_ going to do to you..." Summoner said coldly as Guild Girl looked at him with concern.

* * *

After the massacre the team took Fighter and Ranger's daughter from his parents, loaded the cart and headed through a portal to the demon hunter's fortress. The hunters were returning from missions and others were working on the fort itself, or their respective crafts. When they went inside, they were greeted by a dwarf...with no beard, and well-kept clothes and hair.

"Welcome back boss." The dwarf said.

"What in-? Who are you and where is your beard?" Dwarf Shaman demanded.

"Oh for fuck's sake, this is getting ridiculous...I've been more interested in human culture than my own for ages. So if you're going to ridicule me, go ahead and get it out of your systems now, and leave me alone..." The other dwarf said dryly and as he crossed his arms.

"Well, it's pretty bold to stick to your ways like this." Fighter said impressed.

"Thank you very much my good ma'am." the dwarf said with a smile before noticing her ring. "Ah...who's the lucky man?" Fighter then pointed to Ranger with her thumb. "I take it back: who's the _very_ lucky man."

"Point taken, now...if you don't mind, we've had a pretty shitty day..." Ranger said as they went inside to sit down with the dwarf following.

"Ah, I can tell you a thing or two about shitty days..." he said before grabbing a two-handed gun.

"Is that another gun?" Wizard asked.

"Nothing gets past you milady. This isn't just a gun, it's a rifle. Arguably the best kind of gun. Wait, how do you-" the dwarf shut up the moment Ranger morphed a pistol. "O...k...you're- A Platinum Rank! Holy shit his just gets better and better!"

"What is it with you dwarves and guns?" H.E. Archer asked and Dwarf Rifleman looked her over.

"You know we take pride in our creations Long Ears, and why shouldn't we?" Dwarf Shaman asked when GS showed up.

"Wait...I know you! You're the Goblin Slayer, and you must be his team, and you must be the ones who helped him wipe out the goblins and save that elf girl who was captured by an ogre a year ago!" Dwarf Rifleman exclaimed.

"Yeah? So?" Warrior asked and Dwarf Rifleman laughed.

"Boy, if I knew you were around I would've sought your asses out a _long_ time ago. This calls for a celebration, at least for me." Dwarf Rifleman said before fetching a bag full of food and setting it up. "A dwarven delicacy in case you don't know."

"We haven't had this since my birthday..." Wizard said as she took some.

"We had some before we fought the ogre remember?" H.E. Archer said as she took some herself and the rest of the team took a bite themselves as Cow Girl walked in holding the baby.

"You have a baby with you?" Dwarf Rifleman asked as he went to see her as Cow Girl knelt down to his level and the baby stared at the dwarf.

"Cute isn't she?" Cow Girl asked with her usual soft voice returning to normal.

"Yes she is. May I ask who the father is?" Dwarf Rifleman asked.

"Uh, she's not mine." Cow Girl said honestly before looking at Ranger and Fighter.

"Oh...well, same congratulations apply." Dwarf Rifleman said as the awkwardness wore off.

"Thank you very much." Fighter said as she took the baby back from Cow Girl and rocked her.

"You all probably don't know this but...that girl you saved from the ogre and I go way back. She actually looked after me when I was just a pup." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"You were looked after by an elf girl, and you're interested in human culture, to the point where you took after them? You're one interesting dwarf." H.E. Archer said as he huffed at her.

"So I keep being told. Anyway...she's a good woman; she didn't deserve whatever they did to her...hell no one did." Dwarf Rifleman said as he took a bite himself. "And that business with the Sword Maiden? That has to be the biggest "fuck you" to the country I've ever heard of..."

"You heard of it too?" Ranger asked.

"Heh, who hasn't? It's been doom and gloom for the better part of an hour around here, and since we hunt demons for a living...that's saying something." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"We're here to get ready to find the Cambion to murdered her and my brother." Summoner said.

"Cambion? Shit, this _is_ serious..." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"You've heard of them?" Fighter asked.

"Heard of them? I met one, and no I don't know if it's the same one, but...ho boy...he was one _cold_ son of a bitch..." Dwarf Rifleman said in exasperation.

"I'm here to get some training in as well, and maybe look after the baby if I have to." Cow Girl said as she showed her tag.

"Ah...a Porcelain and a Platinum Rank in the same room...that's rare. As for he baby, I'm sure she's in good hands..._very_ good hands." Dwarf Rifleman said as he stared at Cow Girl's supremely-developed chest.

"Hey, keep your eyes in their sockets." Wizard snapped.

"The whole reason women have breasts, aside from being that much easier to look at, is to feed a baby if need-be. It's an established fact." Dwarf Rifleman said honestly.

"That doesn't mean you have a license to kill." Fighter said.

"If that's the case, Heaven help Long Ears's child." Dwarf Shaman quipped and H.E. Archer gasped.

"Whoa! Hold up! There's a handful of things you just don't make fun of, and a lady's bosom size is one of them." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"Says the guy who was just undressing me with his eyes..." Cow Girl groaned.

"Not at all; I'm sure the man you have a family with with be quite a lucky lad, and I couldn't be more serious." Dwarf Rifleman said honestly.

"Well, I do appreciate the compliment, if you can call it that." Cow Girl said.

"That is all it was meant to be my good ma'am. Besides, it's not the size, it's how it's used..." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"Must this discussion be about something so trivial as a human female's body shape when there is a genuine threat on the horizon?" Lizard Priest asked seriously.

"Right...well, if what I've heard about this Cambion is anything to go by, your work is cut out for you. He once ran through a small army of crusaders, at least 40 to be precise, killed them all with his bare hands, didn't get hit a single time, shrugged off Holy Light miracles, and even punched through a solid stone wall with enough force to make it literally explode before he did all of that..." Dwarf Rifleman said and the team tensed up and some, like Cow Girl were practically wetting themselves.

"It's a good thing we have the idea of weakening him first, we just have to figure out how." Wizard said.

"Weaken him you say? That gives me an idea..." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"What?" Wizard asked as the whole group turned to him.

"Ever heard of elder dragons?" Dwarf Rifleman said and Lizard Priest exclaimed in excitement.

"Ancestors be pleased! You know of an elder dragon?" He asked and Dwarf Rifleman nodded. "Yes! We're saved now! the baby started crying in fear of Lizard Priest's outburst as Fighter shushed and rocked her baby until she got ahold of herself as Fighter kissed her forehead. "I apologize for frightening your child Lady Fighter, but this...it is a miracle we found you Sir Dwarf."

"What are you all talking about?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Elder dragons know secrets of magic so powerful, it was entrusted to them for centuries, and only a select few are chosen to learn this magic, and one of the branches is the ability to drain, or at least nullify another person's power, even if they are stronger than you. Like, _much_ stronger than you." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"Eh, I killed a dragon myself and even got use out of it's body parts...should I be anywhere near it?" Warrior asked.

"Good question, but I guess that depends on why you killed it. Elder dragons aren't morons in any way, shape, or form. Heh, unlike the lesser dragons which are little more than wild animals, the elder dragons possess so much wisdom, they might as well claim to have the minds of gods. On top of that...they're a _dream_ to talk to." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"Well, let's go see him. Wait...you know where he is right?" Wizard asked.

"Yep, like the back of my hand." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"Alright, let's go see a drag-" The alarm cuts Ranger off as Fighter gave the baby back to Cow Girl.

"We're under attack..." Summoner said as Dwarf Rifleman grabbed his rifle and followed the team outside...and saw the hunters set up their defenses as a group of scouts entered the gates yelling warnings and Summoner got involved himself. Then Wizard used Life Sight...

"Undead...lots of them, and one has a damn powerful signature." She said.

"I can feel it...it's the same man who cursed me." Fighter said as Ranger walked forward and sensed him out himself.

"Whoever you are...you made the biggest mistake of your life coming here." Ranger said coldly.

* * *

**Well, yet another assault to fight off, all in a day's work for the Team eh? So...an elder dragon's going to join the fun. Fun fact: that Dwarf Rifleman is not my character; someone else helped me write him. Looking at you TheCarlosInferno. Anyway, next episode, we'll get to see the dwarf in action alongside the team, and minor spoiler alert: he's going to join GS' team later on, so he'll have two dwarves to haul around...yeah. Also...Sword Maiden is a Nephilim now, but is that really so surprising? She has the Supreme's blessing times a million, and if Cherub can get involved directly from Heaven, the team can get dragged to Hell, and a whole bunch of other supernatural shenanigans, then her going back and forth between Heaven and Earth is certainly on the table. It kind of makes her like a female Jesus now that I think about it...but that's pure coincidence I swear. Anyway, undead are on the hitlist for next episode, and so is that shitstain that cursed Fighter. Be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while we await whatever medieval bullshit Ranger has in mind for him. Stay tuned...**


	26. Chapter 13 Part III

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. It's the moment we've all been waiting for. Warlock has finally played his gambit, let's see how oh-so-gloriously it pays off.**

**Review Response: Yeah...I'll bet it was one hell of a way to get the team back in the game eh? They were so torn up over it, it physically hurt me to write it, especially when Priestess asked Sword Maiden to come back, and flatout called her "mother"... good lord those parts sucked. Cambion and the Demon Lord likely have radically different goals considering that Cambion tried to recruit her instead of just flatout slaughtering her and Storm Mage like animals without a word.**

**Built a trap, get their hands on a curse...see for yourself. Cambion toe-to-toe As for Warlock? Oh boy...this is going to be painful.**

**As for Dwarf Rifleman...well, I already said he's going to join GS' crew, but that's all I'm saying. It's also kinda funny in hindsight that he assumed Cow Girl was the baby's mother when in reality...Fighter was.**

* * *

"What do you see?" Summoner called to Dwarf Rifleman who looked through a scope on his rifle from a tower.

"What _don't_ I see? Skeletons, zombies, all with weapons galore. I'm going to need more bullets..." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"Just pick off the important ones, we'll handle them on foot." Summoner said as Ranger used Smith to make a hatchet, and gave it to Cow Girl who still held his daughter.

"Watch my daughter..." Ranger whispered and Cow Girl nodded, sensing how tense he was as she took the axe.

"Hell of a first quest isn't it?" Wizard asked seriously.

"But one I'm against, for obvious reasons." Cow Girl said before going inside as GS watched.

"You should probably go watch out for her. There might even be hell rifts opening inside that spawn goblins, and even with that axe, she can't handle half as many as you can." H.E. Archer said seriously.

"Alright." GS said softly as he went inside after her.

"I'll go too in case any rifts open up." Rhea Fighter said before Wizard's brother stopped her.

"Be careful alright?" He said and she nodded before going inside, then Warrior pulled his hammer, Priestess and Ranger each drank a vial of holy water, Fighter, H.E. Archer, and Dwarf Shaman joined the wall to pick off the undead charging at the fort with their bows, and rocks. Priestess then empowered every weapon in the entire fort so the hunters could have an easier time. Wizard charged up a fire spell and waited for the right time to hurl it. Lizard Priest summoned a pair of Dragontooth warriors that charged into the fray alongside the fire, stone, ice, and water elementals that helped fight the horde with some animal familiars from Wizard's brother.

"You improved." Ranger noted; Lizard Priest usually summons only one at a time.

"I prefer not to use more than one Sir Ranger, but this _is_ a most dire situation." Lizard Priest said before spawning a pair of sickle swords and tearing into the horde of undead with Ranger behind him gunning down every zombie his companion misses. The hunters meanwhile shot their own bows and crossbows into the horde while others swung at them with just about every kind of weapon in the book, from daggers, to axes, to greatswords, to halberds, to maces and hammer.

Some of the mages even took control over some undead and had them fight each other...Wizard was so looking into what these hunters could do with magic later on, but first...she had some undead to cook, so she used Levitate to float up so she could get a clear shot over the gate...and saw the hundreds upon hundreds of undead pouring into the gate; thank the Supreme Ranger and Lizard Priest were there to keep them under control with the hunters helping out. It was a daunting sight, but she was Gold Ranked for a reason; it would take more than this to make the likes of Wizard shit their pants.

"Firestorm!" Wizard yelled and a barrage of blue fireballs rained down on top of the undead and when they stopped pouring into the gates...every stopped to watch the fireworks and some even gasped and stared at the enchanting colors. Fires were usually quite daunting, but a blue fire could be nothing but eye-catching, especially if they were burning through undead trying to kill you as if they were made of dry paper.

"I'm going to need fewer bullets than I thought..." Dwarf Rifleman quipped as he smirked and nodded...but then his eyed widened when the flames turned bright purple, were formed into a ball overhead that slammed into the gate, blowing back the entire team and setting some hunters on fire. For Wizard...it was the time Ranger caught fire all over again, but this time...he was fine, but over a dozen hunters were thrashing around trying to put the flames out while their screams filled the air. She tried to take control of the flames...but it didn't work! The hunters all turned to charred husks while she sat there powerless to stop it.

"DAMN YOU!" Summoner yelled across the battlefield as he arranged some summon stones...and a World Spawn came out of the portal formed by them and it spewed lava on the 2nd wave of undead that now included gargoyles flying in...before the World Spawn swats them away like flies one by one. Wizard meanwhile was so distraught by how her own fire spell was used against her team...again, that she didn't notice Dwarf Rifleman coming to fetch her as she huddled up by a wall.

"Are you alright?" He asked as Wizard buried her face into her hands.

"It happened again..." She said with a cracked voice. "My own spell, used against my teammates..._again_...!"

"That's not your fault; there's no way you could've seen this coming. No one could have." Dwarf Rifleman said softly.

"He's right. Besides, if that old fuck down there wants to try that again, there's no way Priestess won't be ready; she's more than smart enough to be prepared." Warrior said as he knelt down to his wife, and took her hand. She reaction was immediate; his touch combined with his reassurance was enough to pull her out of the muck she was in. She then saw her brother prepare his own fire spell and she remembered their Reflect spells.

Meanwhile, Fighter was checking on Priestess, who was waiting for her broken leg to regenerate.

"Thank the Supreme you still have that necklace." Fighter said seriously before looking around...dozens of the demon hunters were blown to pieces, burned to death, or crushed by rumble. "Can you...restore them?"

"I don't know. The Sword Maiden did so but...I don't think I could, or even if I should. What if our goblin problems get worse?" Priestess asked.

"Good point, and we have no idea if they wouldn't just die again." Fighter said as they watched the World Spawn continue to crush the undead. "At least we have a World Spawn to help even the odds."

"Speaking of which..." Wizard's brother said as he prepared and then summoned his own, and the carnage became twice as epic.

"_Two_ World Spawns? Ouch..." Warrior said while sweating a bit.

"Oh! Fighter! Catch!" Wizard yelled as she tossed a silver-sapphire circlet to Fighter, who looked it over. "That's to keep you from getting cursed again."

"Thanks." Fighter said as she put it on her head and looked at Ranger who smiled a bit. Even in the heat of battle, her beauty was omnivorous, and he had two World Spawns to buy them time to admire her, so...

* * *

Back inside, Cow Girl held the baby her parents entrusted to her as close as she could on her bed with her hatchet laying next to her. The baby then started whining a bit.

"Shhh...don't worry little one. I'm here for you, and I'm not going anywhere." Cow Girl said as softly as she could as she kept holding the baby before putting her hand in grabbing distance, and watched the baby play with her fingers while the lady smiled brightly at her. "Just like I didn't at the festival up north. Did you enjoy yourself at least? I sure did...especially when we watched the main events from the top of a tower. Oh the wonder...your parents, their friends, everyone, showing the people why they can be relied on, with the twin moons and the northern lights dancing across the sky. That's a great way to be introduced to a place, I think. It's a shame you won't remember what happened there...but I never will. Now here I am, protecting you as my first quest as a Porcelain ranked adventurer, and your father even left me a hatchet to protect you with. We even have Goblin Slayer outside protecting us. He might be scary sometimes, but he's a good man...just like your father." The farm girl then looked up in thought. "I can only imagine what he and his team is doing to those monsters outside, and even though I'm no where near as strong as they are...I will do everything I can to keep them from hurting you." She then rubbed her cheek against the baby's as she cooed and touched her face in response and Cow Girl giggled a bit. "Look at me...I'm treating you as if I were your actual mother. Then again...the Sword Maiden did the same thing...may she rest in peace. So...technically, you have _three_ mommies."

Their moment was interrupted by a whoosh, then slicing, yelling, the unmistakable sound of goblins snarling and screaming in rage and pain, and even a gunshot or two. Cow Girl then covered the baby's ears to keep her as calm as possible. "Please don't cry...I'm still here, like I promised..." About a minute later, the noise died down, and a knock was heard that she recognized. "Come in?" GS then opened the door and Cow Girl sighed in relief.

"Are you alright?" GS asked with genuine concern.

"Yes..." Cow Girl breathed out as she kept holding the baby close.

"Call me, if you need me." GS said softly as he slowly closed the door.

"I will..." Cow Girl whispered with a smile.

* * *

Outside...hell rifts were opening and the surviving demon hunters were slaughtering goblins with almost no help from the team, even though they took as much part in the massacre as they did when they got the chance; no sense letting things get too out-of-hand, especially not just to make it interesting. Fighter once slashed through a hob's legs, then stabbed it through the head with her arm blades, Warrior whirled his sword around and any goblin that even got close was sliced to pieces, even if he didn't hit them in the place according to where they fell apart. The wizard siblings did what they could to fix the gate with their Repair spells, as Ranger kept them covered. Some goblins recognized him and kept their distance...only to be shredded by Summoner swinging his sword-whips.

"For my brother..." Summoner whispered before a trio of hobs tried to crush him from behind with clubs, only for Priestess to put up a Protection barrier, which Ranger shot them through before leaping through the barrier and shot down dozens of goblins from atop the small mountain of dead hobs, before he switched to his short swords and craved through the rest, occasionally lashing out by extending their whip mode, then retracting them back into swords...which Summoner copied with less effect and ease, but it was a good start nonetheless.

"Alright Storm Mage...let's see what you did to this hammer..." Warrior said and held up his hammer...which made some clouds appear out of nowhere, and he sparked them with lightning, which built up over time, and thunder roared and deafened the goblins in the area, as if they weren't already easy enough to kill. Eventually, a goblin paladin emerged from a hell rift in the middle of the area, and bashed several hunters away from it with the flat of it's sword, and Priestess moved the Protection barrier to herself as it brought it's sword down on her, to no effect, then swung a couple more times before the barrier went down and Warrior actually threw his sword at the paladin's sword, disarming it, then Fighter grabbed it's leg, pulled it out from underneath it, dragged it into the middle of the area before the paladin tried to grab her...only for her to break free after a brief struggle, dislocating it's fingers in the process, then Dwarf Shaman rose the ground beneath it into the air, then a lightning bolt from the clouds came right down on in before it could fall, which vaporized the paladin as small rocks and armor pieces rained down, crushing some goblins in the process. Warrior then heard a chuckle behind him...and saw Storm Mage's ghost giving him a thumbs up before vanishing, and Warrior put his own thumb up.

"Hey new dwarf!" H.E. Archer called as she kept shooting goblins and stabbing the ones who get close with her daggers. "You still have bullets?"

"Don't worry about my bullets my dear; I've got _plenty_ to go around!" Dwarf Rifleman said as he kept popping goblin heads until his clip ejected out the top with a loud pinging sound, and the goblins nearby who heard it covered their ears...and got a steel-clad rifle stock to their faces as Dwarf Rifleman used his rifle as a club.

The twin World Spawns were still keeping the undead at bay with their stomps, swats, lava spits, frost spewing, and eventually lightning calls...then a swirling green and black vortex appeared, sucked the two of them and the rest of the undead into it, and a gigantic dragon with it's flesh withered down to it's bones, horns and claws came forth and spread it's wings. Warlock then mounts it just behind it's horn as it takes off.

"I'm going to need a bigger gun..." Dwarf Rifleman said as his face fell at the sight of the undead dragon...which was heading straight for the fort with green flames spewing out of it's mouth as some hunters...only for the flames to be deflected by the wizard siblings.

"Or we could just see what they do to that dragon themselves. I've never seen one move that fast either, and I've seen plenty of dragons centuries ago." H.E. Archer said.

"Centuries? How old are you?" Dwarf Rifleman asked.

"Over 2,000 years actually. You?" H.E. Archer asked as D.R. stared at her in awe.

"Barely a hundredth of that." he said finally.

"It doesn't show..." H.E. Archer said before they readied for another pass, as D.R. reloaded and opened fire at the dragon which flinched from his 2nd-to-last round piercing it's eye and the last makes the clip eject with another ping sound. "Why does it make that god-awful sound?"

"This baby ejects the clip of bullets so I can just slip another in no problem." D.R. said as he reloaded and aimed at the dragon waiting for it to make another pass, and Priestess put up Protection to prevent it from hitting them as D.R. opened fire with Dwarf Shaman launching rocks, Ranger shooting it, Fighter launching blades, the wizard siblings blasting it for their own fireballs, and the hunters shooting arrows and bolts at it as it passed...but it crashed into a tower, killing the people inside it, and flattening some people below.

"Hey Scaly? Can't you get that thing to throw it's rider off or something?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"Even if I had that ability, that dragon is an insult to its kind and must be purged." Lizard Priest said firmly.

"What do you mean?" Fighter asked.

"I know it's condition, it's a plague dragon, an unholy bastardization of a once-living and proud dragon. It doesn't deserve the fate it was dealt, but it's no better than goblins when it comes to it's taint on this world. At least as far as dragons are concerned." Lizard Priest said.

"Then this is a dragon I have to get rid of." Warrior said.

"On that, Sir Warrior, we agree..." Lizard Priest said as Warrior drew his sword, charged it as he activated his heavy armor, and Wizard prepared to launch him at it with Levitation, and once the plague dragon came back...she launched him at it as he craved through it's chest, and sliced off a wing as he yelled. The plague dragon then crashed into the ground outside the walls, and Warrior landed on the other side. He then climbed up the wall, ran back to the others who were watching the dragon as it's fire went out and Warlock crawled out from under it.

"Scratch one plague dragon..." Wizard's brother said.

"But the rider yet lives." Lizard Priest said.

"Not for long..." Ranger said as he jumped over the parapet, and walked towards Warlock while morphing a greatsword.

"Ranger! Capture him...I want a word with that asshole." Summoner said.

"Fine..." Ranger growled as he kept walking.

* * *

Back inside Cow Girl set the baby down on the bed for a moment, making sure the place she sat her down on was nice and fluffed up, before trying a few practice swings with the hatchet. It wasn't too heavy, or too light, it felt good to hold, it was solid metal so it was likely pretty durable. She'd probably get an Obsidian Rank just for having it but...that is wildly optimistic. Just as she was about to pick the baby back up...a hell rift opened in her room, and she prepared to fight them for once, and each time a goblin came through, it's head was split open. She even reflexively punched goblins out of the air as they pounced at her. The baby starting crying which hurt their ears, and tugged Cow Girl's heartstrings, but her survival and protective instincts were in full-swing, as was her hatred for the goblins. These abominations killed her uncle, Goblin Slayer's sister, and who knows how many others, and now was a golden opportunity for her to draw some blood herself, and by the Supreme, she was _not_ going to waste it.

One of them actually stabbed her in the calf, making her growl as she snapped it's neck, and used it's body as a shield while she swung with her hatchet, but she was eventually overwhelmed, and just as the goblins started tearing off her clothes...Sword Maiden appeared, and used Holy Light to blind and sear them to blackened husks.

"Sword Maiden?" Cow Girl asked in awe as the former archbishop healed her leg, and even threw in an empowerment. Then more goblins appeared and Cow Girl went from barely being able to handle them, to completely dominating them. Before, she was just able to chop into their skulls, go from one to the other just fast enough to land the hit before they could hit her, all while moving at full speed. Now...she was practically shattering their skulls, and tearing through two or three goblins every second for about ten seconds until they had enough. Sword Maiden sealed the rift when the fight ended, then took the crying baby and stroked her cheek.

"I have come back child..." She said like a mother would to her own child, then a few seconds later the baby stopped crying, looked up at her bright, smiling face and griped her finger. "Not even death will keep us apart, and you girl...there is no way I will let you suffer what I did when I was alive."

"For a second, I thought I would...thank you so much Your Grace." Cow Girl said seriously.

"I'm not the archbishop anymore; you can stop saying that to me now." Sword Maiden said amused.

"Alright...I heard what happened to you, and Storm Mage...the whole country is miserable right now." Cow Girl said somberly.

"So...Cambion was right, I would be missed sincerely." Sword Maiden said as she kept rocking the baby.

"That bastard...!" Cow Girl whispered as her fists tightened.

"Rest assured, the people will see I am still with them, and I always will be if they need me. Evil may win the battle, but the Supreme God always wins the war" Sword Maiden said and Cow Girl's hopes lifted, as did her face.

"I actually told that baby that she technically has three mothers...you just proved me right." Cow Girl said.

"You proved yourself right as well; I don't even want to think about what these goblins would have done to her..." Sword Maiden said and Cow Girl's eyes widened.

"They wouldn't...!" She whispered in horror as her eyes watered.

"Relax...they're gone, thanks to us; this child will suffer nothing." Sword Maiden said.

"I know but...to think that...I mean, a baby? One who had barely begone her life? How can anything but that heartless...?" Cow Girl said as she tried calming down to no avail.

"Regardless, two of her mothers are here, and I will let nothing happen to her. Will you?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Absolutely not." Cow Girl said without pause.

"Then your fears are toothless." Sword Maiden said as she sat down and kept holding the baby as she looked over the carnage. "I used to fear these creatures more than death itself, now I help slay them...how times change. Like how you merely aided Goblin Slayer's life, now you aid him directly."

"I know a thing or two about killing goblins, and Ranger made me this axe, which I've certainly used before every now and then." Cow Girl said before looking over her half-shredded overalls. "At least I wore something rated for heavy work; it would be pathetic if I had to fight in my underwear. Ranger would probably say it would be a distraction..."

"He wouldn't be wrong, but...let's not discuss that; things are twisted enough as it is." Sword Maiden said.

* * *

"The famous Ranger, the 11th Platinum Rank...the same man who journeyed with that herbalist girl in the north." Warlock said as he crawled out from the plague dragon's corpse with a crushed leg as Ranger de-morphed his greatsword; it wasn't needed.

"So _you're_ the bastard who threatened her grandparents!" Ranger exclaimed.

"That's blabbering bitch...Cambion should've killed you both when had the chance..." Warlock said as Ranger grabbed him by the back of the head, dashed across the field and jumped over the wall and Fighter removed her mask to reveal her face. "You again... I cannot believe I cursed Ranger's wench." Fighter then kicked him across the face.

"You're in enough hot water as it is. If I were you, I'd try to keep it from boiling, not that it will help." She said coldly before Summoner showed up and stared at him.

"Summoner...I'll be damned. Demon slayers and goblin slayers side-by-side..." Warlock said.

"Yep...brave new world isn't it?" Ranger asked before Summoner picked Warlock up and punched him back down.

"Enough of the face-hitting please..." Warlock said.

"Enough? _Enough_?! They're all dead! My people are all _dead_! We survived everything: storms, undead, trips to Hell itself, movements across the whole damn world, and then _you_ show up and I lose fucking everybody! You damned Evil Sect bastard! Everywhere you go, everything you do, everyone you meet, every second of every day, it's never anything but death, pain, and tragedies, you parasitic sack of shit!" Summoner exclaimed before kicking Warlock in the ribs as Dwarf Rifleman spoke up.

"Not everyone...I'll live to see a few more days, and there's the people who went inside, big-brained bastards and bitches." He said before looking Warlock over. "You know, I didn't think you'd survive that crash."

"Disappointed maggot...?" Warlock asked.

"Ah fuck you. Let's see how cocky you are when I take a torch and _dagger_ to you!" Dwarf Rifleman snapped.

"You think this is over? The Cambion has an _army_. He'll free me, and we will stomp all of you like ants-" Warlock barely finished as D.R. bashed his lights out with his rifle.

"Get him out of my sight..." Summoner said.

"My pleasure boss." D.R. said as he dragged Warlock to the rear entrance.

"Hey, I wanted to kill him myself for several days." Ranger said.

"Relax, it'll just take a bit longer this way. This shitstain doesn't deserve a quick death. Plus...you brought him here, so I'll keep you in mind." D.R. said as he brought Warlock inside.

"Where are they going?" Priestess asked.

"The dungeon, and do not ask why." Summoner said.

"Let me guess: torture?" Warrior asked dryly.

"Nevermind...let's go inside..." Summoner said as he went inside with the others following him...and found GS butchering a dozen goblins as Rhea Fighter slashed the rift to close it.

"That makes 237..." GS said as he put his sword away.

"Good grief Orcbolg, look at this mess!" H.E. Archer exclaimed as Ranger and the wizard siblings absorbed the goblins' essence. "Really now?"

"Hey, it's this, or we get alot of mops, also...we should get the ones outside too." Wizard's brother said.

"Oh, right." his sister said as they went outside.

"Where's our daughter?" Fighter asked as Sword Maiden came out holding the baby.

"Sword Maiden? But...you're dead!" H.E. Archer exclaimed.

"I was, but the Supreme made me a Nephilim." Sword Maiden said as Fighter and Ranger looked their child over. "She is fine. Her guardian had to slay her fair share of goblins, but we won the battle."

"What? Goblins attacked our daughter!?" Ranger asked as he and Fighter snapped their heads up with horror and outrage on their faces.

"Goblins are cowards by nature. Stealing or killing babies is nothing new to them either." GS said.

"Just when you thought they couldn't get more cowardly..." Lizard Priest said.

"Regardless, it is good to see you alive and well archbishop." Dwarf Shaman said as he took her hands and Sword Maiden nodded.

"I am pleased to see all of you as well, especially you Goblin Slayer. Your farm girl friend follows in your footsteps well." She said.

"I want no one following my path." GS said seriously.

"It's a little late for that." Warrior said as he crossed his arms.

"Later than you think." Cow Girl said as she came. Luckily, her most private parts weren't exposed. "And don't worry, I'm not hurt. Well...not as hurt as I could be..."

"Still...it's a sickening thought considering how hurt you could've been." Ranger said seriously.

"Then it's ironically a good thing the Cambion murdered me, and this is not the first time I helped someone in this form." Sword Maiden said.

"How?" Priestess asked.

"Mostly by giving aspiring clerics a boost when they needed it, but that's too petty in the grand scheme of things." Sword Maiden said.

"Can we discuss this in the morning? Things are too tense for me right now..." Summoner said as he trudged off to bed.

"Alright...good night everyone." Cow Girl said as she went to bed and GS came with her and got a funny look from her.

"I'm tired too, and...I think you still need me." He said and got a small smile from the girl.

"You're learning." She said as they went into their room, closed the door, and he removed his armor, while she stripped to her underwear...and got hugged from behind, with GS' hands on her belly.

"You completed your first quest, and killed some goblins in the process. You should be proud..." GS said.

"I am...though I'm glad the Sword Maiden appeared when she did." Cow Girl said while shaking a bit and GS tightened his hold on her. She then turned in her arms. "Tell me...describe how my body feels to you?"

"Pleasant." GS said simply.

"O.k...as much as I like knowing I have that effect on you, I would like details." Cow Girl said.

"There's nothing unusual about how you feel. You're warm, soft, hard in some places...like I said, nothing unusual." GS said before Cow Girl backed up and looked him in the face.

"Goblin Slayer...what happened to your sister almost happened to me, and I'm asking you to help me deal with the memory, so please...don't make me beg." She said tensely.

"Beg for what?" GS asked.

"I want you to rub me, from top to bottom. Remind me what is supposed to happen when two people are close..." Cow Girl said seriously.

"How?" GS asked and Cow Girl unclipped her bra, letting her massive breasts hang free and put his hands on them.

"Now...move them around, squeeze them, rub them, lightly pinch my nipples, whatever...just calm me down." Cow Girl said softly as GS did what she said and squeezed her breasts from different angles, pressed his hands into them, rubbed them with his fingers from side to side, lightly twisted and pinched her nipples, while the girl gasped in pleasure and leaned her head back. "Thank you so much..."

"I'm just...doing what you told me..." GS said as he kept working her chest.

"You could've said "no" and made us go to bed, but here you are...helping me the only way you can. You've helped so many people, including myself by killing goblins, and now, you're with me doing the one thing you haven't done to help me, and fulfilling your sister's request." Cow Girl said and GS stopped, much to her puzzlement.

"My sister...she wants me to actually live..." GS said softly, and Cow Girl removed his hands and hugged him close.

"Yes, and I want to help you do so." She said as GS hugged her back.

"Thank you...and I do love you." He said.

"I love you too...now before we get some sleep, how did they feel?" Cow Girl asked.

"Pleasant...very pleasant." GS said seriously and got a giggle out of the girl in his arms.

"They're available to you anytime we're alone, especially when we're about to go to sleep, or after waking up." She said before dropping her underpants and putting his hands on her round, fleshy buttocks. "So is this..." GS didn't even need to ask before giving her butt the same treatment as her breasts and she chuckled a bit. "You're learning..."

"I wouldn't have lasted long if I wasn't a fast learner" GS said as he kept squeezing, rubbing, and fondling her flawless butt.

"Unbelievable...the lessons you learned from killing goblins, is also the reason for the pleasure you're giving me. Talk about poetry..." Cow Girl said as she pressed her breasts into his chest, and moved up and down, which tightened and softened her butt as a result, and giving them both new sensations. She then regrettably stopped him. "That'll do, now...let's get some sleep." They then got into bed with her snuggling into him, while he wrapped his arms around her. "Tomorrow...I train to be a goblin slayer myself."

"Yeah..." GS whispered.

* * *

"Well, this siege could've gone alot better..." Warrior said as he and his wife went to their room...and Wizard sat down and started weeping her eyes out, which made Warrior rush to hug her.

"My own fire...how much of a middle finger could I have been given!?" Wizard asked with a cracked voice.

"Hey, Warlock is paying for it right now." Warrior said seriously.

"At least a dozen of Summoner's people are dead because of _my_ spell! You know I take a great deal of pride in my magic..." Wizard said.

"I also know you being torn up over this is precisely what that warlock wants. You want revenge? Stop kicking the shit out of yourself." Warrior said.

"It's not that simple...I had a flashback to when the boss was set on fire because of my spell. I know it wasn't my fault but...that doesn't change anything." Wizard said.

"It also doesn't change the fact that he has a baby daughter now despite that ordeal. That champion must be turning in his grave." Warrior said with a smile and got a laugh out of his wife.

"I remember when you said that before..." Wizard said as Warrior held her face and ran his thumb over her cheeks as she looked at him with light in her eyes.

"I love you..." She whispered.

"I love you too..." Warrior said before kissing her as sweetly as he could.

"One more time..." Wizard whispered before getting a second kiss that was longer and deeper as she wrapped her arms around him, removed her armored cloak, as he removed his armor and they went to bed once they were naked. "Warrior? Remind me of something nice..."

"That's easy, the times you dressed in blue for that fencer's birthday, and the time you dressed in red for our promotions. I don't know which color is sexier for you..." Warrior said and Wizard giggled before sitting up and getting on top of him.

"I actually prefer blue; the red I wore was more for appealing to the masses. Red is associated with passion afterall." Wizard said.

"Well, you look like a walking pile of "Take me now" either way." Warrior said and got a genuine laugh out of her as she pressed her breasts into his pecs.

"I married the right man; before I was a walking pile of "Why even?", and now...I'm laughing my ass off." Wizard said.

"That's alot of laughter." Warrior teased and got playfully smacked on the chest by her.

"You perverted scumbag." Wizard said before kissing him deeply and passionately, and he fondled her buttocks while she lashed tongues with him while moaning and smacking their lips. "Dear Supreme, if either of us drank some potion, I'd ask you to take me now..."

"Well, next time we make love, we could remember this? We could even use illusion magic to travel back to this moment." Warrior said and Wizard's eyes widened.

"You're thinking like a mage." Wizard said genuinely impressed.

"Then I married the right woman." Warrior said as they both smirked.

"Yes...yes you did..." Wizard then sighed as she snuggled into him as he wrapped his arms around her. "Good night my beloved dragon slayer."

"Good night to my beloved sorceress." Warrior said.

* * *

"I thought for sure you were going to kill that warlock on the spot...why didn't you?" Fighter asked Ranger who was standing there thinking as Priestess and Sword Maiden stood there waiting for his answer, with the former holding the baby.

"Probably for the same reason I brought him to Summoner; like that other dwarf said, he doesn't deserve a quick death, and I am somewhat proud of being responsible for whatever he has in mind for that piece of shit. Plus, it was pretty satisfying seeing you and Summoner each get some revenge of your own." Ranger said.

"Hey, that archdemon called me a whore twice, and look what happened to him." Fighter said.

"Not only that but...you still could've chopped him in half on-the-spot. like you said you would, but you didn't." Priestess said.

"There's also an equation I overlooked, much to my displeasure..." Ranger said.

"Which is?" Fighter asked and Ranger looked right at her with his shame present.

"I love you more than I hate him..." He said and Sword Maiden hugged him.

"I knew you would come around..." She said as he returned the hug.

"You saw something in me even I didn't know was there, and I should've known better than anyone..." Ranger said still ashamed and Sword Maiden backed up.

"All the more reason for you to reap the rewards from it." She said and Ranger smirked.

"Ironic, I give you a speech about conquering your demons, and now here you are doing the same for me." Ranger said and Sword Maiden smirked herself.

"That is ironic...but not unfitting." She said before looking at Fighter and took her hand, then Ranger's, and put them together. "I...will never stop being proud of blessing your marriage..."

"Nor will we forget you for it." Fighter said.

"Ranger...is it too much to ask you to kiss my forehead?" Sword Maiden asked and got a funny look from him. "I know you kissed Guild Girl's forehead once, and you're right, it's more innocent than it seems, and I know your feelings for me are no different than your feelings for her. Like the Love Goddess preaches: love isn't always romantic..."

"Very well..." Ranger said before planting the softest kiss he could muster on her forehead. "Storm Mage was as lucky a man as I am now."

"He gave me no less than what your wife gave you. Yes, I know what happened between you, from the pond, to your time in Hell, to her birthday after you escaped...to what happened as she was carrying your child. You are both...dare I say it, made for each other, and deserve nothing but the greatest of glories for your services to the world." Sword Maiden said while smiling.

"Normally, that would earn you quite a bit of static for giving out private information..." Fighter said.

"Relax, we're alone here; I know the cherub could stop time to talk to you; I can do the same. I could yell the details of your love-making sessions at the top of my lungs, and no one would be wiser for it." Sword Maiden said jokingly.

"Don't you dare..." Fighter playfully snapped.

"Relax, I'm not _that_ childish..." Sword Maiden said as she took the baby from Priestess as time resumed. "I will look after your child; get some sleep, all of you."

"Good night...mother." Priestess said softly as she went to her room, and Fighter and Ranger went right to bed after stripping naked and kissing once.

"I cannot believe we didn't see my father with our child..." Fighter groaned.

"It's not too late...well, _now_ it is, but we can get another chance later." Ranger said.

"Right...I cannot wait to see his face when he sees his granddaughter..." Fighter said softly as she snuggled into her husband's side while Ranger inhales her scent. "Good night love."

"Good night love..." Ranger whispered.

* * *

H.E. Archer woke up in the middle of the night to get a snack of spiced cheese and bread, with some milk and Dwarf Rifleman came in as she finished eating.

"You took quite a bit of time killing that guy." She said seriously.

"Heh...after the shit he's pulled? He dies slow..." D.R. said with a grin.

"You're actually torturing him...?" H.E. Archer asked in awe.

"He'd do the same to any of us, and I knew some of those hunters he killed for a few months and wanted to get to know others. Some of them even owed me some fucking money! As far as I'm concerned, he cheated me out of friends...and money, and I've torn people new assholes over alot less than that." D.R. said.

"Still...you're no better than him if you torture him." H.E. Archer said seriously.

"Lady...you don't become a demon hunter without being a few crumbs short of a sandwich, and frankly, I have more than a few crumbs missing..." D.R. said.

"What?" H.E. Archer asked.

"I was tortured myself, more times than I can count. I was actually freed by a demon, ironic since I hunt them now...but what changed my gratitude into horror, is that this demon helped me in exchange for another person's soul, so I killed the bitch and freed every soul she captured. I've been hunting them ever since then." D.R. said.

"Who tortured you and why?" H.E. Archer asked.

"The first was some crime lord who wanted to use me as a bargaining chip...before a paladin burst into his office and stomped him to death after trashing the place. Another was a gang leader who wanted me out of the picture so he could move in on a girl we both had eyes for. I killed him myself with oil and fire after he raped her. I tried to find the girl I avenged for some time before I found out she died of a sickness later on. The last serious case was the guy's brother who was actually even worse; the first two were just lusting after power or the like, this guy was a member of the Evil Sect who had a practically bottomless hate for anyone who wasn't him. As you can guess, the fact I killed his brother with fire didn't settle very well. Frankly the only reason I'm still alive is because of an elven cleric who chastised me for not giving two sweet fucks about my safety." D.R. said.

"You have...quite an interesting past..." H.E. Archer said in disbelief.

"You don't know the half of it; if I told you all of my past, we'd be at this all night..and then some." D.R. said before sighing. "Although...a good chunk of what happened to me was earned. I spent a good chunk of my childhood, hell even nowadays throwing punches and curses at just about anyone, even if they had my best interest at heart. I guess that's what happens when you feel safe around people isn't it?"

"Yeah...I know that much; me and that other dwarf took more shots at each other than we do at goblins. Frankly the only reason I tolerate him is because we do need each other." H.E. Archer said.

"You know, we dwarves might not be the most pleasant folk, but we're not so bad once you get to know us." D.R. said and got a chuckle out of the elf lady.

"Tell me something I don't know. When I first saw you, I thought to myself "great, another dwarf to make fun of me"; seeing you defend my chest size was both surprising and refreshing at the same time. That other dwarf takes a shot at me over every chance he gets." H.E. Archer said.

"I'll bet you give him just as much flak for it, am I right?" D.R. said with a grin that was returned. "Well, like I said, there are some things you just don't make fun of, and...well, I do admit I've seen women with better figures...o.k. _much_ better figures, that doesn't excuse getting personal, especially not for the sake of it."

"Thank you very much. I've always been on the skinny side, but...that's not my fault." H.E. Archer said.

"Believe me, if it _was_ your fault, you'd have twice as much to worry about." D.R. said before H.E. Archer's face fell.

"Look...I'm sorry about that girl you mentioned." She said somberly.

"Ah, she's in Heaven now, probably dancing her legs off with joy." D.R. said before sighing. "It's a shame I can only listen to that asswipe who forcefully fucked her scream for so long, hence why I love inflicting pain on people like that warlock so much...I dare say it's like I'm trying to take my own pain out on him, even if that pains isn't mine. But...it doesn't work that way does it? Oh well...what's done is done; only way is forward..."

"Yeah...I'd like to share my own stories with you someday." H.E. Archer said.

"I would like that very much, but for now, let me pay that warlock another visit then I'll get my own fill of shuteye." D.R. said as he drudged off to the dungeon again.

"You're not done with him?" H.E. Archer asked and got a laugh out of the dwarf.

"No...not by a long shot. Like I said...he dies slow." He said as H.E. Archer went back to bed.

* * *

In the morning, the team got right to training Cow Girl, starting with her getting the armor Wizard got from the elf archmage's spire in the oceanic city. It was mostly a black skin-tight suit with blue chain mail, some scales, and some plating covering it. Cow Girl moved around in it as a test, and it fit her like a glove; it emphasized her figure even more than her overalls did, and Warrior even hit it with his hammer with reasonable force to get her used to the impact and to show how magic-proof it was. Wizard barely had to do a thing to it since the metal it was made of had a "natural" resistance to magic.

She then put on the mask which resembled GS' visor, and the helmet which had "made by elves" written all over it. Cow Girl even got a laugh out of Ranger saying how her figure being emphasized can distract foes which gave them less motivation to fight her since...Sword Maiden predicted he'd say that. Ranger then noted how her Porcelain rank gave her foes a reason to not take her seriously...big mistake.

True to her word, Fighter gave her a crash course in unarmed fighting. Starting with a demonstration between herself as Ranger. Granted they were no where near as violent as they were normally, even by their own standards; they try to beat each other, but not wound each other, but still. Cow Girl wasn't flexible or skilled enough to do any of the more advanced moves Fighter pulled, like flipping, or throwing kicks in mid-air while spinning, but the basics were cake. Fighter simply let her know how to strike properly: use as much force as you can generate all at once, and strike into the target, don't hit it, then stop cold. "Your strikes stops the target, not the other way around" as her father used to say.

The wizard siblings gave her axe a frost enchantment like Rookie Warrior's; his was hardly the only one in the frontier. Wizard herself gave Cow Girl silver-emerald circlet that fit into her helmet, then bound them together so the circlet didn't fall off. The point was to of course ensure she was immune to illusion magic, at least directly. Wizard's brother copied Warrior's shield-bracelet and gave it to her, and this one could be as small as a buckler for fast movement, or as wide as a hoplon for heavy situations.

Wizard also gave her a crash course in how magic works, which included how everyone could potentially use magic, but no one really did since...it wasn't just about willpower, but also about knowledge of how magic works, which was a blend between one's spiritual and physical power, which the former taking priority, but the ratio depended on what kind of magic was being used, and figuring that ratio out was easier said than done. Her potion-brewing, enchanting, and especially her alchemy were a whole other things entirely; she'd save that for later.

Priestess told her about how holy water is used to increase the power of miracles, like how Wizard's mana gems made magic itself more powerful, and how drinking holy water was not only a good way to demon-proof yourself, but also made more sense than wetting yourself with it. She couldn't teach any miracles since you'd have to follow the Supreme God, Earth Mother, or any other deity to get those, and Ranger was not going to have her follow the War God; that business is not for the faint of heart. To follow the War God, it's not enough to be able to handle yourself, be driven to fight the good fight, or work with others on the frontlines...you have to actually build a desire to cause destruction, death, even pain and fear, and be able to let that desire consume you without it completely taking you over, but rather...the other way around, and then have that desire be your weapon. The amount of people with that kind of mindset must be more rare than platinum itself.

Luckily , there were other ways to get strong enough, and Ranger was going to stay behind while H.E. Archer and Dwarf Rifleman led Wizard, her brother, Warrior, Priestess, Fighter, and Lizard Priest to the elder dragon. Ranger also gave Fighter his portal gem, asked her to come back soon, before giving her a good-bye kiss as they departed; they needed the portal gem more than he did. Rhea Fighter, GS, and Ranger were going to train Cow Girl while they went to the elder dragon's lair. Summoner and Dwarf Shaman were going to finish the repairs to the fortress along with the surviving demon hunters. Overall...there was much work to be done.

* * *

**Well, GS got to second base with Cow Girl...so good on him. Anyway, for those of you who haven't figured it out, Dwarf Rifleman's gun is based on the M1 Garand, hence the ping sound it makes when it ejects the clip. I don't know for sure why that happens, but it happens so, there you go. Awful nice of Sword Maiden to throw Cow Girl a bone with the goblins eh? As if GS wouldn't go on a rampage over it...although, I'm sure some people are crazy enough to hope the goblins are that stupid. As for me? Come on...who in their right mind condones what the goblins do to women?! I've been giving it the finger this whole time, and I'm not stopping anytime soon.**

**Also...bet no one expected a little bit of flirtation between the rifleman and archer eh? Talk about worlds colliding... Also...I'm sorry for the information dump at the end, but I have to ask: do you REALLY want me to go over each and every single minuscule detail of Cow Girl's training after so much happened? Cause...I don't, especially since there's alot more to come as I hinted, so be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while the rest comes your way sooooo...stay tuned.**


	27. Chapter 14 Part I

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. At least the team has a plan to take care of Cambion now thanks to their newest member, now let's see them act on it...and see how Cow Girl's training goes with the team's big cheese.**

**Review Response: Yeah...and this case is arguably worse; poor girl's going to get Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at this rate...but at least she has Warrior to ease her mind eh? As for the baby? Heh...you know things are tense if a woman is willing to risk getting gangbanged by goblins to keep a baby safe.**

**Well, some people gave me flak for summaries before, despite my honest apology for it, so...as a wise man said: some people are just a miserable pile of "I can't even".  
**

* * *

Rhea Scout returned to Cambion who was sitting on a rock overlooking the slaves digging up a stone doorway.

"So...I was failed yet again?" Cambion asked.

"There was nothing I could do my liege. W-Warlock was captured and...he's probably dead." Rhea Scout said.

"And you're about to _join_ him!" Cambion snapped as he stood up and Rhea Scout jumped back in fear before Cambion calmed down. "Did you at least signal the Evil Sect's army like you promised? The passage to the Astral Plane is almost uncovered, and you know what sort of creatures lurk within."

"They're gathering in an out-of-the-way spot as we speak, and they should be on-the-march any time now." Rhea Scout said.

"Ride out and motivate them to travel faster." Cambion said.

"May I ask what you will do?" Rhea Scout asked.

"Keep these men digging. Now go, and if you encounter Ranger, pray to whatever deity you can think of that he does not find you." Cambion said as he sat down and looked at the digging site.

* * *

"You better be careful with Ranger's horse. She's 7 years old and Ranger's had her since she was a baby." Fighter said as Dwarf Rifleman drove their cart to the elder dragon's lair.

"Oh relax, I can handle horses like I handle my rifle." D.R. said.

"I must thank you again for enabling us to meet an elder dragon Sir Hunter." Lizard Priest said.

"Don't mention it. Hey, you have a thing for dragons?" D.R. asked.

"Very much so. My people have revered dragons for countless generations, and we even believe ourselves related to the great beasts." Lizard Priest said.

"I hope he'll be o.k. with me now that I killed a plague dragon..." Warrior said as he looked up from reading Wizard's spellbook.

"Sir Warrior, you have done not only us, but the whole world a service by killing that abomination. This elder dragon will no doubt revere you for it." Lizard Priest said.

"In any case, we have a few stops before we get to the dragon's lair, which includes a hot spring and an old dwarven outpost to maybe stock up." D.R. said.

"Alright..." H.E. Archer said as she kept laying down, using the bag she has as a pillow.

"Are you still tired Lady Archer?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Yes...I don't regret staying up but...my body apparently does." H.E. Archer said before yawning and the Team spent a good 5 minutes in total silence before Warrior held out his hand and some yellow smoke appeared.

"Hey! Careful with the Fear spell! You hit any of us, we'll start tripping balls in the worst way." Wizard's brother exclaimed as Warrior's spell vanished.

"Well, at least I know what not to do to use a mind-healing spell." Warrior said awkwardly.

"You don't fucking say." Wizard's brother said.

"Actually...this reminds me that I should illusion-proof all of us. Come to think of it..." Wizard said as she took out a mana gem. "Priestess, your necklace?" Priestess than forked over her regeneration necklace, Wizard tapped it together with her mana gem and gave it back. "There, it should be able to let you grow back lost limbs if needed."

"Let me guess, that's a mana gem?" D.R. asked.

"Yeah, you've seen one before?" Wizard asked.

"Yep, I also know where the word "mana" comes from: the language of the people that live on a chain of island far off the coast. The word itself refers to spiritual power." D.R. said.

"Like the chakras..." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"I guess...but according to them, there's only two serious ways it can be generated, or at least strengthened: win fights, and...well...shagging." D.R. said.

"Are you serious? We can get stronger just by kicking people's asses or having as much sex as possible?" H.E. Archer asked in disbelief.

"Apparently, so if any of you have a special someone, I'd fuck their brains out as often as possible if I were you." D.R. said.

"I don't know...I was taught that mating is a sacred business, one that shouldn't be taken lightly." Priestess said.

"Indeed it is good lass, but if you have a bond with someone, who is anyone to stand between you?" D.R. asked rhetorically.

"Man's got a point." Warrior said.

"Wait, how do you know about this?" H.E. Archer asked.

"I've had more travels than I can count before I joined Summoner's crew, which includes going to temples of the Sea Goddess, whom those islanders revered with a passion..for obvious reasons." D.R. said.

"That doesn't explain how you know about mana." H.E. Archer said.

"They told me, duh." D.R. said.

"I'll bet you had quite a bit of fun with some of their women eh?" Wizard said dryly.

"Believe it or not, I'm still a virgin. No way I'm throwing away my first time away on something not complete." D.R. said seriously.

"Well, in your case...please don't try to make me an uncle before we're done with the Cambion." Wizard's brother said.

"Relax, we use as much of that sterility potion as we need to, but when we're done, all bets are off." Wizard said.

"When you're ready, may your young be healthy and as plentiful as you desire." Lizard Priest said with reverence.

"Thank you very much..." Wizard said with a smile. The first time he said that to Ranger and Fighter was kind of awkward, but also quite sweet, and now that the lizardman is informed enough...it's nothing but sweet now.

"It's too bad I gave my arsenal away to the recruits back in the frontier; that farm girl could use the diversity in her skills..." Warrior said thoughtfully.

"I'm sure she'll be fine..." Fighter said.

* * *

Back at the fortress, Ranger had Cow Girl try her hand with a longsword on one of the dummies the demon hunters used.

"That'll do. Believe it or not, your technique is better than the Hero's." Ranger said and Cow Girl raised an eyebrow; she was clearly not expecting that. "How often do you use a blade?"

"This is my first time using one, but I saw your fight with that big guy with the greatsword and asked myself "what would Ranger do?" Cow Girl said and Ranger smirked at the flattery.

"Well, considering you didn't use a blade before, that was great. Be that as it may, there's alot more to go over, but that really should be expected." Ranger said.

"Oh it was; getting it right on my first try is...ridiculous." Cow Girl said.

"Even I still have a few miles to go, and I've been at this since I was 5 or 6 years old." Ranger said.

"Yikes...no wonder you've done so well so far." Cow Girl said exasperated.

"Hey, I myself picked up new tricks over my career, and as a Platinum Rank...it's alittle disgraceful if I don't give you what I have." Ranger said and Cow Girl chuckled a bit.

"Anyway, I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but why have me use a sword when the axe you gave me works just as well?" She asked.

"Simple: the more weapons you master, the more likely you are to win. Say you throw your axe, and it doesn't come back to you for...some reason, but that's the only weapon you know how to use properly, and the rest of the weapons around you are almost unknown to you. Worst case scenario: you're screwed..." Ranger said.

"I figured..." Cow Girl said softly.

"On top of that...the contrast of the difficulty of one style versus another can make a greater impact on what you feel each time than you realize at first glance. An axe and a sword for example." Ranger said and Cow Girl thoughtfully looked at her blade.

"Now that you mention it...the axe is slow and clunky despite how much damage it did to those goblins, yet his sword is light and easy to move, although, it doesn't hit as hard." She said.

"Raw damage isn't everything, especially if one strike to the right place is all it takes, like a stab through the heart, or the top of a goblin's head." Ranger said.

"You're starting to sound like Goblin Slayer..." Cow Girl said amused then looked down nervously before looking around. "May I ask about something personal?"

"That depends...what kind of "personal" do you mean?" Ranger asked.

"Between you and Fighter...in bed..." Cow Girl said cautiously and got a curious look from him.

"Wait...you and Goblin Slayer-" Cow Girl cuts him off.

"No, we're haven't had sex, at least...not yet, but...at a better time w-would you..." She then takes a moment to compose herself. "Would you please let me know what you do to Fighter when you make love?" Ranger stood there in disbelief then looked at the entrance thoughtfully.

"Alright...if it'll help the two of you, I'll share my secrets, but I'm not going to touch you, at least not without your armor on; these hands are only touching my wife's body." Ranger said seriously.

"I get it." Cow Girl said.

"Well, what have you done together so far?" Ranger asked.

"I just had him touch me, even my chest and legs. He said my body feels pleasant, but that's about it." Cow Girl said.

"He does not know how lucky he is; if my position was reversed with his...you would probably have to _cut_ my hands off of you." Ranger said honestly.

"O.k...this is making me uncomfortable..." Cow Girl groaned.

"Sorry, that was not my intention, but I mean it, Goblin Slayer is a lucky man, and you both deserve each other." Ranger said before putting his hands on her shoulders and got a small smile out of her, before he hugged her tightly yet softly. "Thank you again for looking after my daughter. If something happened to her...I don't know what I'd do..." Cow Girl then returned the hug.

"You're a good father Ranger, and I'm sure you're a good husband as well. You certainly deserve those Platinum tags." She said softly as she tightened the embrace and they stood there for a few more seconds and did nothing but breath deeply, until he pulled away from her, still holding her narrow waist, and looking at her softly.

"There's one more thing I'd like you to try." Ranger said as the softness slowly faded.

"O.k..." Cow Girl whispered as they let go.

"A mental exercise to be exact. You know I use my massive swords by simply wanting them to follow my lead?" Ranger asked.

"No I did not..." Cow Girl said as Ranger morphed one and her eyes widened, her breath becoming shaky, and her legs trembled at the sight of the sword that was larger than the man holding it, as he put it on the floor.

"Do you want to be able to lift this?" Ranger asked and Cow Girl slowly nodded. "Then try it out." Cow Girl then looked the weapon over and thought. If she could lift this...somehow, and hit an opponent with a competently executed strike, the damage could be...immeasurable. But how _can_ she pick it up? Ranger can but..he has special armor, he's about as big as GS, maybe larger, and he's used to handling it. She has only her armor, which she doubted was as advanced, but...she did agree it would be awesome if she could use it.

So she crouched down, grabbed the handle, sucked in the deepest breath she could, thought of the pride she'd feel if she could pick up...and she did...halfway. It was much lighter than she thought, but when her resolve shook for a moment...the thing became heavier, and her panic made it impossible to pick up again, and try as she might...it wasn't coming off the ground again.

"Come on...!" She groaned as she tried and failed several times to pick it up.

"Stop...stop!...STOP!" Ranger yelled as she let the sword go and huffed and shook with frustration.

"I was so _close_!" Cow Girl snapped as she pounded the ground with her armored fist and took a moment to calm down. When she did, Ranger knelt at her side.

"There's a reason I called this a mental exercise. Your frustration was going to happen even if you succeeded." Ranger said.

"Then why did you set me up to fail?!" Cow Girl snapped.

"Because the recovery you go through will prepare you for easier tasks. Think about it, if your training is worse than the real thing, then when you encounter the real thing, the risk will be that much lower, especially if it involves PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder." Ranger said.

"I know what PTSD means..." Cow Girl said.

"If you faced those goblins without knowing what they were, what they did, or how to use an axe, then even the best axe in the world wouldn't have saved you; only preparation can." Ranger said.

"But I _was_ prepared! I had so many things going through my mind before I picked up that sword I don't know where to start, and none of them were holding me back; quite the opposite actually. That includes pride in being able to use it..." Cow Girl said and Ranger scoffed.

"No wonder you're so torn up over this. Pride has a nasty habit of throwing things out of balance; only humility can keep you from having to recover from mental backlash such as this." Ranger said and Cow Girl smirked.

"Your daughter is going to go through some interesting training as she grows up..." She said as her frustration turned into softness. Ranger then held out his hand, she took it, and he pulled her up and watched her finally get a solid grip.

"Let's go get something to eat, spend some time with my little girl, then come back to this." Ranger said softly.

"O.k..." Cow Girl said before turning to leave and turning her head to him, but kept her eyes on the floor. "Before we do...how does my figure compare to your wife's?"

"That's not a fair question; different people prefer different body types, and under that armor she loves so much...her chest and butt are almost as developed as yours, her muscles are roughly twice as large, and...well, I have no idea what your body feels like obviously, nor do I want to know, but the memory of how hers feels is one I never want to lose." Ranger said before looking her over. "Truth-be-told...I'm now curious how she'd look in that suit you're wearing now."

"Well...I hope Goblin Slayer gives me as much attention as you give her. Also...I hope he's as loyal to me as you are to her. I feel kind of guilty showing you my body while she's away; I hope she doesn't kill me for this..." Cow Girl said softly.

"Hey, she knows I only want her; we established that before we even married. The Sword Maiden even tried to kiss me once, but I couldn't because of how much I love Fighter, and the fact you and her both felt guilty is enough to make ends meet as far as I'm concerned. Hell, Fighter actually said she wouldn't blame me too much if I did kiss the Sword Maiden." Ranger said seriously.

"Because of what the goblins did to her..." Cow Girl whispered tensely.

"Yes...but I also said to the Sword Maiden that I probably would have slept with her if I wasn't spoken for, and she even said Fighter was the most fortunate woman she knew." Ranger said.

"It's amazing how some people are so flexible in cases like this when others are only focused on the bottom line..." Cow Girl said thoughtfully.

"Well, some people think with the wrong head." Ranger said dryly and Cow Girl giggled. "O.k...I know things are somewhat raw at this point...but that giggle of yours is absolutely adorable..."

"I can't help it; Fighter really is a lucky woman if she found a man this wise, strong and funny all at once." Cow Girl said cheerfully before turning somber again. "I hope Goblin Slayer comes out of his shell entirely someday."

"Well, if anyone can get that to happen, it's you." Ranger said as he touched her shoulder again.

"I often think to myself...what would he do if he retired? He might be in good company, but he's still human. He'll weaken, get tired, grow old...die, and not all wounds heal completely; what if he gets knocked down and can't get back up on his own, or at all? Even if he does, will it be worth the trouble?" Cow Girl asked with a thoughtful yet silky soft tone.

"Well...if he does get knocked down too hard, there will be others to replace him, not just my team. We will train an entire army of goblin slayers if we must, and we will use his knowledge to do so." Ranger said seriously and Cow Girl looked right at him with concern.

"You're not going to expose them to what he saw are you?!" She asked with a shaky voice.

"Of course not; I would never break anyone like that, not even my foes." Ranger said trying to ease the girl's nerves. "But his skills, tactics, and knowledge are all fair game." Cow Girl smiled at this.

"The War God really got his hooks into you, didn't he?" She asked.

"Not all the way, but yes." Ranger said.

"Heaven forbid it goes all the way; you once said the little girl in me is unkillable, I hope the same is true for the little boy in you." Cow Girl said.

"Trust me...my wife will nurture him as well as she nurtures our daughter..." Ranger said as they walked out of the room to get some lunch.

* * *

Meanwhile, the team stopped at the hot springs Dwarf Rifleman mentioned, got their stuff in order, and bailed out.

"All clear..." Wizard said as she looked around.

"Let me guess: Life Sight?" Dwarf Rifleman asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Wizard asked.

"I can do it too." D.R. said.

"You have magic?" Warrior asked.

"Not much, but Life Sight saved my thick ass more times than I can count; makes popping heads alot easier if you can make them out among a bunch of camouflage, and speaking of which, have you learned any silence or cloaking spells?" D.R. asked.

"No I have not..." Wizard said dryly.

"Well, I did..." D.R. said. "I've got a spellbook of my own if you'd like, although, you won't find any offensive spells in it."

"I'll look at it later but first, let's get a soak in." Wizard said.

"Say, what rank are you?" Fighter asked.

"To those who care, I'm Ruby Ranked." D.R. said.

"Huh, so for once, we're not the lowest branches on the tree." H.E. Archer said from inside the cart.

"Aren't you coming?" Warrior asked.

"No, I've never been a fan of hot springs. Fire, water, earth, and air do not mix as far as I'm concerned." H.E. said.

"Right, I forgot..." Warrior said as Wizard dragged him along to one of the springs in the distance, as Lizard Priest got in the middle of the springs and laid down to bathe in the steam. Fighter and Priestess went to one on the other side of the area with D.R. and Wizard's brother each taking one of their own and just sat there cleaning themselves.

* * *

Wizard and Warrior stripped each other naked while throwing smirks at each other, then got used to the water before slowing settling in; the sexual tension wasn't _that_ thick between them. Once they got used to the heat, they ran their warm, moist hands over the dry parts of each other's upper bodies, and when they got to each others' faces... they kissed briefly but sweetly over and over before looking each other through their eyelashes and kissed again with more depth and the only sounds were that of the water swishing, their lips smacking, and an occasional moan from Wizard which picked up as her strong, handsome, and gentle dragon slayer groped her breasts, and started squeezing and rubbing them. She then broke the kiss and turned around to give him a better angle and leaned into him as he kissed and licked her neck while fondling her heaving breasts.

"Warrior you glorious beast..." Wizard groaned as he kept working her chest.

"Every beauty needs her beast, right?" Warrior teased as he started rolling here nipples between his finger and thumb.

"Oh! Oh...yes...ohhhh..." Wizard groaned softly before Warrior ran his hands down her belly...then stroked her womanhood as her legs tensed up and her heart and lungs picked up their pace, and he used his free hand to squeeze her breasts, alternating between them as she gasped in bliss repeatedly as he kept stroking her swollen opening. After about 15 seconds of steady and gentle, yet intense stroking, a high-pitched gasp escaped her lips as she reached an orgasm before leaning against him, as he used his 2nd hand to continue groping her flawless fleshy orbs as she chuckled a bit.

"Having fun?" Warrior teased before kissing her neck and looked at her face that was bright as the sun itself.

"Oh yes..." Wizard groaned as she came down from her high and kissed her husband with hunger. "I love you so much..."

"And I love you...my dear sorceress..." Warrior said as they sat there enjoying each other's company as she leaned into his muscled torso, caressing and massaging the rest of his body all the while for a good 30 seconds. "It's a shame we didn't take any potion..." At this Wizard stopped caressing him and actually hugged him. "What?"

"It's just...do you want our own baby? And don't say "only on our terms"..." Wizard said.

"Of course I do, but I don't want you fighting while pregnant; that has bad news written all over it." Warrior said seriously.

"I can't imagine how we'd handle our own baby at a time like this; I don't even get how Ranger and Fighter handle a baby. Yes I know they have a ton of help but...we don't have that luxury." Wizard said as her voice cracked a bit and Warrior held her face to look at him.

"We will have a baby, when we have a baby, so stop fretting over what isn't on our plate." Warrior said softly and Wizard smiled brightly.

"I really did marry the right man; who else could pull me out of my head?" Wizard said.

"No one that loves you as much as I do..." Warrior said before kissing her sweetly, and she returned the kiss as they sat there tasting and touching each other for a good 10 seconds before she snuggled into him.

"I love you too..." Wizard whispered as they held each other as close as possible. "I feel so safe with you..."

"As you should..." Warrior whispered in her ear before kissing the side of her head. "I'll pull you out of your head, or even off the battlefield as many times as I need to."

"Thank you..." Wizard said as a few tears came down her cheeks.

* * *

Fighter and Priestess meanwhile were soaking in their own hot spring with Fighter watching Priestess who was deep in thought while they were washing their hair.

"Something wrong Priestess?" Fighter asked.

"It's the Sword Maiden...the time we bathed together in the Temple of Law and...we saw her scars...her _horrible_ scars...!" Priestess said before breaking down crying as Fighter swam over to her and hugged her as Priestess wept her eyes out.

"It's o.k...Sword Maiden was healed remember? And she's in Heaven right now watching over us, maybe even the whole country, if not, then she's back at the fortress right now, looking after my daughter." Fighter said softly as she hugged her little sister.

"I know...but I _hate_ that she was reduced to a broken shell of who she is now. No one should have to go through that much healing..." Priestess said with a cracked voice and Fighter dried her tears.

"Hey, as my husband said: Heaven is sweetest..." Fighter said.

"...when you've tasted Hell first...that man is a nephilim himself." Priestess said with a smile.

"Now that you mention it...he might as well be. He once promised he that he'd stay the same man I married. For once, I'm glad he broke his promise, because the man I married is as old as our daughter compared to what he is now." Fighter said softly. "I miss him already..."

"You can use that portal gem to return to the fortress to see him if you like. I'm sure the others won't mind; there's no way you'd abandon us." Priestess said.

"Of course not...I'd no sooner betray any you than I would my daughter...my own flesh and blood." Fighter said with her own voice starting to crack. The tensity of the moment was getting to her as well, and she took a moment to calm down. "I'll go see my family at night, if I can afford to, and I don't care if I have to run back on foot, you're finishing this mission with me at your side."

"You're a good friend Fighter. No...a good _sister_..." Priestess said brightly as she snuggled into Fighter's bosom.

"And I love you as a sister should..." Fighter said softly as she stroked Priestess' hair.

"I love you too..." Priestess said before chuckling. "We really are a family aren't we?"

"Yes we are, and Sword Maiden is as much a part of it as the rest of us. I'm sure my little girl will think so when she grows up." Fighter said.

"I can't wait to see her grow up." Priestess said and Fighter stroked her face as a response.

"Will you be her Sword Maiden?" Fighter asked and Priestess gasped.

"I would _love_ to be...!" She said excitedly as Fighter smiled and hugged her yet again...then Priestess tightened her hold out of nowhere.

"What's wrong?" Fighter asked with concern before Priestess pulled away and put her hand on Fighter's left breast.

"I just remembered that time your heart almost gave out...that time you fought all those vampires." Priestess said and Fighter put her own hand on Priestess'.

"My heart is still beating, can't you feel it?" Fighter asked softly.

"Yes, but-" Fighter cuts her off.

"But nothing. I'm still alive; I still get to hold my baby, to kiss my husband...to hug my sister." She said as she caressed Priestess' hand...before her voice lowered and she smirked. "And I still get to _crush_ some goblins." Priestess chuckled at this. "And it's all thanks to you..."

"Don't mention it..." Priestess said softly. "Fighter...do you think I could be the next Sword Maiden?"

"Why...on the Earth Mother's child...would you ask me that?" Fighter asked.

"Well...the Sword Maiden sort of speaks for herself when it comes to her influence, legacy, and who-knows-what-else, plus she's...well, compare her body to my own..." Priestess said with some self-consciousness in her voice.

"Hey, like that dwarf said: size isn't everything. Sure it was in questionable taste, but he's not wrong. Besides, you've gotten larger over the last year, and so did I for that matter, not to mention I'm what, 2? 3 years older than you? I'm sure you'll grow out some more." Fighter said seriously and got a smile out of Priestess.

"I hope so..." She said.

"Come on, let's finish up and get out of this water before-" Fighter shuts up right away.

"Before we grow faint..." Priestess said softly and Fighter sighed.

"I was trying to avoid saying it..." Fighter said seriously. They both knew how distasteful that phrase was; Sword Maiden said it before they figured out the goblins ensnared her.

"Well...what's done is done; she's with Storm Mage now, and she'll never go through the horrors the goblins have to offer again." Priestess said and got yet another hug from her surrogate older sister that was more gentle than the previous ones, and they sat there enjoying each other's company.

"Seriously though...we should get out of the water. I love that we get to bond like this, but there's such thing as too much." Fighter said.

"O.k..." Priestess whispered as they got out and dried off.

* * *

H.E. Archer was getting a bit of archery practice in by shooting at a dead tree, then Dwarf Rifleman showed up.

"I thought I'd find you here." He said as H.E. Archer notched another arrow.

"What do you want?" She asked before letting off her arrow.

"I _want_ to see where you were. I went to the cart, hoping to see if you had any stories of your own, but when you were gone, I thought you were kidnapped or something." D.R. said and H.E. Archer lowered her bow. "We're teammates remember? We're supposed to watch each other's asses."

"Right...well, what would you like to hear?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Well, tell me about that Goblin Slayer fellow." D.R. said as he sat down on a rock with H.E. Archer sitting down on another.

"Ah...well, you know we beat an ogre at some ruins, and...I'll never forget the girl we saved. Thank all things holy she's alright now..." H.E. Archer said somberly before pulling herself together. "You know Ranger actually told her that he hopes any light she sees from that point forward is that much more beautiful or something like that; I don't remember exactly what he said."

"The only people I know who talk like that are saints, and sentinels." D.R. said with awe.

"Sentinels?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Dwarven crusaders basically. We have our own fair share of holy warriors roaming our nation, do you?" D.R. asked.

"Yes, the druids, although they mostly go around giving people a hand rather than fighting demons or the like." H.E. Archer said.

"Oh well, it's a plus regardless. But you didn't finish your story." D.R. said.

"Right...well, I'm alittle embarrassed to say that was my first real encounter with goblins, and...I was about as unprepared as I can get, but at least I learned from my mistakes, and we killed an ogre that was empowered by a demon general, and even led an entire army of goblins himself. The bastard even threatened to make me suffer more than that girl we rescued." H.E. Archer said.

"Turned out _real_ well for him didn't it?" D.R. said with a smirk and got a chuckle out of his elf companion.

"I also went to my sister's wedding a few months ago, and had to face goblins that were taming some kind of monster I've never seen before." H.E. Archer said.

"Let me guess: you and your squad put them all six feet under?" D.R. said.

"That's correct, and the wedding went off without a hitch. My sister will likely be a queen sometime soon." H.E. Archer said.

"Queen? Why's that?" D.R. asked in disbelief.

"My sister's a princess, and by extension, so am I, and no you don't have to call me "Your Highness." H.E. Archer said as D.R. kept staring at her.

"Well...this was got a _whole_ lot more interesting..." He said in exasperation. "My first encounter with goblins was when they swarmed into a school full of kids. Most of the kids survived, but others were...well, eaten, probably while still alive."

"Tell me you killed them." H.E. Archer snarled.

"Not me, but some sentinels did. After this incident, the dwarf counsel swore this would never happen again, and the sentinels' numbers swelled less than a week later. Killing children tends to rile the country for obvious reasons."

"Good on them for stepping up." H.E. Archer said while calming down.

"It gets better. Some elf woman I encountered just after I became a demon hunter, who as it turned out, worked for the Evil Sect, had the absolutely nerve to bring in a woman who was actually gang raped by goblins and told me that the effect her lifeless face had on me was a form of power, and that while the goblins were violating her...their ugliness made her beauty shine all the brighter. As if that _justified_ anything...!" D.R. said with disgust. "And before you ask, yes, I killed her with her own knife. Anyway...I must admit that I agreed with her at first, but then I came to my senses and realized that she was just polishing a turd."

"What?" H.E. Archer asked.

"It's a human saying. It means making a bad thing look good, but as far as the metaphor itself is concerned...you can take a piece of shit, make it glitter, smell like a basket of fruit, color it gold, do whatever the fuck you want to do, but...nothing you do to that turd, is going to change what it is. Same logic applies with that elf bitch I flayed." D.R. said before smiling. "Truth-be-told, I kinda like the Evil Sect's higher-ups; no matter how bad you treat them, it never feels wrong."

"This is getting a bit heavy don't you think?" H.E. Archer said with discomfort.

"Sorry...we demon hunters rarely have very cheerful backstories, but it is worth getting our hands on unique perspectives." D.R. said.

"I'll bet. So...where'd you get your rifle?" H.E. Archer asked and D.R. removed it from his shoulder.

"You mean this little beauty? It was given to me to help my demon hunting by a dwarf engineer, and boy do I not regret it. Sure it's loud, I have to save bullets since they can only be used once, and it's a pain to maintain compared to a bow, but the noise can hurt my foe's ears...duh, it's easy to use, mostly, and on top of that...apparently the bullets can travel a whole mile in 2 seconds. Good luck dodging something moving that fast." D.R. said with pride.

"Apparently bows and guns are opposites from every angle..." H.E. Archer said thoughtfully.

"Apparently, but hey, it takes all kinds of people to make a nation great right?" D.R. asked and got a smile out of H.E. Archer.

"Can't argue with that. It's also quite helpful that I could shoot goblins through Priestess' Protection barriers." She said.

"Ah, the miracle of Protection...anything on the outside bounces right off of it, but anything inside can pass right through it. How the hell does that work?" D.R. asked.

"Don't know, don't care." H.E. Archer said before getting up. "Well, I do like these chats, but we should get back."

"Right. We have a dwarf outpost to look into. Here's hoping it's alright." D.R. said as the two went back to the cart and everyone hit the road.

* * *

Rhea Fighter was holding the baby, spoon-feeding her some fruit pulp, while GS, Cow Girl, and Ranger chowed down on venison stew, some bread, and drank a mug of ale.

"Goblin Slayer? You have any training in mind for me?" Cow Girl asked.

"Well, how much do you know about goblins?" GS asked.

"Other they have sharper hearing and smell than us, they're sadistic as all hell, they're cowards by nature, and fight as such? Not much..." Cow Girl said.

"Well, there's a reason they fight the way they do; they're not just cowards, they're weaklings as well. Without other goblins to back them up, they'll drop like flies." GS said.

"You know the phrase "hit hard, fast, and often"? Well, that goes double for goblins, and triple for when there's a whole swarm of them." Ranger said before drinking some beer.

"I did just that when those goblins jumped me. There were so many...but that just meant I had to hit hard, fast, and often. Granted it...wasn't enough, but with my new armor, I should be fine now." Cow Girl said and Ranger touched her shoulder.

"It was a hell of a good start though." Ranger said.

"I guess..." Cow Girl said and Ranger hugged her.

"And I know." He said as she hugged him back. "Now please, stopping fretting over what could've happened; that's never a healthy mindset to be in."

"Alright...let's just finish our meal in peace." Cow Girl said as they let go of each other and kept eating until they went to get some seconds, and Summoner and Dwarf Shaman came in.

"Ah! Feasting time!" Dwarf Shaman said as he got some food himself and Summoner just sat down. "Aren't you hungry?"

"How can I eat? I keep remembering the bloody faces of my comrades..." Summoner said while tensing his fists.

"Oh..." Dwarf Shaman said as he actually paused from taking a bite then raised his mug. "Well...here's to the fallen."

"Here's to their victories." Ranger said as he clashed mugs with the dwarf and they each drank up.

"Anyway...we repaired as much as we could, but some things, were irreplaceable." Dwarf Shaman said.

"That reminds me. Can you reinforce her armor? You did it with Fighter's robe once, you can do it with her armor." Ranger asked.

"Certainly, if she'll allow?" Dwarf Shaman asked, then Cow Girl looked at Ranger.

"Fighter's robe was enhanced to the point where some goblins tried to tear it off, and failed miserably. If your armor gets upgraded even half as much, you're covered." He said.

"Then do it." Cow Girl said.

"Alright, but first...let's feast." Dwarf Shaman said before they all chowed down, even Summoner.

"You know...once your team gets back, I'm heading to the frontier." He said.

"What? Why?" Cow Girl asked.

"Because...that place needs it's own demon hunter doesn't it?" Summoner asked.

"Abbot comes by to check on it every now and then." Cow Girl said.

"Still, he could put that time and effort on something else, besides...these people were fine without me before, they'll be fine without me now." Summoner said.

"No. You're their leader, and they need you now more than ever." Ranger said seriously.

"There's an alchemist here who's been dying for a chance to use them as guinea pigs, and no he's not planning on making them into monsters. Anyway, there's only a few dozen left standing, and leaders came and went for ages." Summoner said.

"If you think it's for the best..." Dwarf Shaman said.

"I do..." Summoner said.

* * *

After lunch, Ranger went to his room with his daughter, made a make-shift cradle for her with some rubble, cloth, and padding, then Cow Girl joined him.

"You wanted to see me?" She asked and Ranger grabbed a blueish-green potion.

"You know what this is?" He asked and Cow Girl shook her head. "A sterility potion, drink a shot glass of it, and you will not be able to have children for a whole 24 hours."

"You...you're seriously going to give me this?" Cow Girl asked in disbelief.

"Why not? It's useless to me until my wife returns, and since you're getting busy with Goblin Slayer...you have use for it." Ranger said and a few seconds later, Cow Girl grabbed it...and Ranger stopped her from pulling it away. "Before you take it, I must warn you: take no more than a shot glass, otherwise...you'll go the rest of your life without being able to have a child, at least without intervention. So...pay attention to the time you take it, down a shot glass worth, then you can have as much sex as you want until those 24 hours are up. I actually slept with Fighter at night, then again in the morning, less than 12 hours later, and we still have only one child to our name."

"O.k..." Cow Girl said softly before she took it.

"Believe it or not, that one is so used up because of the Sword Maiden; she must've slept with Storm Mage before they died..." Ranger said.

"Well, now they can have as much sex as they want without a potion. Thanks again." Cow Girl said.

"It's the least I can do for the woman who saved my daughter." Ranger said before hugging her again...then kissing her forehead. "Now, the moment your training is over, show Goblin Slayer why he's so lucky..."

"I will..." Cow Girl said before going to her own room, putting the potion on the table, and joined GS and Summoner in the training hall. When she got there, Summoner used an earth golem to raise up goblin-sized training dummies, and GS took them all down, kicking, chopping, and bashing them down while attacking in multiple directions, sometimes more than one at a time, and moving around them to attack one Cow Girl wasn't expecting him to attack.

"Now you try it." Summoner said as he reformed the statues, Cow Girl pulled her axe and shield, and got to work. She was no where near as fast as GS, but she was actually less predictable; she attacked some of the goblins, in the back, some while moving no less, and took down the last one with a bash with the edge of her shield.

"I hope you do this well when the targets hit back..." Summoner said.

"Very funny. I've done this before, and with much worse equipment." Cow Girl said as Ranger came in.

"My dear girl...you did more than I did when I was Porcelain rank. This is one hell of a set-up for the rest of your adventuring career." He said and Cow Girl smiled.

"Thanks. So how did I do Goblin Slayer?" She asked.

"I agree with both of them." He said simply.

"I see..." Cow Girl said with as deep a voice as she could, GS looked right at her and she smirked at him.

"Great, soon we might as well call you "Mrs. Goblin Slayer." Summoner quipped.

"Again...very funny." Cow Girl said dryly. "So...what's next?"

"Do you want to try again?" GS asked, she thought for a while, then nodded before Summoner reformed the statues, and the two took them down together this time, with GS slowing down to not hit her...and blocked some of her hits when she accidentally swung at him. But they still took down the statues without killing each other. Ranger was reminded of how he and Fighter fought goblins side-by-side and smiled...he always missed her when they were far enough apart.

After a few more rounds, night fell, and they had dinner before going to bed...and Cow Girl looked over the potion, poured a glass full, looked at it thoughtfully, steeled herself, then downed it in one gulp. She then removed her armor, then her underclothes when GS came in and removed his own armor...with her helping.

"Goblin Slayer...that potion on the table...it's supposed to keep me from getting pregnant after sex." Cow Girl said.

"I see...you want to do that with me?" GS asked.

"Yes...I know you-" GS cuts her off.

"I can't...after what I saw..." GS said while tensing up and Cow Girl touched his face.

"You are not a goblin, and I am not your sister. She even told you she wants you to live, and I want to help you live, but I want to live myself; I look at Ranger, Fighter...their baby, and deep down, I seriously envy them! You and I...we're not living; we're just keeping ourselves from dying, so please...let's live." Cow Girl said softly as she watched GS calm down.

"Alright, but I don't know-" Cow Girl cuts him off.

"You don't have to...I'll lead." She said.

"Alright..." GS whispered as she kissed him softly, with him hugging her tightly and gripped her perfect butt and squeezed from different angles and she chuckled a bit.

"You really are learning..." Cow Girl teased before kissing his neck.

"Of course I am." GS said as he kept fondling her supple flesh as she moaned into his neck as she sucked and licked up and down...before stroking his manhood as he groaned in pleasure.

"Tell me how this feels..." Cow Girl whispered.

"Nice..._very _nice..." GS groaned as he slowed down his fondling but kept up the power as she kept stroking him...then stopped all of a sudden. "What...?"

"If I keep going, you'll make a mess, and I don't have any water with me." Cow Girl said before removing his hands and turned around. "Now...do the same thing to my chest." GS then did exactly what she asked, and she gasped in pleasure as she leaned into him while smiling and focusing on her huge, luscious breasts being played with, before gasping loudly as he twisted her nipples over and over. "Oh! Oh...Goblin Slayer...ohhhh!" She then squirted some milk out of her breasts when he stopped twisting, and she struggled to stay standing. "Catch me...!" GS then held her up by her armpits until she could stand up straight. "Now...sit down. I want to lower myself onto you."

"O.k..." GS said softly as he sat down, then Cow Girl looked over his manhood, took a moment to compose herself; it was a well-known fact that a woman's first time sometimes hurt, but this was on her terms, so she had no excuse for it to hurt too badly. She then put one knee on either side of his waist, put her hands on his shoulders, before putting his tip inside her womanhood...then slowly lowered herself feeling her inner walls being pushed apart, and eventually...her barrier broke. She was no longer a virgin, and neither was he...but that was fine; she wanted this, and still wants this. "Are you o.k?" She smiled a bit at this; her pained expression must've tugged his heart strings a bit.

"I will be, just...give me a moment. How is it for you?" Cow Girl asked softly.

"Warm...very warm." GS breathed out and Cow Girl caressed his face and he gripped her fleshy hips.

"Our bodies are joined right now, of course it's warm..." She said before moving up and down. "And...it's abou...about to get...warmer...!" She then started gasping in pain...before it turned into pleasure that put her nipples being twisted to shame. Her gasps turned into moans as she rode him for all she was worth as her breasts flopped around. "Grab my breasts..." GS did as he was told and squeezed them over and over as he groaned as well as Cow Girl kept moving up and down on his manhood. He even thrusted into her in-sync with her own thrusts which surprised her. "Oh...Goblin Slayer...ohhhh...!" She eventually let out an elongated moan of bliss that signaled her first orgasm, before he did the same a few thrusts later. She then pushed him down and snuggled into him as they caught their breath and got off of his softened manhood. "You have as much fun as I did?"

"I believe so..." GS said as he wrapped his arms around her as she giggled.

"I believe so too...how does this compare to killing goblins?" she asked.

"It doesn't...this is much better." GS said.

"You're still going to kill as many goblins as you can right?" Cow Girl asked.

"Of course I am. I'm the Goblin Slayer." GS said simply.

"Good..the world still needs the Goblin Slayer." Cow Girl said before going to sleep.

* * *

Ranger got out of his armor and was about to go to sleep when a portal opened...and Fighter came through it.

"Fighter? What are you doing here?" Ranger asked in disbelief.

"I had to see you again, and our daughter too." Fighter said softly as she hugged her husband.

"Thank you so much for coming back...I missed you terribly." Ranger whispered into her hair.

"I have to go back soon, but...let's make the most of it." Fighter said softly.

"I...gave my potion to that farm girl." Ranger said and Fighter raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to come back, and she needs it more than I do."

"Well...even if you hadn't, I don't want to have sex right now, especially not in front of our baby...who still sleeps like one..." Fighter said as she looked at her sleeping daughter. "Did you make that crib for her?"

"Yes...it's not much, but she doesn't seem to mind." Ranger whispered as Fighter snuggled into him.

"You are so thoughtful." She whispered back before kissing him sweetly for about ten seconds before staring at each other, and caressing each other's hair and faces. "You're also as handsome as I remember..."

"And I'm all yours, my love and life..." Ranger said before kissing her again while holding her face and caressing her cheeks with his thumbs.

"How did training go?" Fighter asked.

"In a word: smoothly. In more than one words: she'll be Mrs. Goblin Slayer before long." Ranger said.

"No kidding; if they're taking each other's virginities, then they can't just be friends anymore, if they're like us." Fighter said.

"No kidding indeed...I'll never forget when we lost ours..." Ranger said and Fighter sighed.

"I know I predicted you getting burned...but I'll also never forget what you said when I was hurting." She said.

"What did I say?" Ranger asked.

"You said...you're with me, and I love you..." Fighter whispered before shedding a few tears, which Ranger thumbed away.

"And I always will..." He whispered before kissing her again and hugging her as tightly as she could, before she de-morphed her armor.

"Let me sit on you for a while..." She said as he sat down with her on his lap, burying her face into his shoulder. "I also remember all the times we were like this. Sometimes when I felt my own heartaches...you were there to assure me that not all was wrong with the world; you held me tight and spoke the sweetest nothings..." She then shook and clutched him tightly. "And I loved you all the _more_ for it..." He then caressed her up and down as she poured her heart out for about a minute as they simply held each other, touching, kissing, and inhaling each other's scents. "Good night to you both...I love you so much it _aches_..."

"Just come back to us when you're done; this family needs you like a body needs a heart." Ranger said as he touched her face.

"I will..." Fighter whispered before opening a portal, looking at her daughter, re-morphing her armor then leaving Ranger to sleep.

* * *

In the morning, Dwarf Rifleman led the team to the dwarven outpost, which was little more than a glorified bunker.

"That's it?" Wizard's brother asked.

"It's much larger underground. In fact, see that mountain?" D.R. asked as he point to a series of mountains in the distance. "The smallest one is where that elder dragon lives, and this bunker is a shortcut there."

"Then let us make haste. That elder dragons awaits us." Lizard Priest said as he followed the dwarf who opened the double doors by pushing a button, a series of whirling gears was heard, and they opened up.

"Wait...something isn't right." D.R. said as he pulled his rifle and used Life Sight. "This...this place is completely deserted!"

"That cannot be good..." Warrior said as he morphed a crossbow, Fighter morphed her bow, and H.E. Archer pulled hers and they all followed D.R. down a few halls, and they all marveled at the stonework and metal items.

"This place is quite impressive Sir Dwarf." Lizard Priest said.

"Yeah, even the eatery is made of gold." Wizard's brother said.

"That's not gold, it's a hybrid between brass and steel." D.R. said.

"You can make that?" Warrior asked.

"We dwarves can make all kinds of good shit. There's even a myth about two dwarves who trapped a giant demonic wolf with a chain made of nothing but sugar, cat hair, and bird saliva." D.R. said.

"That's both gross, and nonsensical." Wizard said.

"Hey, Ranger can pull swords bigger than he is out of his asscrack. Tell me how that's possible. Oh right...alchemy. So don't you talk to me about what's nonsensical." D.R. said.

"Alright, point taken..." Wizard said and they heard faint chatter. "What's that noise?"

"Wait here..." D.R said as he went up ahead, leaned against the wall, peaked around the corner and went down the corridor...then came back a few seconds later with an intense look in the same. "Goblins..._lots_ of them." The team then looked at each other and followed him down a corridor, and peeked over the side of a balcony...and saw dozens of goblins handling baby goblins from a bunch of women, some of whom were having their corpses chewed on. At the end of the hallway, a goblin high priest was spotted waiting for a naked woman to be brought to him. Luckily, she looked unharmed, but for how much longer? D.R. then took aim. "From the look on her face, she wasn't screwed yet, but she's still scared shitless."

"They might be trying to sacrifice her. We once saved a human princess who was certainly still a virgin, but...she was a sacrifice nonetheless." H.E. Archer said.

"In that case..." D.R. said as he shot the priest in the head who fell down lifeless and the rest of the goblins screamed in fear as they looked around.

"That priest is still alive, or will be soon! They don't go down that easily." Fighter said.

"Alright, now hey, I don't give two fucks about the rest of the goblins, but I want that priest alive." D.R. said as he reloaded. "I'm going to give him an ass-fucking he's never going to forget!" Lizard Priest, a Dragontooth warrior and a pack of wolf familiars rushed down the stairs while Warriow, Fighter, H.E. Archer and Wizard shot them down with their crossbows, bows, and some uncharged fireballs.

"What-? Hey! Please get me out of this hellhole!" The woman yelled from behind the table she was hiding behind, then some goblins came out with rifles and shot at D.R. and company...only for their bullets to bounce off Priestess' Protection barrier.

"Damn cock-breath goblin motherfuckers!" D.R. yelled as he shot the one that H.E. Archer didn't. Some goblins rushed up the alternate staircase as Wizard craved through them with her glaive while they tried breaking through the barrier, with Warrior throwing his hammer over their heads, electrocuting the ones in the back.

"Fear not good lady, we're going to wipe out these green scourges, and get you to safety." Lizard Priest said as he and the summons tore through goblin after goblin after goblins like they were made of wet paper. Fighter then de-morphed her bow, jumped over the ledge, landed right behind some goblins who weren't expecting her, then she kicked them away from her with one move, popped her blades, then charged into the crowd, shredding, and gutting every goblin in sight while the rest were distracted by Lizard Priest. The ones on the edge of the arena were still being picked off by the two shooters up top.

"These goblins might as well have target markers on their nutsacks." D.R. said after shooting one between the legs and laughing at it, then pulled a bomb and dropped it on some reinforcements from below. "Chew on this fuckheads!" The goblins then heard the bomb hit the ground and were blown to bits a second later.

"What if you blow up one or more of the girls?" Priestess asked with concern.

"First off, I didn't think of that, and second...well...I hate to say it, but I don't think much can be done for them; they're broken." D.R. said.

"Bullshit! We can heal their minds with illusion magic, Priestess can purify their bodies, and we can get them out of here and point them to the nearest town for the rest of their recovery." Wizard said firmly.

"Well, I wish you and them luck." D.R. said.

"For now, less talking, more shooting!" H.E. Archer said as she kept unloading arrows until a problem hit. "I'm out of arrows!"

"Here!" Wizard's brother said as he finished making more.

"I'm almost out of bullets." D.R. said.

"I have some here." Wizard said as she handled him a few clips and the two got back to shooting. Just when Lizard Priest and Fighter finished with the goblins...the high priest got up, and looked over the carnage as the two looked at each other, and Fighter morphed her own heavy armor and mask; the real show was just beginning.

"Well, daddy's awake..." H.E. Archer said dryly as she shot an arrow as him...only for him to catch it and snap it in half, before leaping onto the wall, and jumping at the balcony...before Fighter yanked him back down with a series of cables with her fingertips. The high priest then threw once claw swipe after another at Fighter who either blocked them, dodged them, countered them, or any mix of the three, with Lizard Priest attacking from behind, not that it mattered. The goblin high priest was perfectly capable of fending off multiple attackers, and hit Lizard Priest several times, with one kick sending him rolling across the ground, with Fighter stabbing him several times in the sides with her arm blades, before the high priest backhanded her into the ground, and grabbed Lizard Priest by the throat.

"Dodge this..." D.R. said before shooting the high priestess in the gut, through his collarbone over and over, then the high priest launched a green fireball at the balcony, which blew up the Protection barrier and made the balcony crumble at the front, and D.R. caught H.E. Archer before she fell, and Priestess helped pull her back up. Lizard Priest meanwhile bit into the high priest's arm while Fighter cut into his legs, then Lizard Priest swiped the high priest across the face over and over, even as the high priest's wounds kept healing. Fighter then added to the pain by stabbing him over and over in the legs and gut with the high priest's screams falling on deaf ears.

"Shit...you still want that priest alive?" Wizard's brother asked.

"You know what...? Hey! You can kill him now!" D.R. called but the two mauling the high priest weren't listening. Eventually the high priest run out of steam, and his regeneration, allowing the two mauling him to pull him apart and catch their breath as the rest came down and looked over the carnage. "This place used to be where my people did our morning and evening rites...now it's the site of a goblin orgy." He then spat on he ground as Priestess and Wizard looked over the surviving women, all of whom were shaking and covered in goblin blood...and didn't care.

"It's over. You're safe now..." Priestess whispered to one of them as a rift opened.

"It matters not..." Elder Revenant said as he came through it and looked around. "I thought there were alot of pulsing souls here, it appears I was right."

"Please...just tell me my family made it out of here..." The woman said with a cracked voice.

"That is most likely." Elder Revenant said softly despite his gravely voice.

"Good...then this wasn't for nothing..." The woman said as she smiled a bit as her eyes water.

"Tell us about your family." Wizard said as she knelt next to her.

"I...am the youngest of three sisters, when this place was attacked, I stayed to buy them time to escape. I owe what little peace I have to the notion of my family escaping this..._hell_..." The woman said while still shaking.

"We can get you out of it." Priestess said as she held the woman's hand.

"Please...get me out of here, and burn this place, and all the evil inside it to the ground...!" The woman growled.

"We can do more then get you out of the building. I learned how to heal minds; the pain you feel won't go away, but it will be much weaker." Wizard said.

"Do it...release me...from this _torture_...!" The woman said while weeping her eyes out and Wizard put her hand on her forehead, her hand glowed purple and the woman fell asleep.

"Alright...purify her." Wizard said as Priestess put her staff on the woman's gut.

"Hear me O Merciful Earth Mother. Reach out your hand, and remove the stains from this child's body, mind, and soul. Purify..." Priestess prayed as the woman was cleaned up in a heartbeat.

"Now...let's do the same to the rest." Wizard said as they treated the other women, at least the ones who were still alive.

"Well I'll be a hog's uncle. That's one way to give the goblins a great big "fuck you". D.R. said with a chuckle.

"You're telling me." H.E. Archer said.

"You people are _saints_..." The woman at the alter said.

"Were you going to be sacrificed?" Lizard Priest asked.

"I...don't know...but I'd rather go through this than...what they went through. To have those disgusting creatures stick their-" Fighter cuts her off.

"Stop! Get that thought out of your head right now. It'll do you no good." She said.

"You weren't here! You didn't see one girl after another get their innocence destroyed by those abominations, and then get slaughtered and eaten like cattle! They didn't even have the decency to cook their food first..." The woman said before throwing up at the memory.

"The girls are o.k. now. Or at least...they will be." Priestess said.

"Not all of them." Wizard said before hurling purple smoke at the last woman and put her to sleep. "O.k...now can we go see a dragon?"

"Yes! Onward to the elder dragon!" Lizard Priest said.

"Wait, we can't just leave these girls here." H.E. Archer said.

"There's still sleeping, we can fetch them before we leave." Fighter said.

"O.k..._now_ onward to the dragon." Warrior said as they kept going, and eventually entered a large cavern, with massive metal pillars, and lumps of golden rocks dotting the area, and a loud snore was heard on the other side of one, and lo and behold...a massive dragon head was seen. D.R. wasn't kidding about it's size; this beast could swallow a lesser dragon sideways in one gulp, and that was just the head size...

"Dear blessed ancestors...a real elder dragon is right in front of me!" Lizard Priest said barely able to contain his excitement.

"Should...we really wake him?" H.E. Archer asked nervously.

"I'm certain he'll wake when he realizes-" D.R. shut up the moment the elder dragon stirs and relocates it's head...then opens it's eye as the team raised it's guard.

"Hmmm...visitors. It has been a long time..." The elder dragon said with a deep, clear, and echoing voice as it rose itself up and displayed it's full glory to them.

* * *

**Is anyone getting a Smaug vibe from that last part? It only occurred to me at the last moment, but still. Anyway, scratch one nest of goblins...but at least it was a good way to show how the team can treat victims of goblin rape, here's hoping it's effective enough. By the way, that "mana" thing that Dwarf Rifleman talked about? That's a real idea, which isn't entirely made up; as a wise man said: testosterone is one hell of a drug. So...they now found the dragon, now Rate, Review, and Share until the dragon springs into action in the next part, so stay tuned...**


	28. Chapter 14 Part II

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Well...the team finally found the desolated kingdom that Smaug inhabits...I mean, the elder dragon's lair. Let's see how solid Dwarf Rifleman's intel was eh?**

**Review Response: Cow Girl is just getting started with her training, and...I would hope her relationship with GS was going somewhere, since they just punched each other's v-cards. Having the group git gud...I mean, get good at helping the goblins' captives is something I had to get out there; why the hell would that not be built up, and not covered?**

**Yes, this elder dragon is as big as Smaug, an may even sound like him if any of you want to imagine that being the case, but...last I checked, Smaug hates dwarves, and...they have one with them who knows him personally, so...polar opposites much?**

**Those two off-screen throwbacks is a bit of a shoo-in, all-things-considered...**

* * *

"It is the greatest of honors to meet you, O great and powerful elder one." Lizard Priest said with a bow.

"Hmmm...you are of the lizard men descended from my kin are you not? I was not expecting my dwarven friend to return with one of your number." the dragon said.

"Nor did I expect to hear from one of the fabled elder dragons; my celebration was no small one when I acquired this knowledge." Lizard Priest said.

"I see...but now I must ask why you all came here? Why disturb my sleep?" the dragon asked.

"We heard you bear knowledge of magic that could aid our mission against the Evil Sect." Lizard Priest said.

"The Evil Sect? I have not heard that name in many years. They have come here before seeking the magic I alone possess, only to fail at acquiring the secrets entrusted to me, as have others. All have failed and ended up consumed by my fires, or my jaws. Why should I grant you more leniency then they?" the dragon asked which put the team on-edge.

"I can vouch for them my friend. These people did not come to steal your secrets, we're after a Cambion, a hybrid-" The dragon cuts Dwarf Rifleman off.

"I am aware of who and what he is, and what he has done, but I fail to see why this is important." The dragon said simply.

"He is ravaging our homes, killing people close to us, and delaying our progress. He _needs_ to be stopped." Fighter said.

"He still believes his cause to be just, as much as you believe yours to be just. In a way, neither of you are wrong. Now...I ask you again, why should I satisfy your desire for the magic I hold knowledge of?" the dragon asked.

"Those goblins we just killed-" the dragon cuts Warrior off.

"Are no longer a concern. They have committed a terrible sin against your people, and have paid the ultimate price. I know they represent the rest of the evils you faced. There is little above the surface that escapes my notice, even from under this mountain." the dragon said before Wizard stepped forward.

"Please...I beg you, we need your help to save our people. We would offer aid if he was attacking your people." She said softly.

"He would regret attacking my people regardless of whether or not you aided us, although...I am aware of you attacking and killing one of my people, although...you also slew a plague dragon...so your misdeed came full circle." the dragon said.

"You mean...they were one and the same?" Warrior asked.

"Yes...the plague dragon is the soul of the dragon you slaughtered that was twisted and corrupted by unholy arts. Just a dire blasphemy deserves the same punishment you wrought upon those filthy goblins. You...female, you possess the means to wield magic do you not? Then before I offer my aid, I must see how strong you are. What sort of magic types are you the most versed in wielding?" The dragon asked.

"Fire magic for the most part." Wizard said as the dragon exhaled.

"Ahhh...the magic most common to my kin. Let me feel how hot your fire burns. Show how well the magic I will grant you will be put to use!" The dragon said as he spend his body out, especially his arms and wings, as Wizard charged up a fireball, turned it blue, and unleashed it on the dragon who bathed in the roaring inferno roaring at the ceiling.

"Your fire rivals my own! You will make a great enemy to the Evil Sect, along with your companions!" The dragon exclaimed as Wizard chuckled. It's not everyday you impress a massive dragon. "Now...I must confess, I knew this day would come; I had to test you all in mind and one of you in prowess before I agreed to this, but now I must ask if you know why I live here, far from what you call civilization, and even my own kin?"

"Is it because of the knowledge you guard?" Fighter asked.

"No..." D.R. said.

"No indeed. The other dragons actually fear to come here through my presence alone, not only because of what I can do should they try to deceive me. The very notion of goblins making their home not far from where I dwell is only proof of their simplicity." the dragon said.

"Can you please share this power with me?" Wizard asked.

"Patience little mage, patience. You must know what you ask of before you obtain it." the dragon said.

"Don't you possess the power to steal other people's powers?" Wizard asked.

"Not their abilities...their strength, and even their life force itself. There is a good reason this knowledge is so closely-guard, even among my kin." The dragon said.

"Yeah...I can see how that can be used for evil. If I fought someone who can do that, I would definitely think twice." Wizard said thoughtfully."

"But we've seen what the Cambion can do. This kind of power may be our only hope." Warrior said.

"Maybe so, but there is one thing I failed to mention: I am quite fond of visitors, whether or not they come here to fight, or to speak to me. Afterall, it is the rarity of an occasion that increases it's value, is it not?" the dragon asked.

"I suppose so..." Wizard said.

"As for your Cambion foe...why must you be the ones who defeat him, in spite of how adamant he is about his cause?" The dragon asked.

"We already told you: he needs to be stopped." Fighter said.

"People die in droves. Humans, dwarves, elves...animals, every day, even the most valued and wisest of people are reminded of their mortality. We dragons are few in number as it is, but our immortality negated this matter...my pardons, I digress. The Cambion believes that eliminating the most valued will inspire the rest of the world to become their equals, and in a way...he is not wrong." The dragon said.

"He is also not right; there are other ways to obtain greatness!" Priestess exclaimed.

"Such as? Have you considered sharing your own greatness with the world? To create a chance to make the least of your people thrive as much as the most of you?" The dragon asked.

"We will find some way. We always do." Warrior said firmly.

"Perhaps...but should you encounter him, be share to put this power to use before he gets a chance to prevent you from using it. He will mostly likely sense a change in you all, even though one of you possesses the power I grant you. The power...of vitality drain." the dragon said as streams of energy poured out of it's heads and into Wizard's as she exclaimed her lungs out as she was nearly overwhelmed by the surge and Warrior rushed to her side as the surge ended and she caught her breath. "Now go, and do not forget what has happened here."

"We will not. Thank you again ancient one." Lizard Priest said as he and the others joined H.E. Archer who was watching from a distance and D.R. walked up the dragon.

"Sorry I came with such complicated people. I'll be sure to bring better ones if and when I come back." He said.

"No matter. I had a sense this day would come; the day I give away my secrets to ones who would take a final stand..." The dragon said as he laid down.

"Final sta- What do you mean by that?" D.R. asked.

"Don't let your teammates abandon you..." The dragon said as he went back to sleep.

"Wait!" D.R. exclaimed but it was no use. The dragon wasn't getting up. "Dammit..."

* * *

Cow Girl woke up with GS still sleeping soundly, then she sat up and watched him while smiling brightly. She couldn't believe they finally had sex for the first time last night. They grew up together, she supported him ever since he lost his sister to the very monsters he single-mindedly hunts down and butchers...and now he's here, training her alongside the now-famous Ranger, the 11th Platinum rank, and even making love to her. It was something out of a twisted romance novel...but oh so real. Eventually, he woke up as well and looked at her, stoic as ever.

"Good morning..." Cow Girl said sweetly and GS actually returned the smile.

"Good morning..." GS groaned as Cow Girl kissed him and he held her face, which made her pull away...to see him smiling.

"Someone's in a good mood." She said.

"How can I not be with you laying down with me?" GS asked.

"Goblin Slayer! Since when do _you_ have a romantic bone in your body?" Cow Girl asked with an even more cheerful look in the face.

"Since I realized how unfair I was to you..." GS said simply and Cow Girl laid back down on top of him, with him holding her close.

"I'm not mad at you. I know you only cared about hunting goblins, and...I have even less reason to be angry at you now..." Cow Girl said softly, remembering when goblins tried to rape her and failed miserably thanks to the Sword Maiden butting in.

"I know..." GS said as Cow Girl sighed deeply and snuggled into his side. "You _do_ have a wonderful body..."Cow Girl smiled at this.

"You made that perfectly clear last night, and I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." She said softly.

"Thank you..." GS said as Cow Girl sat up.

"No...thank _you_." She whispered before kissing him.

"How long until that potion you drank wears off?" GS asked.

"Until the sun goes down again." Cow Girl said.

"Then..." GS trailed off as Cow Girl caressed his face.

"We can do it again, now if you'd like." She said.

"Yeah..." GS said as he softly pulled her down into a kiss as he lowered his hands, rubbed up and down her back and sides until he reached her buttocks, and squeezed from different angles, listening and feelings her pleasured moans all the while, as she smacked their lips against each other over and over.

"You really are getting better at this." Cow Girl said sensually against his lips before claiming them again.

"Of course I am. I practiced quite a bit." GS said before they kissed again, and Cow Girl flipped them over as GS released her butt, moved up her sides to her breasts, and gave them the same squeeze-from-different-angles treatment as he broke the kiss, and looked at his work while Cow Girl arched her back, offering her heaving breasts to him as her lungs rapidly and deeply inflated over and over and her heart raced.

"This...practice is...really paying off..." Cow Girl breathed out as GS worked her chest.

"I can tell." GS said before kissing her neck and holding her close as she held his head as if to encourage him to continue.

"Goblin Slayer...make love to me again." Cow Girl whispered with desperation in her voice as she spread her legs.

"As you wish." GS whispered as he pushed into her moist opening and she gasped at the contact, and felt him stay put. They only lost their virginity last night, and some soreness was still present, but she still wanted to feel heaven again, no matter how much hell she'd have to go through first.

"O.k...you can move now..." Cow Girl said and GS slowly but steadily pushed in deeper, and pulled out over and over and over until her pain gave way to a wave of pleasure that practically forced her to moan. "Oh...yes...yes...keep going...yes...faster...!" GS fulfilled her request and eventually thrust into her 2 times every second as her gasps spurred him onward, as if his own pleasure wasn't enough of a reason. She eventually wrapped her legs around him and let out an orgasmic moan as he did the same a few second afterwards and they both went limp and caught their breaths. Cow Girl then kissed his cheek. "All that training and goblin-slaying really paid off..."

"Of course it did...and you seemed to enjoy yourself." GS said and Cow Girl giggled.

"That's an understatement. You are...very good at this..." She said brightly while caressing his face.

"I noticed..." GS said as he looked at her smiling at him.

"This is the part where you say "I love you"." Cow Girl teased.

"I really do love you." GS said seriously.

"I love you too...my big, dumb goblin ass-kicker." Cow Girl said as she kissed him deeply.

* * *

Ranger meanwhile, did some "minor" exercises to wake his body up, including hand-stand push-ups, full splits/side-splits, dragon-flag crunches, and moving his legs around without putting them down, one after another. He then checked on his daughter who was still sleeping, but woke up after he morphed his light armor...then he smiled as he de-morphed his armor and put his finger in gripping range of his daughter.

"Hello..." the baby said.

"Hello..." Ranger said as he smiled at his little girl. "Up?"

"Up..." The baby said as she reached her arms to him, and he chuckled and picked her up and held her against his chest.

"My dear little girl..." Ranger whispered. "I hope your mother comes back soon...we still have yet to take you to see _her_ father...I cannot believe we let so much stop us...but when she gets back, no more excuses, we're going to show you to him. Would you like that?" The baby tapped him on the shoulder and squealed a bit. "I'll take that as a yes..." He then re-morphed his armor, went outside, and looked around until Rhea Fighter came out.

"Morning boss...and baby." She said as she approached.

"Good morning." Ranger said as she handed his daughter over as Rhea Fighter sat down next to him and stared at the baby.

"Remember me?" Rhea Fighter asked as the baby reached for her, and she put her hand in grabbing distance and got her fingers pulled. "Hey, easy. She's getting stronger."

"Yep, it won't be long until she's as strong as her mother." Ranger said with pride.

"You know, most men would probably want their children to be as strong as they are." Rhea Fighter said.

"I'm not "most men"; I actually like Fighter being as tough as she is, and she's not just tough. She's loving, she's graceful, she's...she's just a _dream_ to be around. There's a reason she's the mother of my child." Ranger said seriously yet softly.

"I can tell..." Rhea Fighter said softly as Cow Girl and GS came out with both being armored up.

"Sleep well?" Ranger asked knowingly as Cow Girl chuckled.

"Yes..._very_ well." She said before walking over to see the baby, and Ranger noticed GS didn't protest. He'd probably insist she get back to training, but since he likely shagged her brains out at least once, it's no surprise she likely got through to the little boy she used to know. He then watched the two ladies play with her lucky daughter; she had her father, and two women who were loyal friends to him and his wife to look out for her. Maybe taking her around wasn't such a burden after all. Most parents wouldn't dare take their infant child all over the place, especially if there was danger around every corner...but that baby was keeping everyone sane, and together, even if they weren't related to her.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again...you are going to make one hell of a mother someday..." Ranger said seriously as Cow Girl smiled at him.

"If we get down to it, I might just be." Cow Girl said before sitting between Ranger and Rhea Fighter, and the former hugged her close.

"Thanks again for looking after her..." Ranger said softly before sweetly kissing her forehead as he held her cheeks.

"Of course..." Cow Girl whispered as she smiled at him until Summoner came in.

"Team? You might want to have a look at this, and leave the baby here if you can; I don't to scare her..." He said seriously, and Rhea Fighter nodded to signal she'll stay with the baby as they followed Summoner downstairs...and saw Elder Revenant pouring energy into the suit of armor they got from the ruins.

"What are you doing here?" Ranger asked as E.R. stopped what he was doing.

"Restoring this armor for you. Or to be precise...for Goblin Slayer." He said.

"Me? Why?" GS asked.

"Simple: you would get the most out of it." E.R. said.

"Why? What's so special about it?" Cow Girl asked.

"First off, this armor is much more durable, and it can be used as a weapon itself should you hit anything with it. It can also morph weapons if you desire, which includes blades, studs for focusing the power of a bludgeoning strike, a light cannon to launch bombs, or large bullets or shell from, or any weapon Ranger's armor enables. The helmet also gives additional senses, aside from the 5 basic ones, like Life Sight, or being able to tell what an item you seek is." E.R. said.

"So...pretty much anything you could want from armor?" Ranger asked.

"That's correct." E.R. said.

"Wow...why can't I have that...?" Cow Girl asked.

"Because you are the least-used to wearing armor, but if your Wizard friends can cook up the armor Ranger wears, you have little to fear in this regard." E.R. said.

"It doesn't matter. Another way exists, and if it means I can kill goblins easier...and help people more effectively, I will take it." GS said as he approached it...then the armor liquefied, attached to his armor, and the two designs merged together until GS' suit turned blackish grey, became bulkier, and gained plating over the more exposed parts.

"How does it feel...?" Ranger asked as GS moved around.

"It...it feels...lighter than I thought it would be..." GS said as he looked himself over.

"It looks pretty badass though..." Cow Girl said with pride.

"Then my work here is done. Now...if you will all excuse me, there's a plethora of tainted souls gathering in the middle of an open field setting up an assault that need my attention." E.R. said.

"I thought you don't concern yourself with the living, which in hindsight, I should've asked either." Ranger said.

"I don't, but too many of the wrong deaths greatly disturb the Death God, and therefore, I must see to it myself. But keep in mind: no one cheats death, not that Warlock, nor anyone..." E.R. said grimly before cutting open a portal and walking through it.

"Nice guy..." Cow Girl said sarcastically when Summoner went to the side and they saw him put on a suit of armor that looked like Storm Mage's...only with the lighter blue color Summoner's suit had. "So does that- Wait...that looks like...?"

"He had it made as tribute to his brother..." Alchemist said as he spoke up from behind them.

"Ah..." Cow Girl said.

"I meant it when I said I'm leaving for the frontier soon. Don't wait up..." Summoner said as he finished putting his armor on.

"Are you sure about this?" Ranger asked.

"Yes, and when I leave, the alchemist here is in charge." Summoner said.

"I will keep a close eye on them sir. I even have plans to turn this fortress into something great again." Alchemist said.

"I know you will...good luck, all of you..." Summoner said as he went back upstairs.

"What about my training?" Cow Girl asked.

"I've already thought of that. Try some of these." Alchemist said as he handed over some lockets. "Open those, and a training dummy made of a gum-like substance that mimics flesh will pop out of them, and if you wait, they'll reform, and when you're done, just stuff the dummies back into the locket. It's not as tough as you think; I tested them extensively."

"Thanks...I guess." Cow Girl said.

"Well, let's go try them out." Ranger said as they went to the training hall, and they did what the alchemist said. For the next hour or so, they tried one axe and sword trick after another on the dummies. Cow Girl also learned to dual-wield her axe and sword with the sword in the left hand, and discovered a tactic where she swings with her axe from one side to the other at a diagonal angle, and sometimes thrust with the sword. She also tried hitting blind spots while ducking, leaning to the sides, or both, which included tripping the dummies with the bottom of the axe blade, and finishing them with a stab to the upper chest. Ranger even upgraded her sword to a hand-and-a-half sword like Warrior's, and taught her to grab the blade and bash with the guard as an improvised hammer, to grab the blade while holding the handle to balance a thrust, which was called half-swording, and even mentioned the running joke about unscrewing the pommel and throwing it at a foe to "end them rightly"...which was funnier than it had a right to be. They even tried the pick-up-the-giant-sword training again, and even though Cow Girl wasn't able to lift it more than halfway...she was still able to prepare for her disappointment; the 1st time really is the first, in love...and war.

"I almost forgot: Summoner said as he showed up with a small tome. "This has information on most of the demon types, how they fight, and how to fight them back, especially the special ones." Summoner said.

"O.k...anything you can tell me?" Cow Girl asked.

"Well, for starters, there's imps, which are goblin-sized demons, which aren't much worse, but they're much smarter, so...treat them as such. There's also the demonic soldiers, which believe me, are each as tough as a hob." Summoner said and even showed a picture of each type. "They look like this..."

"Yep, those are demons alright." Ranger said; he did have experience fighting them after all.

"What about the special types?" Cow Girl asked cautiously.

"Ah...there's the Prides, called so because they believe their wings make then superior to the imps, and they act like it too." Summoner said before turning a page. "There's the Wrathers, which are always pissed off, and want nothing more than to tear humans, elves, animals, whatever...limb from limb, hence their name. There's the Gluttons...well, take a wild guess why they're called that...I...I actually lost my mother to one of those damned blobs."

"Oh...I'm so sorry..." Cow Girl said.

"Don't be...what's done is done, and I've killed my fair share of demons in retribution. But...nevermind that, the most disturbing type...are the Lusters." Summoner said as he turned the page and Cow Girl gagged.

"O.k...that's the ugliest thing I've ever seen..." She said as she held her belly.

"What they do is even worse believe it or not..." Summoner said.

"Don't tell me yet!" Cow Girl snapped before getting ahold of herself, swallowing and breathing deeply in the process then turned to face him. "O.k...I'm ready. Bring it on..."

"Alright...well, first off, these things are about as large as a World Spawn, but...no where near as powerful, so there's that, and the rest of the good news is that they're pretty rare, especially outside of Hell. But that's where the good news ends; the reason they're called Lusters is because of what lust is supposedly synonymous with, hence the dozens of tongues, suckers, and gums in the inner chamber of it's body they ensnare victims in. Now...I'll spare you the details, but the bottom line is that...well, they literally pleasure their victims to death." Cow Girl cringed all over her body at the thought.

"And I thought goblins were disturbing..." She said nervously.

"Which is precisely why we kill them on the spot whenever possible. I failed to mention the last bit of good news: they're laughably easy to outrun; if one spots you, they'll lash heir tentacles at you, but if you can get far enough, or slice off enough of their tentacles...they're powerless." Summoner said as he handed the tome over. "Now...I have to get going."

"Give my best to the two tavern ladies." Ranger said.

"Not a problem." Summoner said as he left.

* * *

Back with the team, Dwarf Rifleman was driving the them, some supplies they took from the outpost, especially some ammo for D.R.'s rifle, and some dwarven items...and the rescued girls, all of whom with in robes, and sleeping like babies to a town for them to reside in. Wizard meanwhile was watching them with a curious look in the face...

"How'd you get them to be so calm?" D.R. asked.

"Illusion magic. I...I planted the knowledge that this...hell they went through can make their futures look brighter, just like the boss would say..." Wizard said somberly as Warrior took her hand, and she interlocked their fingers.

"Good on you for doing that, although...I don't know if you're just polishing a turd or not." D.R. said honestly before Wizard sighed.

"It was still worth a try..." She said.

"I also managed to restore their virginities, although I don't know if they can be used for the miracle of Resurrection or not." Priestess said.

"O.k...call me a dumbass, but what difference does that make?" D.R. asked.

"Why do you think virginity is a requirement for this miracle to be performed? Because virginity is supposed to be a physical sign of purity, as in: the soul itself wasn't joined with another, and according to a revenant we knew, the body and soul are closely linked. Now with their virginities restored...well, hopefully all this did was let them know what the experience is like; we can't undo the damage, but we can repair it." Priestess said as she stroked the face of the first woman she healed.

"The Sword Maiden would be so proud of you." Fighter said softly as she hugged Priestess close. "I know I am..."

"Thank you..." Priestess said as she snuggled into Fighter's chest, despite her armor.

"So...let me get this shit straight: a person's "purity", is used to make the wounded person's condition the same of theirs, and...all it takes is that they need to have avoiding shagging anyone beforehand? Aside from how useful that is...those requirements are a steaming pile of donkey shit!" D.R. exclaimed and earned him a laugh from Warrior, the Wizard siblings, Fighter, and H.E. Archer.

"All of that is done and over; let us take these women to their new home, and pray our efforts were not in vain." Lizard Priest said seriously, and they spent the next half an hour simply holding each other, looking over the women, and thinking about those efforts. When they finally reached the town...they were greeted by a small crowd, which included the family of the first woman, and they were both relieved to see her alive, and the crowd were so grateful that they healed their minds...and their bodies, that they gave the team a sack with no less than 50 gold coins. 25 copper ones, and 130 silver ones, which was more than the Sword Maiden paid them a year ago.

* * *

Cambion meanwhile stood up as the slaves finally uncovered the doorway to the astral plane...and a swarm of flying snakes burst out, making them panic and run away...only for some to be engulfed by the mass, and Cambion sprung into action and sprout tentacles from his palms to absorb the mass and convert it into more of the biomass making up the tentacles, which freed the people ensnared as Cambion jumped down to meet the rest of the eldritch creatures pouring out, and he made even the most horrific look pathetic. He flashed his blade arms so rapidly the slaves couldn't tell how he swinging them. When he was done...more tentacles sprouted out of his entire body, including the sides of his limbs and his face, they latched onto the dead creatures' body parts, and absorbed them. Some slaves actually threw up at the sight.

"You're free now...you may see your families again." Cambion said to them.

"But...you said you were holding them hostage?" One of them said.

"I lied to you; your families are all perfectly fine. They're at home waiting for you now. In fact..." Cambion then used a healing spell on each of them. "There, I restored just enough of your vitality to get you to make the trip home, and don't even think about coming after me; you saw what I did to those monsters..." With that, the slaves ran away from him in fear. Cambion then looked at the gateway. "Soon...100-handed one...you will meet the real top of the food chain-" He then snapped his head to look into the far distance. "But first...I have a thorn to remove from my side..." He then tore open a hell rift, collapsed the gateway, then entered the rift.

* * *

Summoner took one of the horses still alive from the siege to the frontier and saw that the tavern only had a few people there, and based on how empty the quest board was...it was no wonder.

"Summoner?" Guild Girl called as she came down the stairs. "Is that you?"

"Yes it is." Summoner said as she approached him and looked over his armored robe. "I had one of the alchemists at the fort make it for me, in honor of my brother."

"That's sweet of you." Guild Girl said softly as she reached out to touch it, pulled back to look at him, then he held out his arm as an invitation, one she took and ran her hands along the plating and fabric. "It looks just like his did, and it has your colors."

"That's the idea." Summoner said. "Now, do you have any demon-hunting quests?"

"We almost never have demon-hunting quests; no one posts one." Guild Girl said.

"Figures, they've always been subtle like that." Summoner said.

"Wait...if you lead them, why come here?" Inspector said as she showed up.

"They have new leadership now. Besides...an army of undead attacked the fort and killed more than half of us..." Summoner said as he sat down leaving the two women stunned.

"Are...are the team-" Summoner cuts Guild Girl off.

"They're fine, Goblin Slayer's team is fine, that farm girl is fine...and Ranger's child is fine." Summoner said as the two ladies joined him.

"Good..." Inspector said softly.

"Are you hungry?" Guild Girl said, then Summoner nodded, she got up to order from food and drink and Summoner sighed.

"First that farm girl's uncle, then my brother, now my team...what next...?" He whispered.

"Supreme-willing? Nothing..." Inspector said.

"With all due respect to the Supreme, and who who worship...my faith has been shaken pretty hard recently." Summoner said as Guild Girl returned.

"And ours hasn't been? The Sword Maiden is a living icon and she's dead now-" Summoner cuts her off by slamming his fist into the table hard enough to crack it.

"I know that!" He snapped and the two ladies recoiled before he got a grip. "Sorry..."

"No...I'm sorry. Things have been tense for everyone, and I should've kept that in mind..." Guild Girl said.

"You're a smart girl; some people would've told me to keep lid on it, or take it outside." Summoner said as Guild Girl smiled.

"Well, you're hardly the first one to make a ruckus here, and you're no where near the worst case." Guild Girl said as Inspector watched the exchange.

"Well...let's discuss something else please." Summoner said as Inspector went to get the meal.

"Like what?" Guild Girl asked.

"Well...that farm girl has a new suit of armor, got some...pretty solid training in with Goblin Slayer, Ranger, and myself, thanks to my summons, and who knows what else they have in mind." Summoner said as Inspector came back with some steak, bread, gravy, a beer, and even a few slices of watermelon. "Look at me...I have one adorable girl to talk to, and another one giving me a much-appreciated meal. My brother must be winking at me from the grave..." The two both blushed a bit, especially Guild Girl as Summoner laughed at the situation "Well...no point crying over spilled milk, or beer in this case..." He then cut some steak and took a bit, as the two ladies watched him, and looked at each other with concern. It was clear they were wondering if he was going insane from the trauma he's suffering from.

"It...was nice of you to get that farm girl a meal yourself when you brought her here..." Guild Girl said awkwardly.

"I've seen cases like hers before, and she was a complete wreck after what happened; what was I supposed to do?" Summoner asked as he dipped his bread in gravy and suck his teeth into it as they watched him silently agreeing. Inspector then looked around to see they were alone.

"You know you're one of the few Gold Ranks we have around here, and since you hunt demons, not many are going to want to cause trouble." Inspector said.

"I can imagine; we demon hunters tend to be so hardcore, no one even thinks of causing trouble with us around. Hell of a way to strike fear into people, having a demon hunter as a bodyguard." Summoner said seriously.

"Speaking of which: shouldn't you be out there at least getting ready to hunt any demons in town?" Guild Girl asked.

"Already did; I sent some elements to scour the place, and don't worry, no one will notice them." Summoner said before taking a bit of steak.

"How do you know?" Guild Girl asked.

"We demon hunters have our ways. Sorry, I can't say too much..." Summoner said.

"Alright..." Inspector said before mouthing "may I tell him" to Guild Girl who sighed and nodded. "You know, my friend here has a thing for the strong, silent ones...and from the look of things...you qualify." Summoner then looked right at her.

"O...k...thanks for telling me that, but why?" Summoner asked.

"Why does she have that thing, or why tell you that?" Inspector asked.

"Either." Summoner said.

"Well...back in the day, so many men hit on me, or bragged about what they did it got older than Heaven itself really quickly, but...those that just do things, especially the right things...like Goblin Slayer, without asking anything in return? That's just priceless..." Guild Girl said dreamily.

"I see..." Summoner said thoughtfully and Guild Girl giggled. "What?"

"Goblin Slayer says that alot. We also had a discussion about him being too stoic about a year ago, remember that?" Inspector said.

"Yes...please don't remind me" Guild Girl said as Inspector snickered. "What now?"

"Maybe you two should go out some time?" Inspector said which baffled Guild Girl and confused Summoner.

"I just got into town; I don't even have a proper residence yet." Summoner said seriously.

"Come on, you called us both adorable, you know you're just the kind of guy she likes, she's already done you a solid, and praised you for doing some solids of your own. What's not to like about her?" Inspector asked.

"While I do appreciate your attempts to make this easier for me, we demon hunters aren't known for being romantic; the things we do on a constant basis...yes they help people in the long run, but in the end...the job itself is disgusting, terrifying, even disheartening. I've even seen Silver Ranks join a band of demon hunters, only to have their minds torn asunder. The only reason I'm still sane is because I had a taste of what to expect from demons as a freaking _kid_." Summoner said seriously as they sat there in silence as Summoner finished what was left of his meal.

"Was it good?" Guild Girl asked softly.

"Very...I'll be back; I'm going to the temple for a minute or two." Summoner said before he got up, left some coin, and walked out.

"O.k...what was that about?" Guild Girl asked in a harsh whisper.

"You know I'm right." Inspector said.

"Well...still, since when did priestesses of the Supreme God get a license to become matchmakers?!" Guild Girl asked.

"I'm not doing this as a priestess, although...that does fall under spreading justice technically, but I really did that because I'm your friend, and I want you to be happy." Inspector said.

"By hooking me up with a demon hunter?" Guild Girl asked.

"A _Gold_ Rank demon hunter who happens to be getting every single inch of his butt spanked by one rough day after another. Look, it's simple. Go home, put on something pretty, ask about his job, tell him about yours, share some personal information, maybe ask him about his powers, maybe touch a bit, bam. Quest complete. Can you at least give it a shot? I'll even tell him you're on your way back." Inspector said as Guild Girl thought as she put her head down.

"Alright...I'll give it a go, but you owe me one." Guild Girl said as she got up and left.

"I owe you...riiiiiight..." Inspector said to herself as she cleaned up.

* * *

Summoner went to the temple to find Ranger's mom talking to some of the acolytes, and he gave them a wide berth; he had his own business to attend to. He went to the back room, and sat down before chanting in the Demon Lord's tongue.

"You know, that's not necessary..." Storm Mage said as his ghost appeared.

"I figured as much..." Summoner said.

"First you get my blades, now you dress like me, and flirt with two girls at once...what's with you?" Storm Mage asked.

"I took your weapons because they're useful, and because I want to feel like you're fighting with me, same goes for the armor. And for the record...I didn't come here for a date with one, let alone two girls. I certainly don't want some weightless three-way with them." Summoner said.

"O.k...I can buy those first two things, but...what if they want a three-way with you?" Storm Mage asked seriously.

"Well...if it's consensual...I suppose it couldn't hurt, but I only want one of them, if either." Summoner said.

"So...if they both want a piece of you, as in, they both want to tie the knot with you, you'll stick to one, and break the other one's heart? I did tell you the Love Goddess condones _any_ kind of sexuality, as long as it's consensual right?" Storm Mage asked.

"I said I want that, not I _will_ want that." Summoner said.

"Well, in either case...whatever the outcome, I'm happy for you, even if that one moment is all you get." Storm Mage said.

"Thanks brother. Tell the Sword Maiden I said hello..." Summoner said as he hugged Storm Mage before Summoner went back to the tavern with Storm Mage vanishing.

* * *

"Welcome back." Inspector said as Summoner walked in and looked around.

"Where's you friend?" He asked.

"She went home for a bit, but she'll be back." Inspector said professionally, but with a smirk.

"You told her to get changed didn't you? I told you, I'm not here for a date..." Summoner said.

"But I just got dressed up..." Guild Girl said from behind him...she looked like a different person; she still had her hair in a large braid, but her uniform was replaced with a white, long-sleeve shirt, with a bright blue vest, and a long, green skirt.

"_Still_ don't want a date?" Inspector said and Summoner sighed and smirked.

"Oh, why not? It would be a shame to let that kind of effort go to waste..." He said as he smiled at the new Guild Girl.

"Smart man, now get your butts out of here, and throw the rest of your bodies out with them." Inspector said dramatically as the pair left and shook their heads. Guild Girl then showed Summoner around the marketplace, and browsed through the goodies, wares, and even some occult items Summoner had a pretty morbid interest in. "Demon hunters aren't normal" afterall. After about an hour, they left with a handful of apples, a silver brooch Guild Girl could not resist, and even a small grass-woven wreath of elvish design Summoner got for her out of shear grace, little did he know...

"I haven't worn this since...well, before I started working for the guild." Guild Girl said.

"Why _do_ you work for the guild anyway?" Summoner asked and Guild Girl looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Well...I just wanted to give people a chance to make a difference. I cannot be an adventurer myself, and frankly...my desire to become an adventurer only got lower as I heard the stories...and then there was the goblins..." Guild Girl said.

"And then there was the Goblin Slayer, right?" Summoner asked.

"Yeah..." Guild Girl whispered.

"I can see why you liked him so much." Summoner said.

"Yeah, but...it was never meant to be, I mean...look at that farm girl he's with. She's perfect..." Guild Girl said somberly.

"She is...quite a sight to behold, I cannot argue with that, but she's not perfect. I mean, some men would probably prefer a long-haired girl. Actually, quite a few men would." Summoner said.

"Like those men who kept hitting on me to the point where I got numb to it?" Guild Girl asked sourly.

"Hey, as long as none of them take a page out of the goblins' book, it can't be that awful." Summoner said seriously.

"Don't get me started...I'm just amazed I can still sit down without any problems..." Guild Girl said.

"Well, since I can summon elementals en masse, and have them wander the town unnoticed; I have eyes and ears everywhere, so...if any give you too much trouble...well, if one adventurer can make a difference, imagine what a legion of elementals can do." Summoner said with a smirk.

"A legion?" Guild Girl asked in disbelief.

"Hey, there's a reason I'm Gold Ranked; I can even summon a World Spawn, the biggest, baddest summon in existence...well, the biggest, baddest elemental that can be summoned. And for the record, I've dealt with women who wouldn't leave me alone either, especially when I was a teen. Even some kids wouldn't get off my case; we all know kids can be fickle about crushes, even towards grown-ups..." Summoner said.

"Wow...you're a demon hunter, you're Gold Ranked, and you can somehow relate to me...now, may I ask about demon hunting?" Guild Girl asked as Summoner leaned against a wall and thought.

"Where do I start...well, my first encounter isn't one I like to remember, especially since...well, my brother Storm Mage has always been greedy as hell, but he actually fled the scene when demons attacked our home, just to save his own skin. It took me quite some time to forgive him too; I even disowned him after I heard of the crimes he committed... Anyway, my older sister actually stepped up and saved me from a demon that eats anything...or anyone, they encounter...just like my mother..." Summoner said as he huffed as he recalled her body getting gnawed on while she was still alive and screaming. "Anyway...that demon was killed by an elemental she summoned, so I took up the craft myself as she did that as another thing."

"So...summoning is your specialty...so you can honor your mother?" Guild Girl asked softly.

"Yes...and now, every demon my summons kill, is a gigantic middle finger to the one who ate her alive." Summoner said firmly.

"If you...somehow, encountered that same demon again-" Summoner cuts her off.

"You don't want to know what I'd do to it; if I felt a burst of generosity, it would be fed, in pieces, to it's own kind..." He said.

"Summoner..." Guild Girl whispered.

"Although...I'd probably dish out the carnage myself; I can draw power from my summons after all..." Summoner said before getting a grip. "But...I shouldn't tell you this; it's quite a bit for a first time-" Guild Girl shuts him up with a hug he did not return.

"It's o.k..." She whispered.

"How...? I told you nothing that wasn't true..." Summoner said.

"You're not among demons, and any in the city are being wiped out right?" Guild Girl asked as she kept holding him.

"I suppose..." Summoner said.

"Then let it go, and enjoy the time I'm spending with you...please." Guild Girl said before Summoner sighed and returned the hug, before they shifted, tightened their hold on each other, and felt each other breathe deeply and easily.

"So you know, I also prefer long hair on women, so..." Summoner trailed off.

"I won't cut mine any time soon." Guild Girl said softly before sighing and shifting against him again. "I feel so safe with you..."

* * *

After their date, Summoner went to the apartment Ranger's team used to have and Guild Girl went back to the tavern.

"How did it go-? Nice brooch and wreath..." Inspector asked as Guild Girl sat down.

"It was...nice..." She said somberly.

"Let me guess: he shared one serious sob story?" Inspector asked seriously.

"You don't know the half of it...his demon hunting is as personal for him as goblin slaying is for Goblin Slayer." Guild Girl said.

"Sheesh...that's quite a statement..." Inspector said.

"I did what you said by the way, I asked him about his job, told him about mine, and he told me about what he can do; I barely had to set anything up." Guild Girl said.

"If this wasn't so tense, I'd be pretty proud of how I helped you out." Inspector said.

"Other than that however...it really was nice." Guild Girl said as she wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. "He's staying at Ranger's team's apartment, at least for now..."

"Good to know, at least he'll be with friends. Well, it's about that time so...see you tomorrow." Inspector said.

"Bye..." Guild Girl said as they both left and went home.

* * *

Elsewhere...Elder Revenant was walking through a field full of dead Evil Sect cultists, with their souls raising up out of their carcasses, and entering his own body., while Rhea Scout was hiding underneath a wrecked stack of storage crates, praying the soul reaper doesn't find him. There were hundreds of cultists in the area, and Elder Revenant just...tore through them like they weren't even there. Some were simply hacked apart, others were decayed down to their skeletons in a matter of seconds, others were even shredded by dust and bone fragments that spewed out of his body in clouds. The cultists that were killed even came back to life and...took bites out of their comrades, and turned them into more minions of the Elder Revenant. Any weapons that tore into his body either bounced off, did too little damage to make a difference, or the damage was healed in less than a second.

Even with a helmet that increased reaction time and sharpened his senses, the treacherous Rhea couldn't keep track of the undead juggernaut. His relief was immeasurable when he used his scythe to cut open a portal...and left the scene.

* * *

The team meanwhile was rolling through the forest on the way back to the fortress with their well-earned goods...

"Stop the carts!" Fighter yelled as Dwarf Rifleman pulled the reigns.

"What?" He exclaimed as Fighter looked around.

"I sense something moving out there...something fast, and something strong." She said seriously.

"Is it coming this way?" Wizard asked.

"Quite possibly..." Fighter said as the team prepared to fight...but nothing came for about a minute. "It just vanished..."

"I hate false alar-" H.E. Archer was cut off by a loud whooshing sound and several trees being ripped in half by an unseen force which scared the hell out of the horse and blocked the way forward with tree parts.

"That's what I felt!" Fighter said as she and Warrior morphed their heavy armor, and Priestess put up Protection...just in time for it to get torn down and Cambion was seen bouncing off the barrier he just wrecked, before D.R. took aim and fired at the Cambion...only for his bullet to bounce off his target, be grabbed, thrown back and hit him in the lower back with enough speed and force to pierce his spine, making him scream in pain as he fell out of the cart and barely catch himself as he fell. Fighter then jumped up and kicked him several times, launching him further into the air, then two people in mid-air kept exchanging blows with most of Fighter's missing before she managed to land a kick that sent Cambion stumbling through the woods, through several trees and tearing up the ground.

"Is he hurt too badly?" Warrior asked.

"My spine's been broken, and I can't feel my fucking legs! What do you think!?" D.R. snapped.

"I can remove the bullet, but I don't know if I can heal this, even with a life potion." Wizard said.

"Then I'll use Resurrection..." Priestess said.

"Neither me, or Fighter is a virgin remember?" Wizard said.

"Well do something please! I don't want to give up being an adventurer yet..." D.R. whined.

"I'll do it..." H.E. Archer said as they looked at her. "He saved me from falling off that balcony. I do this we're even."

"Thank you so much..." D.R. said and H.E. Archer actually took his hand and squeezed.

"Don't mention it..." H.E. Archer said with a smile before Lizard Priest put the dwarf in the cart as they went to join Fighter who rushed off to face Cambion who was picking himself up and cracking a few bones back into place...

"So...where's the new Platinum Rank?" Cambion asked casually.

"How do you know you're not looking at her?" Fighter asked.

"Please...I saw you fight that archdemon, and I know the rest of you would fare no better; a _real_ Platinum Rank would be able to tear through multiple archdemons with their eyes shut. I should tear you apart for thinking me a fool..." Cambion said.

"Don't try it..." Fighter said before Cambion growled and threw punch after punch at her only for her to dodge each one like she knew when he'd strike, and he kept missing her by a mile. Each time she hit him however, he barely flinched, even when she hit his pressure points, or used her blades. His hits however...the few that landed anyway, sent her flying in the direction in which she was hit, damaging her armor in the process, and even though it repaired itself...it was only a matter of time before he hit a soft spot and things turned ugly.

Warrior then pulled his sword, Lizard Priest summoned a Dragontooth warrior, and twin sickle swords, the Wizard siblings summoned familiars and elementals, and H.E. Archer stayed put to take potshots at Cambion as they all charged at him, only for Cambion to dance circles around them, tear the summons apart with his bare hands, and even when Warrior impaled him from behind and slam his electrocuted hammer into the murderer's back, which actually did damage since Warrior was holding _nothing_ back since he knew Cambion was tough enough to handle lightning...the half-demon _still_ didn't care.

"Drain..." Wizard whispered as a speck of blue and orange light flowed out of her staff and flew across the field, but it actually waited until Lizard Priest was kicked away and Warrior was knocked out cold with one hit before the speck entered the Cambion's body.

"What?" He exclaimed before groaning as his breathing became shallow and he collapsed to his knees as Wizard's spell took hold. After about ten seconds, the spell wore off and Wizard took the speck back.

"Damn...no wonder he mopped the floor with so many high-ranking people; this guy is a freak of nature..." Wizard said as she looked over the speck and distributed it among her teammates as Cambion got up, and so did Lizard Priest, Warrior, and Fighter.

"So...you managed to steal some of my power? An interesting trick, but it won't help you. I'm still more than strong enough to tear all of you in half many times over, but like I told that Ranger, I believe in fairness, and with the tenacity and might you've all demonstrated you'd make perfect examples of what I desire for this country. So I offer you a chance to join me, and make all the losses this country suffered mean something." Cambion said before Fighter walked up to him.

"You murdered the Sword Maiden..." She said harshly.

"She knew the alternative to what I proposed, and accepted it without reservation." Cambion said simply.

"I hope you did the same just now, because now it's over for you." Fighter said.

"Over? Hardly. Like I said, I'm still more than strong enough to kill all of you without difficulty. The only reason I'm even speaking to any of you is because I believe you may still be of use to me later on. If I were you, I would make sure my hopes do not fade." Cambion said seriously.

"Your hopes mean nothing to us, just like ours mean nothing to you. We _loved_ the Sword Maiden, and you _took_ her from us..." Fighter said with a cracked voice.

"And if you were to kill me, her death would mean nothing. So...I will give you another chance to join me. There will not be a third. You know what will happen if you refuse me." Cambion said.

"Drain him again..." Wizard's brother whispered.

"I'm _trying_, this isn't as easy as I make it look..." Wizard whispered back then Fighter jammed a blade into the Cambion's chest, only for him to look down and then at her casually, grab her arm, and yank the blades out as he healed.

"You...disappoint me. Before I do this, you should know...I know your entire history, starting from when you were just a young cub. I must admit, I am happy that the tiger who spawned you raised you to earn the same stripes, not that it matters now..." Cambion said before kicking her away while still holding her arm, which made her arm tear off, and Fighter screamed her lungs as the team looked on in horror. Then Warrior charged at him screaming in rage only to be knocked out a second time, and Lizard charged him from behind, only to get his chest kicked in again, leaving him reeling in pain, and dodged a few arrows as he rushed to H.E. Archer, punched her lights out, then tripped Wizard's brother, stomped on his gut so hard he projectile vomited, then choked Wizard until she passed out, then turned to Priestess who was helplessly watching her teammates get steamrolled like they were day one recruits, despite being Silver and Gold Ranked.

"Hear me...O merciful...Earth Mother..." Priestess whispered while shaking in terror as Cambion approached her, then rushed forward, grabbed her by the throat and held her up.

"Listen to me, and listen well. Our final battle, while inevitable, is premature. I could've killed you, and everyone else, but if I did...you would only become martyrs; examples to the rest of the world that defying progress is worth anything, which is exactly what I am fighting against, even if this wasn't a shameful waste of potential emissaries. Speaking of whom, I left just enough life in all of them for you to restore them, including that girl who's missing an arm, but you must act fast to save them. The next time we meet, I expect the power your friend had the audacity to steal from me to be put to good use, and that Platinum Rank had better be there. I want him to bare witness to the cost of stagnation himself, but you...well, I will make up for the pain I caused you now, by killing you first. You can thank me now if you want to. Stay out of the battle, or join the battle, either way...you will be spared the worst of it." Cambion said before dropping her to the ground, opening a hell rift and leaving the young Priestess weeping her eyes out in fear and holding up her staff.

"Great...Supreme God...Ruler...of...Heaven...Dealer...of Justice...I ask you...please shine your light...on this place on which you are needed...and grant us a Restoration!" Priestess prayed while still shaking and a light from the sky comes down, slowly engulfs the place and everyone's injuries heal, including Fighter's arm being re-attached.

* * *

**Holy shit...that battle really showed the difference between the Cambion and everyone else didn't it? FYI, his ability to morph his arms into blades, or make tentacles pop out of his body, and absorb bodies into his own is a reference to Prototype, my 2nd favorite game. Also...I actually imagined myself in Priestess' position for a few seconds...bit of advise: Don't. Also...I'll bet you weren't expecting Summoner to date Guild Girl, or rather...the other way around. Also...GS' new armor looks like the Berserker Armor, and functions like the Praetor suit, so that idea is officially resting. FYI, I think the Berserker armor looks cooler, or at least more fitting for the setting, but...I cannot deny the Praetor Suit is more functional, or at least is more desirable, especially for GS. Anyway...the team recovers from their ass-kicking in the next part, so be sure to Rate, Review, and Share and stay tuned until then...**


	29. Chapter 15

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I don't really have any comments on what's going on that hasn't or will not be addressed so...let's just get on with it...**

**Review Response: FYI, the elder dragon's personality is based on Paarthurnax's from Skyrim. I am a Skyrim fanboy somewhat, hence why I want to make a story for Skyrim after this, and why some elements from Skyrim were used here. As for the Cambion fight? I don't think backlash is likely; the Sword Maiden's case was MUCH more intense, and Priestess can only use Restoration once a day. I mean, she got away with it when she used it on Ranger that one time before he fought the Goblin Lord and kicked his ass.**

**Guild Girl spending time with Summoner was somewhat of a shoo-in considering what was stated by the two of them. As for Elder Revenant...well, you know how he spent some chapters going around and collecting armor pieces? Now you know why.**

**Cambion was morally gray since Day 1...  
**

* * *

The team got back in the cart, Fighter opened a portal with the arm that wasn't torn off; she may have it back, but it still hurt. They then entered the portal, and put the cart back to where they found it, and Warrior untied it.

"Could that fight have been any more _embarrassing_?" Wizard asked.

"You mean the part where we got thoroughly spanked by the Cambion, or the fact that our one ace in the hole was almost pointless?" Her brother asked.

"Both..." Wizard said.

"No...it wasn't pointless...he said he had enough power to kill us without effort, even after being drained...he lied." Priestess said, with her earlier fear dissolved.

"You mean...I took more than I thought?" Wizard asked with renewed hope.

"Most likely. I kept an eye on his power, and I didn't realize it at the time since everything was too tense but...his power was cut almost in half. He'll need quite some time to recover, if he ever does." Fighter said.

"And in the meantime, we can train the parts of our asses he didn't kick off." Warrior said and got some looks. "What?"

"Very funny..." Fighter said dryly before Dwarf Rifleman woke up. "You alright?"

"Other than I'm still waiting to get my legs back? I'm just fruity..." D.R said.

"We'll get you patched up in no time." H.E. Archer said with a small smile.

"Thanks...Your Highness." D.R. teased and got a pat on the chest from the elf.

"I hope Sir Ranger doesn't take this too badly. I can tell he stills holds all of you in his heart, and not just you Lady Fighter." Lizard Priest said.

"He'll be fine, at least in the end." Fighter said before D.R. exclaimed. "What?"

"I just thought of something...he had silver hair right?" D.R. asked.

"Yeah? So?" Fighter asked.

"He's the Cambion I mentioned before! Can't believe he came after us..." D.R. said.

"Well...next time, we'll be ready for him." Warrior said firmly.

"Damn straight..." Wizard's brother said as Lizard Priest carried D.R. into the fort with the team following him.

* * *

Cow Girl meanwhile was slicing down the blob dummies again, and tried using the frost enchantment on the axe to make a secondary axe head over the metal one to temporarily increase it's size...but also it's weight. "A real warrior isn't worried about the weight" as one recruit she overhead said, but she wasn't _that_ strong, at least not yet. She then tried throwing her frozen axe, and it barreled into one of the dummies...but left her wide open for an attack, as Ranger demonstrated when he grabbed her from behind, and try as she might, she couldn't get free.

"Let me go! This isn't funny!" Cow Girl exclaimed.

"It isn't supposed to be. You lose your balance at the wrong time, this happens...if you're lucky." Ranger said simply as she kept struggling.

"This is training, not the real thing!" Cow Girl said.

"Lucky you." Ranger said.

"Let go of me dammit!" Cow Girl bellowed.

"There is a way you can get out, and you know what it is." Ranger said as Cow Girl stopped moving.

"But...I don't want to hurt you..." She said softly.

"I can handle it, and so can you." Ranger said as he tightened his hold...then she jammed the point of her elbow into his side, then tripped him...before looking at him doubling over in pain with guilt on her face.

"I...I can't believe..." Cow Girl said as she knelt over him, then he sat up with her and held her face as tears fell down her cheeks.

"Congratulations...you took another step. If you can hurt someone close to you, detaching yourself from a foe's misfortune is that much easier." Ranger said.

"But...I can handle killing goblins." Cow Girl said while sniffling.

"Not all your enemies can, and will be goblins. You may fight other people some day. People who are debatably worse than goblins. People who will not only not care for your suffering...but will actually seek it, enjoy it...thrive on it. You must be ready for this." Ranger said seriously as Cow Girl hugged him, and after a second to think, he returned it. "I'm sorry you've been through so much..."

"I'll be o.k. I can handle my uncle dying, I can handle being nearly played with by goblins, I can handle this..." Cow Girl said with a sob.

"You're such a brave girl...Goblin Slayer really is a lucky man." Ranger said softly as she backed up and smiled a bit while drying her tears, then Ranger kissed her forehead as she calmed up finally.

"And Fighter is a lucky woman... Like the Sword Maiden said: love isn't always romantic, so...by that logic-" Ranger cuts her off.

"I do love you, but you're right, love isn't always romantic, and...by default we can't be involved like that. You have Goblin Slayer, I have Fighter, and they need us more than we need each other, even if they didn't do more for us than we did for each other." Ranger said seriously.

"Let me do that sword-lifting exercise again..." Cow Girl said as Ranger morphed one and set it aside. Cow Girl than got up, grabbed the handle, took a moment to ease up, remembered what Ranger said before preparation, and how things went wrong the first time. She then imagined herself wielding it and even smashing stuff with it, then pulled as hard as she could...and it went straight up, as Ranger's eyes widened.

"You did it!" Ranger exclaimed with pride as Cow Girl kept staring at the massive sword she lifted with intense focus. She then lowered it, and thrusted forward imagining herself piercing the chest of a hob she saw at the farm a year ago.

"I have half a mind to ask you to let me keep this..." Cow Girl said without any emotion in her voice.

"I can give you something like it." Ranger said as Cow Girl put the sword down.

"Smith me something..." Cow Girl said seriously.

"Smith..." Ranger whispered as a sword shaped like the one she lifted, with the leaf-shaped blade, hooked guard, and everything, only...it's just large enough to fit on her back with room to spare.

"Let me guess: this sword is just too big for small spaces?" Cow Girl asked quoting GS.

"You're not wrong." Ranger said as he picked up his greatsword. "You know this sword's shaped the way it is for a reason?"

"Yes. The leaf shape makes the tip wider and as such, stabs deeper into the target, and the thickness in the middle adds force to the chop, and the thinner edges makes the slice more smooth." Cow Girl said.

"Even without the size, these blades can go through pretty much anything. Who knows, I might give one to Goblin Slayer." Ranger said as the walked out...and saw Rhea Fighter...talking to Fighter and giving her back her baby.

"They're back..." Cow Girl whispered as Ranger approached them...and got a small smile from Fighter.

"Wel...welcome back everyone..." Ranger said before noticing their sours moods...and Lizard Priest holding D.R.

"Hey hey, great to be back, now can we please get my bony ass to a bed as my spine can be repaired?" He asked as Lizard Priest kept going.

"What? What happened?!" Ranger asked and Priestess' face fell.

"Sir...we were attacked by the Cambion; he left them each alive enough for me to heal them, but pierced his spine with one of his own bullets." She said as Ranger simply stood there.

"What...?" He asked dryly, with a hint of disbelief.

"The good news is that the dwarf's intel was solid, the bad news is that the Cambion was still tough enough to take what we had to throw at him, and...he wasn't pulling any punches either." Wizard's brother said as Ranger sat down and held his head.

"Now...to be fair, we didn't use every trick we had up our sleeves, like the World Spawn, any empowerment miracles, or even that chakra-opening shtick. But we;ll get him next time." Warrior said as Ranger banged the table with his fists.

"I cannot believe this..." He whispered harshly before his baby started crying as he looked at her horrified as Fighter rocked and shushed her, before giving her to him. "I'm sorry daughter..." The baby stopped crying a few seconds later and Ranger dried her tears and caressed her cheeks with the back of his index finger. "What did the dragon teach you...?"

"How to steal people's strength from them. I actually cut his strength almost in half with one move, but there's a catch...it's a pain in the ass to pull off, and I just now learned it." Wizard said before Ranger gave the baby to Rhea Fighter who was thinking.

"So what to we do now?" Rhea Fighter asked before Ranger clutched his fists.

"We get back into training..." He said before looking right at his teammates.

"Boss..." Warrior said with concern.

"You could have killed all of you! If I'm right he did that to try to demoralize us...but all he did was cut his own throat..." Ranger said seriously.

"But...what can we do that we haven't done already, other than all of us opening our chakras, which may or may not even be possible." Wizard's brother said while she herself thought to herself...which Ranger noticed.

"Nothing is impossible with alchemy right?" He asked and Wizard raised her head.

"I suppose, but I'm flat out of ideas." She said.

"Well...I'm not." Ranger said as he morphed his left gauntlet...and superheated it which wowed the team.

"When did you learn to do that?" Fighter asked.

"Just now, although I don't know what it does..." Ranger said as Dwarf Shaman showed up.

"Well do it outside good Ranger. I spent most of today fixing this place up, and I am in no mood to do it again." He said firmly.

"Right...but, for now, we've all done our fair share of things, and we can catch up later. Let's just get some well-earned rest..." Ranger said.

"I can look after your daughter if you'd like?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Maybe later, but I want some time with her now...and my husband too." Fighter said softly as she took her daughter back from her, and joined Ranger in their room as the team went to their own, with Priestess and H.E. Archer going to perform Resurrection on D.R.

* * *

When they got to their room, Fighter and Ranger de-morphed their armor, Fighter breastfed her daughter while Ranger laid down and watched his two favorite females interact.

"You know...we stopped at a hot spring on he way to the dragon?" Fighter asked.

"Did you? How did it go?" Ranger asked.

"Well...I paired up with Priestess...and boy was it tense; she was torn up about quite a few things, from Sword Maiden's scars, to what happened to my heart. I ever tell you I love that girl to pieces?" Fighter asked.

"I can imagine; you're no stranger to sibling relationships without blood ties." Ranger said seriously which made Fighter chuckle.

"No...I guess not." She said as her baby stopped sucking her nipple, brought her up to her face as her baby touched her face.

"Hello..." the baby said.

"Hello sweetie..." Fighter said softly before kissing her forehead.

"You know...we haven't shown her to your father's ghost at the Ether Gazer?" Ranger asked and Fighter immediately deflated, stood up, gave their baby to her father and opened a portal to the Ether Gazer, before looking at it...

"Let's go..." Fighter whispered before heading through the portal with her family following, and when they reached the Ether Gazer...Fighter took their baby, walked towards the Ether Gazer and waited. "Get ready to meet your grandfather daughter..." Eventually...the image a black-hair man with a short ponytail, a white shirt, and black pants appeared and looked Fighter over. "Hello father..."

"D-daughter? I barely recognized you..." Her dad said before looking at the baby she was holding.

"Your grandchild father...the one thing I value more than your teachings." Fighter said softly with her voice trembling as her father looked the sleeping child over.

"She's as lovely as you were, when _you_ were a baby..." Fighter's dad said softly before looking Fighter herself over. "Your armor..and you're Gold Rank now...!"

"Yes, and both are thanks to my husband..." Fighter said as she looked at Ranger who was keeping a respectable distance.

"I see...so this is who you married." Fighter's father said as Ranger approached.

"I am indeed master, and I've never been luckier before, or since I married your daughter." Ranger said seriously as Fighter's dad looked him over.

"You're Platinum Ranked? There's only been a handful in history..." He said in awe.

"I also serve the War God; I even used his power to kill the vampire queen, destroy her castle, and the others who aided us took her possessions. But we both aided people in more ways than I can count before and after that." Ranger said.

"We even had the Sword Maiden bless our marriage." Fighter said.

"I remember..." Her dad said before touching his daughter's face. "I heard every word you said at my grace. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to watch you grow my dear..."

"Don't be, thanks to Ranger...I've never been happier." Fighter said before giving her baby to Ranger and hugging her father's ghost. "And now we're together again..."

"Daughter..." Her dad whispered as she wept into his chest as Ranger watched them, and glanced at their little girl. Eventually, Fighter pulled, dried her eyes and smiled at her father. "And you Ranger...may I ask just how much she means to you?"

"Everything..." Ranger whispered tensely, which stunned both of them. "I don't like to relive this but...after our first quest, I discovered how vile the goblins were, when I discovered that they violated a group of girls to the point where they were mentally broken beyond repair...so I slaughtered them to end their misery...but ever since, I've done nothing but try to make up for it." He then took a moment to compose himself as Fighter touched his face, Ranger leaned into her touch, then gave the baby back to her. "That nightmare is probably going to haunt me for the rest of my life, but...if there's any silver lining, it's that I know what we're fighting."

"It gets better love...we found a nest of goblins and Wizard was able to restore their broken minds and Priestess even restored their virginities, along with everything else." Fighter said seriously and Ranger's eyes widened.

"What? That...that's the most incredible news I've ever heard..." He said in complete awe as his eyes wandered around, and eventually he sat down on the floor. "I need to speak with them..."

"May we have a moment with them father?" Fighter asked.

"Of course... wait here." Her dad said as he vanished, and a few seconds later...five girls showed up and Ranger had a flashback to when he stabbed them all through their brains and cringed.

"Are you all alright?" Fighter asked softly.

"Hey...are you alright?" A girl asked.

"No...I'm not alright." Ranger said seriously, not daring to look at any of them in the eye. "I've never been more sorry for anything than the time I killed all of you...and tried as I might, try as anyone else, including my beloved wife might...I couldn't forgive myself...!" At this point, Fighter knelt down beside him and holds his chin to look at him...but he shuts his eyes. In that moment, he probably hated himself to the point where he didn't think he deserved to look at his beautiful wife.

"Like you said, you did nothing but make up for it since..." Fighter said softly.

"Yeah, we saw you crush goblins left and right, and we got to reunite with our families." One of the girls said.

"But-" Another cuts him off.

"But nothing, what's done is done, and you have no idea if what you did to us could've been avoided. I mean, look at the Sword Maiden, her case is ten times worse than ours, and she's your guardian angel now! Or guardian nephilim, whatever..." She said.

"Yes, what happened to us was horrid. Yes, you're responsible for us losing our impact on the world, but others did that for us; it wasn't our task to do. Even the Supreme said so directly! So quit beating yourself up over it, and keep up the fight!" The one who didn't speak said, and Ranger calmed down the moment she finished, stood up and finally looked at them.

"Besides, we became almost like sisters in Heaven." Another girl said brightly.

"Right...I'm still sorry for what I did to you..." He whispered as they each came up to him, and hugged him from all sides as he smiled and wept as his wife looked on as the girls poured out their forgiveness. "Thank you all..."

"No...thank _you_." One of the girls said softly before they all went back into the Ether Gazer, and Fighter's dad reappeared as Ranger sat down again, with Fighter's dad sitting with him and taking his hand.

"Have you forgiven yourself now?" He asked as Ranger got a grip.

"I believe so..." He whispered.

"I see why my daughter loves you so much, and I'm proud to have you as my son-in-law." Fighter's dad said with a smile.

"And I'm glad as well." Ranger said as they both stood up.

"Let me hold my granddaughter..." Fighter's dad said before she handed the baby over, then kissed her husband as sweetly as she could, and hugged him close.

"I love you...with all my heart." Fighter said softly.

"And I love you with mine..." Ranger whispered as he kept breathing hard as Fighter's dad watched the pair while smiling. Fighter eventually broke away and took her baby back.

"Father...that Cambion we fought hinted that he knew you, what did he mean?" Fighter asked.

"My dear daughter...that Cambion didn't kill me himself, but he's the reason I died..." Her dad said.

"What?" Fighter asked in horror.

"It was a few months after you were born. He came to our house looking for a demon hunter he thought could make a difference in his campaign...one he firmly believed could better the world. He actually ran the idea of uniting the force of Heaven and Hell to completely balance the world, and since he already had demonic blood in his veins, he only needed holy blood, and lots of it." Fighter's dad said.

"So...he didn't just kill the Sword Maiden because she turned him down. He wanted her very essence." Ranger said in horror.

"Most likely. The Cambion asked me to point him to that demon hunter he mentioned. I refused, then he accused me of being a coward for not wanting to help the world in the best way possible, and cursed me; he wished that I die before my daughter was prepared to live without me...if I had just stood up like I did the rest of my life instead of withdrawing, then he'd probably be in Hell, instead of here doing his unholy work..." Fighter's dad said.

"You mean he's been at this for almost two decades?" Fighter asked.

"The Demon Lord died twice in my time...but the Cambion's crusade was as immortal as it is to this day.." Her dad said as they all stood there taking the information in.

"I became Gold Rank by helping defeat a small army of vampire fathers...by opening the seven chakras." Fighter said which amazed her dad.

"The seven chakras? I...I wanted to teach you when you got older, but... I'm proud of you for learning it regardless." Her dad said as he touched her shoulders.

"I intend to use it again, next time I face the Cambion." Fighter said seriously.

"But you can deal with him later. For now...you have time to spend as a family..." Her dad said.

"We're both going to teach her, and the rest of our future children everything we know when they grow up enough." Fighter said firmly.

"I look forward to watching them. I love you both." Her dad said as Ranger opened a portal and they returned to the fortress.

* * *

When they got back, Fighter gave the baby to Rhea Fighter who was looking over a new armor suit, then took the baby and turned in for the night, as Fighter came back to Ranger, and they both stripped naked and went to bed.

"Are you alright now?" Fighter asked.

"I'm just glad that...room-full-of-shredded-goblins of a mess is finally cleaned up..." Ranger said in relief.

"Well, now it's just you and me now..." Fighter said softly as she molded her lips against his as they laid there holding each other, with her caressing his muscles and him stroking her hair and back. "Heaven is sweetest after tasting Hell first, and...you've tasted Hell for too long my love."

"Fighter..." Ranger whispered against her lips before she laid down on his shoulder. "I taste nothing but Heaven when we're like this; when I touch you...when I _kiss_ you."

"Tell me how I'm beautiful..." Fighter said as Ranger caressed her hair again.

"Where to start...this hair is black as the night, which contrasts with your skin, and is as silky as your skin. Ironic, yet poetic. Your muscles that reflect the strength you use to crush foes alongside me..." Ranger said before groping her left breast. "These _priceless_ breasts you nurse our little girl with. Here's hoping hers will nurse her own child just as well someday..."

"She's still an infant...but I get it, we weren't babies forever either. Oh that feels so good..." Fighter said as Ranger kept fondling her breast, before moving down her side and groping her butt.

"I'm pretty sure I made my feelings about _this_ pretty clear..." Ranger said sensually as Fighter let off a horny chuckle.

"You most _certainly_ did..." She said with lust as she kissed him deeply, then he put his hands on her butt as she chuckled and moaned while they lashed tongues slowly and smacked their lips together.

"How you get so strong, yet stay so thick-skinned, I will never know..." Ranger said as he kept squeezing and fondling her round, supple buttocks.

"You see how much I eat..." Fighter said knowingly.

"I also know why, and for the record...thank all things holy that you eat so heartily." Ranger said.

"So you can dig your pervy hands into me?" Fighter teased before Ranger lightly spanked her.

"You know you love it as much as I do..." Ranger said before Fighter kissed him.

"Did you drink any potion?" Fighter asked.

"I...gave it to that farm girl." Ranger said as Fighter raised an eyebrow. "Yes...Goblin Slayer finally got laid, at least once."

"Wow...can't believe he finally got going." Fighter said.

"She probably took the lead; it might be a while before he does himself. Although...I wish them both luck." Ranger said.

"Then he'd be just like you." Fighter said as she stroked his face as he smiled at him.

"I forgot to mention your face...you've probably been as baby-faced as you are for as long as I've known you." Ranger said.

"And you...well, you need to shave again, but other than that...what woman wouldn't love how bulky you are? Or how..._handy_ you can be?" Fighter asked sensually as Ranger flipped them over and rubbed her leg.

"Like I told you: a man who can't both love and fight...is no man at all..." He said as she felt him massage her muscular, yet plump and creamy thigh.

"Like I told you: you definitely check both those boxes. You probably have just about every man's dream as far as I can tell. You're going around, killing monsters, helping some people, training others...fucking me..." Fighter said with a smirk.

"If I drank some potion, I'd fuck you into the ground..." Ranger said as Fighter quivered.

"Why must fate be so cruel to me...?" She asked with a shaky voice.

"What? You remember those times I took you? Or those times you showed me just how much good your own body can do for mine?" Ranger asked as he pressed his lips against her neck as she gasped and rubbed against him.

"Yes, I remember them _all_..." Fighter whispered as her memories took hold and her body quaked.

"You married the right man didn't you? I sure married the right woman..." Ranger said.

"I _did_ marry the right man...in every way..." Fighter whispered before Ranger came up and kissed her deeply and sweetly as she held his head as their lust was immediately replaced with love.

"When I get the chance...I'm taking some potion myself...and we'll make as much love as we want." Ranger said softly as Fighter smiled and then deflated.

"Love? When we fought Cambion...Priestess had to reattach my arm." She said as Ranger's eyed widened.

"What?" He asked in horror as Fighter showed her right arm.

"He tore my arm off..." She said seriously as Ranger held her hand, then pressed it into his face and stroked her arm down to the shoulder. His gesture made her run her thumb across his cheek. "This is the main reason I love you: you're so caring..."

"You're my wife...I care about you above all..." Ranger whispered before kissing her palm.

"But you also care about others more than they care about themselves. You deserve a Diamond Rank for that." Fighter said as Ranger laughed at her.

"Seriously?" He asked.

"Hey, since the Diamond Rank is imaginary, we can throw them around as much as we want." Fighter said as Ranger stroked her face and looked at her lips.

"The last thing I forgot...was that mouth..." Ranger said then whispered as he claimed her lips with his own as he gave her one hungry kiss after another as they moaned and lashed tongues. "I will never tire of kissing you...or hearing those sounds you make when I please you..." He kissed her yet again while fondling her breast...then stopped cold.

"Ranger...? Why did you stop?" Fighter asked with disappointment in her voice; she was right there in the moment.

"I just...remembered when your heart nearly gave out..." Ranger said and Fighter put his hand on her left breast.

"Like I told Priestess: my heart is still beating, can't you feel it?" She asked.

"You asked Priestess that?" Ranger asked.

"Yes...I put her hand on my breast as well, and hugged her despite the fact we were naked too." Fighter said.

"Fighter...?" Ranger asked and Fighter just smiled.

"I love her like a sister, and we're both women; you men may have apprehensions about that kind of thing, but us women do not, at least not all of us." She said.

"Fair enough..." Ranger said.

"Now...I believe you were playing with my breasts?" Fighter asked before Ranger smirked and continued handling her breasts and kissing her lips.

* * *

In Wizard and Warrior's room, he de-morphed his armor as Wizard just sat down...

"We'll get that Cambion asshole next time." Warrior said seriously.

"Believe it or not...I can forgive that, all of it...but I'm a bit disturbed." Wizard said.

"Why?" Warrior asked.

"It's just...I'm happy we saved those girls, but...I think I'm getting used to this." Wizard said.

"O.k...I don't see how that's a bad thing." Warrior said honestly.

"I don't see how it's a bad or a good thing! I have no idea what this is doing to me! Am I being desensitized to people's suffering? Am I going to stop caring altogether eventually? Am I trying to keep myself sane by drowning it out because I'm too weak to face it toe-to-toe? Am I losing or trying to preserve my sanity? Am I losing my humanity? Am I...I mean, I'm...I don't even know what I'm saying anymore!" Wizard exclaimed as she laid down holding her head and trying to calm down as Warrior stood there and eventually walked over to her, and put his hand on her shoulder as he sat next to her.

"Whatever's going on inside that cavernous mind of yours...you're still part of this team, my wife...and a brilliant sorceress." Warrior said softly as Wizard got a grip.

"But...can I really afford to get used to this? I know I can heal their minds, without much trouble either, but it shouldn't have to come to this." She said as they sat there in silence for a while. "I tried..._everything_ to get past this. I tried telling myself that healing the damage makes it right, I thought about the contrast between what they went through, and what it's supposed to be like, I praised myself for being their heroine, I prayed they'd find real men to have families with. I...tried to get past this, and couldn't...why? Do those things even matter?" Wizard asked.

"Of course they matter! What kind of question is that? Why _wouldn't_ those things matter is the one you should be asking." Warrior said in exasperation as Wizard deflated.

"I actually showed those girls what I told you just now when I healed their minds..." She said softly.

"Well, here you go. It'll work for them, it can work for you." Warrior said hopefully before Wizard leaned into him as he held her close.

"Thank you..." She whispered as she snuggled into him as deeply as she could.

"Would you like me to do something?" Warrior asked before Wizard pulled away.

"Just...get out of that suit, and wait." Wizard said as Warrior de-morphed his outside, as she did the same, then unclipped her bra, laid down and threw it to the ground. "Treat me..." Warrior needed no more instruction; Wizard closed her eyes as Warrior gripped each of her breasts fondled and squeezed them from different angles, pressed them together, twisted and even licked her nipples as she moaned all the while. "That feels so good..."

"And it'll last as long as you want, my beloved sorceress." Warrior teased as he squeezed away making her smile and chuckle as he got back to licking her nipples. For the better part of a minute, Wizard just laid there letting her husband kiss, fondle, and lick her luscious breasts, while listening to her gasp, moan, and giggle, and watching her face light up with a blissful, toothy smile while she held his head in place with her soft and lovely yet powerful hands. He eventually came up, looked her right in the eyes, and kissed her enchanting lips as sweetly as he could as she caressed his face.

"Thank you..." She whispered.

"For pleasing you?" Warrior teased as Wizard chuckled and smiled again.

"For pulling me out of my head...again." Wizard said softly before pulling him into another kiss.

"Would you like anything else? I actually studied a silencing spell..." Warrior said and Wizard's eyes widened.

"Can you use it now...?" She asked.

"I believe so, why?" Warrior asked.

"Why do you think? Wizard said and Warrior raised an eyebrow.

"What...?" He asked before Wizard glared at him.

"For crying out loud...sex is one hell of a painkiller is it? I resolved my problem, but I'm still suffering, now down a glass of that potion and fuck me." She said.

"Any ideas how to go about it?" Warrior asked as they stood up, with her first.

"Don't clone yourself; just fuck me fast, and fuck me _hard_..." Wizard said before leaning into the wall, with her hands balancing her as she bent over, then Warrior drank some potion, got behind her, lightly spanked her, watched her flesh jiggle as she gasped, then pushed into her and immediately started thrusting into her moist, narrow opening two to three times a second without missing a step as she started letting out deep, throaty groans of ecstasy and even growled bit as her husband pounded her from behind, eventually making them both burst and he had to catch her before she fell forward and hit her face against the wall, then he removed himself from her and laid them down next to each other as they went straight to sleep.

* * *

H.E. Archer woke up in the middle of the night to find D.R. still sleeping, then looked him over. He wasn't as pudgy as Dwarf Shaman, not even close...he was actually quite burly and hairy. He must've put his beard on his chest instead of his chin. She couldn't help but smirk at her own joke, then looked herself over...she was as flat-chested as the shaman kept quipping about. She reflexively covered herself in shame; she knew D.R. said size wasn't everything...but only Priestess was her size, and she was adolescent; she still had growth to go through. Her lower body wasn't much better then her chest. What would D.R. say if he woke up and saw her naked body? She quickly got dressed and left...then something occurred to her: maybe the alchemist could help her in some way.

"Ah, good night...which is what I would say-" H.E. Archer cuts Alchemist off.

"I want your help." She said.

"With what exactly?" Alchemist asked.

"Something...personal." H.E. Archer said with shame in her voice.

"May I ask _how_ personal, and what you want my help with?" Alchemist asked and H.E. Archer sighed.

"O.k...I'm just going to come out with it: I know my friends got power from alchemy, and I know alchemy can be used to modify just about anything...including bodies..." She said.

"Oh...you want to change your appearance." Alchemist said as he looked over some of his materials.

"Yes, can you help me out?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Can I? Probably. The question is...should I?" Alchemist said.

"What?" H.E. Archer asked with disappointment.

"Well, alchemy has almost no limits, but using it on people's bodies directly? Yeah...I'm not going to make alot of friends doing that, even in the demon hunter crowd." Alchemist said.

"Well there has to be _something_ you can do for me!" H.E. Archer snapped and Alchemist sighed and lower his hood... "You...you're a High Elf too?"

"Yes I am, and a former Druid." Alchemist said.

"A Druid?" H.E. Archer asked.

"_Former_...Druid. Anyways, I have to ask you something else: How much do you love your homeland?" Alchemist asked.

"As much as anyone. What kind of question is that?" H.E. Archer said.

"Druids don't just love their homeland; they _are_ their homeland. I left the Druids because I wanted to take a slice of our homeland with me to others, and no they didn't kick me out, nor did I leave without permission; I asked to leave, and they let me once I explained myself." Alchemist said.

"O...k...why are you asking me this?" H.E. Archer asked.

"Because, part of the initiation is what you're asking for: A body alteration, and not only does it change the way you look, but it also makes you faster, stronger, more aware...more resilient, and sometimes...more magic-sensitive."

"What's the catch?" H.E. Archer asked suspiciously.

"Well...no one, not you, nor the person altering you has a say in how your body changes. You could change only somewhat, or quite radically, or somewhere in he middle. The good news there is that...while I am allowed to make minor changes to a person's body, like their hair color, length, or texture, other changes like skeleton changes, like with your hips? Yeah, you're on your own." Alchemist said and H.E. Archer thought about it. She did what to change her body shape...but at what cost? She could wind up bald, with extra weight in the wrong places, or with extra bones for all she knew. But on the other hand...she could wind up giving the Sword Maiden a run for her money, and her body was _flawless_!

"I'll do it..." H.E. Archer said firmly.

"Alright...come with me, this is going to take a while." Alchemist said as he got some things ready, drew a few symbols in a circle, then had H.E. Archer sat in the middle as he chanted in the elvish tongue and the symbols glowed one by one, flooding her body with energy in the process. "It's working..."

* * *

Fighter woke up in the middle of a a meadow with stormy weather overhead. She knew it was a dream but...it felt so _real_. She was in her original outfit, had a high ponytail, and everything. Even her wedding ring and amethyst pendant were gone! She then noticed her old home...then it shifted into her home in Water Town, then the two imagined fused into one. She then drummed up the nerve to go inside, and the same phenomenon happened: she remembered room from her 1st home, then rooms from her current home, then they fused into one. Somehow...the whole experience was jarring at first, than stopped being jarring. She knew dreams were insane by nature but...this was ridiculous.

"Ranger? Ranger, are you here?" Fighter called out as she walked through the house. She eventually found her baby's room, went inside...the crib was there, and an empty blanket that should hold a baby but didn't. This was getting creepy...

She blinked and found herself in front of the cave she had her first quest in...and dozens of goblins rushing out of the cave screaming in fear, then the moment she got over her own fear, took a fighting stance and threw a kick...her leg passed through them, as they ran out in all directions, completely ignoring her and moving through her like she wasn't even real. It was eerie feeling them move through her body, but when it was over, she heard footsteps coming out...

"Sword Maiden..." Fighter said in awe before she got poked in the forehead, and wound up in the Temple of Law's garden, with Sword Maiden sitting on a bench with a little boy next to her. "Who...who is that?" Both of them looked at Fighter smiling. "Seriously, who is this Your Grace? They still said nothing, but Sword Maiden looked at her knowingly, then...the little boy looked in the opposite direction, and saw Fighter' child self coming out and they rushed to hug each other...then kissed. "Wait...that's Ranger isn't it?" Sword Maiden nodded before Fighter blinked would up in the same meadow as before...with Ranger's younger self standing in front of her, smiling brightly, and offering her some flowers.

"Here!" He exclaimed as he held them out. Fighter then chuckled, knelt down to take them. "I picked these myself. Thanks for saving me from those monsters." Fighter was confused, but recalled the goblins she swung at.

"They're lovely. Thank you..." Fighter said softly before she shrunk down to her child self "What the-?" Ranger then grew to his adult self still smiling, then knelt down to her level and patted her head.

"Just like how you'll save me from myself..." Ranger whispered. Fighter then blinked again, wound up in front of her house again...then her younger self gave her the amethyst pendant and wedding ring back

"Here you go. These are going to me mine after all." Fighter' younger self said brightly.

"Yes...yes they will." Fighter said, then she woke up, saw Ranger still asleep and wept into his shoulder while smiling as brightly as she could.

* * *

Cow Girl woke up next to GS, then traced his scars...she was always proud of him for standing up to the goblins, and avenging so many people, and saving so many others in the process...but now, she'd do anything to repay him in full, and not just with sex. Ranger taught her about how the Love Goddess was said to be responsible for the very traits of the female body that society finds desirable, and maybe even the male body traits, but as in-your-face as the pleasures of the flesh were, especially when combined with a personal connection between those involved...she couldn't help but feel like there was something missing.

"Good morning..." GS said as he woke up and saw her thinking, but smile at him at the last moment.

"Good morning." She said before kissing him quickly.

"Is something wrong?" GS asked and Cow Girl deflated, he really was learning.

"It's just...do you ever wished you didn't have these scars?" Cow Girl asked.

"No." GS said simply.

"Well...I do. I understand why you have them and I love you for it, but...they leave a bad taste in the mouth knowing what happened to you to get them." Cow Girl said softly.

"I see..." GS said.

"Wait, do you know what the Sword Maiden did to heal her eyes?" Cow Girl asked.

"No." GS said.

"Do you think Ranger knows?" Cow Girl asked.

"Maybe, let's ask him." GS said and Cow Girl giggled.

"Look at you taking the initiative for me." She said softly as she caressed his face before kissing him as she held her head in place and...he poked his tongue through her lips making her chuckle in surprise as she lashed tongues with him...then reached down, and gave her butt a quick but rough grope making her squeal delightfully as she pulled back and she started laughing at him. "You sly dog you..."

"Let's go..." GS said in an almost teasing manner as they got up, got dressed, and went out to meet the others.

"Good morning." Cow Girl said to Dwarf Shaman, Lizard Priest, and Rhea Fight who was holding the baby, that Cow Girl walked over to. "Hello."

"Hello." the baby said as Cow Girl giggled and ran her finger along the baby's cheeks before Dwarf Rifleman came out...and his legs were good as new.

"It is good to to see you healed Sir Dwarf." Lizard Priest said.

"Yep. A little magic from your Priestess, and I'm a new man." D.R. said.

"So...where's Long Ears?" Dwarf Shaman asked as Ranger and Fighter came out.

"No idea. She wasn't there when I woke up..." D.R. said then everyone looked behind him...and there she was, at least they thought it was her. She had the same clothes, in addition to some elvish light armor, the same hair color, same face and ear length, but...her figure was nearly on-par with Fighter's, especially her breasts; Dwarf Shaman's days of making fun of her flat chest are officially dead. Her hips were wider, and her legs and arms were more muscular, and her hair was shoulder-length with a vertical triple ponytail.

"It is good to see you Lady Archer." Lizard Priest said.

"Wow...look at you." Rhea Fighter said.

"You look like a completely different person..." Fighter said.

"You're not-" H.E. Archer cuts Dwarf Shaman off.

"Don't say it..." She snapped and Ranger smirked.

"Yep...that's our Lady Archer alright..." He said, with D.R. gawking at her the whole time.

"Technically, I'm a Druid now." H.E. Archer said with pride.

"You mean...an elvish holy knight?" D.R. asked.

"Something like that..." H.E. Archer said. "I might as well go all the way since, I did help perform a miracle." Cherub then poofed in.

"Sorry I was away so long. Saving people from Hell is a huge pain in my wing joints. So...everyone alright? Oh who am I kidding, of course you are, but...what? Is something wrong?" He asked as Priestess came out and watched.

"Where on Earth do we start...?" Cow Girl said.

* * *

"Sheesh...I knew Cambion was tough but...I never thought I'd see the day you people almost get throttled." Cherub said as the went outside.

"Please don't rub it in..." Wizard's brother said.

"All we need to know is how long we have to prepare for next time?" Fighter asked.

"Well, Cambion's strength _was_ cut in half, which believe me, makes him a smaller threat now than you realize; he didn't just lose his power...he lost a way to get his power back naturally." Cherub said.

"As in?" H.E. Druid asked.

"For starters, he can recover like anyone can, but it doesn't hold any water compared to what he gets from consumption. As if: absorbing creatures and even objects into his own body. Without any strong creatures to consume, it'll be some time before he's about to threaten anyone." Cherub said.

"He has to climb back up the food chain..." Ranger said,

"Exactly, and until he does...this is a golden opportunity to train up to defeat him, and...you have all the means to do so. Wait..." Cherub said before swirling some energy around then beaming Ranger's horse, and it's armor turns vermilion and the hooves temporarily burst into flames as it neighs loudly and Ranger glows with the same energy as he did when he used the Army of One miracle. "There...another gift from the big cheese himself. Now your horse has power similar to yours, and can do things a horse should never be able to do, like be summoned from a burst of fire...or gallop on liquid water."

"No way..." Warrior said in awe.

"Yes way, your Ranger friend is now a true champion of the War God, like in his dream." Cherub said.

"You mean...?" Ranger trailed off.

"No, I'm not giving you the Apocalypse Armor, unless you want to wind up like the Supreme's champion. Your own armor should work just fine anyway." Cherub said.

"Speaking of which..." Ranger said as he got into an open space, and drank some holy water. "Smith..." An array of weaponry appears around him, chains pop out of his armor and absorbs the metal into the armor. "With this miracle and my own consumption power, we can all get stronger in a heartbeat."

"Damn boss, you're a genius! Why didn't we do this earlier?" Warrior asked.

"Hindsight I guess." Rhea Fighter said.

"We thank you for this information good Cherub. Now we will put it to good use." Lizard Priest said.

"Well, no time to lose, let's get back to the frontier, and get back to training, just like old times..." Fighter said as they hopped in their cart and rode off as Cherub watched until they were out-of-sight, and poofed away shaking his head and smiling.

* * *

**Well...that's one way to recover from an ass-whooping eh? Anyway...I cannot believe I'm coming back to this but...the fact that Fighter's dad has an official appearance and even a kid version of Fighter is a thing makes her "official" fate even more insulting than it already is. If anyone makes a character, builds them up, and then martyrs them just because...dark fantasies have to be dark, then shame on everyone involved. Ranger getting closure on his first and worst failure was just icing on the cake when it comes to wrapping things up. Them showing Fighter's dad his grandchild, and Ranger abusing Smith like that are two things I wanted to do but didn't because...reasons. But whatever, hindsight is 20/20, and it's a running theme for me to plan something only to use it at a better time anyway. So...the two teams are going down yet another trip down memory lane in the frontier, so Rate, Review, and Share until then...stay tuned.**


	30. Chapter 16

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. The team is now going back to the drawing board...let's see what they come up with...**

**Review Response: That scenario isn't likely, but the Cambion isn't stupid, as if I need to say that...**

**Interesting? I haven't seen a single case where Fighter's father is given that kind of screentime. Besides...Ranger got some closure on his failure, and Fighter had probably the best dream she ever had...how is that not interesting?  
**

* * *

Ranger was driving the cart back to the frontier for the rest of their training, and whatever else they could cook up. Meanwhile, Dwarf Rifleman just couldn't stop glancing at H.E. Druid. She may have been pretty damn skinny before, but she was still pretty. Now...after becoming a Druid...she was probably the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and that addition body mass was not just fat that was put in the right places either; she was probably a woman you would hate to be punched by...or kicked by for that matter.

"I can't wait to see everyone's face when they see our new armors." Cow Girl said.

"They'll probably slobber over you, and brown their pants when they see Goblin Slayer." Warrior said dryly.

"He's not that scary." Cow Girl said.

"His armor is dark grey, looks like a demon made it, and probably has as much going for it as Ranger's armor does. It's pretty hard not to get intimidated by it. Although...I'm curious how the goblins would react..." Wizard said.

"Oh boy...they'd probably drop dead from a heart attack." Fighter said as she held her daughter.

"Why can't it ever be that easy...?" H.E. Druid said with a smile...then noticed D.R. "Are you ever going to stop staring at me?"

"Hey, it's not my fault you look even more regal than normal!" D.R. said as H.E. Druid tapped his knee.

"Stop that..." She said playfully.

"He's right Long Ears. You look like a new woman..." Dwarf Shaman said impressed.

"And now you can stop making fun of my damn chest already..." H.E. Druid said dryly.

"Well...you keep poking at my size, so it's only fair." Dwarf Shaman said as Wizard groaned.

"Don't start again please..." She said.

"The change is is not an unwelcome one Lady Archer, or should I say...Lady Druid." Lizard Priest said and H.E. Druid.

"Wait...isn't there a Rhea girl who's a druid herself?" Wizard's brother asked.

"We Rheas have different kinds of druids; the elvish Druids are on a whole other level entirely." Rhea Fighter said seriously.

"We're almost there." Ranger said as they looked ahead and spotted the frontier.

* * *

"Welcome back te-" Guild Girl shut up the moment she saw Cow Girl and GS and stammered.

"Like the new suits?" Cow Girl as she stroke a pose with a smile while GS just stood there as usual.

"Well..." Guild Girl said as she stood there in awe.

"You look great, and Goblin Slayer? You look even more intimidating than normal before nudging Guild Girl while the rest of the team just watched.

"And that's not the only surprise we have..." Warrior said as he stood aside to reveal their new and approved companion and both the ladies' jaws dropped.

"Is that you Archer?" Guild Girl asked.

"Yep, I'm a Druid now, and I love it." H.E. Druid said with a smile.

"So do I..." Dwarf Rifleman whispered before revealing himself. "I'm new. How's it going ladies?"

"Welcome to the frontier." Guild Girl said warmly before seeing his tags. "You're Ruby Ranked! Nice."

"Yes I am. So...did you happen to see a Gold Ranked Summoner come through here? He's my boss- well, he used to be." D.R. asked and Guild Girl looked away. "Something wrong?"

"She went out with him." Inspector said simply.

"That was a secret! Oh nevermind..." Guild Girl groaned.

"Well...lucky you, I guess..." Wizard said.

"You guess?" Fighter asked.

"Summoner _did_ say demon hunters aren't known for being cuddly. Not in those words but still." Inspector said.

"Anything new happen since we left?" Ranger asked.

"Nothing too major, other than your father being a pain in the neck for the recruits." Inspector said.

"Yep, nothing major there..." Ranger said with a smirk and a head shake.

"Where's Summoner now?" Priestess asked.

"Hunting demons, what else?" Inspector asked.

"Maybe I can give him a hand..." Priestess said.

"Well, if you think you can, by all means do so, but...good luck finding him. He could be literally anywhere in town." Guild Girl said.

"I'll manage." Priestess said with a smile before leaving.

"Tell us everything!" Fighter said as she leaned on the desk and making Guild Girl recoil.

"Uhhhh..." She trailed off.

"Fighter, don't pressure the poor girl..." Warrior said as Fighter huffed and backed up.

"I'll tell you when things aren't as...public." Guild Girl said as he looked at the place half-full of adventurers...some of whom were probably undressing Cow Girl with their eyes...and wetting themselves over GS' new suit.

"It seems you two have some fans..." D.R. teased.

"Very funny." Cow Girl said.

"Did you all get anything worth while on your trip?" Guild Girl asked hopefully.

"Other than we encountered an elder dragon that taught me a new trick, we took out a goblin nest, treated the bodies...and the minds of their captives, and we got our asses kicked by the Sword Maiden's killer? Not much happened..." Wizard said as the two women in front of her stared at her.

"You...fought her killer...and lost?" Inspector asked with both disbelief and fear in her voice.

"Please don't rub it in..." Wizard said.

"The good news is that he's weakened now, but...we need to get stronger ourselves to be able to put him six feet under." Warrior said.

"But that shouldn't be a problem; we got some tricks up our sleeves." Fighter said with pride as Guild Girl chuckled.

"I'm sure you do..." Guild Girl said as Heavy Warrior came down the stairs.

"Well, if it isn't the unstoppable Ranger and his crew...we're going to kick ass now!" H.W. said with a smirk.

"Nice to see you again too..." Ranger said dryly.

"Hey, where's your friend?" Wizard asked.

"Here I am." Female Knight said from behind the team making Wizard recoil and scream, making the armored lady giggle.

"You bitch, don't scare me like that!" Wizard exclaimed.

"Don't call me that again..." F.K. snapped then looked at Warrior's hammer. "Hey! Let me see that hammer!" Warrior then handed over his hammer as F.K. looked it over. "Just as I thought...this thing has a blessing from the gods on it."

"How do you know that?" H.W. asked and F.K. showed her Gold Rank tags. "You're a Paladin now?"

"Yep, the Pope himself christened me." Female Paladin said.

"Well, nice going." Cow Girl said s F.P. looked her over.

"Someone got an upgrade herself." F.P said before looking at GS and H.E. Druid. "And not just one of you either..."

"Yeah, get it out of your systems..." H.E. Druid said.

"You people are eye-openers, so...get used to it." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"Easier said than done." Cow Girl said.

"So...anything about hell rifts, or goblins?" GS asked.

"Did...you ask about the rifts before the goblins on purpose Orcbolg?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Yeah. What of it?" GS asked.

"Nothing...it's just odd..." H.E. Druid said.

"To answer you: we haven't heard anything as of yet, but we'll keep you posted." Guild Girl said.

"Thank you very much. Well, what should we do...boss?" Cow girl asked.

"Technically, you're part of Goblin Slayer's team, not mine, so ask him." Ranger said as she turned to GS.

"Come with me..." GS said as he walked out.

"Oh this should be fun..." D.R. said as the rest of his team walked out, than Fighter handed Guild Girl her daughter as Ranger's team went to have a meal together, consisting of various veggies, meats, and bread, most of which was eaten in total silence; they just wanted to fill their stomachs, everything else could wait.

"Welcome back all-powerful Platinum Rank." Spearman said casually as they finished their meal.

"Nice to be back." Ranger said simply.

"Have you seen Goblin Slayer and company? Who'd have thought they'd change so much...?" Spearman asked thoughtfully.

"Probably no one, but...that's life." Ranger said.

"Indeed it is. Life...a blessing to some, but clutter to others." Witch said as she sat down herself and inhaled her pipe.

"Like those goblins we shred so often." Fighter said before looking at her baby so who being handled quite sweetly by the two ladies at the front desk.

"Just like them, and the Sword Maiden...quite a sordid affair, but I'm sure the Supreme God will see her through. It would be blasphemous otherwise." Witch said.

"The Sword Maiden is fine..." Ranger said tensely as Priestess got up.

"Excuse me...I would like to go to the temple." She said.

"By all means." Ranger said as Priestess bowed and left.

"What's her deal?" Spearman asked.

"Her "deal" is that the Sword Maiden is about as sore a subject as it can get with her. If you're smart you'll keep that in mind." Ranger said tensely; Spearman always was too casual for comfort, even with serious topics.

"Sheesh, no need to get all huffed up over it..." Spearman said.

"That's what you get for not taking this seriously enough; the Sword Maiden's death is a sore subject by default, for a lady of faith, even if she didn't think of the Sword Maiden as a surrogate mother...it's worse." Warrior said.

"Well shit...I guess I should apologize when she gets back." Spearman said.

"There's a good fellow." Witch teased.

"But for now...care to fill us in?" Spearman asked.

"Other than some training, and the fact we got our asses kicked by the Cambion before Summoner lost half his people in a siege that cost the Evil Sect one of their top henchmen, there's not much to tell." Wizard's brother said.

"That _is_ much to tell!" Spearman exclaimed then it hit him. "Wait...you all fought him and lost?"

"Some of us, like myself weren't there..." Ranger said tensely.

"Oh...well, wait until he faces the vampire queen's killer; he'll be so screwed then." Spearman said with a smirk.

"On that, we agree..." Ranger growled.

"If I recall correctly, you destroyed Her Late Majesty's castle with the War God's power, yes?" Witch asked.

"According to the Hero's Sage friend, the Army of One miracle lets the person who uses it take on the Demon Lord with a decent chance of winning, so...make of that what you will." Ranger said.

"Yikes...and the Demon Lord is pretty much _the_ authority on challenging monsters to face down, not to mention those three girls took him down. Talk about having solid confirmation..." Spearman said.

"Perceptive." Fighter said.

"Now _you're_ getting in on poking at me?" Spearman asked with made Witch giggle.

"Only because it's so easy." Fighter said smugly.

"Why I outta..." Spearman said.

"Careful...she once clobbered a pair of ass-clowns for hitting on her." Warrior said casually.

"Don't remind me..." Fighter said with disgust.

"Hey, you should be proud." Wizard said.

"Yeah. Just having a woman like that around is enough to discourage other cases." Rhea Fighter said.

"I guess...I mean, I once slammed a boulder into he ground to stop some men from blowing kisses at me..." Fighter said.

"O.k...that's just beast..." Spearman said and Fighter giggled. She was clearly proud of herself afterall.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside, things were a bit ridiculous. Cow Girl was chopping down one rock dummy after another that Dwarf Shaman made, and GS? Well...he punched one to pieces without much trouble, without even feeling the impact or spending much energy. His armor even morphed a small gun out of his shoulder which he could launch his bombs with more force than throwing them. He also morphed a small blade attached to his right arm that worked as well as his sword did, but the shield on his left arm could be morphed into a gauntlet over the "real" gauntlet. He eventually settled on using his short sword and shield as usual, but kept he idea of making each one larger if needed in the back of his mind.

Cow Girl herself got better with using her larger sword and her collapsible shield, especially by watching and copying GS as much as possible. It was alittle amazing she never got slowed down by her armor and sword's mass; imagine what would happen if Wizard gave it even further enhancements. Her ice axe was a good back-up/surprise weapon, especially since it could thrown with decent efficiency, but unless she gets a bow, crossbow, or even a gun, her long-ranger game leaves something to be desired.

H.E. Druid's case was the most explosive by far. Not only could she shoot more arrows with greater ease, but also on-the-move, or even in mid-air; she actually ran up the side of a building, flipped off of it in a way that rivaled Fighter herself. She even tested her speed and strength by punching some of the dummies to bits. Granted it hurt her hands, but they recovered with relative ease, and she didn't even have any special armor...for now.

"Well...that was entertaining." Dwarf Rifleman said as the elf princess finished up and smirked.

"One would hope so; I not only look like a new woman, but feel like one." She said.

"That was quite an impressive display on all of your parts, especially you Lady Druid." Lizard Priest said before turning to GS and CG. "The two of you as well of course."

"I can't say I think that much of this armor, but it _does_ surpass my old one." GS said as he looked it over then Ranger's team showed up.

"Hey...where's Ranger?" Cow Girl asked.

"Still inside; he told us how he trained you...didn't think he'd go that far..." Fighter said as she held her daughter and let her play with one of her mother's hands.

"Well then...are you here to show me a thing or two? I'd like to get to Silver Rank someday myself." Cow Girl said which made the team smile; she was about as ambitious as Ranger was.

"Alright...let's get to it." Fighter said as she gave her baby to Rhea Fighter and they got to work. Starting with Fighter giving her another crash course in unarmed combat, then she sparred with Warrior and Wizard who of course, didn't use any magic outside of morphing her armor, and later picking Cow Girl's armor apart later to figure out how to upgrade it. H.E. Druid had a similar, yet more elvish-looking version of Cow Girl's black and sapphire blue armor, H.E. Druid's however was emerald green, dark silver, and her original clothing was worked into the design. The training ended with Wizard's brother summoned his familiars to give Cow Girl some more advanced training after his sister was done upgrading the armor.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranger was watching from a distance with pride in Cow Girl; she came a long way since they started, and in a pretty shot time. His team wasn't much worse, and when H.E. Druid got her new armor...he couldn't help but notice Dwarf Rifleman's reaction; he was looking at the elf like he himself probably looked at Fighter. Could he be in love with her? Sure, she was absolutely gorgeous now, and was...well, she was pretty cute beforehand, sometimes, but it wasn't common for dwarves and elves to be romantically involved. But whatever...to each their own.

"Surprise." Summoner said as he showed up and Ranger slowly looked at the demon hunter.

"Very funny...anything new?" Ranger asked.

"In Limbo? Luckily no." Summoner said.

"Well...if you need help, let me know; the last time I saw your brother, we fought demons in Limbo together." Ranger said and Summoner sighed.

"Unbelievable. He fought beside not one, but two Platinum Ranks...does his greed have any limits?" Summoner said tensely.

"What was I supposed to say no?" Ranger asked.

"I'm not mad at him, or you but...first he got to sleep with the Sword Maiden, who knows how many times for that matter...now this? This is hardly fair." Summoner said.

"What is fair is that he won her heart, and did not just want her body, difficult as that may seem." Ranger said.

"True...he did kill a heap of goblins for her, and...anyone who knows the goblins would be thrilled to have someone do that for them." Summoner said seriously and the two men stood there watching the training.

"So...you enjoy your date?" Ranger asked casually which alarmed Summoner who sighed later.

"Very much so..." Summoner whispered.

"She's a good woman you know, quite pretty too." Ranger said seriously.

"I noticed...there's a reason so many men desired her, and still do." Summoner said softly.

"You're talking about her like I once talked about my wife." Ranger said.

"Well...even if we do care about each even half as much as the two of you do, it's far too early to even consider marriage." Summoner said.

"No one said marriage until you did..." Ranger said.

"Look, I was in a bad mood, and she gave me a pick-me-up alright?" Summoner said.

"That's how me and Fighter's relationship started." Ranger said and Summoner buried his face in his hands while sighing. "Just give her a chance; she obviously cares about you, and is quite compassionate on the whole."

"Bless her heart...I'll never forget when I heard she proposed one gold coin per dead goblin at the farm a year ago." Summoner said.

"She gave us a pretty big hand by doing that too. Even though she doesn't want to be an adventurer...she's done quite a bit for the frontier." Ranger said and Summoner sighed in exasperation.

"I bought her a silver brooch and a small wreath to wear in her spare time you know..." Summoner said.

"You did? Lucky her..." Ranger said.

"They're anti-demon items actually." Summoner said.

"But that's not the only reason you did that is it?" Ranger asked.

"No...she later asked me about my past, and...she hugged me when I mentioned my mother being...well, eaten." Summoner said with difficulty.

"I told her she's compassionate." Ranger said seriously and Summoner actually smiled.

"Yeah...she's a rose..." He whispered before heading to the tavern.

"Going for a second date are we?" Ranger teased.

"Maybe, but now...I need a drink." Summoner said before heading inside...and got a warm welcome.

"Summoner! How was your patrol?" Guild Girl asked while lighting up when he came in.

"I'm glad to report there weren't any demons around; I'll keep my eyes peeled though." Summoner said.

"In that case...well, since the sun's about to go down, and I'm almost done here-" Summoner cuts her off.

"I'd like to spend another hour or two with you." He said softly and Guild Girl smiled.

"Alright. I'll be right back. Wait...can you dress up yourself?"She asked before he looked himself over.

"This is the only outfit I have, plus I might need it." Summoner said.

"You're going on a date; relax a bit will you?" Inspector said and Summoner sighed.

"I just told you this is my-" Guild girl cuts him off.

"Then we'll just have to get you a new one then, now wait there mister." Guild Girl said before heading out the door.

"Hungry?" Inspector asked.

"Like a shrew..." Summoner said as Inspector went to him a smaller platter of steak, break, and melon which he devoured in less than five minutes.

"You _were_ hungry were you?" Inspector asked with amusement.

"Yes I was. I took rations with me but...I needed to be as nourished as possible; demons aren't known for fighting fair, and they could be anywhere, at anytime in-" Summoner shuts up right away.

"Limbo?" Inspector asked and Summoner cringed. "I know you have secrets, and trust me, I can keep them like a pro."

"I hope so...there's a reason I don't talk about my trade with just anybody." Summoner said.

"Well, as a priestess of the Supreme God, I do know at least some things about Hell's activities." Inspector said.

"Why'd you become a priestess anyway?" Summoner asked.

"I've been one as long as I can remember; I'm not much different from the priestess that works with Ranger and Goblin Slayer actually." Inspector said before softening her voice. "Also...Guild Girl told me about your date yesterday...I'm sorry about your mother." Summoner sighed at this.

"Well...what's done is done; at least she has my brother with her now. Wait...why would she tell you about our date?" Summoner asked and Inspector giggled.

"She and I don't have alot of secrets, even in our love lives." She said.

"Lives? Well-" Summoner shut up before looking around and saw they were alone. "I have reason to think that my brother wasn't just the Sword Maiden's guardian, but her lover as well."

"Really? But...I thought..." Inspector said in disbelief.

"He had a...pretty shady past, but she obviously saw something in him; she probably even slept with him once or twice." Summoner said.

"But...she's the archbishop of the Supreme God! Surely-" Summoner cuts her off.

"She saw something in him, and she had an actual _need_ for his affections...that's all I'm going to say." Summoner said seriously.

"Well...whatever the case, I hope they have as much happiness as they deserve at each other's side in Heaven." Inspector said softly.

"As do I...as do I..." Summoner said before Guild Girl showed up in the same casual outfit she had before and raised an eyebrow.

"You're supposed to be dating me, not her." She playfully snapped as Inspector smirked at her.

"Hey, I'm allowed to spend time with people too, and no I'm not trying to steal him; that's just sick in the head." Inspector said and Summoner looked at her funny.

"That's not funny..." He said seriously. He said that days ago because he nearly kissed Cow Girl, and wasn't proud of it.

"Sorry...just go enjoy yourselves." Inspector said as Guild Girl practically yanked Summoner out the door. Little did they know...Spearman and Witch were returning...with Spearman looking at Summoner in disbelief.

"What the fuck...?" He said dryly.

* * *

Priestess meanwhile was at the temple helping Ranger's mother with some items, and blessing some more holy water for herself, her team, and other people for the better part of an hour. She even saw some sick people being treated by the acolytes. One of them being one of the goblins' former captives treating a man who was suffering from a fever by wiping his sweat away with a wet cloth. Priestess heard of cases where a sick or injured man fell in love with the woman taking care of him. She secretly hoped that was the case here; Sword Maiden found love after over a decade, maybe they can as well...maybe she and Wizard could purify and heal their bodies and minds like they did before.

When she was done, she went to a back room, knelt and prayed until Sword Maiden materialized.

"You heard my prayer?" Priestess asked as she got up.

"Yes. I've seen what you've done; it's similar to what the Supreme did for me." Sword Maiden said with a smile; she was clearly proud of her surrogate daughter.

"Can the women we healed be used for Resurrection, if it really came down to it?" Priestess asked hopefully.

"Yes. They couldn't before for...obvious reasons, but they can now, and Wizard was correct: they all still remember what happened, what the memory is no where near as...all-consuming as it was for me. You...have done a great service in the Supreme God's name, and deserve the Restoration miracle a hundred times over, for that one random act of kindness alone." Sword Maiden said as she hugged Priestess who returned the hug with a bright smile.

"How is Storm Mage?" Priestess asked.

"He's fine, and believe it or not, no matter how many times he and I make love...I will always be usable for Resurrection, but that is simply due to my nature as a Nephilim. A normal human could never be that great of an exception." Sword Maiden said.

"So...your purity..." Priestess trailed off.

"My purity is not only restored, but infallible; whenever I lose my virginity now...it will simply restore itself in more ways than one." Sword Maiden said.

"I...don't know what to think of that, but...at least you took back what was taken from you." Priestess said somberly.

"I know you cried for me at the hot springs with Fighter...I love you so much." Sword Maiden said softly.

"I love you two..." Priestess said before tensing up. "The Cambion..."

"I know...he is a powerful threat." Sword Maiden whispered as Priestess bawled her eyes out.

"When he came for me...I've never been so _scared_!" Priestess exclaimed as her tears kept falling.

"Shhh...don't worry, you will be ready next time. All of you will be." Sword Maiden said as she kept holding her little girl.

"But...my miracles don't effect him. Even if I empower my team, he threatened to kill me before everyone..." Priestess said still shaking in terror.

"Do not worry. Just stick to what has been happening so far. Do not let your fears win child, and do not forget...your mother is with you." Sword Maiden said as she vanished.

"Thank you..._mother_..." Priestess whispered before finally getting a grip.

* * *

Guild Girl and Summoner then spent about half an hour looking for a good suit for him to wear, and got several for him: a few shirts that were blue, green, red, or brown, a few pairs of pants that were black and brown, and even a few coats, one with blue since that was apparently his favorite color, and one with black. They eventually settled on the blue coat, black pants, and white shirt.

"Sorry I had you get this many clothes, but...I just figured-" Summoner cuts Guild Girl off.

"I could afford the silver brooch and wreath, I can afford this. Although...I shouldn't do either too often without a break." He said seriously as they went to his apartment.

"Does the team mind you staying here?" Guild Girl asked.

"I won't be here long, at least I hope not; I'm still looking for a solid home that isn't too far away." Summoner said as he put his clothes in a cabinet, put the sword-whips away, and kept the summon stones, for obvious reasons. "And speaking of that brooch and wreath...they're supposed to keep demons off your back; they don't just look nice."

"That's...awfully sweet for a demon hunter..." Guild Girl said as they went back out.

"I told the same thing to Ranger before I showed up; if I didn't know better I'd say he was trying to play matchmaker." Summoner said.

"Well, he's alittle late for that...but he's about as sweet as a man can get; I'll never forget his and Fighter's wedding. I don't think I've ever cried that much over someone else's happiness..." Guild Girl said with the memory getting to her. "The Sword Maiden herself blessing them was just unfair; I can't imagine how they felt when they heard of her death..."

"They saw their corpses themselves...and my brother's sword-whips were left in their apartment as a taunt." Summoner said tensely as they got to a bridge and he leaned on the rail.

"Summoner..." Guild Girl whispered.

"According to Ranger...both of them had a stab wound in their torsos so massive that it went from the middle of their chests...to the bottom of their stomachs. They...they didn't stand a chance...! If Ranger fights him, and doesn't put that Cambion bastard down..." Summoner dared not finish that sentence; he just remembered his company. "Sorry...I shouldn't let my anger out on you."

"You have a right to be angry; if this happened to Inspector, I'd probably ask Ranger to avenge her as well." Guild Girl said seriously yet softly.

"Heaven forbid that happens to either of you; I said you were both adorable, and I meant it. Not only that but...me and Ranger talked about what you did to get those adventurers to help Goblin Slayer a year ago." Summoner said.

"I didn't do that much." Guild Girl said.

"Nonsense. My brother told me everything. He...told me..._everything_. Dozens of people helped Ranger and Goblin Slayer's teams kill hundreds upon hundreds of goblins, and you inspired them to do it." Summoner said seriously and with awe.

"I guess so..." Guild Girl said as she leaned on the rail herself and looked at the sunset...but Summoner glanced at it, then back at her before taking her hand, which got her attention, and eventually...made her blush.

"I also said that you were a rose, but that's an understatement...you're a _heroine_..." Summoner said softly yet intensely as Guild Girl finally looked up at him, then they reflexively got closer until they finally kissed. The two stood there not moving an inch away as their fingers interlocked. For a good ten seconds, with the sun nearing the end of it's journey across the sky, the two stood like that inhaling the same air, and focusing on nothing but the feel of their lips pressing together, and their presence itself until they finally broke apart and looked at each other, with Guild Girl trembling a bit.

"Summoner..." Guild Girl whispered as Summoner touched her face.

"I know..." He said before hugging her. "You know...demons tend to thrive on feelings such as rage, greed, and fear. But here, and now...I see none of that."

"Me neither, thank the Supreme for it." Guild Girl said softly as she kept holding the demon hunter who lost so much.

"Ranger also told me that a moment like this is what started his relationship with Fighter. I don't expect...that much from you, but...if you need my help, you have an army of summons to call on, with myself as their general so to speak." Summoner said and Guild Girl chuckled.

"How lucky can a girl get to have a demon hunter leading an entire army to her rescue?" She asked seriously.

"As lucky as she needs to be..." Summoner said as he held her face some more, then kissed her again with the same softness as before. "Want to get some ice cream to make this really memorable?"

"Yes..." Guild Girl whispered as they walked to the ice cream stand together, went to a place they could be alone, and ate together in peace. She even got some off his chin and licked it herself which he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at as she giggled at him. Afterwards, they went the same way back home...and heard a voice.

"Surprise..." Rhea Scout said as he reared his head, and Guild Girl clutched Summoner tighter...which made his adrenaline spike. "Huh, got yourself a boyfriend didn't you?"

"Who the _hell_ are you?" Summoner asked.

"Someone I kicked out of the guild for cheating his teammates." Guild Girl said tensely.

"And I got killed by Goblin Slayer who cheated me out of my revenge! I deserved a promotion, and _you_ kicked me out over something petty." Rhea Scout said.

"How are you still alive if he killed you?" Summoner asked.

"Take a guess..." Rhea Scout snapped.

"Well, whatever's going on here, you've got some nerve walking up to us like this. You know who I am?" Summoner asked.

"I know exactly who you are; some Gold Rank hotshot who's drawn alot of attention in recent years, and my master wants to collect." Rhea Scout said.

"Well, tell your master that if he wants me dead, he should come here and do it himself!" Summoner snapped.

"He doesn't want you dead, nor do I want her dead. Yes I did before but...believe it or not, that's water under the bridge. I'm actually _glad_ you kicked me out; I have more than I thought I could have, and it's thanks to my master. Someone who actually wants to make a deal." Rhea Scout said.

"_Deal_?" Summoner asked before laughing. "Dear Supreme, your master needs to get his head examined...!"

"You join us, and maybe you can share the spoils of this little campaign of ours." Rhea Scout said with the mockery he was exposed to sinking in.

"And why should I consider that?" Summoner asked before Rhea Scout raised his eyebrows.

"Look what he did to Ranger's team...and the Sword Maiden, and her _pet_." He said and Summoner started fuming.

"Now you listen you little stump, and you listen good...her "pet" was my _brother_, and from what I heard...their bodies were bloodied so much I don't dare go back to Water Town and risk seeing either of them. If that murdering bastard you serve wants to make a deal, I have a counter-proposal: cut your own throats and save me the trouble! Now get out of here before I make a mess of my own..." Summoner said as Rhea Scout stared him down then retreated into the shadows again.

"Summoner?" Guild Girl said softly.

"Just...let's just go home o.k...?" Summoner asked as she held his arm and walked him to her house and sat next to him on the couch. "You have a nice house..."

"Thanks..." Guild Girl said as she leaned into him as he held her back.

"Thank you for a good time..." Summoner whispered before she gave him their third kiss that was just as sweet as the first two.

"Thank you for being there to protect me; I felt as safe as I did before...and like I do now." Guild Girl said as she snuggled into his side.

"I would like to tell you some stories someday, and maybe a bit more about my summoning." Summoner said.

"Maybe...but can you tell a short one now?" Guild Girl asked.

"Alright...well, my summoning at first was...not all it's cracked up to be now. At first, the intelligence of my summons was absolutely embarrassing." Summoner said.

"Dare I ask?" Guild Girl asked and Summoner sighed.

"First off, on one hand you can count the amount of times where my summoned creatures were worth their salt. There were times where they got in front of me when I had a clear shot at a demon, took the ice spear I launched, then whined about it! They sometimes didn't even fight when they were getting the stuffing kicked out of them from multiple angles, but they never actually did anything serious other than be there as a distraction or a power source. Probably the worst case was when I was clearing out a small fort in the countryside. I had a small group of elementals with me...they literally walked three rooms ahead and up a floor, ignored every monster in the way, made me fight them all myself...and one of them had the nerve to ask me "where have you been?"...I was so mind-screwed by that I just killed them all; I figured that allies this stupid didn't belong on my team or anyone else's." Summoner said.

"Yikes..." Guild Girl said.

"I actually said out loud "note to self: fix that shit"...pardon my Dwarvish." Summoner said and Guild Girl huffed in amusement.

"Well...now you've come quite some way didn't you?" Guild Girl asked.

"Yes I did; my summons got me a Gold Rank...and now a place in a lovely woman's heart." Summoner said softly before kissing her yet again. "I'm...not good at saying "I love you"..."

"Will you pretend I said it? Because...I can pretend you did." Guild Girl said softly.

"Alright..." Summoner said as they kept holding each other. "I should probably get home soon."

"You could stay here, if you'd like?" Guild Girl said.

"But...my stuff is over there. Besides, where would I sleep, here?" Summoner asked and Guild Girl looked down.

"You...you could sleep next to me." Guild Girl said while blushing.

"What?" Summoner asked.

"We don't have to...do anything, but I do think it would be nice. I mean...people sleep together all the time right?" Guild Girl asked.

"Right, and I won't try anything funny, unless...well..." Summoner said before scoffing. "Oh wow, big bad demon hunter getting flustered over sleeping next to a girl. When did that become a thing?" Guild Girl's laughter cut the tension in half.

"Probably at the same time that girl got flustered herself over a big bad demon hunter sleeping next to her; you sir are quite possibly the only demon hunter who can be considered normal...but hey, I once had a thing for Goblin Slayer of all people." Guild Girl said.

"Let me guess: I'm not much worse?" Summoner asked which earned him a weird look. "Hey, I'm allowed to make fun of myself."

"Let's just go to bed before this gets too weird..." Guild Girl said as she walked him upstairs and they laid down on their sides, facing each other.

* * *

Cow Girl and GS went with their team to their own apartment with their team, while Ranger's team went to theirs as Priestess returned. Everyone went straight to their rooms with Ranger and Fighter taking a bucket of water to their old room; both of them were overdue for a bath. They then stripped each other, and just when Ranger was about to grope her...she stopped him cold.

"Are...you feeling alright?" Ranger asked and Fighter gave him an incredibly soft look.

"I need to talk to you...and I need you to listen as carefully as you can..." She said with a tone to match her statement.

"Alright..." Ranger whispered as Fighter hugged him, not caring about his manhood digging into her belly.

"Last night...I had the best best dream I ever had, and...you, me, the Sword Maiden, we were all in it." Fighter said.

"What happened in your dream my love?" Ranger asked.

"I...I was in multiple different places, some of which turned into others, like my old house turning into our manor in Water Town, or...the cave we had our first quest in having dozens of goblins pouring out screaming in fear, and going through my body like I wasn't even real...only to find out they were running from the Sword Maiden, who took me to the Temple of Law where I saw...a child version of you, then a child version of myself hugging and kissing. Then...I woke up in a meadow, with you giving me flowers for saving you from the goblins, then I became the kid and you grew up. It then ended with my kid self giving me that wedding ring and the amethyst pendant...then I woke up looking at you." Fighter said as Ranger took it all in. He was clearly in awe.

"That is...quite a dream..." Ranger said.

"And it felt so real, then I thought about the timing; you coming to terms with those girls, me showing my father our child...the timing is unreal!" Fighter said harshly.

"Yes...it's almost like a sign from Heaven itself." Ranger said thoughtfully then Fighter put his hand on her left breast.

"Touch me...touch me and clean me..." Fighter whispered as Ranger squeezed her breasts that never failed to fill his entire hands as her breathing and heart rate spiked. She then pulled him down to their knees, then they wet their hands, and used a pairs of towels to wash and scrub each other's torsos, limbs and even their faces a bit. Fighter then gave her husband a kiss that was sweeter and softer than either could remember for a good ten seconds before she pulled back and her eyes watered. "I cannot remember the last time we kissed like that..."

"We haven't...each one is unique." Ranger whispered and watched his dear wife smile at him while he caressed her cheeks.

"I love you so much..." Fighter said softly before kissing him again and they just sat there holding each other and taking each other's kiss. Neither kept track of the time, for it didn't matter, and when the kiss finally broke, their embrace became as close as it could with the pair caressing and shifting against each other, consumed by the love that consumed the rest of their feelings. They established that lust and love mixed together quite often, but now...lust had no place here. Only the love that drove them through the hellish encounters they both threw themselves into, or were thrown into by fate, had a place in that place and time.

"Do you remember when we escaped from Hell, and you said you wanted a family?" Ranger asked.

"How can I forget...?" Fighter whispered against his shoulder as they kept hugging tightly.

"You also said I was your favorite man, and I said you were my favorite woman...and will _always_ be my favorite woman." Ranger whispered in her ear before she looks up at him smiling at her, and kissed him again while running her hands through his bangs.

"And you will always be my favorite man..." Fighter whispered against his lips. "Do you think your parents mind looking after our daughter?"

"I'm sure they're thrilled; they see her half as often as we do, and that's saying something." Ranger said as Fighter lowered her head.

"I feel so guilty that we spend so little time with her. We're her parents; we should be around her all the time but..." She trailed off.

"That's not entirely our fault; others need us as much as we do, plus she inspires hope and joy in plenty of people, and it's the first major thing she's done. She takes after us without even noticing." Ranger said as Fighter's mood brightens.

"How do you know what to say so often?" Fighter asked.

"The evidence is right in front of me the whole time. Besides...pulling you out of the shadows is the least I can do..." Ranger said.

"Because I did the same to you." Fighter said with a smile.

"Talk about a serious thing to build a marriage on huh?" Ranger said as he caressed her face as she looked him in the face. "You are so beautiful..."

"Put me on that bed and show me how beautiful I am." Fighter whispered before Ranger picked her up bridal style, slowly laid her on the bed, with her head on the pillow, drank a shot of the sterility potion, then kissed her with the same passion as before. They spent the next five minutes doing nothing but taking their time showing their bottomless love through action alone.

Ranger squeezed and licked her breasts as he heard her pleasured gasps and watched her blissful smile. She wrapped one leg around his waist as he gripped the opposite butt cheek she graciously softened while she kissed and licked the neck he faithfully shaves. They each massaged each other's solid muscles they use to both crush goblins, and entwine their bodies together. Their skin rubbed together all the while, only adding to the passionate atmosphere, as if their tangled limbs, soft, skilled movements, and passionate vocalizations didn't do that well enough.

"Do you see how beautiful you are now?" Ranger whispered in her ear while she interlocked their hands.

"No less than you see how handsome you are..." Fighter said softly and sweetly as he looked down at her as they both smiled brightly. "Make love to me...remind me how you were when we lost our virginities together."

"As my dear, sweet Love Goddess wishes..." Ranger whispered tensely as she spread her legs, and he joined their bodies together. She simply laid there and focused on the fact her husband's flesh and hers were connected in the best possible way, and that he was moving in and out of her for the sole purpose of showing his love, and he showed it alright. The pleasure was so intense and his motives were so sweet that she couldn't keep herself from gasping in pleasure, but even then...the enthralling sounds coming from her mouth did nothing to sway his focus on their passions rather than their hunger.

"Ranger...my...love and life...please...go faster...!" Fighter whispered harshly, and Ranger wasted no time and doubled the frequency of his thrusts making her gasp even more. "Yes...yes...ohhh...yes..._yes_!" The next ten seconds were spent with Ranger listening to his wife drown in euphoria _he_ caused while he shoved his own bliss aside and focused on hers before he couldn't contain it anymore and groaned with an orgasm as she did the same. He then collapsed on top of her, pressing his pecs into her perfectly fleshy breasts as she stroked his freshly-washed yet dried hair as he inhaled her scent.

"You smell so good..." Ranger whisper as Fighter chuckled before kissing his cheek. "Should we go again?"

"No...let's just sleep together, o.k?" Fighter asked.

"O.k...good night." Ranger said before kissing her one last time before they slept together enveloped in their personal bubble of contentment.

* * *

Summoner woke up to find Guild Girl still sleeping on her front and him on top of her. Her face was facing him and...he dared not try to wake her. She was lovely when awake, but asleep? She looked like the embodiment of peace itself, how fitting since he put his heart at peace just last afternoon. Her figure wasn't half-bad either, but...it would probably be some time before he got to see her naked...as least on her terms. She eventually stirred, groaned and he moved over so she could stretch.

"Good morning baby." Summoner said softly as Guild Girl smiled brightly.

"Good morning...baby." She said before he gave her a kiss as she stroked his cheek. "You know how to wake a girl up..."

"I almost feel like our date was a dream, but this...this is too real to be a dream..." Summoner said softly.

"You are mostly certainly not dreaming, nor were you last afternoon. I should know; I dreamt that I was back in Water Town, no one else was there, a handful of goblins were around...and when one was out in the open...you showed up and kicked it into the canal." Guild Girl said as Summoner burst out laughing, which got her laughing as well.

"I would absolutely do that if I could..." He said while still laughing, then screamed as he fell off the bed.

"Are you alright?" Guild Girl asked as Summoner got back up.

"It was worth it...!" He said as he brushed himself off then held out his hand, she took it and got out of bed before being hugged. "Thank you for last afternoon. I really hope we can do it again this afternoon."

"Yes...me too." Guild Girl said softly.

"I love you..." Summoner whispered which got her attention before she smiled a bit and tightened her hold, silently returning his sentiment.

"I'll see you at the tavern." Guild Girl whispered before kissing his cheek.

"O.k..." Summoner whispered before kissing her cheek...then they kissed each other's lips for a few seconds straight before reluctantly letting go and Summoner went home to get his armored robe...then noticed she wasn't on her way to the tavern, so he looked through her window...and there she was in her underwear, and he couldn't stop staring at her enchanting figure. Even though she was pretty slender...her breasts could easily fill his hands and were apparently quite bouncy given how much she moved them around as she got dressed. When she turned around, he noticed her legs and buttocks were quite plump in their own right, her skin looked as creamy as it felt, and it was a miracle he could move away from the window before she could spot him. He then went straight to the tavern and stopped just outside to think about something important...then he remembered that rhea. Well...if he caused her any trouble, he'd deal with Summoner himself.

"Good morning!" Inspector exclaimed as she walked up to Summoner.

"Good morning." He said.

"Someone's in a better mood." Inspector said.

"Of course I am...although, we ran into an old friend." Summoner said.

"Let me guess, that rhea before a year ago?" Inspector asked which got his attention.

"Best guess I ever heard. How'd you know?" Summoner asked.

"Little bastard tried to blackmail me by saying that he'd kill Guild Girl if I try to aid Ranger's team in any serious way." Inspector said seriously.

"Well...if he does try anything, I'm going to come after him. Me and a hundred angry rockheads." Summoner said.

"I'll bet...a big old demon hunter's on the case." Inspector teased and Summoner smirked.

"Hey! What's going on here?" Guild Girl asked as she showed up in her uniform.

"I was kidding with him. Lighten up-" Summoner cuts in.

"That rhea we met blackmailed her by saying he'd kill you if she helps Ranger and company in any serious manner." He said seriously and Guild Girl went pale.

"Please tell me you have a way to protect us...!" She said while trembling, then Summoner snapped his finger and an ice elemental appeared on the other side of their group, startling the ladies.

"Does that answer your question?" Summoner asked.

"Where did he...she...it come from?" Inspector asked.

"First, elementals are genderless; call it a he or she and you're right either way. Secondly, it was always there; I pulled it from...well, Limbo, the world between the worlds." Summoner said.

"You can do that?" Guild Girl asked.

"I have to actually make elementals, but sending them to Limbo and back is much easier than just summoning them. Faster too." Summoner said.

"Great...I feel safer already." Guild Girl said with a smile before going inside.

"And I thought _you_ were in a better mood. What's her deal? Wait...you two kissed didn't you?" Inspector teased.

"Multiple times..." Summoner whispered.

"_Multiple_? Nice...nice...it's about time she got some." Inspector said with a voice and a smirk that were...kind of sexy.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you wanted in on this..." Summoner said curiously.

"If I didn't know better...I'd say you wanted both of us in bed with you..." Inspector said and Summoner raised an eyebrow. "Oh relax, I've been poking at her for ages, and I'm not just a priestess of the Supreme God, I'm also the sister she never had...and vice versa."

"Well...even the Sword Maiden had a whimsy side. Don't know how strong it was, but I've heard she could be childish herself at times." Summoner said.

"I have something in common with the Sword Maiden...yay me...!" Inspector said with a giggle as they went inside.

"Now, I forgot what you answered...did you say there weren't many demon-hunting quests?" Summoner asked.

"Nope, like you said, they're subtle like that." Guild Girl said with her professional attitude back on.

"Oh...of course, how'd I forget...?" Summoner asked, then noticed Spearman and Witch sitting there, with the former nursing a bear...then glaring at him. "What's his problem?"

"Oh him? He's been advancing on me for ages, but...I never got it through that I'm not interested..." Guild Girl said as Summoner groaned.

"I see...my brother got on him about money as a prime motive at the farm once. Well, I'm going to grab a meal before I head off. Please don't wait up." Summoner said before getting himself some pork and potato stew with a small ale to wash it down.

"So...how'd it go yesterday?" Inspector asked.

"Not now..." Guild Girl whispered harshly.

"Yo, Summoner! How's it going?" Spearman asked.

"Pretty well so far...all things considered." Summoner said before blowing on some stew.

"I heard rumors that a troublemaker's up and about, but that shouldn't be an issue with a demon hunter on the prowl." Spearman said as Summoner ate some more stew.

"Not likely no." Summoner said before drinking some beer.

"Stew and beer...could a better combination exist? Other than a good woman and some hard-earned gold to blow." Spearman said casually.

"O.k cut the bullshit! Why are you talking to me about all this, and why do you think I'm in the mood for it?" Summoner snapped.

"Simple: I saw you with that adorable girl at the desk, and I've had my own heart set on her for some time now." Spearman said.

"I've heard...over a year now it seems. If something doesn't go anywhere for that long...especially when your Witch friend here is enchanting in more ways than one...it's time to rethink things." Summoner said dryly as Witch giggled.

"People who cast spells tend to have more effects than they realize. Like a summoner, summoning a woman's heart, for instance?" Witch said while crossing her thick legs.

"Ah whatever...I'm still the greatest spearman on the frontier." Spearman boasted.

"Quite likely; no one else uses a spear..." Summoner said dryly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Spearman snapped.

"What does it sound like? I don't recall seeing anyone else use a spear like that." Summoner said.

"Well...the rest of us do our own fighting instead of having other things fight for us." Spearman said.

"I can draw power from my summons, and some can actually heal or even stop people from dying; I've actually done that for the Abbot once. Something I'm quite proud of." Summoner said before going back to his stew then getting a second bowl and some bread.

"When you're done with that stew I want to see just how good you are outside!" Spearman exclaimed before Summoner sat his stew down, snapped his fingers and three stone elementals appeared, frightening everyone in the area.

"Hey! Take this outside, all of you!" The manager exclaimed.

"Relax, this was nothing but a display of power." Summoner said before snapping his fingers, making the elementals vanish. "There are _hundreds_ of elementals to my name, and my strongest ones could give the vampire queen a hard time, and once let me defeat a demon general with nothing and no one else helping me. Still want to take me on?"

"No...you made your point..." Spearman said as he sat back down as Summoner showed his Gold Tags.

"These tags aren't given away for a song and dance; anyone could become Silver Ranked...but Gold and Platinum are for the elites among the elite. Remember that next time you find me in a mood that demands to be handled with care..." Summoner said firmly before going back to his stew.

* * *

The next few days were spent with the team training their asses off for their rematch with the Cambion. From Fighter, Ranger, and Warrior giving Cow Girl more instruction/practice on how to use her skills effectively, to the Wizard siblings upgrading her and H.E. Druid's armors by making them more flexible, self-maintaining, able to be morphed like the rest of the armors, magic resistant, and even gave them miscellaneous abilities, such as H.E. Druid's gauntlets and boots popping 3ft blades and her bow being able to be split in half into a pair of improvised nunchuks, sometimes with blades on them...or even as a grappling hook. Summoner even skipped a date with Guild Girl to help H.E. Druid with her bow's new features. He made up for it in he next one of course by giving her some holy water from Priestess, and explained to her how demons _hated_ holy water, so drinking it cancelled out their influence, or discouraged them from attacking you.

Dwarf Rifleman got some improvements to his rifle as well, from getting a silencing enchantment...which he could turn off since the noise could be helpful, and Ranger and GS' guns got the same feature; GS had his shotgun silenced so it could be used without damaging his allies' ears as well as the goblins. No one gave a damn if goblins had their eardrums blown out for obvious reasons. Cow Girl even tested the rifle herself, then had an idea: what if she got a rifle...that fired shells instead of bullets, then the two dwarves put their heads together and made her a shotgun of her own, and made it so it could fire bullets or shells. The Wizard siblings even made it so it could make it's own ammo just like the others. The new gun wasn't perfect though; it only held six rounds tops, could only be fired so quickly, and above all...was almost useless at melee range, so against massive crowds of goblins that got too close...her sword was the way to go.

Speaking of her sword, everyone got the effect of Cherub's blood infused with all their weapons, so any of them could seal Hell Rifts, but couldn't rival the Hero's sword except for the ones who already could. Ranger's own armor was infused with the effect as a test-run. Fighter also opened a portal to the field they fought Cambion in...and Ranger morphed a gauntlet on his left hand, heated it as much as he could, then shouted in fury as he punched the ground, upturned the entire area in front of him, and turning a good chunk of it into lava! He also drank some holy water, treated his Immolation miracle on himself, which made his armor burst into flames and he tested his new power on some pillars Dwarf Shaman made...and he turned them into partially-melted rock as well by punching them with his gauntlets, and even burned through them with his greatsword...even if he didn't physically hit them. He even heated his guns...and large bursts of heat spewed from them. Granted the heat had a pitiful range, and couldn't be spammed, but nothing could hide; cover wouldn't save anyone in the area. His Pestilence and Implosion miracles were off-the-table since using them around allies wasn't a good idea.

When they returned, Rhea Fighter's new armor was put to the test, and it was just as useful as Cow Girl's, but with a different color scheme of course. Hers was mostly indigo with black for the chainmail and cloth parts. It was every bit as advanced as the rest of the team's. Even Priestess got her dress upgraded. The appearance wasn't altered in the least; she wanted to honor the Sword Maiden in every way she could, but...the dress badly needed an upgrade, and it got it. Dwarf Shaman gave it the same reinforcement he gave to Fighter's robe a year ago, with stone and steel woven into the fabric itself so it couldn't be torn so easily. Priestess even remembered the dwarven dagger Fighter gave her at the farm a year ago and it was altered to be an actual sword. Now she could _really_ honor the Sword Maiden! The fact her surrogate elder sister gave it to her was just overkill. Granted, Priestess did use the dagger every now and then while the team was apart, but those times were so rare that it was more of an heirloom than a weapon, but that changed now.

A letter arrived for H.E. Druid...from her sister, the Elf Queen. She was captured by the Evil Sect!

* * *

**Well fuck...at least the team gets to test their new arsenal for real, especially Cow Girl; she's still a Porcelain Rank afterall...although, that may be an advantage; people might not take her seriously, or question why she's only a beginner when her gear is so advanced, and drop their guard. Here's hoping she has the heart to handle it eh? Also...Summoner and Spearman went at it over Guild Girl, if you saw that coming...raise your hand. Anyway...wait until H.E. Archer's elder sister gets to see the new and improved H.E. Druid eh? So be sure to Rate, Review, and Share, and stay tuned for the upcoming slugfest.**


	31. Chapter 17 Part I

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I'll bet a chunk of you are curious about how the elf queen fits into this aren't you? Well...read and see for yourselves.**

**Normally I would wait for a review, but since this is a special day for me...I'll make an exception...  
**

* * *

In front of a fortress that showed no small amount of demonic corruption, row upon row of elf troops, all wearing black and purple armor and carrying spears and shields formed a pair of columns. Between each column, an elf wearing the uniform of an elf general walked to meet an approaching caravan. The troops in the caravan formed a pair of lines on each side...and the elf queen herself, poised and regally-dressed as ever left the middle of the caravan and was escorted by more troops.

"Your Majesty. How gracious of you to join our establishment." Elf General said with a bow.

"You can drop the charade "general"; we both know I'm here as a hostage, to keep the rest of my people from moving to the humans' and dwarves' aid." Elf Queen said.

"Then I need not explain too much Your Majesty; all they need do is stay their hands, and I'll keep you out of harm's way. Otherwise..." Elf General then motioned his hand to a cage in the distance that was full of goblins. "You'll get to see first-hand why goblins should be feared around the world. These creatures are _utterly_ heartless afterall..."

"Show me to my chambers." Elf Queen said without an ounce of fear in her voice.

"As you wish, Your Majesty." Elf General said with a bow as they entered the fortress.

* * *

"I cannot believe you still have that dagger, after all this time." Fighter said as the team took their cart through a gateway to the elves' capitol...in the woods, which only H.E. Druid knew the layout of. Plus they had to keep the portal gem as secret as possible, so they took a portal to the halfway mark, and carted the rest of the way.

"I couldn't get rid of it; you gave it to me yourself...and not I can truly honor the Sword Maiden with the sword made from it." Priestess said softly as she looked her new sword.

"And with my hammer being blessed, you and I could be the next Sword Maiden, and Storm Mage...minus a few things." Warrior said as Fighter chuckled and hugged Priestess.

"I'm sure the Sword Maiden had the same love with her team as you have with us. I know I love you." Fighter said.

"And I love you too." Warrior said as he took the smiling Priestess' hand, then they looked at Wizard.

"Hey, I gave her a necklace that lets her heal lost limbs; I love her more than both of you." She said smugly.

"You're a real bitch sometimes you know that?" Fighter said dryly.

"And you all still love me..." Wizard said still smugly.

"Yes...yes we do." Warrior said as he gave her a quick kiss.

"You two are hopeless..." Wizard's brother said.

"And I love you too." Wizard said.

"Enough already." Her brother snapped.

"Alright, alright...enough is enough." Warrior said.

"You're awfully quiet Long Ears, are you alright?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"I'm worried sick about my sister and my people. What do you think?" H.E. Druid snapped.

"Sorry..." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Whatever's going on with her, they picked the wrong one to kidnap...ironically." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"Damn straight...!" H.E. Druid growled while clenching her fists, as if it wasn't already obvious enough she was taking this personally.

"I am certain this will be an appropriate test of our new abilities, especially yourself Sir Goblin Slayer...and you of course Lady Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said.

"Don't call me that please." Cow Girl said dryly.

"My apologies." Lizard Priest said and Dwarf Shaman sighed.

"May I ask what all of you plan to do when this is over?" He asked, but no one answered; they were too busy thinking. "Well...does anyone have any regrets? Any wishes on how they want to be remembered?"

"I used to have one regret, but not anymore..." Ranger said and looked at Fighter briefly who silently encouraged him with the softness on her face. "On my first quest...I killed some girls captured by the goblins."

"You what?!" H.E. Druid exclaimed.

"Why would you do that?!" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"I didn't believe they could be healed, but I've been proven wrong countless times since then, and I've never been happier to be wrong before, or since." Ranger said seriously.

"Well, we know how to repair the damage for good, so no chance of that happening again boss." Wizard said.

"And thank Heaven for it. Kinda wish I knew about the tricks you used years ago." D.R. said.

"Let me guess: because of all the violations you've seen?" Warrior asked.

"You've no idea, and not just because of the goblins; I've actually been to places where some troops believed that overpowering a woman is a way to show how much a manly man you are, and that, my friends, is what's known as being _stunningly_...and I mean, _stunningly_ full of shit." D.R. said and got a few laughs.

"That's funny because it's true, not because of what you said." Warrior said.

"Why wait to tell us after all this time?" Cow Girl asked.

"Because...because I met the girls I killed again." Ranger said.

"We went to a relic known as an Ether Gazer, which lets someone talk to the souls of the dead, like those five girls he killed...or my father." Fighter said.

"Your father?" Warrior asked.

"Yes, to show him his grandchild." Fighter said.

"That's lovely." Cow Girl said.

"He also said that he knew the Cambion personally; he actually asked for my father's help, was refused, and left on a sour note. He actually had the nerve to express his desire for my father's death..." Fighter said.

"He has alot to answer for that Cambion..." Dwarf Shaman said.

"And he will..." Ranger whispered harshly.

"Umm, I couldn't help but notice no one else mentioned their own regrets, or what they want to be remembered for." Rhea Fighter said.

"I just want to be remembered for making a difference..." Priestess said seriously yet softly.

"Me too." Warrior said.

"Me three." Wizard said seriously, and no one got on her despite how comical it would normally be.

"I met an elder dragon; were I to die soon, or later...I would regret nothing, and I'm certain my comrades will remember me well." Lizard Priest said.

"You are not wrong Scaly. As for myself...well, I am quite old; I'd either die on the battlefield myself, or in the presence of my friends and family, and it would make no difference to me." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Don't sell yourself too short. You might be a giant pain sometimes...but you're still part of this team." H.E. Druid said and Warrior snickered.

"You sounded like the boss for a second." He said.

"Don't get used to it..." H.E. Druid said before sighing. "As for myself...well, my regrets depend on whether or not we get my sister back."

"We can get her back, and if we don't...uh, last I checked, we're a pack of Silver and Gold Ranks, each one as tough as the last, and we've got a bloodthirsty, armed-to-the-teeth Platinum Rank who happens to have about as much of a hate boner for goblins as Goblin Slayer himself, and that is quite a feat." Warrior said.

"No kidding brother." Dwarf Rifleman said as H.E. Druid deflated and leaned her head on the rail.

"Hey honey? You never told us what you did to heal those girls' minds?" Warrior asked.

"Well...it's very complicated, but...basically I let them know that...oh just look at what happened with the Sword Maiden and Storm Mage and you'll get the point." Wizard said.

"You mean just because they were violated doesn't mean they can't find true love?" Ranger asked.

"That, plus...well, do the math. The goblins made them dirty, inside and out, we cleaned them up, inside and out, and now they're back to normal." Wizard said.

"Uh, I'm calling bullshit; there's no way it's that simple." D.R. said seriously.

"It's not, but like I said: that's just a basic way of putting it; if I said everything I did, we'd be at this all day." Wizard said.

"Whatever you say..." D.R. said still skeptical. The rest of the trip was spent in silence since they got of their feelings off their chest...at least mostly. "You know...I've heard of them, and even read about them, but never actually saw a druid transformation before...especially not with a before-and-after case."

"Like it? I sure do..." H.E. Druid said with minor sensuality in her voice.

"My good ma'am, you look like a different person; if you didn't have the same voice, I'd ask what you did with the other one." D.R. said seriously.

"I killed her, and ate her soul of course..." H.E. Druid said dryly which got her some weird looks.

"Keep talking like that, and people will mistake you for a demon hunter..." Fighter said.

"I was just playing along." H.E. Druid said.

"One might call it flirtation..." Wizard said.

"Very funny..." H.E. Druid said.

"So...about that warlock- D.R. cuts Ranger off.

"He's dead; a dagger to the lower gut tends to make a pretty serious mess of one's insides." He said.

"Overshare..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Sorry..." D.R. said.

"We're almost there!" H.E. Druid said as they neared a small clearing...but the other side looked torn up. "Oh no..."

"That cannot be good." Rhea Fighter said.

"It's not. That section of the forest had alot of homes in it...my people." H.E. Druid said as Ranger had the horse pick up the pace until they eventually got to another clearing with dead elf soldiers wearing purple and black armor, all with arrow wounds, as well as elves with with light armor and shield, as well as bows and short swords. H.E. Druid immediately jumped out, eyed the carnage and she dropped to her knees with complete disbelief on her face. "How? How did thi- The Evil Sect..."

"They actually caused a civil war...why?" D.R. asked.

"It must be to cause a distraction, or to simply weaken them...or something even more malevolent." Lizard Priest said.

"What the case may be, they just dug their own graves." Wizard said as H.E. Druid punched the ground hard enough to make a small hole in it.

"How right you are...!" She growled before getting up. "We have to find out where they went."

"We should check for survivors." GS said.

"Wait! Are you...?" An elf girl yelled as she came out of hiding.

"We came for the queen." Fighter said.

"My sister! Where did she go?" H.E. Druid asked as the girl looked her over.

"Y-Your Highness? Is that you?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm a Druid now. Long story, now answer me!" H.E. Druid exclaimed.

"They took her and countless others to that fortress on the cliffs. Your Highness...they're using her to keep us out of the humans' and dwarves affairs!" The girl said.

"To what end?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I do not know, but if I know the Evil Sect...it involves the Demon Lord himself, and...they mentioned having goblins there..." The girl said and the team went pale; the elf queen in a fortress full of goblins? That's like something out of a nightmare- no...Hell itself.

"Ranger...give me your portal gem; I know where that fortress is." H.E. Druid said as Ranger handed it over to her. "And I want to take point this time."

"By all means..." Ranger said.

"I can use the miracle of Restoration on this place if you'd like?" Priestess said to the elf girl.

"Not yet, we might need it later, and if so, you can use it tomorrow." Ranger said.

"Then let's go kick some goblin ass then." Warrior said as H.E. Druid opened a portal to the outskirts of the forest and there was the fortress.

"Yep, that's an Evil Sect place alright." Rhea Fighter said.

"You, look around for the other survivors and salvage what you can. This won't take long..." H.E. Druid said to the elf girl before she led the team entered the portal with a vengeance.

* * *

Back at the frontier, Summoner walked around in Limbo, observing the people and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. For the better part of an hour, all he saw were random conversations and other miscellaneous interactions with the people, but he drowned those out lest he get too bored to continue; this was too important to take chances with. He was about to go back to the real world when he noticed a pulse of hell energy, and grappled up to the roof to see a hell rift opening. He then drank some holy water, and sparked a sword-whip, and lashed the rift closed. There was no way that was the only one...or the last one to be formed. He then ran around town turning the place inside out looking for them. When he approached the last and most developed one...a pack of Wrathers popped up.

"See me through brother..." Summoner whispered before pulling the other sword-whip, retracting the first back into a sword before severing the leg of one Wrather who charged him, slipped between the legs of a second, and dive-rolled away from two more before lashing two of them in the face, extending one sword-whip through the heart of another, and zapping the last one which made it fall off the building and break it's neck on the ground below. The two survivors were joined by a Glutton, and Summoner made two ice elementals appear, one jump into it's torso-mouth before giving it a nasty case of frostbite, and the other froze the two Wrathers solid before Summoner charged up his sword-whips and vaporized the Wrathers just as a swarm of imps appeared...only to get shocked themselves. Summoner then sealed the rift closed before calling it a day and re-entered the real world, before sitting down on a crate on the roof's edge. A mild flash appeared and the Sword Maiden appeared kneeling in front of him.

"Well done." She said softly as ever.

"You saw me?" Summoner asked.

"Of course I did. You told your brother to see you through, so I did as well." Sword Maiden said.

"Thanks Your Grace..." Summoner said.

"Technically, you and I are in-laws now. Me and Storm Mage may not be married in this world, but the Supreme God still acknowledged our bond in Heaven." Sword Maiden said.

"Indeed..." Summoner whispered.

"And that woman you are with? She is even more fortunate than I was to have you as a protector...and lover." Sword Maiden said with a smile.

"But...my brother? With my summons, I am debatably more powerful...but surely he was a greater lover than me; I've been with women before, but not like he was with you." Summoner said seriously.

"I required his affections as you accurately stated before...that woman you graciously gave your kiss to has no such affliction, but with you as the general of an army of elementals...she will be fine." Sword Maiden said half-jokingly which made Summoner smirk.

"Now...I cannot believe I'm asking this but...are you...is my brother...well-" He then took a moment to compose himself. "Are you two still...making love?"

"We rarely ever leave the bed we have in Heaven unless it's to interact with anyone we love here, and we do nothing the Love Goddess would not smile upon. Are you concerned about your own prowess?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Well...I do know my fair share of the basics, but I can guess it's not just bells and whistles?" Summoner asked which made Sword Maiden giggle.

"No...it is not. I can show you what he does if you would like." She said.

"It's my brother, and...with all due respect, I'm not interested in seeing him shagging a woman, even one as lovely as yourself." Summoner said with difficulty.

"I was not going to show you the details, only give you the knowledge of what it's like for both participants." Sword Maiden said and Summoner gave it no small amount of thought.

"Alright...but only the knowledge; I don't want to see any details that I'd recognize on either of your bodies." Summoner said seriously.

"Of course not..." Sword Maiden said before putting her hand on his head and he gained a bit of knowledge of how it's supposed to go. From the two stripping each other's clothes off, to caressing and massaging of arms and especially legs, to the man weighing, squeezing, and rubbing the woman's bosoms, to her shifting against his solid muscles, to them sliding their hands up and down each other's sides and bellies, to him pinching, twisting, and even licking her nipples, to him reaching under her buttocks and giving it the same treatment as her breasts, and even reaching directly between her legs, playing with the supple flesh of her buttocks from directly underneath...to him running his fingers along her moist and swollen lips, or her gripping and stroking his manhood. The knowledge was pretty weak, but Summoner still felt a bit overwhelmed with all the possibilities.

"Did...he do all those things with you?" Summoner asked.

"That...and more. When you are alone with her, and from what I've seen, you will be...do not get ahead of yourself. I can tell she is a virgin, as are you, so please...do not get ahead of yourself; this is only the knowledge; experience must be added to solidify the impact. Also...a woman's first time, but be painful; I learned this the hardest possible way...but you are not a goblin, and you know what to expect now. Do you swear to have her pleasure come before your own?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Y-yes. Yes, I do." Summoner said nervously, and seriously.

"Good..." Sword Maiden whispered before she hugged him."Supreme be with you both..."

"You as well...sister." Summoner whispered before Sword Maiden released him and vanished. He then got off the roof, took a moment to compose himself...then went to the tavern to get some lunch.

"Welcome back Summoner!" Guild Girl said even more cheerily than normal; she was always cheery, but...well, they were dating. "I didn't expect you back so soon."

"I had a run-in with demons." Summoner said seriously and Guild Girl went pale.

"Did you stop them?" She asked.

"Yes...then I met the Sword Maiden's ghost." Summoner said.

"Well...let me finish this, and you can tell me all about it." Guild Girl said.

"No offense, but what happened between her and me is between her and me; I only came back to get some lunch." Summoner said honestly and Guild Girl looked alittle upset, which made him extend his hand, which brightened her mood and they held hands. "But I can still spend some time with my lovely girlfriend..."

"Yay me..." Guild Girl said softly which made Summoner smile and shake his head as she finished her paperwork, and Summoner got some pork chops, boiled potatoes and gravy, a slice of bread, and some pulped apples.

"Are you hungry?" Summoner asked.

"I've already eaten, but thanks." Guild Girl said as he sat down and wasted no time digging in. "Someone's hungry..."

"Demon hunting isn't as easy as I make it look..." Summoner said after swallowing, and before getting back in.

"Apparently. I rarely ever see someone eat like this..." Guild Girl said thoughtfully, which he noticed.

"Something wrong sweetheart?" Summoner asked and got a smile out of her; his endearing term apparently got to her.

"No, I just...well, I've heard cases of other girls cooking for their man, but I rarely ever cook for myself, let alone others nowadays. I don't even know why I'm mentioning that since everyone eats here, and you have even less excuse." Guild Girl said.

"If you really want to make something for me, I'll try it out. The only way I can see myself detesting it is if you...somehow have really poor, or at least uncommon taste, or put conscious effort into making it piss-poor." Summoner said and got yet another smile out of her. "Is anything serious going on around the guild itself?"

"Other than a promotion exam being overdue for that farm girl you helped out, at least if you ask me, some quests being too much for some rookies despite their training. They're not dead but...they were pretty shaken up..." Guild Girl said.

"Here's hoping they're o.k..." Summoner said.

"They should be. Also...when she does take her exam, I'd like you to observe for us." Guild Girl said hopefully.

"If I can, I'd be happy to." Summoner said with a smile.

"Great, and...thanks for looking after this town for us. Can you at least tell what something that happened?" Guild Girl asked.

"Well...I closed some hell rifts before they opened, so...a goblin invasion will have to find somewhere else to raid. Although, between you and me, I sort of hope they do invade so my elementals can put hem six feet under...but the more sane part of me is just glad it was stopped, plus I gave some demons what for thanks to my brothers power. Hehe...at this rate...I'll probably be the _12th_ Platinum Rank." Summoner said with pride.

"That would be impressive..." Guild Girl said as she snuggled into him a bit. "Remind me how you became a Gold Rank?"

"By defeating a demon general with a World Spawn." Summoner said simply yet proudly.

"Wow...no wonder you gave those other demons a hard time. Just like how your brother used to; I'm sure you honored him well..."" Guild Girl said genuinely impressed as he looked down at her, then looked around, saw they were alone, put his finger under her chin, and gave her a brief but sweet kiss which apparently took her breathe away based on how she inhaled and exhaled so deeply and sat there stunned. "You also gave me a good time, whenever we're together..."

"The Sword Maiden actually talked about us, and asked if I swear to put your...well, your pleasure before my own, and I did." Summoner said softly and she blushed.

"My...my _pleasure_? But we're not..." Guild Girl trailed off.

"We don't have to go that far; you're clearly not ready, and frankly...I'm not ready either. Nevertheless, if you want to go down that road, just let me know, and I'll do what you want me to do, and nothing you don't." Summoner said seriously as he took her hand, and she interlocked their fingers.

"You're a sweet man Summoner...and an awesome demon hunter." Guild Girl said as they both smiled brightly and kissed again.

"See you after hours..." Summoner whispered.

"Meet me at my house." Guild Girl said softly before he put his dishes away, and left her to get back to work still flushed from their minor date just now.

* * *

H.E. Druid led the team through the woods with Dwarf Rifleman the closest behind her with his rifle at the ready. She didn't say a word the whole time, not that anyone could blame her; she made her concern for her older sister pretty clear. Eventually, the got to the edge of the forest, and in the far distance...there was the fortress. It was on the edge of a cliff was a raging ocean around it, except for a single and large uphill pathway leading to it's walls. In front of it were patrols of elf soldiers in the field in front of it.

"I can't believe this... this was supposed to be a training ground for the warrior class, but now look what it's become..." H.E. Druid said somberly.

"Should we go through them, or sneak past them?" Cow Girl asked.

"Do you think you can handle a fight? You know you'll probably have to kill them." GS asked and got a sigh in response. "They will not care for your life, so you shouldn't care for theirs."

"I know, but..." Cow Girl trailed off and Ranger put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's easier said than done, but ask yourself: would it be you or them, especially when you objectively have more to leave for?" Ranger said and Cow Girl sighed.

"I guess me..." She said.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just grab the queen, and go." GS said.

"Hey we can't just waltz up to the front gate and ask "can we please have the queen back?". We're going to need a plan." Wizard's brother said.

"Hey Ranger, can't you just use Pestilence to-" Ranger cuts Rhea Fighter off.

"Out of the question. That miracle can't tell friend from foe; chances are, if and when everyone in that place dies...it will include _everyone_." He said seriously.

"Which means my sister too..." H.E. Druid said.

"Right. Hence why I said it's out of the question." Ranger said.

"It sounds to me like we should split up. Some of us try to sneak in, while the rest make a mess out here, or wait for a signal to attack." Dwarf Shaman said.

"Not a bad idea. Wait...how can we send a signal from inside the fortress?" Wizard asked before Cherub poofed in.

"Try this..." He said before spawning a piece of metal with a crystal center. "An ether beacon. Focus on it, and the rest will get whatever signal you associate with it."

"So...some of us stay here, the rest go inside, and if we find the queen, we use the beacon, and the rest know what to do?" Fighter asked.

"Yes. Now...I would advise that you leave your least stealthy people out here, especially if they excel at hitting buildings really hard." Cherub said.

"Not a problem. Fighter, you and me take one side, who wants the other?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I'll take her and hit the other side." Ranger said as he motions to Cow Girl who looked a tad nervous.

"Orcbolg, you wait here with the rest." H.E. Druid said.

"And don't worry, we'll leave some goblins for you, or at least we'll try to." Fighter said.

"Alright." GS said as Wizard's brother spawned some squirrel familiars that rushed to the sides.

"Where are they going?" Dwarf Rifleman asked.

"To check for side entrances of course." Wizard's brother said.

"Good luck all of you. Oh, and by the way, the Sword Maiden herself will look after you until further notice; the Hero and company need me more than you do." Cherub said.

"That's...that's great." Priestess said before Cherub poofed away before looking at her teammates. "Be careful please..." Fighter then hugged her.

"We'll be fine. Remember we're Gold, and Platinum Ranked now?" Fighter asked as Priestess returned the hug and snuggled into her.

"How can I forget?" Priestess asked as softly as ever.

"Uh...not to spoil the moment, but I'm just Porcelain ranked." Cow Girl said.

"For now, but with the training we did and the equipment you've been given? I'd make you Emerald Ranked myself if I could." Ranger said seriously.

"Good point..." Cow Girl said as the squirrels came back. "That was fast..."

"Anything?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Yep. There's an open window on either side of the fortress ideal for grappling into, if that's your thing that is." Wizard's brother said.

"Alright then." Ranger said as he morphed his lighter armor, and the rest did the same.

"Then let's go save us a queen." Cow Girl said as Fighter touched Ranger's face.

"Kick some ass for me..." Fighter said.

"Only if you do the same." Ranger said before she smirked and kissed him sweetly.

"Pardon my ignorance, but is a kiss before battle a good idea?" D.R. asked.

"A kiss? Maybe not. Sex? Definitely not..." Ranger said seriously.

"You'd know right?" D.R. teased.

"Very funny..." Fighter said dryly.

"Can we _please_ go save my sister now?!" H.E. Druid snapped before Cow Girl, Ranger, and Fighter put their masks on.

"Right...!" Fighter said and off they went.

* * *

Meanwhile, Elf General was going through the fortress' dungeon looking over the people and monsters he captured. From goblins, to trolls, to a baby dragon, to a vampire that seemed to be half-starved. He eventually got to a reinforced cell, and went inside.

"The great and powerful Cambion...how nice of you to join me." Elf General said smugly.

"Flatter yourself while you can. I am only here because I was crippled." Cambion said.

"By a pack of humans barely out of their diapers, I am aware." Elf General said.

"That "pack of humans barely out of their diapers" killed the vampire queen, and saved a whole city with almost no help. If they come here, and they will...you _will_ have your hands full." Cambion said.

"I'm not afraid of them-" Cambion cuts him off.

"You should be terrified! My powers should have returned by now, but they haven't, and taking power from the astral plane itself will do me little good now; the rest of the monsters there are too cowardly to come out and face me. Even the mighty Hecatonkheir is too afraid to face me...lest I consume him as well." Cambion said and the general scoffed.

"Well, rest assured my dear demonic comrade. Traps and other surprises aplenty wait those who try to free Her soon-to-be late Majesty." Elf General said.

"Pray they are enough..." Cambion snapped and got another scoff before the general turned to leave.

"It is not I who should pray..." He said before leaving.

* * *

H.E. Druid and Fighter looked around their side to look for that window, and Fighter morphed some claws to scale the wall once they found it, then H.E. Druid shot an arrow and hit just under the window so she could grapple up there. Fighter reached the window first, and the ladies had to wait for some guards to pass before they went inside; they could probably fight them without trouble but as established...stealth was the watchword.

They then traveled down corridor after corridor, and searched one room after another, with Fighter leading the way since her chakra-opening let her sense the place out better, but found nothing of interest. Every room either had tools of some sort, was a rest spot for the troops, a brief room or two, or even a kitchen. The two ladies were tempted to trash each room, or at least take what they could, but they could take what they wanted later. Eventually, they got to a room that had two guards posted in front of it.

"Could she be in there?" H.E. Druid asked hopefully.

"No...but I think it's the leader's quarters. We might find something useful in there." Fighter whispered.

"First, we should get those guards out of here..." H.E. Druid whispered.

"I don't sense anyone else in the vicinity; we should just kill them." Fighter whispered, then H.E. Druid notched two arrows, and shot both guards through the faces...then Fighter dashed to keep them from hitting the ground lest their armor make too much noise.

"How did you move that fast?!" H.E Druid asked in exasperation.

"My armor makes me about ten times faster than normal remember?" Fighter asked.

"Well...good to know that includes short bursts." H.E. Druid said as they peeked inside and took the dead guards' bodies in with them; no sense leaving them for others to find. The rest itself had a fancy-looking bed, a desk full of books and papers, as well as a rack of weapons; someone's paranoid.

"Yep, definitely a room fit for a boss..." Fighter said dryly as H.E. Druid looked over the papers.

"Come here...and look at this..." She said as fighter came and looked over a book that mentioned the vampire queen. According to the legend, the vampire queen was a princess who was deeply in love with the leader of a band of mercenaries, and she eventually carried his child in her womb. When her father about out...he actually beat her in a drunken rage until she had a miscarriage. She was so distraught that she butchered him while he slept and ran away to find the man she loved. When she found him, he welcomed her with open arms, and they eventually became crusaders that took orders from the Pope himself. Eventually...they had another child, and her lover died shortly after seeing their infant child, and his dying wish was that she not give up and continue the life she wanted...but that was impossible. Years went by, and their child wasn't enough for her, so she turned to the Demon Lord and made a deal: eternal life, and the power to possess as much wealth, or as many lovers as she wanted, in exchange for the ultimate sacrifice: her child's life, and she's been a plague to humanity ever since.

"And now her head is a trophy...I never thought I'd feel sorry for her." Fighter said as H.E. Druid put the book away.

"That's only one of the things I found; I don't know who runs this place, but they're clearly interested in the Evil Sect, and other morbid affairs." She said before going through the papers some more...then found a letter. "To the Elf General...? It can't be...!"

"What? Who is that?" Fighter asked.

"Only the highest-ranking officer in the elven army. What's he doing working for the Evil Sect? Did he forget that they do nothing but stain this world red?!" H.E Druid asked.

"Well, when we see him, we can beat it out of him ourselves." Fighter said and they heard guards coming, and hid. A few seconds later, some guards rushed in, found the bodies...then some were shot down by H.E. Druid, or had their necks snapped by Fighter as they looked out the room and quickly went to another room to hide in. The next minute had them waiting for others to show up, then they killed those guards as well.

"We need to get going; if too many guards go missing, they'll know something is up and start hunting us down." H.E. Druid.

"Here's hoping the rest are having better luck..." Fighter said.

* * *

Ranger and Cow Girl used harpoons to grapple up to their window, and...they had even less luck than Fighter and H.E. Druid had; the place they were looking through was practically infested with guards. They not only dealt with more patrols, but some guards were standing around talking in the elvish tongue, which made fighting them easier since they were distracted, but harder to sneak past them for obvious reasons. The entire endeavor was reasonably patience-draining.

"O.k...I know we didn't practice sneaking, but that's where I come in; I don't expect you to do any killing, but this would go alot smoother if you watch our flank. If you have to fight them...well, just remember what we talked about." Ranger said as Cow Girl steeled herself.

"You won't be disappointed." She said firmly as Ranger launched some blades at the guards, and hit each one in the bottom of the skull, and caught their bodies before their armor made any serious noise. They spent the next minute or so sneaking from corridor to corridor, room to room, and waiting for patrols to pass, with Cow Girl following at a distance. Eventually, Cow Girl ran into a lone guard, and reflexively jammed her heavy sword through a weak spot in his armor and watched him die as he groaned out his last breath. Ranger then held and consoled the girl in the same room they hid the body in.

"The first kill is the worst...I know." He whispered as she shook from the mental recoil. She thought killing goblins would prepare her for this since her hands were hardly clean as a result; regardless of how vile goblins were, they were still living beings, and she was responsible for their deaths. But...these were elves, beings similar to humans in only a handful of ways, even if those ways were pretty obvious. The mental recoil was in full-swing as a result, and it took her the better part of a minute to get ahold of herself.

"Let's just...get the queen, level this place and go home...!" Cow Girl said. She clearly had enough, but wasn't about to quit on him.

"Right..." Ranger said as they kept going, and eventually got to a staircase leading into a lower level of the fortress...then followed a robed figure down a secret passage, and got to a balcony overlooking a room with dozens of the robed figures in a room lined with pillars and small entrances.

"Who are these people?!" Cow Girl whispered.

"Evil Sect Acolytes. The Hero told me alittle bit about them, but there's no telling why they're here-" Ranger shut up the moment an elf woman was brought in on a stone flab, with tentacles keeping her tied to it as she struggled to get free.

"Stop struggling wench. It'll only get worse for you." One of the acolytes said and Ranger's temper flared. They were going to sacrifice her! The moment the woman was put down and the head priest was about to touch her, Ranger morphed his guns.

"O.k. forget stealth!" Ranger said as he jumped down while opening fire into the crowd and it became total mayhem. The acolytes screamed in fear as they either watched each other get shot down and get splattered with each other's blood and shredded flesh, or pain as they had thumb-sized bullets tore through their bodies like a hot blade through butter. Cow Girl even pulled her rifle and shot the head priest in the shoulder as he was about to kill the woman. She then turned to see soldiers coming her way, then popped her shield as some tried to stab her, and she unloaded one shell after another into the troops, until the balcony broke and she fell down to the ground, breaking it beneath her, and knocking the wind out of her.

Ranger then noticed this, and morphed his greatsword and heavy armor, complete with a mask as the troops came down to attack them, only for his massive sword to block each of their hits since it doubled as a shield thanks to how thick and wide it was. He then wound up, and chopped down several of them in one swing, sending pieces of them flying to the side, then came back around to bash the rest across the floor, with their bones making an incredibly audible cracking sound. Logically, the remaining soldiers murmured in he elven tongue with terror in their voices; these troops wanted nothing to do with this man. Ranger then morphed his light armor and a pair of twin short swords.

"How often must I stand before a woman who needs my aid...?" Ranger asked as Cow Girl stood up.

"I can still fight." She said.

"Not this. Remember what I said earlier..." Ranger said as Cow Girl watched the priest she shot earlier hide behind the table; surly they wouldn't endanger the hostage right?

"Good point." Cow Girl said as she watched the 11th Platinum Rank weave through the troops' spear thrusts, sword swings, and shield bashes like a sewing needle. By the time they landed any hits, it was too late: Ranger was almost done killing them, with them not even looking at him as he thrusted his heated blades into their necks, or chests, and most of the hits they landed which were just glancing blows, with a few landed bashes and stabs to the sides, which did nothing but slow him down. Ranger then extended the whip form of one of his blades to stop the last one from retreating by tripping him, then morphing a pistol and shooting him in the face...then he collapsed from his wounds. "Are you alright?"

"My light armor...it has...a minor heal blessing on it." Ranger said as Cow Girl checked his wounds...and watched them close up.

"Incredible..." Cow Girl said before eyeballing the dead elves. "Shame about them though..."

"They brought this on themselves, and if I have to pick between them, and the woman who saved and loves my daughter...I'd choose the latter any day of the year." Ranger said firmly as Cow Girl sucked in a breath.

"I guess..." She whispered.

"Look...I know it is not easy, but-" Ranger shut up the moment the priest came out from behind the table and Ranger shot down several Wrathers the priest summoned...then a Luster was spawned and Cow Girl backed up the wall outside of it's tentacles' reach. She remembered that these things were debatably worse than goblins when it came to how they handled their victims. Ranger then shot at it's eyes, which made it angry and lash it's tentacles around, and Ranger just ducked and craved through them with his greatsword as Cow Girl shot it's eyes with her rifles. Ranger then sliced into it's mid-section several times. shot it's heart, then brought down the chandelier on top of it with his greatsword after grappling up to it, then landed in front of the priest as the Luster dissolved.

"Please! Don't kill me!" He screamed.

"Where...is...the queen?!" Ranger growled as he formed his twin swords and heated them.

"Mercy Ranger!" The priest screamed again as his eyes watered and Ranger put a sword on either side of his neck.

"Where is she!?" Ranger yelled.

"Please...spare me and I'll tell you everything...!" The priest said as Ranger finally relented and Cow Girl freed the captive.

"Why do you have her here?" Ranger asked.

"She...was meant to be a sacrifice, to speed up the Demon Lord's return. But now that you've freed her, the revolution is on-hold." the priest said with sorrow.

"Revolution? You mean damnation..." Ranger said.

"You still see through the eyes of a human Ranger. We have seen through the eyes of an ascended soul-" Ranger cuts him off with a sword to the throat.

"All lies. The Demon Lord knows the Supreme's vision and has the audacity to call it his own vision. Whatever you saw, was not done with...this." Ranger said before putting his sword away. "Now...where is the queen?"

"Through there." the priest said as he point to a panel lined with symbols. "That will take you to where she is being held. As for why she is here...I was never told." The priest said.

"We know why she is here...is there more you can say?" Ranger asked.

"Yes. This...the elven general who leads these troops, he hunts and captures certain creatures for sport...including dragons." the priest said.

"Does he have goblins here?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yes, lots of them; he actually has a plan to use them on the queen, perhaps to dishearten the populace. The ones who know the goblins' horrors that is." The priest said and saw Ranger getting angry again. "That's all I know good Ranger...that's all I know..." Ranger then calmed down.

"Thanks...now get out of here and pray I never see you again." He said as the priest got up slowly.

"I...thank you for your mercy...I will never serve the Demon Lord again-" Ranger cuts him off.

"Just leave this place before I have a change of heart." He said as the priest left the room.

"Are you alright miss?" Cow Girl asked the woman who was tied down.

"Please...just let me go..." She whispered.

"That's why we're here." Ranger said softly.

"Free the queen as well. The general is...that man is an _animal_...!" The woman said with difficulty.

"Were you hurt?" Cow Girl asked with concern.

"Not too badly, but...the general enslaved my little sister; he brainwashed her into thinking she loves him, and he took her innocence who knows how often...then fed her to a dragon!" The woman said before weeping into Cow Girl's shoulder as Ranger turned away and trembled with rage.

"Then he's sealed his own fate..." Ranger whispered before looking at the gateway panel, then he opened a portal to the frontier.

"What...how did you do that?" The woman asked.

"Please do not ask questions, just go through that portal. It will lead you to a temple where you can be helped. Tell her the Ranger sent you." Ranger said before the woman got up, covered herself as much as she could and walked to the portal.

"Thank you both..." She whispered as she went through, then Ranger slammed his greatsword on the chandelier with a yell as Cow Girl flinched.

"Sorry...I had to let that out..." Ranger said as he de-morphed his greatsword.

"Well, let's just get the queen and go." Cow Girl said as they entered the gateway, and were wrapped to a spire in the middle of the fortress with a door behind them, and Ranger used Life Sight.

"She's in there...watch the stairs." Ranger said as he went through the door...and there she was: The elf queen. It was like meeting the Sword Maiden all over again; while the elf queen had curves that weren't even half as well-developed as that Sword Maiden, she was still lovely beyond words. Her hair was just as long, and had the same light green hair as her younger sister, he could barely see her face in the window's reflection, but it was enough to tell she would be hard to look away from. Her outfit was solid green, and form-fitting as befitting of a queen living in the forest. She even worse a headdress with assorted flowers, grasses, and even some sticks in it to seal the deal.

"It's fitting the Evil Sect would have an assassin come for me. They never were very subtle..." The elf queen said as Ranger approached.

"I am their enemy Your Majesty, and I'm here with your younger sister." He said.

"My sister?" The elf queen asked before turning around.

"Yes. We received a message asking for her to come get you with the people she trusts the most, which includes the legendary Goblin Slayer." Ranger said as the elf queen looked him over.

"As well as the 11th Platinum Rank...who happens to serve the War God. My luck really has turned..." She said softly.

"Yes, now we must leave." Ranger said.

"No. Not while the general is still here...if you really are a Platinum Rank, then destroy that." The elf queen said as she pointed at a floating orb that was beating like a heart with red and black energy flowing in and out of it.

"What is a Hell Battery doing here?" Ranger asked.

"It's not a Hell Battery, it's a Hell Nexus. An anchor between this world and Hell; a way for the Demon Lord to have domain here from the depths of Hell itself." The elf queen said.

"Is that what's making these elves so violent? So treasonous?" Ranger asked.

"No, they were like this long before that Nexus was formed; the general himself put it there. And it gets worse: how much do you know of the Lizard people's homeland?" The elf queen asked.

"Almost nothing..." Ranger said.

"Well...that Nexus is not alone; there is also one in the swamplands they call home. The outcasts there, who were originally just glorified scavengers waiting for nature to kill them...became an organized force, and began terrorizing the locals. Entire villages were wiped out in a matter of days." The elf queen said somberly.

"I doubt the Demon Lord won't remake them." Ranger said.

"Perhaps...but you will at least give the world a chance to recover, and prepare for the next time. As for the Nexus here...the grounds will be crawling with soldiers." The elf queen said.

"Don't worry Your Majesty. There's a reason I was given a Platinum Rank." Ranger said and got a smile out of the queen.

"Of that...I have no doubt." She said as Ranger took out his beacon and several faint flashes of red light came out of it. "What are you doing?"

"Calling for back-up..." Ranger said as he spotted some blue lights in the distance that turned out to be fireballs that were blocked by a forcefield, then Cow Girl came in.

"I hate to interrupt, but we have a serious-" She stopped talking the moment she saw the forcefield from the window. "-problem..."

"We noticed. Now, stay with her, and if the other two show up, well, you know what to do." Ranger said as he ran out the door leaving the two ladies behind.

"For what's it's worth, I'm honored to meet you Your Majesty." Cow Girl said with reverence.

"I wish it were under better circumstances, but I am glad you meet you as well." The elf queen said seriously.

* * *

Fighter and H.E. Druid were tearing through dozens of elf troops with Fighter on-point, with her chakras opened, and H.E. Druid taking shoots with her bow, and clobbering the ones who got close. Each of the ladies got hit several times, but Fighter's armor held firm, and H.E. Druid had a decent regeneration ability thanks to her alteration. They eventually got into the courtyard...only to be swarmed by more soldiers, then a trolls came out, along with dozens of goblins and it became a free-for-all. Fighter and H.E. Druid killed the soldiers who came for her, but Fighter pulled H.E. Druid back then jumped up on the roof with her.

"Let me guess: we let them fight it out, then finish them off?" H.E. Druid asked and got a nod. "Fighter, you conniving, diabolical, puppy..."

"Eh, it's a gift..." Fighter said smugly as they watched the massacre. The troll smashed aside scores of troops, as they threw spears at it and tried to hack at it with their swords. The goblins jumped on the troops while their backs were turned and plunged knives into their necks or speared them in other weak spots in their armors while they were distracted. All-in-all: the troops didn't look like they were having fun.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I hope the goblins win this fight..." H.E. Druid said awkwardly.

"Wow...I never thought I'd _hear_ those words." Fighter said seriously as the gate was blown up...and GS walked through the smoldering ruins. At this, Fighter morphed her bow, then she and H.E Druid picked off the soldiers closest to GS as he went straight for the goblins...who were daunted by his armor as soon as they saw him. GS himself showed no signs of hesitation as he put his usual talent for dismemberment on display with his heavier equipment being his tools.

He sent a bunch flying with a bash of his larger shield, he kicked some so had they were splattered all over the ones behind them, he swung his sword so fast that the goblins hit didn't bleed as first before falling apart, since the hits were so clean. GS even morphed a bomb launcher to fire freeze, explosive, shrapnel, and even toxic bombs into the crowd in the back. The goblins were trying to get through his armor, but found no weak spots, and GS was more then strong enough to throw them off, especially when it came to slamming them or throwing them into each other.

The trolls meanwhile had Lizard Priest to deal with, who could do little more then dodge the troll's wide swings, and slice up it's arms...even though it's arms healed. Warrior then leaped into the air and cut the troll vertically in half.

"Well done Sir Warrior." Lizard Priest said as Warrior chuckled, then they joined GS in killing the goblins alongside some wolf familiars.

"Can you handle things here?" Fighter asked.

"I think so. Why?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I'm going to find my husband." Fighter said.

"Then I'm going to find my sister." H.E. Druid said firmly as they ran along the rooftops and watched Dwarf Shaman and the Wizard Siblings crush some goblins themselves with their rock throwing and fireballs respectively.

* * *

Ranger meanwhile, jumped out of the spire and landed in the courtyard where the Hell Nexus was, then noticed some troops leaving the area as if in a hurry.

"Oh well, this will be all the easier..." Ranger said to himself as he looked over the Nexus...and started drawing blanks. "O.k...maybe not..." A flash happened behind him, which could only mean one thing.

"This Nexus is powered by the energy of Hell itself, and Hell is a place of torment. So...the people's suffering is what's powering it. Follow those trails, deal with the prisoners who are suffering, and it will weaken enough for you to destroy it." Sword Maiden said.

"How do I do all that? I cannot heal people's bodies, let alone their minds." Ranger asked.

"Would you repeat your mistake if need be?" Sword Maiden asked and Ranger turned away.

"I have shed too much innocent blood as it is..." He whispered and Sword Maiden hugged him from behind.

"I know Ranger...which is why I am here. I can weaken it for you. Afterall...what little purity you have left must be preserved." Sword Maiden said softly before firing a beam of holy energy into the Nexus which makes the tendrils of energy around it lash out at the environment itself. She then put up a Protection barrier around them to keep the hell energy from killing Ranger as it tore the fortress itself apart. Eventually, he Nexus stopped sparking, and the energy retreated into the orb itself. "I believe that should do. I will leave you to finish it." She then vanished as Ranger morphed a greatsword...then felt footsteps shake the ground...and there was an elf man in the heaviest armor he ever saw.

"Ah, the infamous Ranger. Champion of the War God, the 11th Platinum Rank, ally to the Goblin Slayer, and the slayer of the vampire queen. I am truly honored to have you in my establishment." Elf General said.

"The honor is all yours. Now who are you?" Ranger asked.

"I...am the head of the greatest army in the elf nation, although, since you tore through them like they were mere goblin children...I suppose that means less than it normally would." Elf General said.

"You...you fed that girl to a dragon didn't you!?" Ranger asked.

"Her sister is not the only one who wept over it! That girl...she was the most pure creature I've ever met; I actually envied her you know." Elf General said like he was serious.

"What? You threatened to have the queen violated by goblins!" Ranger snapped.

"I was bluffing. As for why you're here...I'll have you know I had your Cambion friend in a cell, and I know of your skirmish with him." Elf General said, and this got Ranger's attention.

"What...?" He asked.

"This...Nexus...the Cambion wants to absorb a good chunk of it's power for himself, but while I have him imprisoned, he is harmless." Elf General said.

"Do not believe him..." Sword Maiden said as she re-appeared. "That Cambion is trapped here yes, but he _did_ brainwash that girl into thinking she loved him, and they did sleep together more than once...but her innocence meant nothing to him; he merely wanted it for himself-"

"And who are _you_ to judge me for it? The Sword Maiden...I know what the goblins did to you, and about how you let a criminal bed you more than once to make up for it. Well...when I'm done-" Ranger cuts him off by throwing his heated greatsword into the Nexus.

"You _are_ done..." Ranger snapped.

"No! What have you done!" Elf Generald yelled as the Nexus began to overload, which blew up the area around them and heavily damaged the general's armor. While Sword Maiden's Protection barrier took most of the blast,Ranger was still knocked to the ground. When the blast ended, Sword Maiden vanished just as Ranger looked at her, then he looked at the general who was just as shaken as he was.

As he got up, walked towards the general, who was crawling away from him as Ranger showed no signs of relenting. When he got close enough, Ranger heated his swords, and jammed them into the general's lungs, and spine through his back as his dying scream became a gasp as his lungs deflated. Dozens of goblins ran out of an entrance screaming in fear as a small dragon came out behind them, and Ranger's heart sank; that general really _did_ have a dragon to feed that girl to. Tears could wait through, that dragon will pay in blood for what it did; it may be killing goblins and may even be an infant, but Ranger was too disgusted to care. Besides, it would grow up to be a threat to others, and was a threat now, so even if he wasn't disgusted...it was going to die. But just as he morphed his guns...Cow Girl showed up, with her gun drawn and shot at the dragon, as Fighter and H.E. Druid showed up and shot the goblins mostly, then Warrior showed up, and charged the dragon, chopped down several goblins with one swing, then cut the dragon's throat open, and stabbed it in the spine, before stabbing it through the heart.

"Big or small, no dragon is a match for me." Warrior boasted before snapping to attention when some goblins tried sneaking up on him and he sliced through them too. Ranger then morphed his guns and shot down the last few.

"Sister!" H.E. Druid exclaimed as she jumped down and rushed to hug the queen...who was flabbergasted.

"S-sister? Wait...are you-" H.E. Druid cuts the queen off.

"Yes...I'm a Druid now. It's a long story, but I encounter a former Druid who had a pretty easy time persuading me to do it. Do you mind?" She asked.

"No...in fact, you look lovely." The elf queen said and the two sisters kept hugging.

"I hate to break it up ladies, but we're not done here!" Dwarf Rifleman said as he and Dwarf Shaman showed up and some soldiers showed up, then Ranger opened fire as the troops actually put up a forcefield and absorbed the shots. Then Wizard used a drain on them all, which did almost nothing but instantly charged a fireball for her to slam into them...but their shields held fast. These were clearly no ordinary soldiers.

H.E. Druid stayed between her sister and the troops the whole time for obvious reasons, and she pulled a dagger to deflect the attacks of a spearman who attacked them. She then disarmed him, and jammed the spear into his neck, before throwing the spear at another one, who took the hit with his breastplate still intact...then...more troops showed tried opening a portal, but his portal gem was damaged!

"Let's go!" Fighter yelled as they rushed to the exit with Dwarf Rifleman and Ranger covering them with their guns as they made their way out. Ranger jumped over a few spearmen, shot them down from behind, then dived through some more and shot them too.

"We're wasting time! if the queen dies, this will have been for nothing." Ranger said.

"Then let's go then!" D.R. yelled before they all got through the exit...except for Dwarf Shaman.

"Sir Mage!" Lizard Priest yelled.

"Go!" Dwarf Shaman yelled as he formed a rock wall between them and the troops...before getting several thrown spears through the chest, much to the team's horror.

"No..." H.E. Druid whispered.

"Implosion!" Ranger yelled and the fortress, and the troops got sucked into a void, after Ranger used a chain to yank Dwarf Shaman's body to them Priestess then tried to heal him...but it was too late.

"Stop...there's nothing we can do for him." Wizard said seriously as Priestess deflated, got up, and hugged Ranger and Fighter.

* * *

**Raise your hands, how many of you saw that coming? Now how many of your wanted the Elf General to bite the dust badly? Now...how many of you are glad that the vampire queen's origins have been revealed? Anyway, nice to see the elf queen and her younger sister are reunited eh? I actually got a minor Anna and Elsa vibe from them when I wrote in their little moment there. Also...I'm sorry Goblin Slayer only got some minor screentime, but at east Cow Girl is getting her time to shine. So...the queen said Lizard Priest's people are in the shit, so Rate, Review, and Share until that problem is addressed. Stay tuned...**

**P.S. Happy Birthday to me...  
**


	32. Chapter 17 Part II

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Well...on one hand, the team lost a teammate, but on the other...does Dwarf Rifleman count as a replacement now? Oh who am I kidding? That's polishing a turd if it could ever be called that. Let's just continue...**

**Review Response: The other people aside from Female Knight getting their own Gold Ranks isn't likely, but it's still food for thought...**

**As for Spearman and Summoner...well, it's pretty one-sided even from an ability stand-point; Summoner has literally hundreds of elementals to his name so...**

**I completely forgot about most of the people, but hey, not everyone could have a voice.**

**Yeah...Cow Girl is definitely the odd-one-out in this, but that just means her triumph would be even larger.**

**The vampire queen's backstory is one I HAD to do eventually, and that seemed like a golden opportunity.**

**Thanks for the birthday wishes.  
**

* * *

Cambion walked out of the ruins of the fortress, walked over to where the Hell Nexus was...then spotted the general's corpse, before he kicks him.

"Fool. I told you to take these people seriously, and look where your arrogance got you." Cambion said before a Hell Rift opened and Rhea Scout came through. "There you are. Have you done what I asked?"

"Of course my liege, although...the Summoner was not willing to cooperate; he's not just angry about his brother, but he's actually in love with that Guild Girl. I actually interrupted a date they were on." Rhea Scout said.

"No matter. What else have you done to compensate for it?" Cambion asked.

"I actually told her companion that if they continue to aid the Ranger's team, there will be consequences." Rhea Scout said.

"I see..." Cambion said as they looked around.

"May I ask why you let hem captured you My Liege?" Rhea Scout asked.

"To get this." Cambion said as he drew in leftover hell energy and swallowed the orb. "There...now things could go a bit more smoother."

"If you so please, I discovered an elven caravan that was wrecked, and it may carry a holy artifact that may be of interest to you." Rhea Scout said.

"Excellent. Retrieve it as soon as you can. As for this fortress...? May it and everything else it holds rot." Cambion said.

"I will retrieve the item at once, but first...I have some birds to check on." Rhea Scout said as they each left through a hell rift.

* * *

The team carted back to the forest with Dwarf Shaman's body encased in rock thanks to Wizard's elemental summon.

"Sir Mage was an excellent adventurer, friend, and person. His sacrifice will be neither vain, or forgotten." Lizard Priest said.

"Has this happened before?" Cow Girl asked while shaking.

"It's more common than it has a right to be...but he gave us a chance to make a difference. All we can do now, is not waste it." Wizard said.

"And we won't..." GS said quietly before actually taking Cow Girl's hand. The two of them were probably taking this harder than anyone; she's been through a mental grinder, and GS was quiet close to the dwarf, despite how quiet he was about it.

"Well...I am very grateful to you all, especially to the old dwarf, who gave his life to protect his friends, and enabling me to ensure the people they have their queen. I swear I will make sure his loss was not for nothing." The elf queen said softly as she put her hand on the stone case. The team then spent the rest of the trip back to the forest people in silence. Dwarf Rifleman kept watching H.E. Druid who couldn't take her eyes off the case, she then noticed him looking at her...and looked gazes with him. She could see his concern for her, and he saw how hard this hit her. She even graced him with a small smile.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all this Your Majesty." Ranger said.

"I'm over 8,000 years old good Ranger; I am hardly a stranger to terrible endeavors." The elf queen said.

"Still...who could've expected...this?" D.R asked.

"Probably no one, but as established: all we can do is make the most of this. Now...can we _please_ discuss something lighter?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Like what?" Priestess asked.

"Maybe how the people will be thrilled to have their queen back?" Warrior asked.

"That should go without saying, but...to be fair, I'm sure the people will be thrilled Your Majesty." Fighter said as she shared a small smile with the queen.

* * *

Fighter was right, the moment the team got back, the survivors took her deeper into the village and they mourned their dead, and they even prepared a shrine to honor Dwarf Shaman's sacrifice. Some elves even took a cart to return the body to the dwarf kingdom; it was only fair he be buried in his homeland. The people then organized a small festival to honor the fallen, and celebrate life. Starting with the queen having the center floor.

"For us, the storm has passed, and the battle is won, but the cost is almost too high to pay. We've lost dozens of good people, husbands, sons, wives, daughters, mothers and fathers. It is at this time, as the sun nears the end of it's hallowed trek, that we show the world that we are still here, and we are still strong. There is no way around it, the road ahead of us is challenging; this assault on our home left it scarred, and shattered, but restoration is for another time. For now, we should take comfort in the knowledge that the worst is over, and we have been saved from an evil that will never again plague us. Give thanks my family. Show the world's darkness what happens when they attack us: we recover, we get back up...and thrive again." The elf queen said as Priestess stepped forward and held out her staff.

"Great Supreme God. Lord of the Heavens, and guardian of the righteous. Show us what justice is truly capable of. Let the doubts of all gripped by despair melt away like flames smothered by the ocean. Grant us now, a Restoration!" She prayed and a light from the sky shined on the forest, repairing the trees, buildings, and the wounded people had their health fully restored. Unfortunately, Priestess had too little favor to resurrect any of the dead...so H.E Druid stepped forward herself.

"Spirits of the Earth. Gods of the Heavens. Accept the souls of your children and friends into your embrace. Grant us, we who still live, the strength to fulfill our promise to them. Let the light that shines upon us now be etched into our memories for when it is ended. Let this be a time of grace and tribute." She said as the people got busy with the festival, starting with a slow but decently tune played as some pairs got together and danced to it, while others got themselves a meal, or knelt by a shrine or two, among other miscellaneous things, like discuss what they will do in the future, or how they'd carry on. Some said they'd find a way to deal while others would need more time to recover. H.E. Druid walked away from the festival with Dwarf Rifleman following at a distance; it was clear she needed time to recover in private, but he still wanted to be a witness to it.

"Would you like to dance?" Warrior asked Wizard as he took her hand gently.

"Sure..." She whispered as they embraced and casually moved around. It was a slow tune and both were physically and mentally drained; moving around in a frenzy was the last thing they'd do. Wizard's brother danced with Rhea Fighter in the same manner, but did so out-of-sight. Even GS offered Cow Girl a dance, but she wasn't in the mood so they simply sat down...he removed his helmet and they sat like that in an embrace. Ranger and Fighter then went up to the queen.

"Are there any springs around here?" Ranger asked.

"There's actually a cave with a spring used for cleaning yes. It's usually used for just that, but other times...well, it's used for other...more personal reasons." The elf queen said.

"Such as?" Fighter asked and got a smile from the queen.

"Such as bonding of course. I can tell you two have a special connection, and this is a good time for love to be made. Just keep in mind that you are on sacred ground in there." The elf queen said.

"Of course." Fighter said as they followed her to the spring.

* * *

H.E Druid stripped herself naked and entered a small hot spring to clean herself off and...Dwarf Rifleman watched her the whole time. Nevermind how voluptuous her figure was, especially compared to how she was beforehand, she was quite possibly taking this harder than anyone, if the look on her face was anything to go by. After about five minutes, she got back out, let herself dry out while sitting on a rock and rested her head on her hands, as her elbows dug into her knees.

"What do you want from me?" H.E. Druid asked with a strained voice which made D.R. stiffen.

"You knew I was there?" He asked in awe.

"I could hear you breathing hard the whole time." H.E. Druid said dryly.

"I forgot...you elves have superior hearing to the rest of us." D.R. said with a smile.

"Why...did...you follow me?" H.E. Druid asked as D.R came out and tried not to look at her, which made her sigh. "I cannot believe I'm saying this...but I saw you bare-skinned when we did that Resurrection, and...I...I think I'm falling for you..."

"What...? How?" D.R. asked softly and H.E. Druid sighed.

"Where do I start..? You know how to make a first impression, especially with...well...how small my chest was. In fact, I've been ill at ease with how I looked for as long as I can remember. I even got...this, done to my body, because of you. I know, ironic isn't it? You do the complete opposite of judge me, then I go against it." H.E. Druid said while laughing.

"That...is actually pretty funny, and...you do look much better like this." D.R. said and got a smile from the elf princess.

"The alchemist who did this to me warned me I might get the opposite treatment; Druids transformations are notoriously unpredictable. He did have to treat my hair color, and skin tone to be what it was originally, since I don't want to look too different. But my chest and hip size? That's not his doing." H.E. Druid said before sighing. "That dwarf got on my figure who knows how often, but despite that...he was still a good man."

"If I had a drink, I'd toast to him..." D.R. said seriously.

"Also...I turned down every time to enter a hot spring because of how...confusing it was that the elemental spirits had all their influence on one place. But...not only is it time to make a change, but it don't feel so confused anymore now that I'm a Druid. Besides...I might as well make another change..." H.E. Druid said.

"Not that I'm not glad to hear that your change isn't a good one, but...why are you falling for me over something so..." D.R. trailed off.

"Petty?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I was going to say "minor" but yes." D.R. said.

"I'm not actually. You...you understand me about as much as my sister does, and you do have a few of that shaman's good qualities, especially his wisdom and worldliness...at such a young age too." H.E. Druid said and D.R. smiled.

"But I doubt I'm going to trade my gun for rock-throwing." D.R. said.

"Nor do I expect you to..." H.E. Druid said softly before exposing her new breasts which D.R. couldn't stop looking at. "You can touch them if you'd like; I did do this because of you afterall." D.R. then scooched closer, reached out and rubbed her right breast, which made her breathe harder, especially when he squeezed it from underneath, and used each finger together or one by one which made her giggle a bit. "They never bounced like that before."

"That alchemist worked a real wonder with your body; your breasts are so soft and..._fleshy_..." D.R. said as he slid his hand around her still-moist breast, squeezing and massaging it all the while, and listening to her soft, pleasured moans, before he lifted the mound of plump, tender flesh and heard it make a wet plopping sound again her skin. "Oh that _sound_..."

"It sounds as good as it felt...thank you so much." H.E. Druid said with a bright smile.

"Hey, you're the one who had your body..enhanced like this, I'm just reaping what you sowed...and sharing the feast." D.R. said and H.E. Druid chuckled huskily.

"A sweet feast indeed. Now...why am I naked and you're not?" She asked before he looked at himself.

"Good point..." D.R. said as he removed his shirt, then she raised her eyebrows, then he removed his pants.

"You know...I never understood why people wear pants, under their pants. Why is that?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Seriously? Underpants make another barrier between the pants and...well, their "goods", and their asscrack for that matter. Also, what if someone literally catches you with your pants down?" D.R. said.

"Well...to each their own I guess. You didn't answer my original question by the way." H.E. Druid said.

"I noticed how hard you were taking this and...I just thought you'd want some company." D.R. said softly and she raised his chin to kiss him and wrapped his decently bulky arms around her, careful not to break their connection. He also felt her supple breast press into his upper chest, with the other joining in. She then broke their kiss, letting out a breath against his lips in the process.

"I do want you company, and I want it quite a bit." H.E Druid whispered before D.R. opened his eyes and looked at her soft, smiling face which he ran is hand over.

"My dear princess..." He whispered as she touched his hand.

"And every princess needs a prince, or at least a knight...am I wrong?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Not every...but I'd love to be with you through this." D.R. said.

"And I'd love to have you with me...even past this." H.E. Druid said softly before he looked back down at her chest. "If you'd like to join me in the spring...they're all yours."

"As Her Highness wishes..." D.R. teased as they both got back in, with him coming up behind her, and molding her breasts with his hands, while watching her eyes close and her lips curl into a toothy smile while she gasped and giggled as her breasts were played with. He gripped them from underneath, and lightly squeezed them while rubbing them all over at the same time, he ran his hands down her breasts from the top, he moved them around from side-to-side, he even lightly squeezed them a couple of times a second and watched her generously-sized breasts flop and bounce around. "Your new chest is even squishier than I thought..."

"Is that any way to talk to a princess?" H.E. Druid teased before turned her head to him and he noted her half-closed eyes and raised eyebrows.

"Maybe not...but for the record...the breasts are my favorite part of the female body. On that note...what is your favorite part of mine?" D.R. asked.

"So far...your magical hands..." H.E. Druid said before gasping an tensing up as he twisted and pinched her nipples. "Ah...yes, keep that up...!" He wasted no time in fulfilling her request; he worked her breasts from the top, bottom, and sides once again, sometimes in random combinations, with no more force than before, but paid special attention to when he got to her nipples. He even pinched her nipples playfully between his index and middle finger joints which made her clinch her legs close and her thin, but dense back muscles contract on reflex. He then stopped teasing her nipples to get her more relaxed, especially when he stroked her sides and belly which made her sigh and lean back into him. "You aren't just a marksman with that gun..."

"You should know, I rarely miss my mark, and right now...you getting in a good mood is my mark." D.R. teased.

"And you've definitely hit it, multiple times over." H.E Druid said before turning around and embracing him, not caring about his face being shoved into the very same breasts he worked wonders on...not that he minded; he snuggled and nuzzled into them, which made her giggle. "You greedy..."

"Hey, by my estimations, you were less than a third as busty as you are now originally, and I'm pretty sure I made my feelings toward these beauties pretty clear." D.R. said before she backed up a bit and stroked his face.

"You most certainly have." H.E. Druid said before kissing him yet again.

"How did you remain a virgin for 2,000 years?" D.R. asked.

"Well...I'm a princess, so only another royal would have a decent chance with me, present company being a serious exception." H.E. Druid said.

"An honor I gladly accept...Your Highness..." D.R. teased as she chuckled before turning somber.

"I can guess you're as good as you are now because you know what it's not supposed to look like..." She said and her dwarf lover sighed.

"You could say that, but with my gun and your assassin-like skills, there's no fear of that happening to you." He said seriously.

"Indeed. Now...my breasts weren't the only part of me that were enhanced you know." H.E. Druid said before sitting up and turning around, giving him a decent view of her toned, and rounded ass and thighs...the former of which he gripped with both hands, and gave it a test squeeze from all sides, just like he did with her breasts, when she moaned in approval, he ran his hands down her legs. "How's the contrast?"

"You're just as...enhanced below as you are above the waist my dear princess." D.R. teased and H.E. Druid giggled before sitting back down and showing her new breasts to him again. "You proud of this new body?"

"More than I can measure..." H.E. Druid said.

"May I tell you something?" D.R. asked.

"By all means." H.E. Druid said simply.

"You know, the way I see it, there's basically three types of people: most of them are people like me; those that just go through life, taking whatever's thrown at them, whether they like it or not, and if they don't like it...they just deal with it. Then there's people like the Evil Sect who _cause_ the shit we don't like in the first place...then there's people like you, those that actually _do_ something about the shit they don't like." D.R. said.

"You've done plenty about what you don't like. What are you talking about?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Only when I get into a jam love. Otherwise...I'd be content to just let things go by, but you do have a point." D.R. said.

"Glad to her it. Now, come here and put my new gifts to use again. We're supposed to be celebrating life." H.E. Druid said.

"And we shall..." D.R. whispered before kissing her yet again as she ran her hands over his torso, and he squeezed and fondled her breasts yet again.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter followed the elf queen to a cave entrance.

"Here we are. Stay in there as long as you wish..." The elf queen said.

"Thank you Your Majesty." Fighter said as the queen left them. They then went inside...and saw a spring with a small series of smaller spring surrounding, and feeding a larger spring in the middle with small channels between them. There was also an assortment of plants and even large chunks of minerals, like iron and limestone, as well a crystals lining the place.

"This place is even lovelier than the Temple of Law's bathhouse..." Fighter said as the pair looked around, and eventually...de-morphed their armor into the skin-tight underarmor, with Fighter letting Ranger hold her as he noticed her face go somber.

"Fighter?" Ranger whispered as his wife held the hands he interlocked around her belly as she leaned into his bulk through his underarmor.

"I'm o.k...more than o.k. actually." Fighter said softly as she eventually turned around and hugged Ranger as tightly as she could as they snuggled into each other, caressed each other's hair, especially in his case, and eventually kissed as sweetly, deeply, and softly as they could, inhaling the freshness in the air, and each other's unique and arousing scents all the while. "The queen said we're supposed to be celebrating our lives, and...that really got me thinking."

"About what?" Ranger asked as softly as ever as she sucked in a breath and looked him right in the face while smiling and caressing his faithfully-shaven face.

"From the moment I met you, to this one...and everything in-between, especially our wedding. Our...absolutely _glorious_ wedding, and not just the immeasurably sweet love you made to me." Fighter said with a sob-choked voice while rubbing her breasts and one of her legs against him...the latter of which he caressed and massaged as she went.

"It's a shame we can only marry once..." Ranger whispered as he held his beloved Fighter who held onto him like she did when he woke from the Resurrection miracle after he caught fire a year ago.

"Thank you...thank you for the adventures you promised me after we wed. Thank you for sharing a loving home, a warm bed, and a place in battle with me. Thank you for returning my love; my love which runs as deep as it can possibly go. And most of all...thank you for giving me a _beautiful_ little girl..." Fighter said while weeping her heart out for her husband...her mighty, handsome, and _passionate_ husband.

"Your love saved me from death, and despair countless times. I could give you every fortune the world has to offer...and I would still leave debts unpaid, and that baby I often see cradled in your arms, feeding on the milk you grace her with, with grow up alongside as many children as you desire, and every one of them will be graced with nothing less than the best life worth living." Ranger said with his own voice shaky as Fighter finally got a grip, looked up at his determined, and loving face, and any doubts she may have had as to whether or not he was serious were deduced to nothing.

"Please...take me into that water. Show me the fruits of your love for me. Show me why you think I'm beautiful..." Fighter whispered before he carried her into the water, and kissed her as they actually entered the water. They took their sweet time doing so as well; this was a time to celebrate life, and what went with life better than love? They then broke the kiss, and looked at each other with pure love in their eyes. They then kissed as slowly as before while they ran their hands up and down each others' bodies without pause, but with extreme care.

"We should remove these suits love..." Ranger whispered against her lips.

"Then tear mine off and _absorb_ it...!" Fighter softly growled before her husband tore hers off piece by piece, until she was as naked as the day she was born, then absorbed the pieces into his own suit before discarding it and they looked each other over, then took a moment to calm down. "Sorry...I've actually wanted you to do that to me for some time, but I never got my hands on anything I didn't mind you being ripped off of me until now."

"I don't mind; I had a rush myself, but now is not the time for that, as we established." Ranger said seriously.

"Right...now keep touching me." Fighter said before she dug her fingers into the dense, bulky muscles he used to crush his foes, and even entire buildings, from his arms, to his torso, to his hips, to his legs, and everything in-between. He in return gave her muscles the same treatment, and paid special attention to her buttocks; he pressed his hands into her cheeks from underneath, and moved upwards while keeping his tight grip, and went back down before moving to the sides and squeezing, and pressing his hands into her ample flesh over and over before moving down to her hips, and thighs, then up her sides, to her breasts and gave them the same treatment. Her soft, blissful gasps and moans gave him no small amount of encouragement either.

Fighter then turned around, leaned against him, and gasped in bliss as he rubbed, squeezed and fondled her breasts from every angle, and with various amount of force. He firmly gripped both her breasts whole, then let go to watch and feel them bounce, lightly stroked the tops sides with weak pinches, and moved her breasts around in circles as her adorable giggles and shining smile tugged his heartstrings.

"You are so cute when you're like this..." Ranger said with intense softness in his voice.

"And you're the cause my dear Ranger..." Fighter said with utter bliss in her voice before he kissed her with intense passion as he paused his fondling and stroked her face, especially after she broke the kiss and he ran his thumb across her cheek while she gazed at him. "I love you so much..."

"And I love you, my dear Fighter..." Ranger said softly before holding her against him for a good 20 seconds, with them shifting against each other every now and then. "Your skin is so _creamy_..." Fighter then backed up and caressed his chest.

"A good contrast to your own huh? A girl could _really_ get used to having a man this bulky holding her like this." She said as he smirked at her.

"It's all as valuable to you, as your gifts are to me." Ranger said.

"You can get back to playing with my breasts." Fighter said simply which Ranger laughed at, before gripping them from the front and moving them around. "How do they feel?"

"I'm amazed I can fit them in my hands, but the times I don't bother...your breasts are as pleasant as your voice. The Love Goddess has _truly_ blessed you." Ranger said with reverence as he kept working her chest.

"And this water helps I take it?" Fighter asked while Ranger did not relent in his quest to please her, or to reap as much pleasure as he could.

"Yes...these breasts of yours are a gem _normally_, but with this water lubricating and softening them even further? Words cannot express..." Ranger said with lust in his voice before she giggled.

"It feels amazing for me as well...but, it's getting to be a bit much." Fighter said honestly and she pulled him to the rim of the spring, and he leaned back against it while she sat on one of his legs, and leaned back against him with his arms around her as she sighed in contentment. "This is so nice..."

"You mean us, in a hot spring, with my arms around you?" Ranger asked softly.

"Among others things, very much so...now, I want to massage you with my breasts later on." Fighter said while casually stroking his chest and abs as he sighed in contentment himself.

"By all means...my love and life." Ranger said softly and deeply.

"Not yet...first, we soak in this pool of bliss and love." Fighter said as she laid her head down on his shoulder as she shifted against him. "In fact that's probably what they should call this place: The Pool of Bliss and Love." Ranger scoffed at this.

"Yeah, I can see it now: They make a sign over the entrance, and have the slogan "drown your woes and discomfort here"." Ranger said as Fighter laughed.

"I doubt they would...but it's not invalid." Fighter said honestly before snuggling into him yet again.

"How do your breasts feel?" Ranger asked.

"Before, during, or after you worked your magic on them?" Fighter asked.

"Any of those." Ranger said.

"Before? Don't recall. During? I think you know the answer..." Fighter said with a smirk that Ranger couldn't help but kiss off her face. "After...? Well...I still feel your hands on them, even though that's not the case here. What does that tell you?"

"That you _really_ like what I did, and your body is clinging onto the memory like it was drowning." Ranger said seriously yet playfully.

"You read my mind. Now...any more tricks you want to try out?" Fighter asked.

"I think you know what's leftover..." Ranger teased as Fighter sat up, and held up her breasts, silently telling him to suck and lick them...and he does just that. He grips the sides of both her breasts, and stuffs as much of one in his mouth as he can, and softly chews the squishy flesh around one of her nipples while licking it, and she gasps loudly at the faint pain that was quickly overshadowed by rapture he gave her. He then squeezed, chewed, and sucked on her other breast, before moving to the other. He repeated the process several times over while she held him in place as she tensed up, moaned, and even spasmed rom the intensity.

"Ranger...Ranger... I can't...take much more...please stop...!" Fighter gasped out as Ranger pulled away to see her head thrown back with her eyes closed, her mouth sucking in one deep breath after another, her chest rapidly and intensely inflating and deflating, and her nipples were flushed red. "That was...very good but...I just...reached my limit...you didn't hurt me. I know you never would." Ranger then ran his hands through her long, silky, night-black hair.

"I would hurt everyone else I know before I hurt you, my love and life..." He said softly and honestly as she hugged him tightly around the underarms, as he held her head and back before whispering in her ear. "How could I _ever_ hurt you...?" She shuddered at the intensity of his voice and pulled back to kiss him sweetly and deeply over and over for what could easily be 20 seconds or more, and not even the saliva running down their chin spoiled the moment for them. When they finally broke the kiss...they both cleaned off their mouths in amusement.

"We should probably get out of this water soon." Fighter said.

"I'm not done with you..." Ranger said huskily.

"Oh, I'm not done with you either...but..." Fighter trailed off.

"We'll grow faint...why in the name of all that is _sacred_ does it keep coming around to that?!" Ranger asked with annoyance in his voice, before calming down, then they both got out of the spring and sat down on a rock behind some plants, and he noticed her face drooped a bit.

"Do you remember when we met? Other than how I looked...what did you think of me?" Fighter asked seriously.

"Well...I thought it was pretty foolish that you had no weapons, and relied solely on your bare hands; you didn't even have any gloves on. Although...thank the Supreme you wore boots." Ranger said seriously.

"Thank the Supreme even more you killed the damn hob before he crushed my foot, and that you had that bag of potions with you. Your mom really is a master too; my foot was back to normal in less than an hour." Fighter said before Ranger hugged her again.

"Thank the Supreme for our marriage more than anything..." He whispered as Fighter snuggled into him.

"I love you..." She whispered.

"And I love you..." Ranger whispered before kissing her, then looking at her smiling face as she climbed into his lap and they sat there holding each other. "You haven't held me like this since the fortress."

"I remember...I recalled the times you held me, and spoke to me sweetly...and I _still_ remember each time. Please let fate never take those memories from me, least of all while you walk this Earth with me at your side." Fighter said softly.

"Like I told you before: I will not enter Heaven without you, and if the Death God wants me to go in without you...then he can kiss my ass." Ranger said seriously and Fighter chuckled at him.

"You probably would say that too..." She said before continuing to chuckle, as Ranger stared at her chest.

"You know your breasts are bouncing right? Not that I'm complaining..." He said before groping one of her breasts from underneath.

"How much of my chest do you want?" Fighter asked in amusement as he handled her.

"As much as I can take...although, there's only a few things we haven't done yet." Ranger said seriously before stopping.

"Then let's get back in the water and do them. _All_ of them..." Fighter said seriously; he saw her drink some potion before the festival started.

"O.k..." Ranger said as they walked back to the water, she got in first, and Ranger got in behind her as he sat down with him on his lap, pressing her ass cheeks into his legs as he positioned his manhood against her back while his hands worked her supple hips and plump, yet sinewy thighs while kissing and licking up and her neck and shoulder. "You really should let me see you in that underarmor more often; it's both _incredibly_ sexy and decent at the same time." Fighter couldn't help but turn her deep, pleasured breaths in a chuckle at that statement.

"All you had to do was say so..." Fighter said as she got off of his lap. "Now _you_ turn around." Ranger looked down at her holding her breasts, turned around and just as he predicted...she pressed her breasts into his back and moved up and down while increasing the pressure, and returned the favor by kissing and licking his neck and shoulders when she got the chance making Ranger chuckle. "Quid pro quo much?" Fighter then giggled at this.

"Pleasure for pleasure darling..." Fighter said sensually as she kept up her treatment for a good 15 seconds. "I can feel what little tension you have draining out of you."

"I have a lovely, powerful...and _ingenious_ woman using her body as an instrument of benevolence on my own. How could it not drain me?" Ranger said seriously, yet relaxed as Fighter giggled again and stopped her treatment. "Let me guess: the chakras told you I'm tension-free now? As if there was any serious tension in the first place..."

"Are they lying to me? Would my _husband_ lie to me?" Fighter teased with her voice register still lowered.

"Careful dear. I'm not above pinning you against one of these rocks and hammering into you against it hard enough to break the rock itself." Ranger said seriously yet playfully.

"Part of me wants that...but good things come to those who wait." Fighter said as she ran her fingers along some of his nerve points and he tensed up with pleasure and vigor.

"O.k...you should also do what you just did before any serious battles. I feel like I could tear down a fortress with my bare hands...!" Ranger said as he clinched his fist so hard his whole arm shook.

"I would actually love to see you do that." Fighter said before getting back to massaging him with her chest. "Now...remind me how my breasts feel against you..."

"_Incredible_..." Ranger breathed out as Fighter smiled.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. Now...let me know when you want to return the fav-" Fighter shut up when Ranger turned around right away.

"Now..." He whispered, and Fighter spread her arms, as Ranger stroked her sides, and she kissed him passionately as he pressed his powerful hands into her butt over and over, and moved her cheeks around while kneading them like dough like he did with her breasts, making her let off a horny chuckle.

"How does my bottom feel?" Fighter teased.

"You always did have an amazing figure, but this ass of yours never ceases to enchant me..." Ranger said huskily.

"Apparently..." Fighter teased before she licked her lips...before he locked lips with her, and she reached down to stroke his manhood making him groan into their mouths as they lashed tongues, even outside of their mouths. He then reached around and stroked her hips and eventually her inner thighs, and her womanhood, which was as swollen as he was hard...how fitting. "Ranger...my love and life...this has been...the best love-making session we've ever had, but enough is enough. Please...conclude it."

"How would you like to do so?" Ranger asked.

"Lay down on that moss-covered rock. I want to ride you..." Fighter said as Ranger did what she said., and watched his beloved lower herself onto his manhood and he closed his eyes to focus on how she felt.

"So...warm and _narrow_..." Ranger whispered intensely before opening his eyes, as Fighter moved up and down while gasping and eventually moaning in bliss. He then gripped her softened buttocks and fondled away as she bounced up and down, and when her breasts flopped around too much, he reached up to grip them while thrusting up into her to double the pleasure as they both let out an orgasmic groan before she collapsed.

"You...are the single...most amazing man...I could have ever...met..." Fighter said with her mind consumed by bliss as she got off of him and laid down on her side.

"That's because...I know what my wife likes..." Ranger said as he lightly pinched the underside of her breast and watched it bounce as she giggled.

"You're also the least satiable." She teased before he lightly spanked and groped her softest butt cheek with her gasping.

"Like you're any better baby..." Ranger said before getting on top of her as he got hard a second time. "Well?"

"Please...!" Fighter whispered harshly as she spread her legs and accepted him into her opening and she groaned right away, which only got worse as he picked up the pace. He then paid no attention to anything aside from the music her throat was making, and her face that was twisted in sexual rapture as he was hammering into her tight womanhood two to three times every second. He then took it up a notch by reaching under her butt and she actually laughed a bit as he raised her lower body off the rock as he got on his knees and kept thrusting away as her laughter was somehow mixed in with her moaning.

She then wrapped her legs around his ass to keep him going. It must've been 15 seconds before a second wave of pleasure swept over them both and they laid there with their bodies completely slack. About a minute later, Fighter regained her presence of mind enough to stroke his hair and casually rub one of her thighs against his hip as he huffed in amusement, before pushing himself up to see her smiling brightly despite the unfocused look in her eyes and her hair splayed around her head. He then came down to kiss her over and over as she simply held his head to keep his kisses coming.

"Sit up with me." Ranger said as she let him pull her up, and they sat there enjoying the afterglow.

"Hard to believe no one came in here to check on us." Fighter said seriously.

"Maybe the queen ordered the place off-limits until she saw us." Ranger said.

"Nice of her to inform us about this place." Fighter said.

"We _did_ rescue her, and kill a heap of foes for her, especially myself, and...there's no way she didn't want to get you involved since we've married. I mean...do the math." Ranger said.

"Point taken. Still...I'd like to make the most of this." Fighter said before sitting on his lap again, then he gripped her breasts and just played with them without any kind of precision. He gripped them in random places and made them bounce around, he dug his fingers into them and squeezed away, he ran the sides of his fingers across her nipples while she moaned all the while. He then went down her sides, caressed her hips, and the place where her butt met his thighs, and lightly pinched her there, before stroking her thighs again, then stroking her belly. "O.k...that's enough...make more love to me."

"Can you handle more?" Ranger asked with concern.

"I'll deal with it..." Fighter said before she got off of him, got on all fours and he took his place behind her, pressed his hands into her cheeks yet again, he then kneaded the flesh of her buttocks for all it was worth, before giving her womanhood a gentle yet tense stroking, making her tense up. "Please...! Stop teasing me...!" He then rubbed her thighs, before gripping her lovely hips, and drove into her while keeping his hold on her. The next minute or so was spent with him slamming his groin into her perfectly round butt, and listening to her moan her lungs out. He then slowed down, and stopped cold before pulling her into his lap...and she rode him again reverse-cowgirl style as he felt her butt contract and relax against his iron abs, and handled her breasts, making them flop around on his terms.

The wet plopping sounds her butt made as it stuck him and her _delicious_ moans and gasps did nothing to discourage him from thrusting up into her, while she bounced up and down, especially when another orgasm hit them and she let out another elongated moan as they both got so woozy he had to call on every ounce of discipline he had to keep her from collapsing and breaking her angelic face and he laid there with her leaning on him completely drained physically and unable to focus on anything but catching her breath as he held her and listened to her gasping for well-deserved air.

"You just lay here and deal with it...I'll stay with you until you're better. Like I swore I would..." Ranger said before kissing her cheek as she looked at him with an adorably bright expression on her flushed face as he held her hand, and she interlocked their fingers.

* * *

The Wizard siblings used an event recaller combined with a mana gem to show the people who the battle went down. It was complete mayhem! Rhea Fighter danced and jumped through the elven troops like she was a living sewing needle. In one moment, she even removed several heads while jumping and spinning upside-down in mid-air, before deflecting several spears, by twirling her sword around like a pro, and rapidly stabbing through their shields, into their hearts. Her small stature and acrobatic prowess made her a complete pain in the ass to land a hit on.

Warrior for his part was casually overpowering the troops with his own sword. One time he blocks a sword swing with his own sword in a reverse grip, switches hands, stabs the troop in the heart, then uppercuts another with his blade, then slashes another one's throat open, before chopping another one's head off, then chops him in half for good measure with two rapid swings before weaving, ducking, and spinning through another group and slicing them apart as well...while his hammer orbits him and electrocutes or bashes down anyone who manage to sneak up on him.

"When did you learn that?" Cow Girl asked.

"Recently. The boss isn't the only one who can work miracles with his weapons." Warrior boasted.

"Speaking of which..." Wizard said as her part came up. She deflected several spear thrusts of her own, and spun her glaive around with force and precision while backing up, destroying their weapons, and ducking under their swings and stabs either straight up, or by leaning to the side. She then deflected one spear, ducked and spun to stab a second troop in the gut before punching his mask into his brain. She even sliced off one troops' feet then silenced his screams with a stab through the throat.

"Sheesh! You people take no prisoners do you?" Cow Girl asked.

"This is what you signed up for; you should know what you're dealing with." GS said honestly.

"I know what I signed up for...I just have to get used to it; if I can handle you for years on end, I can handle this." Cow Girl said as she held his hand.

"I hope so." GS said as Priestess used empower on herself and deflected and dodged a few spear thrusts herself...before some hits actually landed, not that her hardened robe and empowerment didn't make that point. She then used her new sword to cut through the troop's armor into his heart and lungs and watched him fall before looking her sword over and having a similar conflict to Cow Girl's...which they noted with their mutual eye-contact.

"I simply told myself it was him or me, and...if I can handle the Sword Maiden's death, I can handle this." Priestess said firmly as the battle ranged on with Wizard's brother having wolf and bear familiars crush the troops with him using his mace to smash heads if he managed to sneak up on any, with his sister backing him up. That is, if Lizard Priest and Dwarf Shaman didn't back him up with the former's brute strength, sickle swords, and Dragontooth warrior summons, and the latter using earth spells to crush scores of troops from a distance, or sling stones to distract them.

Dwarf Shaman once raised up an earth wall to halt some troops before ripping it out of the ground and crushing them as he launched it at them as Dwarf Rifleman used his gun to snipe the troops from a distance, getting one headshot after another. The recollection ended with Warrior dashing around slicing apart the corrupt troops with the Wizard siblings blowing up one score of troops after another at a range, and bashing/chopping down the ones who get too close with Rhea Fighter distracting the ones she spares...only For Lizard Priest to sever their heads from behind, grab them and throw them into each other, or even rip them apart thanks to his "strength of 10,000" miracle, and Priestess stayed in the back empowering her teammates and GS joining the fray by shooting two troops that snuck up on her.

"Now you all see what power we have to face the dark hordes with, and they are all Gold Ranks; they are led by a Platinum Rank, who killed the legendary vampire queen...with the War God's power." The elf queen said as the elves murmured and chattered among themselves. "These are people who care little for the differences between our peoples, and will stop at nothing to see to it that justice and charity are dealt. All of them...have a great deal to be proud of. May all of you inspire legions of others to follow in your footsteps." With that, the team all went to bed, along with the people. GS and Cow Girl simply stripped naked and went to bed, as did Warrior and Wizard...but her brother, and Rhea Fighter had some talking to do.

"Something on your mind?" Wizard's brother asked as Rhea Fighter sat next to him.

"It's this mission we went on...as proud as I am, I can't help but feel like something is missing, like we didn't do as much as we could've." She said.

"Well...whatever it is, we can address it later." Wizard's brother said.

"Will you please hold me?" Rhea Fighter asked as Wizard's brother wrapped one arm around her just that for the heck of it.

"Like this?" He asked.

"Yes..." Rhea Fighter said as she relaxed. "May I...well, may I sleep with you?"

"O...k...might as well." Wizard's brother said honestly as she laid down on top of him, looked up at him for a second, then went straight to sleep.

* * *

Priestess removed her hairband and looked at it along with her new sword, two of the three things she uses to pay tribute to the fallen archbishop, her surrogate mother who was no doubt watching over her in Heaven. Her guess was confirmed when Sword Maiden herself appeared...in her room.

"Mother..." Priestess whispered as she hugged the nephilim.

"I missed you Priestess." Sword Maiden said as softly as ever as she hugged her little girl. "I saw what and your teammates- no...your family, did at the fortress, especially your part. I have never been more proud to have you as my heir."

"Thank you mother." Priestess said with a smile as Sword Maiden stroked her face.

"It won't be long before you become archbishop yourself, and the Earth Mother will surely understand if you decide to follow in my footsteps. Although...I pray your story ends better than mine did." Sword Maiden said somberly.

"But...my family...?" Priestess said and Sword Maiden chuckled.

"How could I forget? You met your family long before I met my story is practically destined to end better than mine did." Sword Maiden said as Priestess lowered her head. "You're still thinking of that Cambion are you?" Priestess nodded at this while shaking as Sword Maiden hugged her tighter. "Don't worry...your family took several steps to make sure you are cared for. Your necklace..."

"I know, but..." Priestess trailed off.

"The terror never truly vanishes does it? Trust me...I know what that's like more than I have a right to, but don't let it win. You have a whole group of people to look out for you, and they are getting stronger every moment. You are in good hands..." Sword Maiden said as Priestess smiled and calmed down. "Now get some rest, I'm not going anywhere." With that the two holy women got in bed with Priestess snuggling into Sword Maiden's chest as she stroked her hair and whispered in her ear. "Sleep easy dear Priestess... Your mother is with you..."

* * *

Back at the frontier, Guild Girl was at home preparing for when her date showed up. She couldn't stop thinking about what he said about his encounter with the Sword Maiden; he flatout said she was adorable right to her face. Well, she and Inspector were adorable to be precise, and Heaven knew she had more than a fair share of men hitting on her because of her looks...which was something she had in common with Summoner, only he was hit on by women he apparently wanted nothing to do with. Did he only like her appearance because of her face itself...or was he actually checking out her figure. She then stopped looking herself over in the mirror before getting dressed, and just as she finished dressing in her blouse and skirt...a knock on the door came, and when she looked through the window...it was Summoner! She then opened the door with a smile he returned.

"Hello again." Summoner said as he came in and hugged her.

"Hello again." Guild Girl said before backing up and kissing him.

"You look incredible." Summoner said as he looked her over.

"So do you." Guild Girl brightly as she led him to where she set up a small table with some food on it. "It's nothing fancy, but..."

"You wanted to do something nice. You're even sweeter than I thought, which is really saying something..." Summoner said softly then dryly which earned him a giggle as he sat down and tasted some of the corn chowder she made from the small bowl it was in.

"Heh, not bad." Summoner said as he keep going, until he was done, then bit into the turkey sandwich. "O.k...on one hand, I prefer some more spice on my meat, but it's a good contrast to the corn chowder."

"So...it's alright then?" Guild Girl asked.

"If you really wanted to do something nice, then quest complete." Summoner quipped as the lady giggled.

"Good one." Guild Girl said before sitting next to him and leaning into his side. "How did your patrol go?"

"Like I thought, the hell rifts weren't forming again...but for how much longer?" Summoner asked.

"Well, I'm sure you can handle it. A demon hunter running around, leading an army of elementals? I've never been happier to not be a demon." Guild Girl said seriously yet sensually.

"Any demon that comes after you will surely not be happy." Summoner said.

"As if I didn't feel safe enough around you..." Guild Girl said before kissing him again. "You weren't kidding about the food I made..." Summoner scoffed at this and kissed her deeper and she giggled against his lips as he stroked her cheek. She then broke the kiss, closed her eyes and focused on the smooth, strong, and gentle hand caressing her face like she was made of glass. She eventually held his hand against her cheek, looked up at him and they smiled as brightly as they could. "I love you..."

"And I love you." Guild Girl whispered before they went to her bedroom and sat down. "Summoner?"

"Yes sweetheart?" Summoner said softly as she sat there thinking before smiling.

"Nothing, I'm just...I was just looking forward to this. That's all." Guild Girl said.

"I know you have something on your mind..." Summoner said.

"Please...don't push this; let's just enjoy ourselves here. O.k.?" Guild Girl asked.

"Alright...but, by "Enjoy ourselves"-" She cuts him off.

"I don't mean..._that_ way. Let's...please, just lay down next to me." Guild Girl said.

"O.k..." Summoner said as they laid down on the bed in each other's arms. "Sorry I made things so complicated."

"It's alright. Just hold me..." Guild Girl said.

"O.k..." Summoner whispered as he held her against him and put his hand just above her butt.

"Uhh...Summoner?" Guild Girl asked.

"I wasn't going to go lower." Summoner said honestly.

"Well...that's what I wanted to ask about, part of it at least." Guild Girl said.

"Guild Girl...you're lovely from head to toe, and in-between. There's no dishonesty in that." Summoner said softly which made her suck in a breath. "And...I have a confession to make: I...I went to check on you once...and I saw you undressed..." Guild Girl blushed heavily at this. "I really was concerned about why you were taking so long to come outside."

"I...I...was just...taking my time." Guild Girl stuttered before getting a grip. "How did I look?"

"Like I said: you're lovely from head to toe." Summoner said before she got on top of him.

"Would you object to showing me-" He cuts her off.

"Of course not..." He said before removing his jacket and shirt, and let her look him over. He wasn't very larger, but he was as lean as the steak she saw him consume at least once, but that's not all...

"Your scars..." Guild Girl whispered with concern in her voice as Summoner stroked a series of scars on his side.

"My closest call. A Wrather demon once hit me hard enough to send me flying into a wall, and...well, my ribs were showing..." He said seriously as she gasped.

"Summoner..." She said with her eyes watering.

"I'm still alive aren't I? And I got my revenge later on; a trio of my ice elementals showed up and gave it a nasty case of frostbite...among other things. The priest I was with at the time patched me up, and I haven't had a single incident since, not to mention I learned how to absorb power from my summons not long afterwards. Got my hands on an Emerald Rank just for that discovery, and I was Steel ranked beforehand too." Summoner said.

"Talk about a silver line. But...I'm sorry you had to go through that." Guild Girl said.

"I've dealt with demons that thrived on fear, whether it was justified or not. Compared to that, that story I told you is nothing." Summoner said before Guild Girl stripped down to her underwear, and let him look her over...but he could tell she was alittle embarrassed. "Baby?"

"I've been looking you over...now you can look me over, and I'm sure you didn't look me over too long, right?" She asked.

"Right, and you really are lovely..." Summoner said as he got up and hugged her from behind, as he interlocked his hands on her flat belly and she leaned into him while holding his hands, sighing in contentment. Her shyness was replaced with comfort as she turned around and kissed him, while running her hands along his dense torso, as he ran his hand along her hair braid, and then both surveyed her slender form and milky skin. "You know...I've seen women with pretty athletic bodies, like Assassin, and while I haved to admit that had it's own appeal...yours? That of a normal woman? That's what I've been missing: a piece of a normal life..."

"If it means I get to dish out some justice of my own and give you what you've earned...then it's fitting in more than one way I'm with you." Guild Girl said softly as she touched his longer hair.

"I deeply appreciate that." Summoner said as she kept going. "You know my brother's hair wasn't much shorter than Ranger's, and I myself used to shave it to my scalp. Not much chance of that happening again through..."

"I see..." Guild Girl whispered before her held her hips and massaged her with his thumbs. "Do you have a favorite part of my body?"

"So far...your _skin_..." Summoner breathed out and he pressed her into him and kept rubbing her smooth back and sides as her heart and lungs got busier, and her legs got a bit shaky. Summoner then turned her around and he sat down with her between his legs.

"You can touch me elsewhere if you want..." Guild Girl whispered as Summoner stroked the sides of her thighs and she sucked in a trembling breath as he went up her belly and sides as she tensed up a bit.

"Wow...I felt that." Summoner said seriously.

"I'm just...a bit sensitive. I did enjoy that..." Guild Girl said honestly.

"We can stop anytime you'd like." Summoner said.

"Just give me a moment..." Guild Girl whispered as Summoner held her while she leaned back into him breathing deeply and focusing the his warmth. "O.k...let's go to sleep. But first..." she then removed her bra, before watching him feast on her breasts with his eyes. "Well?"

"Beautiful." Summoner said as lightly gripped her breast...much to her delight, and nervousness. "How are they?"

"They feel great to me...what about you?" Summoner asked as he gave both her breasts multiple light squeezes.

"It feels...sort of funny, but also quite pleasant. Just don't crush them please." Guild Girl said.

"Don't worry...I may have control over them, but I took control for your benefit rather than my own. I did promise the Sword Maiden afterall." Summoner said and Guild Girl eased up right away.

"Yes you did..." She whispered before smiling at him while he rubbed her warm, perfectly-sized breasts, then went down her sides, then her hips, listening to her gasp all the while...then he gripped her buttocks as she groaned a bit as he lightly kneaded her soft flesh. "Summoner..."

"Too much?" Summoner asked.

"No...keep going..." Guild Girl groaned before gasping in bliss as he kept working her bottom for about a minute. "O.k...that should do. Let's go to sleep..."

"Of course..." Summoner said before removing his pants and they got under the covers. "Good night beautiful..."

"Good night...handsome." Guild Girl said as she snuggled into him as sleep claimed them both.

* * *

Cow Girl then woke up to see GS awake and alert.

"Good morning." He said as she smiled.

"Good morning..." She said before tracing his scars. "So much pain..."

"Goblins never were very gentle creatures, or ones that believed in fighting fairly." GS said.

"I noticed...but do you ever think of removing them, like with the Sword Maiden?" Cow Girl asked.

"Maybe...but not now." GS said.

"Right...you never said what you wanted to be remembered for?" Cow Girl asked.

"Being the Goblin Slayer..." GS said simply and Cow Girl smiled.

"Somehow I knew you'd say that..." She said.

"Because you know me...probably more than anyone." GS said softly before she pressed her lips against his. "And I love you..."

"I love you too..." Cow Girl said against his lips before kissing him more deeply as he wrapped his arms around her.

* * *

"A Hell Nexus is in my homeland?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Quite possibly. I heard some of the guards talk about it while I was imprisoned." The elf queen said.

"Why did you say so before?" Lizard Priest asked.

"It wasn't a good time, but now that you know, and Ranger's portal gem is now repaired, you can use it to save your people. Hopefully there are enough left to tell you more." The elf queen said.

"Sir Ranger, give me the gem!" Lizard Priest said as Ranger tossed it over, then Lizard Priest opened a portal to a lush swamp with tree houses in the canopy.

"Let us go. Time is of the essence" Lizard Priest said.

"We'll come back if we can Your Majesty." Priestess said.

"I look forward to your visit young Priestess, now go." The elf queen said as Priestess bowed and followed her team.

* * *

**Ho boy...another long one...steamy one too, maybe even the steamiest yet. Anyway...Cambion's free, the team got to show off to the people, in a way, and now the Lizard folk are having a civil war. What could possibly be next? Well...Rate, Review, and Share, while you wait, and stay tuned.**


	33. Chapter 17 Part III

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. O.k...the time for people bathing in the steam is over; it's back to the water boiling...and goblins being thrown into it. Shall we?**

**Review Response: Come on, you didn't think the Cambion would stay down forever did you? Also, he doesn't have that relic...yet.**

**Technically the Supreme God himself/herself...whatever, is the one who resurrected the people at the vampire queen's fortress, not the Sword Maiden.**

**Now...here's where a confession comes in: I don't know too much about Lizard Priest's home, so most of this is headcannon, and luckily...there's a game I have called Brute Force that has lizardmen in it, and...I'm pretty sure they're similar to Lizard Priest's people at least alittle bit, and Lizard Priest did say some things about his homeland, so...bear with me here.**

* * *

"Home..." Lizard Priest said as he looked around.

"Nice place...weather sucks though." Wizard said.

"And so does the environment; there's mud everywhere..." Rhea Fighter said as she scrapped her muddy foot on some moss.

"We should investigate the tree village. There's no mud up there." GS said as he went to look for a way up.

"Quite right Sir Goblin Slayer, although I suggest I lead the group here. I am native to this place afterall." Lizard Priest said.

"Hard to argue with that." Wizard's brother said as they followed Lizard Priest to a wooden ramp that spiraled around a tree that led up to the huts and panels connecting them in the canopy.

"Where is everyone?" Priestess asked as Lizard Priest looked around with everyone else looking around with less haste, but more curiosity.

"Captured probably..." GS said grimly.

"No..." Lizard Priest whispered.

"Well...we can use this place as a base for now, and our first order of business should be to find out where they are. Sweetheart? Do you sense anything?" Ranger asked as Fighter opened her chakras after some brief mediation.

"Yes...there's a group of lizard people moving away from this village in that direction. It must be them." Fighter said as she pointed behind him.

"Then we must go see to them!" Lizard Priest said.

"Warrior, you and me should go with him and Goblin Slayer." Wizard said.

"Right." Warrior said.

"What about us?" Cow Girl asked.

"The rest of us should get this place up and running as much as we can. There's no way we've seen the worst of it." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"When you get back, we want some answers." Fighter said.

"I will give as many as I need to Lady Fighter, but please, let us go now." Lizard Priest said as he led the four-person team in the direction Fighter pointed them in.

"I'll get some alchemy going." Wizard's brother said.

"We'll keep a lookout." Dwarf Rifleman said as he and H.E. Druid looked around.

"What about me?" Cow Girl asked.

"You're with us." H.E. Druid said.

"See anything else, let us know." Ranger said.

"Of course." Fighter said before giving her husband a quick kiss.

* * *

Lizard Priest led the group through a winding pathway through a swamp...and it wasn't a smooth trip.

"Damn bugs!" Wizard exclaimed as she swatted several away.

"Should I use my hammer to zap them?" Warrior asked.

"No, it'll make too much noise. We're supposed to do this quietly." GS said.

"Right..." Warrior said before they found a hut on tall poles, with a ramp.

"This was not here before..." Lizard Priest said seriously as GS checked it out.

"This was made recently; the wood is remarkably fresh." GS said.

"It also doesn't look like the same architecture from the tree village." Warrior said.

"No it doesn't...could these outcasts be deviants as well?" Wizard asked.

"We won't know unless we somehow get answers out of one." GS said.

"Then we should waste no more time in finding my people." Lizard Priest said as he led the team through the swamps again, checking the ground for footprints, and eventually they heard a gunshot over a ridge, then saw a handful of lizard men holding rifles with several lizard people with their hands up with a few holding one with an injured leg. "There they are..."

"How are we going to save the people, and kill those assholes at the same time?" Warrior asked.

"There are only three of them. Can you use an illusion on only those three?" GS asked.

"I believe so, but I've never done so on three people in three different spots, especially not with that many people in the way." Wizard said.

"Can't we just shot them and capture the last?" Warrior asked as he morphed his crossbow.

"Maybe, but we'll have to move fast." GS said.

"We can do that." Warrior said as he took aim just as the group of people were about to move.

"Now!" GS said as Warrior fired at the closest one..and hit him in the back of the head, as GS charged in as Wizard made the other two woozy, as Lizard Priest and Warrior charged after GS who sliced into one rifleman's neck, and Lizard Priest knocked the other out with a single blow to the side of the head.

"Are you alright?" Warrior asked.

"Humans? You brought humans with you to our homeland?" One of the lizardmen asked.

"They are trusted friends of mine. Are you from the tree village we discovered was empty?" Lizard Priest asked.

"No, that one was empty for at least a day." The lizardman said.

"How did this happen?" Warrior asked.

"Outcasts are everywhere! One of our warriors was captured as we fled out home. His actions, saved many lives." Another lizardman said.

"We'll find him if we can, for now, if you know a safe place to go, head there and wait for this to blow over." GS said.

"We are in your debt great warriors." A lizardman said as they left.

"The boss is not going to believe this..." Warrior said.

* * *

Guild Girl groaned a bit as she woke up in Summoner's arms, and looked at his face; he looked so peaceful, unlike how he normally looks with his understandable yet heart-jerking sorrow and anger casting a shadow on the happiness he expressed, especially the happiness she was proud to have given him. He then woke up himself, and she smiled brightly at him.

"Good morning..." She said softly as she held his hand.

"Good morning baby." Summoner whispered as she kissed him a few times. "You know how to wake a man up."

"I'll wake you like that anytime." Guild Girl said before kissing him again as he wrapped his arms around her then held her close as they felt each other's hearts and lungs pick up the pace, especially when he ran his hands up and down her body, and took his sweet time doing it.

"You feel so _good_..." Summoner whispered as he slowly ran down her lower back, then her sides, and up her thighs and buttocks, making her suck in a trembling breath.

"Have you done this before?" Guild Girl asked.

"Not in person no...but the Sword Maiden..." Summoner trailed off as he stopped stroking her and she looked right at him.

"What about her?" Guild Girl asked as Summoner sighed.

"She shared some wisdom with me, based on her experiences with my brother." Summoner said.

"O.k...I know she was sleeping with him but...to share her "wisdom"? I did not see that coming." Guild Girl said.

"I actually told her not to give me any details about their...well, their trysts, but she did let me know what "tricks" there were, but she stressed that knowing them, and actually doing them are two different things." Summoner said.

"I can imagine how and why, plus..." Guild Girl trailed off.

"Don't worry, I'm not ready for...going all the way either. Didn't I tell you I'm willing to stop if you want?" Summoner asked as he touched her face as she nodded and smiled brightly. "You are so cute..." She then giggled and kissed him sweetly. He then held her close after she broke their kiss before she snuggled into him.

"Remind me how many summons you have." Guild Girl said.

"There are _hundreds_ under my command. Looking for a reminder why you should feel safe with me?" Summoner asked.

"Yes I was...as if I needed more than this." Guild Girl said softly as she shifted against him. Summoner then continued casually caressing her silky skin until he felt her deflate. "When you told that Rhea Scout to bring his master here and kill you himself..."

"Yes I meant it, but...like how my elementals can vanish into thin air, I can as well, and no, I'm not going to." Summoner said.

"How do you do it?" Guild Girl asked.

"Limbo. The world between Heaven, Hell, and Earth." Summoner said.

"Oh...I see. Can you tell me a bit more about your adventuring career?" Guild Girl asked.

"Most of it just involved me hunting demons, sometimes I did it alone, other times with help. Some quests were successful, others weren't, but for the record the quests I failed...I got done the next time. Although...one time, I was cheated out of a good reward." Summoner said.

"What?" Guild Girl asked.

"Yes. I spent a good hour or so tracking down a demon leader who captured a handful of kids, then I fought him using a handful of summons, and I drew some power from them so I could hold my own as well. I took him and his lackeys out, and saved all the kids. But when I got back, I got no reward- O.k. let me take that back, I got less than half of what I was promised, and the guild worker said that it was used to pay the families of those kids. On one hand, that _is_ a good point, but on the other hand...that was a tough mission! I was by myself, I was in one of the most intense fights I've ever been in, at least at the time, and I could've used that money to improve my game, and there's no way the guild couldn't afford to pay me." Summoner said.

"Yeesh..." Guild Girl said.

"Now, luckily I could sell some items I got my hands on earlier, but still, money _does_ make the world go round." Summoner said.

"True, but at least you were o.k. Wait, you _were_ o.k. right?" Guild Girl asked.

"Of course. I'm here holding you aren't I?" Summoner asked as they smiled at each other with her chuckling.

"So...can you tell me some of the...tricks, she taught you?" Guild Girl asked.

"Are you sure you want to know? Some are...pretty involved." Summoner said.

"I'm sure..." Guild Girl said.

"Well...for starters, being in water helps...alot. But on a more "realistic" note, one of the more advanced moves is the woman pressing and rubbing her breasts against the man, all over his body. Turns out Her Grace was...pretty busy with my brother in Heaven." Summoner said as Guild Girl blushed like mad. "I told you some were pretty involved."

"I believed you but...wow...that _is_ involved." Guild Girl said.

"I don't expect you to do any of them, especially not now, but...curiosity is curiosity." Summoner said honestly as Guild Girl calmed down.

"Right...now, I know you feel my breasts now, would...you like me to go further?" Guild Girl asked with minor nervousness in her voice.

"A better question, is are you o.k. with doing so? Although for the record...these breasts feel _amazing_..." Summoner said as he slid his hand up her belly and groped one of her breasts and gave it a squeeze as she shook a bit. "Sheesh...you are one sensitive lady..."

"I just...need to get used to this. I love how you treat me, but it's still pretty intense." Guild Girl said softly as her heart and lungs worked harder as he kept squeezing then touched her face.

"I'll go no further than you are comfortable with baby." Summoner said softly before she kissed him...then shifted her body up and down, rubbing his chest with her breasts as he closed his eyes and focused. "That feels great..."

"Would you like more?" Guild Girl asked with her nervousness replaced with pride, and saw him nod before she rubbed his abdomen with her breasts as well before moving back up to his middle, then up and down again before stopping. "I think that's enough."

"So do I, but...dear Love Goddess that was sweet..." Summoner breathed out as Guild Girl giggled.

"And the Sword Maiden did this with your brother...I must wonder what it was like for him considering...well..." Guild Girl trailed off.

"Her Grace had an absolutely incredible figure, but believe it or not...I was never jealous of my brother, especially now." Summoner said and that got her attention.

"But...my body-" Summoner cuts her off.

"It doesn't have to be like hers; not many women are like her...in any way." Summoner said before she laid back down on him.

"Summoner...I was told she actually needed Storm Mage's affections...can you tell why that is?" Guild Girl asked and Summoner actually cringed.

"Promise you won't tell anyone else, not even Inspector..." Summoner said seriously as Guild Girl thought for a while.

"O.k..." She whispered.

"She...she was captured by goblins, and it went about as far south as it could get..." Summoner said as Guild girl had a growing look of horror and grief on her face.

"No...! Please tell me that's not true..." Guild Girl said with a trembling voice.

"I wish I could..." Summoner said before she buried her face into his shoulder and wept her eyes out as he held her tightly.

"That poor woman...!" Guild Girl said while weeping.

"I know..." Summoner whispered harshly.

"How long ago...?" Guild Girl asked.

"Probably since before she fought the Demon Lord. My brother did her a bigger solid than anyone ever has; he even killed the same goblins who sullied her, while he was injured nonetheless." Summoner said.

"So...first she gets violated by a pack of goblins, and even gets blinded and probably took beatings, or was cut up in some unspeakable way...now _this_? She gets _murdered_ on top of everything, with her lover by her side just to add insult to injury?! When does this nightmare end...?" Guild Girl said with despair in her voice.

"She's a nephilim now remember? My brother is still with her even in death, and she's helped not just me, but Ranger and Goblin Slayer's teams who-knows-how-often, and there's no way she didn't tell them about her story, and that they didn't keep her in mind when they tore the goblins the biggest new one in the world." Summoner said as Guild Girl giggled, then sniffled and got a grip.

"Bless that man...your brother is now with her in Heaven giving her everything she should have had years ago." Guild Girl said as she dried her eyes.

"Yes...and I'm sure the contrast between the man he is now, and the man he used to be, makes this even sweeter for her...just like how the love made between them is a sweet contrast to-" Summoner stopped cold not daring to finish his thought.

"What kind of man was he?" Guild Girl asked.

"A criminal basically. He's robbed people, cheated people...murdered people, all so he could bury the guilt of abandoning his family during a demon attack. As you can probably guess, it was quite a while before I forgave him...but after saving her, the Sword Maiden officially pardoned his crimes, and let him into her heart, and eventually...her body." Summoner said.

"I don't even want to think about how many men would want nothing to do with a woman who was...played with by goblins..." Guild Girl said somberly.

"He apparently didn't give half a damn, and truth-be-told...his greed didn't just extend towards wealth and power...but women as well. Yes, you heard me correctly; before he became an adventurer, or demon hunter for that matter, Storm Mage was a _notorious_ womanizer, and quite possibly slept with dozens of women, including an entire harem's worth of priestesses of the Love Goddess. So frankly...he was the last person who had a right to judge her for being...tainted or whatever b.s. people would throw her way. Sorry...I know that's insensitive but..." Summoner trailed off.

"It's alright." Guild Girl said before sighing. "This is one of he heaviest topics I've ever discussed."

"Sorry...now, for all it's worth, you...are _never_ going through what she went through. My elementals are monitoring the entire town, including the outside of this house, and if I myself am not around, one of my elementals will be." Summoner said firmly as he held her face with both hands.

"I believe you...and I believe _in_ you." Guild Girl whispered before giving him their best kiss so far; she simply put her lips on his and they laid there holding each other and focusing on he warmth and softness of each other's lips and skin before she rested her head on his shoulder. "When we go outside...I want to check on Ranger and Fighter's baby..."

"Why are you so interested in her anyway? I mean, I get that she's a _baby_ and that fact speaks for itself-" Guild Girl cuts him off.

"She's not just a baby...Ranger actually gave me credit for her birth. I was even there when she was born." She said with a small crack in her voice.

"What?" Summoner asked.

"Ranger actually told me that he thinks I helped him and Fighter get together, and doesn't care how small my role was." Guild Girl said before sighing.

"I suppose that makes sense..." Summoner said thoughtfully.

"I'll never forget the time he first showed up...and the team all got together. He and Priestess showed up together, then Warrior engaged them and asked them to come along, and...I never said anything, but I caught a glimpse of him looking Fighter over; their engagement didn't surprised me at all. I was happy for them of course, but not surprised." Guild Girl said.

"Well...Fighter is a pretty attractive woman, not to mention a hard-hitter...and a _dream_ to talk to- Sorry, please continue..." Summoner said seriously.

"When they got back from their first quest...Ranger temporarily quit being an adventurers, and I found out later that...well, she helped heal whatever trauma he experienced. If that was normal for those two, no wonder he loves her so deeply. I often wondered if I could have love like that, especially after the Sword Maiden gave them her blessing." Guild Girl said.

"Why that detail in particular?" Summoner asked.

"Because of what she said, and I'll never forget it. "Let the love these two share be an example to all that the Supreme God's light still shines on the world." Guild Girl said.

"Wow...no wonder you wanted love like theirs...as for us-" Guild Girl puts her finger on Summoner's lips.

"It doesn't have to be exactly like theirs; I'm not an adventurer, nor do I intend to become one, but...the love those two share, for them to know the other cares for them, to the point where they literally fight through Hell for each other, on Earth, or in the depths..." She trailed off.

"I have unironically fought through Hell, and not just for you, but the home I have, and have had before, I am a demon hunter afterall. As for them fighting together...well, you may not be an adventurer, but I do like the idea of my woman seeing me as her guardian angel." Summoner said as Guild Girl chuckled.

"I most certainly do..." She said before kissing him again. "Back to the team...I can tell Ranger's wisdom rubbed off on them; Warrior in particular seemed not too well-versed on what the goblins were like, but I can tell that mistake wasn't made twice."

"My brother was wise to introduce him to the War God. Can't imagine what he's done since getting his hands on the War God's blessing, aside from severing the vampire queen's head of course." Summoner said.

"We can ask him next time he shows up. But for now...I want to see that baby of his." Guild Girl said as she sat up.

"Alright..." Summoner said as they got out of bed to get their clothes...then Summoner lightly spanked Guild Girl which made her flinch and look at him. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

"Could you at least warn me next time? You know I have bad experiences with that..." Guild Girl whined.

"Sorry...but for the record, so do I..which makes me look even worse..." Summoner groaned before Guild Girl took the hand he spanked her with.

"At least you're honest with me." She said.

"How can I not be? But to wrap this up...I'll bet no one touched you like this while you were naked." Summoner said seriously.

"No...I was not, until now." Guild Girl said before putting his hand back on her butt as she pressed her breasts into his chest.

"Heaven help any man that tries..." Summoner said seriously before kissing her...than his hands went up her back, and one held the back of her head as they deepened their kiss and she let out a small moan.

"I love you..." Guild Girl whispered against his lips.

"And I love you." Summoner said before kissing her again."Now, let's go see that baby..."

* * *

Lizard Priest led his group back to the tree village and the rest of the team was set up pretty nice.

"We have a surprise for you." Fighter said as they showed up, then Ranger stood from the chair he was in...then morphed blades on his fingers, each one about a foot long.

"Yikes!" Warrior and Wizard exclaimed at the same time as Ranger flexed his fingers and moved his arms around.

"Yikes indeed..." Lizard Priest said.

"I also used the miracle of Smith to absorb more material while you were away, and not just once either. So my armor is even _more_ useful." Ranger said as he de-morphed his claws and morphed his light armor...into a suit that had bits of his heavy armor. "Especially this version, my medium suit."

"O.k...we get it, you did some brainstorming while we were gone. Although...it took you long enough to come up with those two things." Wizard teased.

"Hee hee..." Ranger deadpanned.

"And he's not alone." Dwarf Rifleman said as he pulled a small horn. "The good Sir Wizard here made me this so I can either signal the rest of the team, or piss off any goblins in the area.

"Heads up everyone! We've got company!" Rhea Fighter yelled and they peered over the edge and saw a pack of lizardmen charging at the tree village.

"Outcasts!" Lizard Priest exclaimed before summoning twin sickle swords.

"I take it they're not as friendly as those elf soldiers?" Cow Girl asked.

"They're basically outlaws, so don't feel too bad for them. They're not as twisted as goblins, but even more dangerous. So stay alert." Ranger said as Cow Girl steeled herself and pulled her shotgun as H.E. Druid, Ranger himself, Dwarf Rifleman, Warrior, and Fighter all took pot shots at the outcasts with their guns, bows, and crossbows while the wizard siblings summoned elementals and familiars for the upcoming battle. Some birds familiars flew down and distracted the outcasts with barrages of weak but irritating energy bolts, which made them easy pickings for the shooters. The ice elementals Wizard summoned either put ice spiked through their brains and heart, or froze them solid, and even shredded them by blowing themselves up after getting taken out.

"How many do you have so far Your Highness?" D.R asked as he shot down two outcasts.

"It's not a contest my good man." H.E. Druid said softly yet serious before letting loose three arrows that all pierced two outcasts, one in the face, and the other in the chest twice. GS then pulled his sawed-off and shot down two outcasts that climbed up as Lizard Priest engaged the ones who attacked the shooters.

"You all keep shooting!" Ranger ordered as he morphed his guns into his new claws, then started shredding the outcasts. He stabbed them in the sides, up the chin into their brains, shredded the backs of their necks, lacerated their hamstrings, then tore their throats out, and even jammed his claws into one of them, and slammed them into the other with enough force to send them over the edge, absorbing their blood all the while. Fighter was so distracted by her husband's display of brutality that Warrior had to shake her.

"Hey! Keep shooting!" He exclaimed as the kept firing at the outcasts. Meanwhile, GS and Cow Girl put their shotguns to work by blowing the outcasts' insides out when they got too close, as Ranger and Lizard Priest kept shredding them. Eventually...Lizard Priest got one of his arms severed and Ranger avenged him by digging his claws into the outcast who did it, lifted him over his head...and ripped him in half before knocking two outcasts over the edge as he threw the two halves at them. He then collected Lizard Priest and his severed arm and dragged him to Priestess who immediately stopped the bleeding with a healing miracles as the dozen remaining outcasts retreated...before Dwarf Rifleman shot them down one by one when they were out of H.E. Druid's range.

"If you run, you only die tired..." D.R. said smugly as H.E. Druid giggled but then they turned to see Lizard Priest getting his arm re-attached by Wizard and Priestess.

"O.k...try moving it." Wizard said as Lizard Priest struggled to move his arm, then it moved around slowly but steadily. "Don't tax yourself now. The fight's over, and you lost quite a bit of blood."

"Still, I owe you quite a lot Lady Mage." Lizard Priest said before she smiled and gave him a life potion.

"This attack was too strong to be a coincidence; they came here in force." GS said.

"But...we just arrived now. How they know we were here so early?" Fighter asked.

"And why were they so numerous?" Cow Girl asked.

"Maybe they have a seer of some sort?" Ranger said which got the team's attention.

"Or someone was spying on us..." D.R. said.

"Either way, it is clear these outcasts are a problem that will not go away. We will need to take the fight to them, starting with rescuing a warrior those people we saved informed us about." Lizard Priest said.

"Alright...now, we're going to have to split up again. What are our options?" Ranger asked.

"Well...there's that warrior the good priest here mentioned, there's also two concentrations of lizard people in both that direction, and that one. There may be more then that, but there's too much going for me to focus on them." Fighter said before Sword Maiden appeared.

"Sword Maiden?" Wizard said confused.

"One of those concentrations is a large tree village, with a floor village underneath it, and both parts are infested with outcasts, and the other is a slave ring used by the Evil Sect." Sword Maiden said and Ranger sighed.

"Keeping slaves is low, even for the Evil Sect." He said.

"The Cambion used slaves to unearth a gateway to the Astral Plane, but the Hero and company just now found and sealed it up again, as if it weren't already useless to the Cambion. There is also a holy artifact in this area that is of interest to him, although...I am not familiar with it, which is quite ironic." Sword Maiden said.

"Maybe there's something stopping you?" Warrior said.

"Possibly." Sword Maiden said.

"Me and Warrior should check on that relic." Wizard said.

"Me and Goblin Slayer will go see to those slaves." Ranger said.

"Why me?" GS asked.

"First off, there could be more than outcasts there, in other words: there could very well be goblins there, or at least hell rifts may spawn goblins, and I've had more than my fair share of them up north." Ranger said.

"Right." GS said.

"Then that just leaves that mass of outcasts for the rest of us to deal with." Rhea Fighter said.

"That reminds me..." Fighter said as she tossed over her strength-boosting necklace to her. "You need that more than I do."

"Thanks, but what about you?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"May I enchant that pendant of yours?" Wizard asked and Ranger nodded to Fighter.

"I suppose...although it's a bit cheap to have this pendant be used in battle when it's supposed to be a token of love." Fighter said somberly.

"Hey...if it means you get better in battle, then I'm sure the Love Goddess and War God will both be pleased here, and even if you lost that pendant, I'd love you nonetheless." Ranger said softly as he stroked her cheek, got a smile out of her, then gave her a brief but sweet kiss not caring who saw; by now, their love was a secret to absolutely no one.

"O.k...what enchantment would you like?" Wizard asked.

"Well, what do you have?" Fighter asked.

"Hmm...well, most of them are covered by your armor, but the ones that aren't are regeneration, like Priestess' necklace, there's also magic resistance, or focus- actually your chakra-opening covers that. Wait...I've got it! A life enchantment like the life potions! Priestess, hand that necklace over this minute!" Wizard exclaimed as Priestess handed her ruby necklace over as Fighter handed her amethyst pendant over as well, and Wizard vocalized a bit as she closed her eyes and both gemstones glowed their own color then white, the same color as their life potions, then they turned back to their original colors as the two women took their necklaces back.

"Yet another thing we have in common." Priestess said softly as Fighter smiled before the two pseudo sisters hugged.

"We will have quite a few grand tales to share with those even recallers won't we?" Warrior asked.

"Hey, at least that means we'll have to worry less about what the others are missing, and more on what we'll get done." Fighter said.

"The lovely lady's got a point." D.R. said.

"Wait! What kind of illnesses can we expect in this area?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Oh shit! How did we not think of that?" Wizard's brother exclaimed.

"You once used blood to give your equipment special properties did you not?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Yeah? So?" Wizard asked.

"My people are largely immune to the diseases in these lands; you may use the blood that I lost to enhance your armor and obtain the same resistance." Lizard Priest said.

"O.k...if you really are good with it." Wizard said.

"Yes I am Lady Wizard." Lizard Priest as she took the blood he lost, morphed a vial or two, and mixed in some life potion, then the potion turned into blood, and Wizard poured some onto each of their outfits and it spread evenly along their outfits and was absorbed into them. "Alright...that should do it."

"Here's hoping this was worth all that effort." Wizard's brother said seriously.

"Let us go. Time is of the essence." Lizard Priest said as he stood up and Ranger gave his portal gem to Priestess.

"Good luck all of you." He said as the teams divided.

* * *

Summoner and Guild Girl paid a visit to the temple to see Ranger's mother, who was with Ranger's father holding their grandchild and some of the girls were there taking turns looking the baby over, and caring for her in various ways, while Bard and Songstress were playing a harp and vocalizing respectively.

"Ah, Summoner...and company." Ranger's mother said knowingly.

"Yeah yeah, get it out of your system..." Summoner groaned as Guild Girl giggled.

"I take it you came to see our granddaughter?" Ranger's dad asked.

"Yep, and it looks like she's a real hit." Summoner said.

"Boy, you don't know the half of it; we heard of how my son's team healed some girls captured by those damn goblins, and the results were actually replicated here...these girls have never looked better." Ranger's dad said.

"Glad to hear it, and with the goblins nearly being wiped out...we can finally move on from here, so long as Ranger and Goblin Slayer's teams stay on the case." Guild Girl said.

"Here's hoping." Ranger's mom said as an acolyte came by with the baby. "Satisfied?"

"Very much so." The girl said as she handed over the baby.

"Are you alright?" Guild Girl asked.

"Never felt better." The girl said with a smile.

"May I ask what that...cleansing was like?" Summoner asked.

"It was the single best thing that ever happened to me, and...the Sword Maiden herself showed up to each of us in a dream to share how her...ordeal compares to where she is now. The contrast could cut through a diamond several times over." The girl said seriously.

"I heard about her ordeal...I'm amazed my heart didn't get crushed literally..." Guild Girl said somberly as Summoner took her hand.

"Dare I ask?" Ranger's dad asked.

"Trust me...you don't want to know." Summoner said seriously.

"Alright..." Ranger's dad said.

"Wasn't your brother her guardian?" Ranger's mom asked.

"And then some." Summoner said as the older pair looked at him knowingly.

"He was a lucky man..." Ranger's dad said seriously.

"But also an unlucky one..." Summoner said bitterly as he crossed his arms, then Ranger's dad put his hand on his shoulder.

"Our son is going to make Cambion pay; he's Platinum Ranked for crying out loud." He said as Summoner sighed and eased up.

"Right..." He whispered.

"Can you tell us a bit about your brother?" Ranger's mom asked.

"Alright...I'm a bit sick of telling this story, but whatever. Storm Mage was a pretty unsavory character before Her Grace redeemed him. He stole from people, cheated people, slept around who-knows-how-often, yes you heard me correctly. He even assassinated people for money." Summoner said.

"Yeesh...and the Sword Maiden had this guy protect her?" Ranger's dad asked.

"To be fair, he's killed more goblins in one sitting than most people do in their whole lives, some of which were about to sink their teeth into her-" Summoner stopped talking before he gave her secret away.

"Wait...she knows what the goblins do doesn't she?" Ranger's mom asked and Summoner cringed.

"Yes...which is precisely why she loved him so fiercely. Hell, she loved _anyone_ who gave her fears a middle finger that big, especially since...well, since Storm Mage was so popular with the ladies-" Ranger's dad cut him off.

"Yeah yeah yeah, we get the message." He said.

"Just how strong was Storm Mage?" Guild Girl asked.

"Honey...he vaporized dozens if not hundreds of goblins at the farm a year ago,and he stunned a goblin champion with heavy armor, and even anti-magic enchantment with one bolt, and finished it off with a second." Summoner said.

"Yikes...no wonder he was so good at killing demons." Guild Girl said.

"I also fought him myself about six years ago." Summoner said which got everyone's attention.

"You tried to kill your own brother?" Ranger's mom asked in horror.

"No...well, I tried at first, but...regardless of how many screwed up things he did...he's still my brother, so I used an ice elemental to freeze him solid, gave him to the guard and washed my hands of him from that day forward, until I ran into him on a demon hunt, and he made my chances of surviving go from slim to certain." Summoner said.

"O.k...as honorable as it is that he turned over a new leaf...why did you use an ice elemental against someone who used lightning? That's like trying to evaporate the ocean with a torch." Ranger's dad said.

"First off, that was the only option I had, second...the reason he saved me is because he suffered from some...pretty interesting nightmares, if you can call them interesting. Lastly...my victory wasn't free; Storm Mage actually landed some pretty nasty hits, and he wasn't even trying to kill me. I can't imagine how much pain he put those goblins through..." Summoner said.

"Getting hit by lightning hurts that badly?" Guild Girl asked.

"Oh yes! Only burns hurt worse. Every time he hit me, the part of my body he hit tensed up as hard as it could, and there was nothing I could do about it." Summoner said.

"Like muscle cramps..." Ranger's dad said.

"Muscles cramps...all over my _body_!" Summoner said seriously.

"And he put _goblins_ through that kind of hell...sucks to be them." Ranger's dad said with a smile while crossing his arms.

"You know goblins tried to take that baby she's holding?" Summoner asked as they all looked at the baby in horror.

"Why didn't they?" Ranger's mom asked seriously.

"They were stopped by Goblin Slayer's farm girl "friend", and I use that term lightly; I'm pretty sure they...well..." Summoner trailed off.

"Good on her..." Ranger's mom said as she took the baby back and held her close.

"I'm sure Ranger and Fighter thought the exact same thing; she deserves a promotion for that alone." Guild Girl said seriously.

"Ranger actually made her protection an official quest as well. Not very orthodox, but who cares? Protecting a baby during a siege, _and_ killing a heap of goblins that came out of nowhere is nothing to laugh at." Summoner said.

"No kidding, and even if it wasn't during a siege...when a Platinum Rank gives you a quest, you damn well better do what they say." Ranger's dad said.

"Especially when they're this respected. May I have the baby?" Guild Girl asked and was handed the baby who looked at her curiously. "Hello."

"Hello." The baby said which earned her a giggle from Guild Girl as the baby reached for her, and grabbed Guild Girl's finger.

* * *

Ranger led GS through a swamp they actually had to swim through, since he was the one who had Life Sight, and so far all he saw were some fish in the deeper part of the swamp, and some stray crocodiles and even an anaconda or two they avoided easily; no sense fighting them if it wasn't needed, even if they could kill the predators with their eyes closed, on land or in the water.

"It's a shame I rarely ever stop to harvest supplies from the environment, whether it's plants, or minerals." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"If you don't require it, don't grab it." GS said simply.

"Still, if I don't make use of it, someone else could. I just hope Wizard, Warrior and company did so themselves-" Ranger shut up and stopped GS as well. "Wait...I spotted a convoy of outcasts going towards a mass of bodies in that direction."

"Any goblins, or captives?" GS asked.

"Can't tell. Let's get closer." Ranger said as they snuck over a hill to get a clear look...and they saw a massive palisade wall with towers...as well as some metal reinforcements added to the walls. "O.k...whoever made that fortress clearly doesn't want guests."

"We should find an alternate way in." GS said.

"My thoughts exactly. Normally I'd set the place on fire with Immolation...but I can't tell if there's any captives there." Ranger said.

"It's probably for the best; they would probably execute the prisoners as soon as they knew something was wrong." GS said.

"Then let's go around then." Ranger said as the two snuck around and eventually saw an opening in a hill. "That must be where they keep their secret projects..."

"Then let's see what they are." GS said as they approached the entrance. "See anyone?"

"Yes, but they're deeper in, and from the looks of their moments, there's a series of underground tunnels and chambers down there." Ranger said.

"If I were a goblin, I would definitely hide down there." GS said.

"I don't see any goblins...but then they might be further down, beyond range." Ranger said as he morphed his mask, and claws, as the two ventured down into the tunnels. GS then stealth-killed an outcast by plunging his sword into his head. "Good thing that helmet gives you the same extra sight I have."

"I doubt it gives as much range, but I can still see them around corners just fine." GS said as they kept going, jamming their blades into the necks of dozens of outcasts along the way, and hiding the bodies. Ranger once threw blades at some outcasts as GS charged the last one, stabbed him through the heart, then threw his own knife at another outcast, and hit him in the neck. Another time, Ranger jammed his claws into the back of an outcast's brain...then GS snapped the neck of another foe who wasn't an outcast...

"What the hell are the Evil Sect's thugs doing here?" Ranger asked as GS checked the body.

"I've seen this armor before...these are the Evil Sect's soldiers." GS said before dropping the body.

"Soldiers. Ha! Terrorist is a far more fitting word..." Ranger spat.

"It would actually; they do nothing that you'd expect from conventional soldiers, aside from following orders." GS said as they kept going, and eventually entered a large chamber with a furnace, large, human-sized glass vats, alchemical devices, and desks and shelves full of books, notes, and even spell scrolls.

"What the fuck is this place?" Ranger asked as he looked over the notes as GS looked over the scrolls, put them in his bag and looked at the vats and some notes.

"They're looking into how to make the goblins more of a threat to their foes. Domesticate them so to speak, and they're looking into other creatures as well." GS said.

"Goblin Slayer...you do not know the half of it..." Ranger said in horror as GS came to look at some notes her was reading. "They're actually creating clones of captured women so the goblins can breed to their hearts' content!"

"We cannot let that continue. If they unleash them-" Ranger cuts GS off by slamming the notes into the table.

"Let's just kill the goblins, burn this damn place to the ground and bury every asshole who dared turn this place into a slice of hell." He snapped.

"Right. Where to?" GS asked as Ranger got a grip and used Life Sight.

"There's a whole mass of goblins beneath our feet...and they're going apeshit!" Ranger exclaimed before GS pulled his sword, then they held footsteps and got to cover...then a black-robed figure entered the room, looked around and went to organize his noted.

"What happened here-" Ranger silenced him by knocking him into a desk and picking him up by the collar.

"How many captives do you have here?" He asked.

"Look around and see for yourself." The figure said before Ranger slammed his head into the desk.

"I asked you to tell me smartass." Ranger said dryly.

"And I answer-" Ranger slammed his head into the desk again.

"We can do this all day if you want..." He said simply before slamming his head into the desk three more times.

"Stop! Stop...! There was a single captive...but capturing more pets for the goblins was too much of a chore-" Ranger shut him up by kicking him in the side.

"_Pets_ are they?" Ranger growled.

"I mean captives! Captives! Now please, have mercy..." The man said.

"Continue...!" Ranger snapped.

"We made clones of that girl we captured, and it was much more efficient. At least here, the goblins can live their lives without hurting anyone important." The man said.

"Are you insane? Those clones live lives composed of nothing but them being tortured, killed, eaten, raped, or any combination of those things, on top of wishing for nothing but an end to their pain, or a constant and intense fear of that kind of pain. Goblin Slayer here is right: the goblins don't need to be preserved, they need to be slain..." Ranger said before tearing the man's throat out with his claws and dropping the bloody chunk of flesh like it was trash and absorbed the blood.

"So they're breeding goblins here..." GS said as Ranger looked out the door. "We should take whatever information we need, and destroy the rest."

"Right..." Ranger whispered as they took the notes on what the cloning process accomplished, what the goblins did with the clones despite them looking the same, and even the details on how the clones were made since it was a forbidden practice, dumped them all into a pile before Ranger kept some scrolls for himself since...well, one never knew when it might be needed, like when GS killed an ogre with one. "I'll take care of the outcasts, you kill those damn goblins."

"Right." GS said as he morphed his shield and sword.

"Also...I only recommend avoiding explosives since...well, you might cause a cave-in, and I don't like digging people out of holes." Ranger said.

"Right." GS said.

"Also...good slaying." Ranger said before turning his medium armor, into light armor and morphing his claws again as they split up...after Ranger ignites the room with Immolation and closed the metal door behind them.

* * *

Wizard and Warrior were traveling through their own fair share of a swamp, and even picked off some outcasts at a small outpost with his crossbow and her using illusion magic to leave the ones still alive vulnerable, before her husband shoots them too.

"Nice shooting." Wizard said before kissing him quickly but deeply.

Thanks baby." Warrior said before they went inside and looked around. "Nothing serious, might as well burn it down."

"Yeah..might as well." Wizard said before they retreated, she hits it with a firebolt and they watch the place burn down in less than a minute.

"Blue, controlled bonfires...gotta love em." Warrior said before kissing his wife yet again with the fire behind them.

"Look at us...we just ended some lives, burned down an outpost, we're in the middle of a swamp...and we're kissing over it. What is wrong with us?" Wizard asked.

"Everything that should be wrong with us..." Warrior said as Wizard smiled.

"Apparently." She whispered before kissing him longer. "O.k...let's go before I gateway us to our home and I let you fuck my brains out..."

"Might do that afterwards though." Warrior said seriously before they kept going...and spotted some outcasts coming to check out the blaze. "Oh fuck, get down..." They then hid behind some rocks as the outcasts bunched up...then Wizard blew them to pieces with a single charged fireball, and Warrior used his crossbow to shoot down the few survivors. "O.k...that was bittersweet."

"Bitter because it wasn't stealthy and sweet because we dealt with some outcasts that needed to be dealt with?" Wizard asked.

"I thought I was supposed to be the one who thought like the boss?" Warrior asked before Wizard shook her head while smiling smugly. "You're going the right way for a spanking."

"What's stopping you?" Wizard teased before turning around...then Warrior gripped her butt. "You said spanking not groping..."

"Deal with it honey..." Warrior said smugly before getting spanked himself.

"Deal with _that_...honey." Wizard said before they kept going, and eventually got to a lake with a hut, dock, and boat in front of it. "You think that boat will hold two heavily armored people?"

"Maybe...wait, can't you enhance it?" Warrior asked and Wizard looked right at him.

"Why did I not think of that in the first place?" She asked dryly before using Transmute on the most ruined/moldy/dirty parts of the dock, and used her alchemy to turn the boat into a metal boat that was in pristine condition and they hopped in, and Warrior grabbed a paddle as they went to the small island in the middle of the lake. "Wait...I should use Life Sight..." The moment she did her heart sank. "Oh fuck...turn back!" Warrior then back-paddled back to shore.

"What is it?" Warrior asked nervously.

"There's something under the water...something big." Wizard said.

"Another leviathan?" Warrior asked.

"No, it...hold on...it's a _crocodile_! A freaking _huge_ crocodile!" Wizard yelled.

"Alright, keep your panties on! Why don't we just lure it here, and jump it? We took out dragons, how much different could this be?" Warrior asked.

"That's a good idea, but how are we going to get that thing all the way over here?" Wizard asked.

"Bait?" Warrior asked simply and Wizard got an epiphany.

"Damn...you're a genius! And I know just how to do it..." She said before grabbing a nearby stone and putting a rune on it.

"Umm, this is where you give me a reward..." Warrior teased and got a half-smirk from his wife.

"If this works...you can fuck as many of my brains out as you want." She said sensually before summoning a water elemental, pointed at the island, and it took off. About a minute later...the crocodile burst out of the water, barely missed the elemental, and followed it back to shore. "Take cover!" The pair hide behind a fallen tree, ignoring the bugs crawling around inside it, and the crocodile got on land...and it was easily the size of a dragon.

"Well...now or never." Warrior said as he morphed his mask, pulled his hammer, and threw it at the croc, hit it's side which stunned it just long enough for it to get impaled in the same spot. It then it rolled onto it's side before Warrior jumped off it's body as the last moment. The croc snapped it's jaws around at him, then he the hammer bash the top of it's head, sending it into the ground, then the croc snapped it's head up just as Warrior climbed on top of it, and when it was about to eat him...Wizard launched a fireball into the side of it's head, jerking it to the side and saving Warrior.

"You're a smart lizard...but let's see you outsmart this." Wizard said as she charged up a Paralyze spell, hit the croc and it snapped it's jaws around again...only much slower. Warrior finished the job by jamming his sword into it's brain, then Wizard launched a fireball down it's throat which blew up from he inside for good measure as Warrior got off of it...and landed while crouching with his sword held out to the side. "Badass landing for the win..." Warrior grinned at this, put his sword away, called his hammer back, and put it away as Wizard wrapped her arms around his neck and he held her hips.

"Did this work like you thought?" Warrior asked as Wizard removed his mask and stroked his face with her now-unarmored hand.

"I worked _better_ than I thought...and you know what that means." She teased.

"I might..." Warrior said before kissing her.

"Now let's get that relic." Wizard said as they got back in he boat with the water elemental following at a distance.

* * *

Fighter, Rhea Fighter, Priestess, Lizard Priest, Dwarf Rifleman, H.E. Druid, Cow Girl, and Wizard's brother were marching through along an elevated pathway overlooking a wetland with Lizard Priest leading the way, with Fighter flanking him.

"Lady Fighter?" Lizard Priest asked.

"I don't sense anything noteworthy so far." Fighter said.

"Me neither..." Rhea Fighter said before Lizard Priest stopped them and they looked ahead to see a wide opening.

"O.k...this looks like a good place for an ambush." D.R said as he pulled his gun.

"It is; I'm sensing alot of activity around the rim- wait, false alarm; those people are going towards somewhere." Rhea Fighter said.

"Then let's follow them." H.E. Druid said as they followed their two Fighters and they eventually found a small wooden fort infested with outcasts.

"We should split up and hit them from different angles." D.R. said.

"Agreed." Lizard Priest said.

"I'll stay here and start the attack with familiars, and when all of you get in position, I'll summon them." Wizard's brother said.

"Sounds like a plan." Fighter said as she and Priestess went to one side, with D.R., Cow Girl, and H.E. Druid climbing skirting around to get to a higher position for sniping,and Rhea Fighter, and Lizard Priest, went around the other flank opposite to the first team. "Alright...time to get to work..." Wizard's brother then summoned a flock of birds that flew around and stunned several outcasts and made the others try to get rid of the birds off their friends' backs, while a pack of wolves engaged them from the front.

Fighter then jumped over the wall with Priestess blinding the outcasts with Holy Light, and Fighter got to work shredding the outcasts' throats, kicking them into the sturdiest structures she saw, throwing the outcasts into each other, picking them up and slamming them into the ground head-first, into each other, or throwing them off the building they were on. She even impaled the outcasts on the spikes meant to be traps for intruders, with one case involving her leaping over an outcast, grabbing his shoulders and jamming his back through a spike as Fighter herself fell off a ledge, landed feet-first and blocked, dodged, and countered one blade swing after another as Holy Light wore off, and Priestess took cover again.

Rhea Fighter and Lizard Priest engaged the outcasts from the other side while Fighter had their attention. Lizard Priest and his twin Dragoontooth summons severed heads left, right, and center, while Rhea Fighter flipped, jumped, and bounced around like a ball craving up the outcasts, taking full advantage of her small size, light weight, and superior mobility to hit blind spots, and pull unexpected maneuvers. All the while, their three shooters were taking down the outcasts too far for their melee fighters to engage, or just to save time or make things easier. After about ten minutes of intense carnage, the team was victorious.

"Scratch one fort full of assholes." D.R. said as the team regrouped inside.

"We should probably search around for anything useful." Rhea Fighter said.

"Agreed." Lizard Priest said as they all looked around, and only found the leftover arrows H.E. Druid shot, and some strange fruits. "Ah...these fruits are often celebrated among my people for their healing properties."

"Then why haven't you taken them with you before?" H.E. Druid asked.

"These fruits are not common, especially not during the season in which we were first adventuring with Sir Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said honestly.

"How good are these fruits?" Priestess asked.

"Good enough to heal burns, given enough time." Lizard Priest said...and Fighter had a flashback to when her husband caught fire.

"You alright?" Wizard's brother asked.

"I'll be fine..." Fighter said somberly as Priestess took her hand; one look was all it took for them to know they had the same thoughts.

About an hour later, after fighting through an entire marshland with outcasts swarming from all sides, and even popping out of the deeper waters and attacking them from behind, the group finally got to a hollowed tree with pulley lever that took them up to the inside of a hut in the middle of a tree village and looked around.

"Nice decorations..." Cow Girl said as she looked over the large table with tribal markings, the matching chairs, the crocodile skulls on the walls, and fireplace.

"You honor my people Lady Gob- I mean..." Lizard Priest trailed off

"Never mind..you can call me that." Cow Girl said.

"Very well...Lady Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said.

"We can admire as much as we want later. This place is also infested with outcasts. Now...we should get rid of as many as we can before leaving." Rhea Fighter said.

"No shit; that's why we're here." Dwarf Rifleman said as he locked and loaded.

"There's an outcast coming." Fighter said as H.E. Druid notched an arrow, looked at the top/third floor and shot an arrow, which hit the outcast in the throat, and he fell down to the bottom floor dead.

"Poor bastard." D.R. said dryly.

"It's a shame that so many of them turned to the Demon Lord." Priestess said somberly.

"Maybe that Nexus my sister mentioned is here." H.E. Druid said as the group went up several ramps to the top floor and snuck around outside between the ramps and bridges around and between the tree huts, stealth-killing the outcasts in the way, until they got to a tree that needed to cleared out the loud and hard way. Most of the time it went pretty smoothly, to the point where Priestess was more of a spectator than a supporter; she didn't even need to put up Protection, let alone heal or empower anyone. The group then split up, and went around clobbering, butchering, shooting, and blasting outcasts in every nook and cranny the village had to offer, which at one point, led them to find a relic sacred to Lizard Priest's people that was in the beginning stages of demonic corruption.

Eventually...Fighter entered a large chamber with a wooden cell in it and a bunch of outcasts guarding it. She then launched blades at the ones on the in-between levels while she fell, then shredded the outcasts on the ground floor. The cage then took several hits from the inside, Fighter put up her guard and a lizardman with similar armor to the outcasts, but with a different color scheme burst out and growled to the roof.

"A human? What are you doing here?" the lizardman asked.

"I'm here with a team that came to get rid of the outcasts...as you can see." Fighter said while dropping her guard and motioned around as the lizardman groaned.

"It is grueling that we meet over death human." the lizardman said.

"You're telling me..." Fighter trailed off.

"Until this is over, your pack is my own; may we fight and die together." the lizardman said.

"Fight, die, and live." Fighter said as the lizardman took a pair of sickle swords off the outcasts as the rest of the team arrived.

"Among my tribe, I am one of the greatest warriors. I am certain I can be of aid to you." Lizard Warrior said.

"Hail great warrior. It is good to see you alive and well." Lizard Priest said.

"Well...the outcasts are all dead, and we rescued a lizardman who looks ready to kick ass and take heads. I'd say mission accomplished." D.R. said.

"I...would _not_. My clan _must_...be avenged...!" Lizard Warrior growled.

"Ah, might as well. We get to kill more outcasts, and get to see what a lizard warrior can do." Wizard's brother said.

"Alright...we might also get to see this Hell Nexus as well." Fighter said.

* * *

Goblin Slayer meanwhile was sneaking around through some tunnels, and picked off several goblins sentries, before throwing a flash-bang bomb into a chamber, and stunned every goblin in the area before rushing in and leaving no head attached before sneaking into another chamber, and just flooding it with poison gas, which didn't harm him thanks to his helmet. The third chamber was on alert, but GS fired his shotgun into a crowd, which shredded five and deafened the rest which made him charge into the crowd and sever their heads as well, before throwing a knife into the heart of a single survivor, then took his knife back and snuck into the fourth chamber.

This one was the largest of the chamber thus far, and required him to hurl several freeze bombs into the place before rushing in and butchering the ones that weren't frozen to the core, but were suffering from the intense cold. He then smashed a door way, found some goblin children and babies...before throwing a frag bomb into it and blew them to bits.

"That makes 57 so far..." GS said as he walked to the path to the fifth chamber...and found twice that number, plus several hobs, and a shaman that looked to be working on something. GS then threw the rest of his bombs into the area, killing half of them, and stunning the rest before rushing it, and shooting two of the hobs in the face with his shotgun, before reloading, and shooting two more hobs. One hob tried to charge him, then GS ducked under it, stabbed it between the legs, then stabbed it in the top of the head while it laid there reeling in agony.

"Well...the infamous Goblin Slayer. You have some nerve flaunting that title around." The shaman said before turning around. "Do you know who I am?"

"Another worthless goblin..." GS said as he prepared to charge.

"I am the greatest mage among my people, servant of the God of Wisdom and their newest lord! You will taste no more victory here...Goblin Slayer." Goblin Mage snarled as he prepared a purple fireball in his hand.

"You will taste nothing but my blade when I kill you." GS said as the goblin mage threw the fireball, GS dodged it, then another, and another, and another until one fireball landed, launched GS back to the other side of the area...and got back up.

"What?!" Goblin Mage exclaimed.

"I barely felt that believe it or not." GS said as he grabbed an axe off one of the dead goblins, and threw it at the mage, who deflected it with his magic, and ducked and side-stepped several swings from GS, but just barely; the mage had a look of terror on his face as he dodged GS' quick and calculated sword swings. The mage was clearly not holding back on his speed, but neither was GS, and it was only a matter of time before GS got in a lucky hit. Eventually, the mage tripped over the leg of a dead hob, and GS pinned him under his boot. "But you...will feel this alot!" The goblin mage then turned the hob to stone, picked it up, and hit GS in the back with it, sending him flying forward and the hob landed right on top of him.

"You were saying?" Goblin Mage asked smugly before GS struggled to get up much to the mage's annoyance.

"Like you said yourself...I'm the Goblin Slayer...and I told you...you would taste my sword...!" GS said as he finally got up and pointed his sword at the mage.

"You really think I don't stand apart from the others? Who do you think gave the Evil Sect the idea of cloning females? How do you think these outcasts were organized as well as they were? How do you think these tunnels got here? How do you think I became a lord? How do you think I got this powerf-" GS cuts the mage off by throwing his sword at him, only for his sword to be deflected, and then GS blew his legs off with his shotgun.

"I don't care what you've done, or why." GS said as he put his shotgun away, grabbed his sword and knelt next to the mage and aimed his sword at his face. "Like I said...you're just another worthless goblin!" He then jammed his sword into the mage's teeth and out of the back his head, removed the sword and walked out. "That makes 139..."

* * *

Ranger meanwhile, was sneaking through the upper levels of the fortress, sneaking through the hallways...and found almost no guards, not even with Life Sight. Eventually...he heard chatter, and got closer to listen in.

"Let's see what these rifle thingies can do..." A terrorist said.

"I already told you-" The first cuts the second off.

"I want to see for myself." He said before Ranger morphed his guns and shot the terrorist in the head, and destroyed the rifle with two shots before dropping in.

"They do something like that." Ranger said simply before all hell breaks loose. The terrorists charge him with various melee weapons...then Ranger grapples towards one of them with his harpoon, kicks him to the ground, and splits his head open with his claws before morphing his medium armor and sword before blocking and countering several strikes by severing arms, legs, and heads, impaling the terrorists through the heart with his heated blades. Ranger even absorbed their weapons when he was done...only for more terrorists to appear and he got back to work chopping them down.

"You'll regret interfering with the Evil Sec-" Ranger cuts the terrorist off by severing his head.

"Yeah yeah, tell someone who cares..." He said dryly before flipping over one terrorist, jumping off the shoulders of another, grabbing a chandelier and slamming it on top of a group of terrorists, then one grabs him from behind, get Ranger's spiked elbows in each kidney, before Ranger slams the back of his head into his face, turns and kicks the terrorist into another before ducking under and axe swing, picking the swinger up and slamming him into the ground head-first. "And...faceplant!"

"Sharp-tongued bast-" Ranger cuts the terrorist off. with a stab to the throat.

"Oh shut up." He said dryly before tripping and spin-kicking the last one into a wall before walking up to him, grabbing his collar and picking him up halfway. "Where are the rest of your goods?"

"Between your mommy's legs!" The terrorist snapped.

"Wrong answer..." Ranger growled before putting a gun at his groin.

"O.k. o.k. you win! Th-there's an outpost j-just behind the fortress. W-w-w-we keep everything in there. Everything!" The terrorist stammered.

"Thanks." Ranger said before bashing the terrorist across the face and putting a bullet in his chest before sneaking across the fortress again, and found the outpost that was mentioned...and a stockpile of weapons. "Easy pickings..." Ranger then absorbed the guns, powder, and others weapons into his armor...before spotting some outcasts arriving with captives. "No you don't..." Ranger then followed the outcasts to a group of cages where lizard people were being held. "Psst. Hey...I'm going to get you all out of here. Just stay quiet, and let me deal with the guards. I _will_ come back for you..." The lizard people perked up when they heard him and some nodded before Ranger followed the guards into the fortress, and climbed up a wall with his claws...before jamming them into a terrorist's head, and slowing the body's fall.

The next minute or so was spent with Ranger sneaking around assassinating the guards by quickly stabbing their necks...and making a mess of their bodies in case anyone found them, they'd be too shocked to think clearly for a moment, and his tactic worked; one guard found a body and panicked, only for Ranger to jump out from behind cover and break his neck. He spotted one remaining survivor, knocked him into a wall, slammed his head into it, and threw him to the ground before picking him up and putting his claws in his face.

"Other than slave work, what's going on here?" Ranger asked.

"You're not going to kill me...you're not going to kill me...!" The terrorist said while clearly delirious and Ranger put his claws directly on his face.

"Did you not see what I did to your friends? Now rethink your answer before you join them..." He said.

"There's a sacrifice, to the Demon Lord, but you're not going to stop it; they're _ready_ for you this time!" The terrorist said before Ranger headbashed him to the ground and morphed a gun.

"We'll see..." Ranger said before shooting him in the face, not caring about the noise and kept his word by breaking the locks on the captives' cells. "Now, retreat to the swamps, I'll stay and keep them busy!"

"We are in your debt." One of the better-dressed ones said as they left, then some terrorists poured into the room Ranger just cleared.

"O.k..forget stealth..." Ranger said before throwing a Rage spell into the room...and watched the terrorists chop, shoot, strangle, and beat each other senseless, while Ranger shoots the ones who don't die quickly enough. He was more focused on speed than anything; that sacrifice to the Demon Lord was nothing to laugh at. Besides...he had nothing personal against these terrorists, especially not like the goblins; sure the Evil Sect's goons were probably no better, but with the goblins...it was the _definition_ of personal. Ranger then shot down the last few who weren't effected by the Rage spell, and captured one. "Where's the sacrifice chamber?"

"I'm not telling you shit." The terrorist snapped.

"Yes you are...you just don't know it yet." Ranger said before pinning him to a wall, and starting choking him. He then let the terrorist breathe, and repeated the process until...

"Alright alright! Let me go and I'll show you..." The terrorist side before Ranger put him in front, and put a gun to his back.

"Lead the way...and don't even think about leading me into a trap; you know what's going to happen if you do..." Ranger said as he followed the terrorist through a tunnel lined with torches and it seemed to be carved with actual intent. Eventually, they got to a dark chamber lined with the same torches...it was like the elven fortress all over again: a naked woman tied up in tentacles, with dozens of acolytes, and a head priest who was getting ready to impale her with a knife.

"The hell you are..." Ranger then blew the terrorist's chest out with several bullets, tossed him into the room full of stunned acolytes and watched as they were horrified at the sight of the terrorist's mangled corpse before them. The head priest was about to kill the woman before Ranger shot the knife out of his hands, then they turned to face Ranger himself who walked in and pointed a greatsword at them while holding a gun in his other hand. "Anyone want to avenge him?" The acolytes did nothing but retreat and shake in terror before Ranger shouted and smashed the ground with his greatsword hard enough to launch several acolytes into the walls or even each other hard enough to break bones and cause blood splatters before setting himself on fire with Immolation and burned through the few survivors with his heavy sword.

"Please get me out of here!" The woman yelled as she tried to get free herself. Ranger then walked over to the woman, completely ignoring the priest, turning his greatsword into a short sword, and tried to cut through the tentacles...but it does nothing. He then turned to the terrified priest.

"How do I free her?" Ranger asked.

"You can't cut them with a regular sword." The priest said.

"That's not what I want to hear." Ranger growled.

"I'm not lying! Only my dagger could cut them, and you ruined it." The priest said.

"Then where can I find a replacement? Tell me now!" Ranger snapped after grabbing the priest and putting a blade at his throat.

"There's a way to fix it; I have a tome of spells that teaches how to repair items." The priest said.

"Do it." Ranger said before letting him go and the priest fixed the dagger and even freed the girl himself...before a small Hell Rift opened, and an arm came through it with a knife and cut the priest's throat, which stunned both Ranger, and the captive who covered herself...before Ranger made a cloak and wrapped her in it.

"Thanks..." She whispered and another Hell Rift opened in the middle of the room...

"Useless piece of shit..." A voice said before Rhea Scout appeared in armor that vaguely resembled GS' new armor.

"You?!" Ranger exclaimed.

"Back from the dead. No thanks to our mutual Cambion friend." R.S. said smugly.

"You mean that killer of the pure-" R.S. cuts Ranger off.

"Pure? Hardly..." He said.

"Remember who you speak of asshole...especially around the 11th Platinum Rank, whom you _really_ don't want to fight." Ranger growled as he tightened his fists.

"Yeah yeah, I've seen you fight the vampire queen, save the northern capital, and a whole bunch of other things, I know you're tough. But guess what? I don't recall a single time you were around when I was training my ass off with the Cambion himself; I could probably take out that ogre you beat at the Temple of Law by myself without hiding behind my teammates." R.S. said.

"That...would be a first." Ranger said dryly as ever before R.S. huffed in amusement.

"I told you I trained with the Cambion, you know, the same guy who fought your whole team and kicked their asses? Where were you by the way? You could've saved them alot of pain..." R.S. said and Ranger's eyes sharpened, and his teeth showed before he morphed a pair of guns and opened fire...then R.S. morphed a helmet and his armor deflected his bullets at the area around him instead, then R.S. de-morphed the helmet and smiled smugly.

"What?" Ranger asked in awe.

"Like I tried to tell you, I'm different from what I was when I first met you. I really should thank you, Goblin Slayer...and that guild wench for kicking me out-" Ranger then charged at R.S. mid-sentence with his greatsword and smashed the ground in front of him, which sent him flying back, in time to see Ranger charging again, then R.S. entered another Hell Rift, reappeared underneath Ranger, gave him an uppercut to the jaw, then kicked him in the chest hard enough to send him rolling across the ground, as R.S. rushed alongside him and put a dagger at Ranger's throat. "Tell me...what bothers you more? That someone who hates you came back from the grave, or that I'm now a better ranger than you?" Ranger then grabbed his arm, elbowed him in the face, grabbed him, and R.S. yanked Ranger to the ground as they tried choking each other.

"You're still running around doing the same thing you did before but with more power; you're just another thug." Ranger said.

"I've gotten better than I've ever been!" R.S. snapped.

"Under the Cambion's boot!" Ranger said before picking R.S. up and hurling him across the room into the wall...which R.S. formed a Hell Rift on, and reappeared behind Ranger, who puts his up his greatsword just in time to stop R.S.' daggers from piercing his face. Ranger then morphed his mask for good measure, before flicking R.S. away, who formed yet another Hell Rift and reappeared next to Ranger, who moved out of the way of a dagger just enough to avoid having his spine pierced, but not enough to avoid losing blood, which R.S. showed on his dagger while snickering.

"You went for my _spine_...and _missed_. You don't have much reason to be cocky." Ranger said dryly before R.S. groaned.

"I won't miss again...trust me." He said.

"It won't matter...trust _me_." Ranger said before morphing his heavy armor and gauntlets...then harpoons R.S. as he went through a Hell Rift, then yanked him back into the real world and hurled him across the room into the wall...then R.S. morphed a shotgun and unloaded into Ranger, who was staggered but unharmed thanks to his armor. R.S. then went through a Hell Rift, reappeared behind Ranger, kicked him to the ground, put the shotgun barrel at the back of his head...then the woman slammed a bench on R.S.' head which enabled Ranger to take the shotgun, grab R.S. and pick him up before pointing his own shotgun at his head. "Any last words?"

"The Cambion won't stop until you're all dead!" R.S. said with a choked voice before Ranger pulled the trigger...and nothing happened.

"Lucky you..." Ranger said dryly before throwing R.S. into the air, and he entered a Hell Rift before Ranger could bash him away with the shotgun's stock.

"Where is he now?" The woman asked.

"He's not likely to come back; he took a rather serious beating...and not just because of me." Ranger said as the woman smiled a bit.

"Well, I had alot of aggression to take out, and...I did owe you one." She said.

"It's not often a non-adventurer saves a Platinum Rank's life." Ranger said.

"Platinum? That explains alot... Also, I _used_ to be an adventurer, but I settled down with my team's second-in-command so to speak, and now we have our own house and family to take care of." The woman said.

"And now you're in the middle of nowhere with a new shotgun if you want it?" Ranger said as he handed it over.

"Might as well..." the woman said as she took it, then magically turned her cloak into a leather suit.

"A mage with a shotgun...that's not common either." Ranger said.

"I'm technically a rogue, but I know a few spells." the woman said.

"Rank? Well..._former_ rank?" Ranger asked.

"Sapphire." Rogue said.

"Well...unless you have a way back home, my team can watch your ass until we get back home. We actually have gateway magic on our side." Ranger said.

"Good to know. Lead the way great Platinum Rank." Rogue said dramatically.

* * *

**I think that's quite enough of this chapter; I've been at this for way too damn long, and I have another project to work on. But we're not done yet, Rhea Scout is on the loose, Wizard and Warrior have an item to get, and the new Lizard Warrior has a score to settle, not to mention that damn Hell Nexus. Well, I guess you'll just have to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait, so...stay tuned.**

**P.S. that moment Ranger smashed that dude's head against the desk over and over cracked me up while writing it.  
**


	34. Chapter 17 Part IV

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. For the 1st time, we have a chapter with a 4th part...wowie. But at least there's good reason for it, what with all the nasty shenanigans going down..and we're still not done with them yet, so let's light this candle...then put it out.**

**Review response: You, my good Engineer...could not be more right about those three things.**

**Yeah...Rhea Scout went from shitting his pants over Goblin Slayer's mere presence, to nearly blowing Ranger's brains out with a shotgun...stepping up your game much? Also...what sort of implications do you mean in regards to Sword Maiden and the relic?**

* * *

"What would this country do without me?" Hero asked as she dusted her hands off, then put them on her hips as she looked at the entrance to the Astral Plane...and the corpses of several eldritch abominations.

"You mean without _us_?" Sage asked seriously.

"If it wasn't for us, you wouldn't even have survived the Demon Lord, let alone beat him." Sword Saint said.

"Not now ladies..." Hero deadpanned.

"Hey, you started it sis." Sword Saint said.

"Look...can we please just move on to the next place that has lives that need saving, and butts that need kicking?" Hero asked.

"Alright..." Sage said before Sword Saint sighed.

"Lead on boss lady..." She said.

"Alright!" Hero said running off.

* * *

"It's too quiet...I don't like this." Rhea Fighter said as the group surveyed a swamp after going down a lift.

"Animals grow silent when they sense predators are near." Lizard Warrior said.

"That explains alot..." Wizard's brother said.

"Look, let's just go find that Hell Nexus, check back with Ranger, then get out of this crazy place...no offense." Fighter said.

"No offense taken Lady Fighter." Lizard Priest said as Fighter led them through the swamp...then she launched some blades at some outcast riflemen, as Rhea Fighter did the same to some on the other side.

"Ambush!" H.E. Druid said before Lizard Warrior and Priest engaged some outcasts that swam out of the deeper part of the swamp. Priestess then used an Empower miracle on them to keep them from being overwhelmed, since the group's shooters had to deal with more riflemen before they landed any lucky hits. Fighter even charged to the side, climbed up the hill the riflemen were on, then tore them apart with her arm and leg blades. Wizard's brother had some new crocodile familiars join the fight with Lizard Warrior and Priest.

"They're new." Rhea Fighter said before spinning to the side and bisecting an outcast.

"The terrain calls for it." Wizard's brother said before blocking, and deflecting an outcast's strike with his mace, then bashing his skull in, then Rhea Fighter beheads an outcast who snuck up on him, then he bashes another in the gut, stunning him long enough for Rhea Fighter to stab him in the heart, through his back, then jumps off his back and bisects two more outcasts, and Dwarf Rifleman shot the last outcast in the face.

"Outcast filth..." Lizard Warrior spat out, as he and Lizard Priest chopped down the last outcast.

"Is it me, or are these outcasts more like brawlers, than actual warriors?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"It makes sense though. Hell's influence tends to wear down people's ability or will to cooperate." Priestess said.

"No wonder they get a foot jammed up their assholes all the time." D.R. said as Fighter rejoined them.

"Speaking of which, do you sense that Nexus Priestess?" She asked.

"It's down that way." Priestess said as she pointed down a narrow passage.

"As can be expected, I'm pretty sure it won't be easy to get to." H.E. Druid said.

"Unlikely. Like cowards, their leaders possibly seek as much strength in numbers as possible." Lizard Warrior said.

"Is it really cowardice if they know a storm's coming their way?" D.R. asked.

"It is if they flock together without regard for their people." Lizard Warrior snapped.

"The man's got a point there." Wizard's brother said.

"Then let us forge ahead." Lizard Priest said as he and Lizard Warrior led the team through the pass, with Fighter keeping Priestess close-by.

"Are you alright?" Fighter whispered.

"I will be..." Priestess said nervously before Fighter put a hand on her shoulder.

"We've fought through Hell itself before, and we're stronger now. What do we have to fear?" She asked and Priestess calmed down.

"Right..." She said before Fighter hugged her, and she returned it. "I love you."

"I love you too..." Fighter said before kissing her forehead and they caught up with the others.

* * *

Warrior and Wizard meanwhile were using their boat to get to the island in the middle of the lake the giant croc was guarding, with Warrior rowing, and Wizard keeping a lookout. Nothing attacked them the entire time it took them to get to the island. Yes, she saw some decent-sized fish and even smaller crocs at a range, but nothing attacked them...then they noticed something alarming shortly after getting off the boat.

"Oh no...looks like the outcasts dug in deep here..." Wizard said as she eyeballed a fortress in the middle of a large pit lined with rocks...and the fortress even had cannons. "Sword Maiden? If you're listening, is it o.k. if we just level the place?" No response came.

"Maybe she wants us to get to cover? She _does_ make a pretty less-than-subtle flash when she appears." Warrior said.

"Good point..." Wizard said as they looked around for cover, and found a small cave. "Sword Maiden? Hello?" A flash interrupted her.

"Your assumption was correct." Sword Maiden said.

"So...can we level the place?" Warrior asked.

"I...can barely sense the relic's position, but there's no telling if it's inside the fort, or if it will survive the blaze you're planning." Sword Maiden said.

"Then we'll just use precise booms instead of big ones." Wizard said.

"Clever girl." Sword Maiden said with a smile.

"I try..." Wizard said with pride before Warrior led her out. When they got to where they were, they saw a group of terrorists whom Warrior shot down with his auto-crossbow.

"What the hell are terrorists doing here?" Warrior asked.

"Now we _know_ the Evil Sect is up to something..." Wizard said before summoning a pair of fire elementals. "Get down there, blow up those guns, and cause as much chaos as you can. But be careful what you hit; we're trying to clear it out, not destroy it."

"And if someone isn't carrying a weapon or wearing any armor, and they're not attacking you...they're probably a captive or something." Warrior said.

"Just make sure they are before attacking them alright?" Wizard said as the elementals nodded and flew off to carry out their orders...and they carried them out alright. The cannons were destroyed in seconds thanks to their gunpowder being ignited, and the screams of fear and pain echoed throughout the fortress as the elementals did their thing...then blew up in the middle of the fortress.

"Well...apparently someone got lucky." Warrior said dryly.

"Or unlucky; they blow up after death afterall." Wizard said.

"Let's just get in there before the place burns down!" Warrior said as the two charged in...and noticed the dozens of burnt corpses of the outcasts and terrorists. "Poor bastards..."

"Bah, they're all sadists and murderers. They can burn like this for all ti- o.k. let me take that back, they can burn _all day_ for all I care." Wizard said before a Hell Rift opens, and they got to cover...before an old friend appeared.

"Unbelievable...these pieces of reptilian shit get the Demon Lord's power, and they still get demolished. Oh well...off to get what I came for..." Rhea Scout said before running off.

"Holy shit...it's that little bastard who tried to murder Guild Girl." Warrior whispered as they watched him leave.

"He must be after that relic too." Wizard said as they got out of cover and she looked around.

"See anyone?" Warrior asked.

"Nope. No captives..." Wizard said.

"Then let's follow that little asshole." Warrior said as they chased Rhea Scout into the woods at a distance...before he jumped into a Hell Rift. "Think he heard us?"

"Don't know, don't want to know." Wizard said before they spotted a clearing, went to check it out...and saw a shipwreck on a beach surrounded by large boulders. "Think the relic's in there?"

"Maybe, or at least some treasure, or at the _very_ least some answers." Warrior said as they looked into the shipwreck...then got speared hurled at them, and he snapped around, got in front of Wizard with his unfolded shield.

"Great...some strays." Wizard said as she used firestorm on the outcasts, hit a few, but missed most since they dodged the shots. Warrior threw his hammer at one, knocked it into a boulder, called his hammer back, bashed another one's brains in, then Wizard impaled one that snuck up on Warrior, who impaled the outcast himself before spinning around Wizard, deflecting a spear with the sword, then jammed his sword into the outcast's gut and ripped out through his shoulder, then kicked the corpse into another outcast as Wizard bisected another one, and Warrior finished the stunned outcast off with a stab through the face. They then looked around and saw they got them all, and went to the shipwreck.

"Hey...looks like a chest." Warrior said as Wizard got to work on the lock with her magic, opened it...and saw a thin bar with symbols on it that Warrior picked up. "What is this?"

"Looks like...electrum." Wizard said.

"What's electrum?" Warrior asked.

"An alloy between gold and silver, and keep the rank jokes to yourself..." Wizard deadpanned which made Warrior chuckle.

"You know that's too easy..." He teased.

"Anyways...the question is why is this is in the safe?" Wizard said seriously as Sword Maiden appeared.

"This is the relic..." She whispered which made the pair look at the item over.

"But...what is it?" Warrior asked.

"And what do those symbols mean?" Wizard asked.

"Maybe Priestess can find out what it is, for those symbols...are actually words written in the angel's tongue." Sword Maiden said.

"The angels'-? Wow..." Wizard said in awe.

"_Double_ wow..." Warrior whispered.

"How did it get here?" Wizard asked.

"It was actually being transported by some priests, then a storm hit their ship, and brought it here." Sword Maiden said.

"But...there's no bones, or bodies, or..._any_ evidence for that matter." Warrior said while looking around.

"I'm not so sure that's a bad thing." Wizard said as Sword Maiden snapped her head up and vanished which made the two look at where she looked.

"Thank you for saving me the trouble of trying to open that myself...now hand it over." Rhea Scout said...before Warrior threw it back in the locker and Wizard closed the door as he crossed his arms and she put her hands on her hips while smirking at the rhea who was baring his teeth and tensing his fists before pulling a pistol and firing at them...only for the bullets to bounce off of Wizard's Reflect spell and hit a boulder, while Warrior took cover. Rhea Scout then jumped into a Hell Rift and plunged a knife right into Warrior's gut...before he vanished in a poof of smoke. "What the-?" Warrior was heard clearing his throat at R.S.' side.

"What? You seeing double? Or am I just fast enough to be in two places?" Warrior asked as the rhea looked back at where he stabbed and then back at Warrior. "Well...let's hear it for the man who learned how to be in multiple places at once." Warrior then started clapping...then a bunch of clapping was heard in different places as six clones of Warrior appeared as R.S. freaked out.

"What are you going to do now?" Wizard asked before R.S. chuckled.

"The same thing I did to your Ranger friend." R.S. said.

"What?!" Warrior asked in horror, then R.S. grinned.

"That's right...your great and honorable leader got his brains splattered all over the floor when we last met." R.S. said.

"You're a fucking liar!" Wizard yelled before casting a Paralyze spell on him...but he opened a Hell Rift before it hit. "Stay in Hell and rot there..."

"There's no way he killed the boss...there's just no way..." Warrior said in disbelief.

"Let's just go back and ask Goblin Slayer what happened..." Wizard said seriously as they got the bar out of the safe again and rushed past the fortress, rowed back to the mainland, and when they got back to the tree village they used as a base...and GS, Ranger...and Rogue were there. "Boss! We knew you were alive!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ranger asked.

"Someone jumped us, and told us they killed you. And you are?" Warrior asked while looking at Rogue.

"Someone that's waiting for your Priestess friend to bring me home with her portal gem." Rogue said.

"You told her?!" Wizard exclaimed.

"I had to, she deserved to know a way to leave this place quickly." Ranger said.

"I won't tell anyone about it. Honest." Rogue said.

"O...k...now who are you?" Warrior asked.

"A former adventurer who was abducted from my home and nearly sacrificed to the damn Demon Lord!" Rogue said.

"Yikes..." Warrior said.

"What are you doing here then?" Wizard asked.

"I told you, I got abducted." Rogue deadpanned.

"I meant how." Wizard said.

"They...some men showed up out of some sort of vortex, broke into people's homes, and threw them into the vortex. They eventually came for me and...I tried to fight them, but there were just too many... I don't know where the rest are; they were going to sacrifice me because and I quote the head priest, I have a strong soul." Rogue said.

"Probably because you fought back when the rest gave up." Ranger said.

"Probably..." Rogue said.

"So...we blew up an outcast fort, I take it you did the same, and-" Warrior shut up the moment some lizard people came out of the huts. "You saved some people..."

"More than just some too." Ranger said with pride.

"I also killed a over a hundred goblins." GS said simply.

"And they were being bred...with _cloned_ women." Ranger said seriously.

"Great...so the Sword Maiden's case would be rinsed and repeated who knows how often..." Wizard said disgusted.

"Not anymore. The goblins and the clones are all dead." GS said.

"What?!" Ranger asked.

"I wasn't restraining my efforts, and...as much as I hate to say it, some clones actually killed themselves, even when I tried to free them." GS said.

"Dammit..." Ranger whispered harshly.

"Uh, probably a dumb question, but why save clones? They had to have known something was wrong with them." Wizard asked.

"Well...maybe so, but it's still in bad taste to do it on purpose-" Warrior cuts Ranger off.

"Let's just stop right there." He said as Ranger sighed.

"Right..." He whispered.

"Dare I ask?" Rogue asked.

"Long story..." Wizard said.

"Where are the rest?" Ranger asked.

"Probably still on their mission...should we go help them?" Warrior asked.

"No...they should be fine." Ranger said.

* * *

Lizard Priest and Warrior led the group through swamps and crude roads, over hills, and around small forests, with Priestess pointing the way to the Nexus...and they found it with some unexpected bonuses.

"O.k...this isn't a fortress, this is a damn citadel!" Wizard's brother exclaimed as they surveyed a massive pit filled with buildings so large each of them could be their own fort...with the Hell Nexus in the middle.

"There it is..." Priestess said.

"Are you sure about that?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"I'm certain of it." Priestess said.

"There was one at the elven fortress as well." Cow Girl said.

"Then blast it." Wizard's brother said as Priestess downed a vial of holy water, and Fighter held her spare hand.

"Holy Smite!" Priestess yelled and the Nexus went crazy, and even empowered and weakened the outcasts and terrorists back and forth, which stunned them thanks to the radical contrast, and left them vulnerable to the rest of the team to tear them all apart in less than a minute. Priestess then prepared a second miracle...then an outcast grabbed her from behind, and her scream got the team's attention.

"Priestess!" Fighter yelled as they watched he struggle to get free until more outcasts surrounded the pit, and a lizard shaman appeared who had demonic features who snarled at the team.

"Even the Ancestors can't save you now warrior. The Demon Lord has made our clan, far superior. You both have one chance to join us, or you will die with the rest of your clan!" The shaman said.

"Well...on behalf of my friends here, let me apologize for interrupting your evil plot to conquer the world. So we'll just take our Priestess friend back and get out of your way." Dwarf Rifleman said dryly.

"Never. You have killed dozens of our brethren, and this Priestess will be a sacrifice as recompense." The shaman said as the outcast was signaled to leave...only for Cow girl to shoot the outcast in the back of the head as the two Lizards engaged the outcasts, and Fighter took out the riflemen with Cow Girl, H..E Druid and D.R supporting her...after Priestess blinded the outcasts, burned the shaman, and distorted the Nexus with Holy Light. Wizard's brother summoned more familiars to engage the outcasts as well as Rhea Fighter used his holy sword to sever the Nexus' energy channels.

Lizard Warrior engaged the shaman who was tackled out of the group of outcasts, then the two slugged it out until the shaman landed a lucky hit on Lizard Warrior's jaw, which broke several of his teeth, then Priestess pulled her sword and impaled the shaman in the spine as Lizard Warrior got up and broke the shaman's neck. The two watched the rest of the outcasts fall, and the group left the pit as Priestess finished the Nexus off with Holy Smite, and the fort complex was leveled in the explosion, with the fragmentation being blocked by Protection.

"Vengeance has been done..." Lizard Warrior said as Priestess came back to him, used Heal on him and he stood up normally. "I am forever in your debts. Now...let us return to your leaders so my people can rebuild."

"Priestess?" Fighter asked as Priestess opened a portal back to the tree village...and met up with GS, Ranger, Warrior, and Wizard.

* * *

"Boss...do we have news for you." D.R. said as Ranger got off his chair and went to see them...and got a hug from Fighter first. "And she has some tension to get rid of." H.E. Druid tapped his shoulder after he said that as Lizard Priest took Lizard Warrior into a hut.

"We can discuss everything later, but we should head back to the frontier." Ranger said.

"After we check in with my sister." H.E. Druid said firmly.

"And send me home." Rogue said as the team looked at her.

"This is a girl the Evil Sect was about to sacrifice to the Demon Lord, she helped me against the Rhea Scout who now serves the Evil Sect, and she and a few others were captured out of their homes, blah blah blah blah blah." Ranger said.

"O...k. then." D.R. said as Priestess gave her the portal gem.

"Think about your home, and the gem will do the rest." She said as Rogue opened a portal to her home.

"Wait...I know that terrain anywhere. You live in the north don't you?" Ranger asked.

"Yes I do...here's hoping my neighbors were freed." Rogue said.

"I can feel alot of people in that area...maybe the Hero freed them from..wherever they were." Fighter said.

"Possibly...I guess we Platinum Ranks really do have a knack for hitting our tasks hard." Ranger said.

"We?" Rogue asked.

"Yes...she and I are both Platinum Ranked, and quite possibly the only two in the country." Ranger said seriously as Rogue gawked at him.

"That explains...quite a bit." Rogue said.

"Well, could you please go now? That portal gem has a limited power and we need to use it ourselves." Wizard's brother said.

"Alright alright...thanks again." Rogue said before entering the portal.

"O.k...now we can go home and rest." Warrior said.

"Right, we also have to get my baby..." Fighter said as Priestess took her hand.

"I'm sure she's fine." Priestess said as the two smiled at each other as Lizard Priest came out. "How is he?"

"His wounds have healed fully thanks to you Lady Priestess, but he still needs rest." Lizard Priest said.

"Don't we all..." Warrior said.

"After we check in with the queen, we can rest as much as we want." Wizard said.

"I regret to say I must remain here. With the threats defeated, and my people freed, there is a great deal of rebuilding for us to do. But I am certain they will always have a place for you in their hearts, just as I do." Lizard Priest said.

"So long Scaly. It's been quite a bit of fun." H.E. Druid said as she shook the lizardman's hand.

"It has indeed Lady Archer. It has been a great honor to be a member of this group, especially with you Sir Goblin Slayer. As for you Sir Ranger...I have no doubt there is much more glory ahead for your team." Lizard Priest said.

"A team you will always have a place in good priest." Ranger said as he took his portal gem back from Priestess and opened a portal to the elf queen's place.

* * *

"Sister? You saved the lizardmen's homeland?" The elf queen asked.

"Of course. Who do you think you're talking to?" H.E. Druid asked proudly.

"I never doubted you but...I assumed it would take days, not hours." The elf queen said.

"Well...it took hours." H.E. Druid said.

"That's what happens when you have a team of professionals on the job." D.R. said.

"No doubt. Now...I must thank you all again for helping my people, and them as well." The elf queen said.

"That's what we're here for Your Majesty." Warrior said.

"Are there other tasks for us like this?" Fighter asked.

"None that I am aware of." The elf queen said.

"In that case, we really can return home." Wizard's brother said.

"Actually...I'm going to stay here, for the same reason Lizard Priest is staying with his people." H.E. Druid said.

"And I'm staying too." D.R. said.

"You don't have to-" H.E. Druid cuts her sister off.

"Yes I do. Our subjects have had it up to their foreheads, and you've wanted me to stay in these woods for centuries, well now I have the best reason I can possibly receive. So I'm staying here...and I want my dwarf friend with me." She said while holding his hand.

"Very well...I am happy to be with you longer than I believed I would. As for the rest of you...I really cannot thank you enough for helping me, and my people. You all have a place here that cannot be filled by anyone else." The elf queen said.

"The honor is ours Your Majesty." Ranger said before opening a portal to the frontier...and met an old friend.

* * *

"Father Superior?" Priestess said in astonishment before hugging the formerly-old man.

"Hello my child...you look just like the Sword Maiden did when she was your age, you even have a blade like she had." Abbot said warmly as he looked her dress, ponytail, and the sword on her back.

"I had to dress like this, and my sword was made from a dagger that Fighter gave me a year ago." Priestess said.

"How fitting." Abbot said as he ran his hand through Priestess' hair.

"Not to toot my own horn, but her ponytail is bound by the hairband I used to wear where we first met." Fighter said.

"Is it now?" Abbot asked.

"Yep. We've all grown quite close in this past year, but me and Priestess? Well...take a guess." Fighter said as she hugged Priestess from behind.

"Also quite fitting." Abbot said.

"Father? I hate to interrupt, but why exactly are you here?" Warrior asked.

"I am simply visiting my son. How was your mission?" Abbot asked.

"In a word: successful." Rhea Fighter said.

"We also came across this." Wizard said as she gave him the relic, which he took and examined.

"What is this?" Abbot asked.

"We were hoping you could tell us Father." Wizard's brother said.

"This will require some work back at the monastery...I will inform you as soon as I learn something important." Abbot said.

"Thanks Father." Ranger said as Abbot left, and the team went inside.

"Welcome back team! Wait...where are the rest of you?" Guild Girl asked as the team looked at each other and Ranger stepped up.

"Lizard Priest stayed with his people to help them rebuild, same goes for our elf friend with her people. The Evil Sect made a mess of things in both their homelands. Dwarf Rifleman stayed with her since...well...take a guess why he's staying with her. As for Dwarf Shaman...he didn't make it." Ranger said and Guild Girl deflated.

"I'm sorry...he was a good man." She said somberly.

"Yes he was, and he saved us." Priestess said.

"So let's make sure he didn't die for nothing." GS said seriously yet softly as Cow Girl took his hand, proud that he was being more tactful.

"I say we have a feast to celebrate our victory, and to honor his memory." Warrior said.

"Not a bad idea..." Fighter said.

"May I ask about your mission?" Guild Girl asked.

"Like I said, the Evil Sect made a mess of things; they kidnapped the elf queen, caused an uprising in the swamplands the lizardmen live in, they even had a pair of Hell Nexus' there, which are direct ties between the Demon Lord's domain, and this world. We destroyed both, got rid of who-knows-how-many of his lackeys, saved the queen, some additional hostages, interrupted a sacrifice to the Demon Lord, found a holy relic which the good Abbot is working on now, you name it, we've done it." Ranger said as Guild Girl stood there in awe.

"I also killed a heap of goblins that were actually being bred from cloned women." GS said which stunned half the people in the area, then Guild Girl went to the back and returned with two head-sized bags of coin.

"200 silver, and 100 gold, and that feast is on the house." Guild Girl said seriously as the team high-fived, hugged, and in Ranger and Fighter's case, kissed. The team then sat down as they watched, smelled, and listened to their grand meal being prepared. "Would you like to take your promotion exam now, or later?"

"Hmmm...might as well do it now." Cow Girl said.

"Goblin Slay-" GS cuts Guild Girl off by getting up.

"I'm on it." He said as he went upstairs.

"Well _he_ didn't waste any time..." Warrior said as the two ladies followed him, he then noticed Priestess deflate. "Is something wrong sis?"

"No...I just...we haven't done anything like this this whole time." Priestess said somberly.

"What are you talking about? We do things like this all the time." Wizard said.

"No, I meant..." Priestess trailed off.

"Should...we give you all some space?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"That would probably be best." Ranger said as she and Wizard's brother went to another table. "You were saying?"

"I remember when you got your Steel Rank, and we got our Obsidian Ranks, and we had our first celebration. It was just us; the rest of the guild...the rest of the _world_ didn't matter at that moment." Priestess said before Fighter took her hand.

"And now that we're all Gold and Platinum Ranked...you're concerned that we can't have any more times like that?" Fighter asked as Priestess nodded, then Fighter side-hugged her. "Priestess...we're never going to stop being your family, nor will you stop beings ours. Besides, we can have other moments like this even if it's not real, as stupid as that may sound."

"It doesn't sound stupid, but...it's not the same. I get that the moment was special, but letting go of it is easier said than done." Priestess said.

"You have a point there, but at least we can have other moments." Warrior said seriously.

"Right..." Priestess said softly before returning Fighter's embrace...then Ranger got up and went to see his parents who had his daughter.

"My girl..." Fighter whispered as she got up and went to get her baby.

"She's perfectly fine." Ranger's mom said as she handed the baby back to her mother.

"Hello..." the baby said.

"Hello." Fighter said softly before kissing the baby's forehead and letting her hold her finger. "My dear daughter..."

"I'll bet you kicked all kinds of ass while you were gone, eh son?" Ranger's dad said.

"Yes we did...and you inspired us." Ranger said to his dad, then his daughter before taking her from Fighter and holding her close. Wizard then deflated.

"Sweetheart?" Warrior asked.

"That's going to be us someday..." Wizard said thoughtfully as Warrior held her hand.

"Yes it will...the moment we're ready for it." He said seriously as Wizard squeezed his hand.

"Right..." She whispered before kissing him sweetly and deeply. "I love you...so much."

"I love you too..." Warrior said softly before kissing her again for half as long before Fighter came back with the baby and handed her to Priestess who smiled at her warmly.

"Hello." She said while stroking the baby's face with her finger.

"Hello..." the baby said before Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother came back as Ranger stayed with his parents.

"Is "hello" the only word she knows?" Wizard's brother asked.

"As far as I know..." Fighter said.

"Well...she'll be a toddler before too long." Rhea Fighter said.

"That's true...then I can actually teach her." Fighter said.

"You're not going to have her _adventure_ as that age are you?" Rhea Fighter asked seriously.

"Of course not! But the chance of her becoming an adventurer is too much to ignore, especially if...she encounters-" Fighter dared not finish that sentence.

"Let's just wait for our food to be done, and compare stories later." Warrior said.

"Right..." Fighter said before sitting down as Ranger came back and she leaned into his side.

"My parents actually kept her at the temple, to inspire the other girls to get their own children, if they want any." Ranger said.

"I hope they went through the purification." Priestess said.

"They did, but still...they either want children, or they don't." Ranger said.

"To each their own..." Wizard said.

"So boss? Should we compare stories with the event callers?" Warrior asked.

"Later." Ranger said as rapid footsteps came from upstairs.

"Hey guys! I-" Cow Girl shut up the moment she saw the baby. "Oh, I didn't notice the baby...anyway, look at this!" She held up her Sapphire tag.

"Oh, look at that." Fighter said.

"My new gear, my training with Ranger and Goblin Slayer, my assistance in helping free the elf queen, and lizard people really got me some brownie points, and don't get me started on protecting your daughter. Although...since you can count the number of quests I did with the fingers on one hand, Sapphire's the best I got." Cow Girl said as GS joined them.

"Still, Sapphire rank after two, maybe three quests. Not bad." Warrior said.

"Now to be fair, they quests that were _not_ for the faint of heart, but yes. not bad at all." Fighter said as GS and Cow Girl sat down next to each other and Ranger's parents sat down at their own table as the food was delivered, and everyone dug in for the better part of ten minutes in near-total silence. While they were eating, it started raining outside, and Summoner showed up before lightning was heard...and the baby started crying as Priestess cast a Silence miracle and rocked her to sleep.

"I swear I did not cause this storm..." Summoner said honestly.

"No one said you did." Guild Girl said.

"They could've been _thinking_ it." Summoner said seriously.

"Anyway, how was your hunt?" Guild Girl asked.

"Nothing so far...which gives me good, and bad feelings..." Summoner said.

"You expecting company?" Inspector asked as she showed up.

"Maybe, maybe not, but at least we've got the team back in town." Summoner said as he looked at the team who was busy looking at their event recallers. "O.k...this I've got to see..."

"Damn boss, who knew you could be so ruthless?" Warrior said.

"I'll say. Goblins are one thing, but other people?" Rhea Fighter said.

"Like I said, they're sadists and murderers, just like the goblins." Wizard said.

"Still...it's not easy seeing you like that." Priestess said while still rocking the baby.

"Look...I don't serve the War God because I go around picking and selling daisies; I do what Goblin Slayer does, but I don't just go after goblins." Ranger said.

"Right..." Priestess whispered.

"Are you still concerned over my rage from a week ago? I'm past that." Ranger said honestly.

"Good." Priestess said as she gave Fighter back her baby.

"Nevermind the Evil Sect, what about the freed captives and...that damn rhea? No offense." Wizard said.

"None taken. He always struck me as an asshole." Rhea Fighter said.

"You don't know the half of it..." Guild Girl said under her breathe.

"Hey, if he shows his face around here, they'll be waiting for him." Inspector said.

"Right..." Guild Girl said.

"Which goes double for your Summoner boyfriend." Inspector teased.

"Right..." Guild Girl said.

"You know...we spent quite a bit of time together ourselves." Inspector said seriously.

"I noticed." Guild Girl said.

"I still can't believe he called us both adorable right to our faces, on our first date, if you can call it that." Inspector said.

"O.k...where are you going with this?" Guild Girl asked.

"I'm just saying, that was pretty bold. Then again, he is Gold Ranked, and a demon hunter...those guys tend to be either messed up in the head, seriously hard to mess up in the head, or both...somehow." Inspector said.

"So you're saying I unironically struck gold?" Guild Girl asked and Inspector laughed at the pun.

"You could say that...although...we could _share_ that gold." Inspector said and Guild Girl looked right at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Come on, we're hardly strangers, and he obviously cares about us both...why not go all the way? That is, if it's even a smart move." Inspector said as Guild Girl sighed.

"If he's o.k. with it...I guess it could work." She said.

"Alright...now, I know you didn't go all the way but...how is he?" Inspector asked as Guild Girl sucked in a breath.

"Good..._really_ good..." She whispered.

"Good to know." Inspector said before chuckling and getting on with her work in full.

* * *

After the feast, the team spent the night in their own rooms in the barracks Ranger's dad ran, and it was just like the one he used to have at Ranger's old home.

"Hey boss, should you get back to Water Town?" Wizard asked.

"I don't know if I can..." Ranger said somberly.

"Oh...right...well, I'm sure she wouldn't want you to stay away forever." Priestess said as she hugged Ranger.

"Right..." He whispered before returning the hug. "I love you."

"And I love you...brother." Priestess said as they tightened the embrace before finally letting go and going to bed after taking the baby from Fighter...who just finished breastfeeding her.

"Well, I think we should get home now." Warrior said.

"You just want to get me in bed don't you?" Wizard teased.

"Like you don't want to get in bed with me..." Warrior teased back.

"Touche..." Wizard said.

"Just get the fuck out of here..." Fighter said with amusement as she dragged her husband into their room, stripped each other nude, and got in bed while shifting and snuggling into each other. "This is so much better..."

"You're telling me. Is anything better than us, sleeping next to each other after saving the day for not one, but two peoples?" Ranger asked.

"Not likely, but hey, we're heroes, just like the old man predicted a year ago." Fighter said.

"Better than the Hero herself?" Ranger asked as Fighter chuckled into his shoulder.

"That would be an accomplishment. Also...will it ever get easier seeing our daughter after what feels like too long?" Fighter asked.

"Fighter...we've talked about this; we don't leave her alone by choice, and we spend a fair amount of time with her, and we don't half-ass our work just to get back to her faster. If I found out my father, or my mother for that matter let people die just to feel like they're spending enough time with me, my opinion of them would take a pretty serious hit." Ranger said seriously before Fighter sat up and he looked at her night-black hair framing her angelic face as she caressed his own.

"I'm sorry...it's just harder to wrap my head around than I thought it would be." She said softly as he pulled her down into a brief but deep kiss.

"It's alright, I love our little girl as much as you do, and believe it or not...I thought the same thing you are more than once, but like we established...we aren't neglecting her. So please...let's put that behind us." Ranger said as Fighter sighed.

"O.k..." She whispered before kissing him again.

"Did that enchantment on your pendant help you?" Ranger asked.

"Very much so..." Fighter whispered before letting her husband get another look at it before he ran his finger and thumb over it as she held his hand. "Feel it?"

"Yes..." Ranger whispered tensely before lightly groping her left breast as she held his hand there with a smile on her face.

"My heart has never been stronger thanks to this pendant either...how fitting." She said softly.

"Yes it is." Ranger said before he flipped them over, and buried his face in her neck, and put his hand on the other side of her neck as she held his hand there.

"Feel my pulse?" Fighter asked.

"Yes...it's as enticing as ever..." Ranger whispered while sucking on her neck as she gasped blissfully. Eventually, Ranger stopped pleasing her neck, and looked up at her face...which had a bright smile on it, and her eyes were shining as brightly as ever. He then kissed her as deeply and sweetly as ever before laying down next to her as she moaned softly while they snuggled into each other.

* * *

"I'm Sapphire Ranked now..." Cow Girl said as GS came in while she looked over her tag and stripped naked.

"I know..." GS said as he removed his own armor.

"Are you genuinely interested in my promotion?" Cow Girl asked.

"Of course I am...just like I'm interested in you." GS said as he hugged her, and she returned it.

"Considering how long we've known each other...and they fact that you and I had sex, I would hope so." Cow Girl said warmly.

"Right." GS said before kissing her and pressing his chest into her soft, heavy breasts while they held each other while kissing. "I love you."

"I know..." Cow Girl said while smiling, which he returned before she kissed him, then giggled and shifted against him while he gripped, squeezed and even shook her butt. "Good thing I still have some potion."

"Take some." GS said harshly before she let go, down a swig, then threw him onto the bed.

"Now...first things first. Are you sore anywhere?" Cow Girl asked?

"Not particularly." GS said honestly.

"In that case..." Cow Girl trailed off before massaging and caressing his body from his legs, to his abs and chest, to his arms, and back down his torso. She then held her breasts from underneath and put them near his face, silently asking him to suck them...and he did. He sat on the edge of the bed, gripped both her breasts from the sides, and alternated between the nipples, which earned him pleasured gasps and chuckles from the adorable and full-figured farm girl. She then let go of her breasts and held his head in place. "Goblin Slayer..." He then backed up, looked into her half-closed, lust-filled eyes with her lips parted and a few strands of hair in front of her face then she kissed him again deeply, softly, and sweetly before her pulled her back on top of him, caressed her lovely muscles, stroked her silky hair, and felt her do the same to him.

"You...really are a lovely woman." GS said softly as Cow Girl smiled at him.

"And I'm all yours...my fierce Goblin Slayer." She said before flipping over, and spreading her legs as he pushed into her and groaned softly as he slowly yet forcefully moved in and out of her moist and narrow womanhood. "Yes...yes...keep going...oh...ohhhh...faster, please..." GS needed no more encouragement as he doubled his speed and her moans got deeper and more frequent as her enormous breasts shook from the force. Eventually, they both snapped with euphoria and went limp as she laid their feeling his lungs inflate and deflate, and feeling his warm breath go down her neck, before he latched onto it with his lips as she let off a horny chuckle and held his head in place, shifted against him, and rubbed his hips with her smooth, fleshy thighs. "You really are getting better at this..."

"And I'm all yours..." GS groaned as she chuckled.

"We should get some rest now." Cow Girl said before kissing him briefly but sweetly as they laid down next to each other and snuggled into each other.

* * *

In the morning, they all continued Cow Girls' training, with her lifting Ranger's greatsword again...much to some of the trainees' amazement. She even managed to swing it a few times...before Ranger stopped her cold with his gauntlet before he could hit someone. Ranger even tried out his swords' whip function just to get more used to it; just because he didn't get use out of it now, doesn't mean he won't. Fighter then cut in and tried out some more flexibility training, like a half-split. Of course Fighter could a full-split, and even a standing split where she raised her foot 180 degrees into the air but...that was kind of expected.

After a minor rehash of how taijutsu was supposed to go, the two ladies got back to stretching, and Cow Girl was able to go down lower the second time. "Tendons stretched best while healing" afterall." Cow Girl even sparred with Fighter, and all she had to do...was land three hits. It was pretty simple...simple but _impossible_! Fighter was dancing circles around her, and any punches or kicks that did land were blocked or deflected. Cow Girl even took a few moments to calm down; she knew Fighter was no slouch, but her movements were inhuman!

Wizard then came back with Cow Girl's emerald necklace, with the same life-boosting enchantment as Fighter and Priestess' necklaces, and once Cow Girl put it on...the effect was instant. She wasn't able to face Fighter evenly, but at least it wasn't as draining. Eventually, Cow Girl remembered Ranger saying that attacking an opponent you can't overpower directly is suicide, so you'll have to try something unexpected, and if you keep trying something and failing, not only does that drain you, but it can also mislead your foe.

Cow Girl proved Ranger right by faking a punch to Fighter's left, then kicking her right side. The second hit came when she tried punching Fighter, got her hand grabbed, yanked downward, then upwards, and as her wrist was being lightly twisted...then jammed her elbow into Fighter's other side while spinning. The final hit came with Fighter actually attacking back...and Cow Girl was hit no less than a dozen times,and that's including Cow Girl managing to defend her several times. She eventually ducked under a spin-kick...and pulled Fighter's leg out from under her, and stomped her gut.

"Finally..." Cow Girl groaned as she sat down and fell back and caught her breath as Fighter got up as Ranger knelt next to Cow Girl.

"That was quite impressive." He said.

"It damn well better be...that's one tough wife you have." Cow Girl said.

"You don't get it do you? You did something you shouldn't have been able to do, yet you did so regardless, even with help from a necklace. You also had no weapons allowed, and out in the field...you don't have that problem. All-in-all...you should feel proud." Ranger said and saw her smile.

"I guess so..." Cow Girl said before standing up and joining the other ladies as Ranger gave a whole team of rookies his father was training some advanced training by having all of them fight him at once...with his using a pair of normal longswords given to him by his father, and he just stood there holding both swords in a reverse-grip while the rookies tried to hit him...for all the good it did. Even with a five-to-one advantage, the rookies didn't land a single hit for the better part of ten minutes, but that was mostly their fault; they only attacked one at a time, wound up their swings too much, even made too much noise when they intentionally tried sneak attacks. The fact they were fighting a Platinum Rank was also pretty daunting; they don't give Platinum Ranks to pushovers...and it showed.

"Nice to see them working their way up." Female Knight said as she appeared and leaned against the wall.

"You're telling us..." Fighter said as they kept watching the rookies get nowhere, and eventually F.K. sighed, grabbed her shield and entered the arena.

"I'm sorry, I can't watch this anymore. Hey, great and mighty Platinum Rank! Try facing down someone who can fight back." She said as Ranger looked at her, and the rookies cleared out to catch their breath as the two high-tier adventurers stared each other down.

"May I ask where that giant you call a partner is?" Ranger asked.

"Inside doing his own thing, and for your information, we're _married_ now." F.K. said and got a few gasps and raised eyebrows as she smirked.

"Can't say I'm surprised, is that why you've been so scarce as of late?" Ranger asked.

"Actually...as a paladin, I've been charged with hunting down demons, and closing those Hell Rifts that keep spitting out goblins, and what's the cause of that anyway?" F.K. asked.

"I wish I knew, but it's only a matter of time before it's over." Ranger said.

"Alright, well, before we get started...you might want to get rid of those swords and use your armor itself; I've gotten...alot stronger since we last met." F.K. said.

"If you insist." Ranger said before throwing the swords to the sides and morphing his own longswords...then lashed at her with them after breaking them into whips, and F.K. stood there blocking one lash after another with her shield before charging at Ranger, who actually ran up her shield, then jumped over her before lashing at her from behind, then his whip-sword got deflected, and he fought her head-to-head, with them simply standing there going back and forth, and neither getting an edge.

She wasn't kidding either; whatever upgrades she got made her armor nearly as useful as his own in terms of raw power-enhancing, and her sword burned into his blades with dim, but intense holy light, and if he hadn't even blessed by the War God, or have enough material to repair the damage as quickly as it was dealt, she probably would've killed him several times over in the first minute alone. The fight concluded with him kicking her shield, which staggered her, but she recovered by spinning and bashing him to the side. He deflected her sword, dodged a shield bash, and even a spin-kick, and him putting a sword at her throat...then finding out her sword is in his gut.

"Ho...ly...shit..." Heavy Warrior said as he came out genuinely floored as F.K. put her sword away and Ranger did the same.

"Hey honey..." F.K. said before approaching him and kissing him deeply.

"You have fun?" H.W. asked as F.K. smirked.

"Did I _look_ like I had fun?" She asked.

"Very much so." H.W. said.

"Your eyes do not lie." F.K. said.

"Anyways...we dealt with our own fair share of Hell Rifts, and I'll bet the rest of the demon hunters did as well." Wizard said.

"You'd think we'd be the ones they'd call if there's this kind of trouble with goblins." Warrior said.

"To be fair, we can only be in so many places at once." Fighter said.

"Right..." Warrior said before Summoner showed up.

"I've actually seen Hell Rifts popping up in town every now and then...it's a good thing so many of us are here-" Summoner shut up the moment a pulse of unholy energy swept through the place. "It's starting...Hell Rifts are appearing!" With that, the team got their stuff together and formed up in the middle.

"Where are they?" Fighter asked.

"All over town..." Summoner said harshly and some rookies got panicky.

"Please tell me you have a plan..." Wizard said.

"Yes, I have elementals positioned all over town, but they can only do so much, and they can't seal the rifts. That's our job." Summoner said.

"Then it's what we'll do." Rhea Fighter said as a pair of Hell Rifts opened behind them, and Rhea fighter threw her sword to seal them both before it returned to her hand.

"You should split up! Cover as many angles as we can!" H.W. yelled.

"Could not agree more..." Ranger said as the team split into groups: Warrior and Wizard, Fighter and Priestess, Wizard's brother and Rhea Fighter, and Ranger stayed with Summoner. GS and Cow Girl went with Warrior and Wizard to the center of town where the most Hell Rift opened, Fighter and Priestess went to the temple, Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother went around the town's perimeter, and Ranger and Summoner stayed at the training hall/tavern as H.W. and F.K. led the rookies to deal with any stray goblins until the rifts could be sealed.

* * *

The next hour was complete chaos: dozens of rifts poured out hundreds of goblins that were kidnapping people left and right and pulling them into the rifts. All the more reason for the team of high ranks to tear through the goblins, and especially the rifts like wet paper, starting with Rhea Fighter who was leading a pack of ethereal wolves through town and sealing the rifts, as the wolves mauled the goblins, and their pack leader smashed any goblin heads with his mace. The rifts were everywhere; the two had to burst into houses, climb up buildings to get to the roofs, peak into alleyways, and even look down a well or two. The duo must've saved hundreds of people before they could get dragged to Hell itself.

* * *

Meanwhile, the temple was a prime target for the Hell Rifts, hence why Fighter had to tear through hundreds of goblins in that one area alone. Priestess downed some holy water and gave her and herself an Empower miracle just to be safe, and she sliced through dozens more by herself. Granted her training was limited but...she felt the Sword Maiden guiding her body from the tips of her fingers, to her toes, and everything in-between. What did she have to fear? Fighter was jumped by a goblin champion at once point, but she caught his axe with one hand, yanked it out of his hands, sliced off his legs, and plunged the axe into his heart. Priestess then shined Holy Light on the rifts, and goblins, which sealed the rifts and incinerated the goblins. The two ladies then went inside...and their hearts sank.

* * *

"35...42...49...53...59...64..." GS counted as he charged through a horde of goblins filling the streets as GS threw bombs, fired his shotgun, bashed them to a paste with his fists and shield, chopped them apart with his sword as he extended and shortened it, all while the goblins either tried to keep track of him, were stunned by pieces of another goblin's body hitting them in the face or knocking them to the ground...or did get a bead on GS, only to get slaughtered.

Cow Girl unloaded her shotgun into the crowd herself, then switched to her own heavy sword and chopped down her own fair share of the goblins while Wizard burned, stabbed, and sliced her own fair share. She even paralyzed a group of hobs that showed their faces only for Cow Girl to blow their brains out wit h her shotgun. Warrior just went straight for the rifts to keep the battle even briefer.

"You're going to become Emerald Ranked for this mission alone at this rate." Wizard said.

"Here's hoping." Cow Girl said as she got grabbed by a hob, then shot it in the shoulder, reloaded then shot it in the face, before reloading more.

"213...224...246...253..." GS said as he looked over the dead.

"There's no way this is all of them." Warrior said.

"No, look ahead." GS said as more hell rifts opened and the goblins kept grabbing people as GS charged into the crowd and kept killing.

* * *

"I can feel it...my elementals are killing hundreds upon hundreds of goblins, without help...and before they come through the rifts nonetheless." Summoner said as an ice elemental stood next to him as he looked through the window at Ranger who was looking around with his pistols out, .

"Good to know..." Inspector said from behind the desk.

"Wait...how many goblins are there?" Guild Girl asked as she held Ranger's baby close.

"I don't know...but they're not pulling any punches; my summons watched the rest of the team kill hundreds, maybe even thousands more." Summoner said.

"Dear Supreme..." Inspector whispered in fear.

"Relax, we have a Platinum Rank, a team of Gold Ranks...Goblin Slayer himself, and who-knows-how-many-others on the case." Guild Girl said.

"Right..." Inspector said before gunfire was heard outside, then they watched Ranger unloaded one barrage of bullets after another into a Hell Rift, and tearing dozens of goblins to shreds before they were eventually able to reach him...only to get their skulls bashed in by Ranger pistol-whipping them. He then jumped into the area, morphing his sword-whips, heated them, and spun around, shredded and searing through the goblins as they pounced at him.

"That...those were my _brother's_ weapons!" Summoner said in awe.

"What?" Guild Girl asked.

"Those sword-whips. Storm Mage used the exactly same ones, only...he used lightning instead of extreme heat." Summoner said.

"And now some goblins are biting the dust because of them-" Inspector shuts up as soon as Ranger continued lashing at the goblins. He eventually learned to move them around like snakes; they wound up and lunged forward to impale them one by one, they whipped around like tentacles, either by themselves, or with Ranger forcing around with his own strength, and so on and so forth. He eventually turned his whips back into swords when the rest got too close...and they fared no better. Ranger used the reversed grip on one sword, and normal with the other, used one grip for both swords, or normal for both swords while weaving, and dashing through the little monsters. The ladies and demon hunter inside watched the goblins get reduced to flying pieces of twisted flesh by the dozens.

"No wonder why he was Platinum Ranked; to think he reduced the vampire queen's fortress to ruins as well." Summoner said as Ranger morphed his guns and shot down the rest...which included a goblin that tried to pounce on Guild Girl who screamed in terror as the ice elemental shielded her from the goblin, then the blood splatter as Ranger's bullet tore through it's body. He then looked up at the roof of a building...and he had an audience: the Sword Maiden herself.

"Thanks for that..." Guild Girl said as Ranger nodded at her then turned to the rift...and a paladin came through, which called for Ranger's greatsword and heavy armor as the two juggernauts clashed blades over a over, causing shockwaves from the impact of their blades hitting each other that fractured the ground, if not make it shake, and the buildings were filled with rattling as items were knocked over, or even thrown aside. The clash ended with Ranger deflecting a sword blow into the ground, the paladin backfists him across the face, Ranger pushes himself off the ground into the paladin's breastplate feet-first, then he pushes off of it, rolls across the ground, then the paladin charges up it's blade as Ranger flips over it, rolls under the blade again, gets kicked into a building as goblins poured out of the rift, only to be splattered across the floor as Ranger swings his greatsword as them with a yell.

He then heats his greatsword as much as he could...then sliced the paladin's sword in half, before yanking the severed blade into the goblin' leg with a chain. Ranger then morphed his gauntlets, punched the paladin in the gut so hard he threw up and fell down despite his breastplate. Ranger then removed the helmet eventually and punched him in the face over and over until his head shattered. Sword Maiden then sealed the Hell Rift herself before nodding at Ranger; her mental signal was that she knew he wanted her to know he was keeping her in mind as he crushed the goblins...and she was grateful of course.

"Ranger! They captured the girls, at the temple...and your parents were with them." Fighter said as Ranger's eye went wide, and his body tensed up as Summoner came outside.

"What...?" Ranger whispered harshly.

"I'm sorry, we did all we could; we were too busy with the ones outside." Fighter said keeping her distance; she knew Ranger would never lash out at her, but better safe than sorry.

"What do we do now?" Inspector asked.

"Summoner...open a Hell Rift..." Ranger growled.

"What? You can-" Ranger cuts Summoner off.

"Do it now!" He yelled before Summoner started chanting in the Demon Lord's tongue.

"War God...hear my plea. I have been deceived by the servants of the God of Wisdom and the Demon Lord. Send down your power. Let me have vengeance! Let me carry your will and champion your cause! Let me be...an Army of One!" Ranger prayed then yelled to the sky as the earth shook, his body caught the same vermilion fire as it did at the vampire queen's fortress the first time, and the whites of his eyes turned red. "Demon Lord...you just made the biggest mistake of your life."

* * *

**Holy shit the goblins kidnapped Ranger's parents...I'm pretty sure I don't need to say how stupid that was; you all saw what he did to the vampire queen with the War God's power right? Anyways...the lizard people and elves are safe, the team lost three members since...well, they had to stay behind, willingly too, but at least in my case, that makes it easier to handle multiple characters. Also, it seems Inspector wants a piece of Summoner as well, and...no I'm not making a harem with him; I didn't do it with GS, I'm not doing it with an OC. I get why GS' ships go all over the place, but I for one do not agree with it...duh. Besides...polyamory is a legitimate thing in real life, it's not simple, but it has weight, and...Storm Mage's case was FAR worse, and Sword Maiden apparently didn't care in the least. For the record, I DO like Goblin Slayer as a series for what it is, but...I could not agree less with how it was handled, hence why I'm writing this in the first place, which is by extension why I ask so many people to Rate, Review, and Share so often, like I am now. I want as many people as I can to see my vision so please people, throw me a bone; it's not hard! Anyway...before I start ranting too much, please...do stay tuned.  
**


	35. Chapter 18 Part I

**Happy Mother's Day people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I'll bet no one expected what happened at the end of the last chapter did they? Anyway...yet another trip to Hell is in order, and this time...it's personal.**

**Review response: That's a damn good backstory for that relic...I might even make it official.**

**Yeah, Abbot is no slouch either in the church if anyone recalls his backstory; the guy was Gold Ranked, just like Her Grace was. Lizard Priest AND H.E. Druid's homelands were secured, and Cow Girl becoming Sapphire Ranked really should've been obvious all-things-considered. The cloning was a pretty sordid affair but...what are you going to do?**

**I think we all know how the good Ranger is going to handle the rescue...  
**

* * *

"Ladies...you're looking at the War God's power manifested." Summoner said as Guild Girl and Inspector stared at Ranger's form that was practically bursting with intense energy that looked like an entire forest fire condensed into a human-sized candle. Guild Girl then rocked and shushed the crying baby in her arms.

"Demon Lord...I don't know how many people you've captured, or why, but you ensnared the two people who brought me into this world, gave me as much love and power as they could, and more. I've been injured myself, witnessed others go through hell on earth more times than I can count, and even saw my wife's mind shattered, but this...this time you have gone too far. Heed my promise now: I don't care if you put every goblin that's ever lived in my way. I _will_ free those people, and you yourself will pay for it so steeply, that even your foolishness will be stunted...as will your home." Ranger said with his voice deepened by the Army of One miracles before jumping into the Hell Rift.

"We should go after him..." Fighter said.

"Are you crazy? He just jumped head-first into the jaws of Hell itself!" Female Knight exclaimed.

"That's my _husband_, and he went after his parents; I would do the exact same thing." Fighter said seriously.

"And we've been to Hell before, and I made my fair share of a difference, as anyone in my family can tell you, and we're much stronger than we were back then." Priestess said.

"Well, I for one wish you the best of luck. There's no telling what you'll find down there." Summoner said as he gave them a tablet. "That should let you know how to make a Hell Rift yourself, so you can get out of Hell."

"Thanks." Fighter said before the two ladies jumped into the rift after Ranger.

"In the meantime, we should go back to killing goblins." Heavy Warrior said as his team left to join the defense.

"And...I would advise we go somewhere else; chances are, there's going to be alot more goblins showing up here soon." Summoner said.

"Let's go to my house. There's plenty of places they could come from we'll see them coming from." Guild Girl said.

"Sounds like a plan." Summoner said as the three went there, got jumped by some hobs, and Summoner's ice elemental froze them solid, formed an ice ball the size of a person, and slammed it on them, before distracting the rest of a horde, then blowing itself up, freezing the whole place solid as the trio went inside, locked the door went upstairs and the girls sat on the bed as Summoner kept a lock-out. "Luckily, there's plenty of elementals out there, but we should keep the noise down regardless."

"I can't believe goblins are attacking here...again." Guild Girl whispered as Inspector side-hugged her.

"Hey, Ranger went to Hell to get everyone back, and he's not alone. Nor are we for that matter; Goblin Slayer and company are dealing with the goblins, and we've got a big, tough demon hunter to protect us." Inspector said before winking at Summoner, who smirked...before a Hell Rift opens in the room, then a dagger gets thrown out just as Summoner summons a stone elemental who tanks the thrown knife as Guild Girl screams and out comes Rhea Scout who calls the thrown dagger back to him.

"For all the good it's going to do you." He said.

"You?!" Summoner exclaimed.

"Yes, me." R.S. said as he looked Guild Girl over. The stone elemental got in front of the ladies, and Summoner drew power from the elemental. "Seriously? I fought Ranger and almost killed him. _Ranger_! The roughest, toughest guy in your little army of adventurers. You're just a Gold Rank."

"I have _nothing_ to be afraid of. You however..." Summoner said before his armored cloak gets reinforced with bits of stone.

* * *

Fighter and Priestess exited the Hell Rift in the same place they were the first time they entered Hell, and Priestess lit the chamber made of flesh and bone with her staff as they walked through the blood-drenched floor, and when they got outside...the place was infested with demons as a meteor came down from above, and they left to investigate. Priestess then hitched a ride on Fighter's back as she climbed up a wall with her morphed claws...and they saw the demons gathered around the meteor, which wasn't a meteor: it was Ranger. He then got up from the kneeling position he was in, his heavy armor, greatsword and masked face were revealed when the smoke cleared and he casually walked toward the demons as a large one snarled, then roared at him.

Ranger whirled his massive sword around, chopping and bashing down dozens of demonic soldiers as they got too close, or after he went after them. Fighter and Priestess could barely keep track of his movements the whole time; Ranger was pretty fast even with his greatsword, but with Army of One...they could barely see the sword clearly, let alone keep up with where Ranger was during the massacre. He then spotted another horde coming his way, and yelled before slamming the greatsword into the ground in their direction, shattering the ground in a straight line that fans out and sends the demons flying, if the raw force didn't shatter them. He then looked in the distance to see a building, and ran off in that direction with speed that equaled Fighter's when she opened her chakras, and got empowered by Priestess.

"I don't believe it...no wonder he crushed the vampire queen and then some." Fighter said in awe.

"How are we going to follow him?" Priestess asked.

"Just follow the trail of destruction I guess." Fighter said as Priestess got on Fighter's back and she ran off after her husband...who was punching an archdemon across the field into another one, then stopped a pair of fireballs from a pair of archdemons that weren't hit, turned them into holy fire, and doubled their power/size with Immolation, threw them back at the archdemons, blowing them and the soldiers around them to pieces. A swarm of imps engaged him from behind...only for him to morph his light armor and twin swords, and rapidly slice down the imps while spinning like a living tornado that was throwing blades around, only with more precision, and flinging the dismembered imps all over the field.

Then he broke his swords into whips, and lashed down the rest. He then morphed his heavy armor and gauntlets, punched a charging Wrather into the ground, grabbed a Glutton's tongues, yanked it towards him and punched it so hard it literally popped like a watermelon, and he absorbed it's pulp before letting off a yell to the sky so loud that Fighter and Priestess covered their ears, and watched several mountains the distance crumble a bit, while the shockwave made their skin crawl.

"That was new..." Fighter said as they uncovered their ears and Ranger looked around at the hundreds of demons he butchered, then looked at the structure in the distance, and ran off as the ladies followed him.

* * *

"How many fucking goblins are there?" Wizard asked as she looked over the smoldering pieces of a small horde she blasted.

"It doesn't matter. We'll kill them all." GS said as he removed his sword from a goblin's head.

"Eh, nothing new there." Warrior said before Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother showed up.

"Ah, just in time..." Wizard's brother said.

"Yeah, just in time to kiss my ass." Warrior said dryly.

"Hey, we went around the entire perimeter of the town, and saved at least a hundred people from being dragged to Hell." Wizard's brother said before Female Knight arrived.

"And your leader's gone to Hell to get the ones we couldn't save." She said seriously.

"Damn...that explains the noise." Rhea Fighter said.

"Unbelievable...he's only to raise Hell...in Hell." Warrior said.

"Clever..." Wizard's brother said.

"Let's just get going before the number of people who get captured gets too high for it's own good." Wizard said.

"Right..." Cow Girl said with a determined face before cocking her shotgun.

* * *

Heavy Warrior meanwhile was cleaving through goblin after goblin with his greatsword, if he wasn't punching their faces off. Rookie Warrior, and Apprentice Cleric weren't doing much worse; R.W. put his ice axe to use by chopping down goblins with an ice blade over his metal blade, which doubled the size of the axehead, and he swung it downwards at a diagonal, the best way to use an axe. As he did, the goblins either lost their heads, got their skulls or chests split open, or some lost a limb or two. R.W. even threw his axe threw a small horde after charging it up, and freezing the whole group solid. Any goblins that snuck up on him were either stopped by his lamellar armor, if not killed by H.W., A.C., or by R.W.'s blade-edged, foldable shield.

A.C. for her part was bashing down one goblin after another with her mace, stabbing them with the small spearhead on it, and bashing them with her own foldable shield, or just plain kicking them. She used Holy Smite on a group of goblins every now and then, and even Holy Light to blind and burn the goblins...which let her two companions crush even _more_ goblins. H.W. then engaged a hob...and the hob got a familiar spear jammed through it's chest.

"Long time no see..." Spearman said.

"Nice of you to join us." H.W. said before yanking the spear out and tossing it over.

"Hey, our home being invaded by a fuck-ton of goblins? Hard to say "no" to that." Spearman said.

"Even ants, for all their vast numbers, must defend their nest." Witch said as she looked over the dead goblins.

"Poetic as ever..." Spearman said as she smiled at him.

"Why the hell has he not married her yet...?" R.W. asked quietly.

"No idea..." A.C. whispered.

"Anyway...you kill any goblins other than this one?" H.W. asked.

"We just got here." Spearman deadpanned.

"I'll take that as a "no"." H.W. said.

"Take that as you will. We really have arrived a minute ago." Witch said.

"Anyway, we're here now, and ready to kick some goblin ass." Spearman said before another series of rifts opened.

"Well, there's no shortage of that going on..." R.W. said as the group got ready as dozens of goblins poured out, charged the group who yelled and charged at the goblins.

* * *

Rhea Scout dashed to the side over and over, and eventually threw both knives at Summoner who made a stone shield appear out of nowhere, then formed a gauntlet out of the shield as R.S. called the knives back to him, then Summoner grabbed him, and tried to slam R.S. into the ground...only for R.S. to make a Hell Rift that saved him from being slammed into the ground, then he reappeared over the two ladies, and the stone elemental grabbed him before he could stab either of them.

"You damn coward. _I'm_ your opponent!" Summoned yelled before the stone elemental threw him at Summoner and rifted away before Summoner could punch him...then R.S. reappeared at Summoner's feet, then Summoner finally grabs R.S. by the throat and pins him to a wall as R.S. desperately tries to free himself by stabbing his arm over and over with his knives, for all the good it does as Summoner kept tightening his grip on his throat. R.S. then threw a dagger into Summoner's leg, before getting thrown across the room as Summoner removed the dagger...and got woozy. "What...what did you do to me?"

"What I tried to do to those two whores, and in about a minute...your body will figure it out." R.S. said as walks up to Summoner, and kicks him in the side of the head. The elemental approached, then R.S. narrowly evaded a punch from the elemental...then Summoner grabbed R.S. leg, tripped him, and slammed his face into the floor several times.

"For the record...that voice of yours grates on my nerves..." Summoner growled before snapping R.S.' neck. "And next time...stay dead..." He then passed out.

"Summoner!" Guild Girl yelled as the two looked his body over, especially his leg.

"Poison...we need to get him to the temple!" Inspector said.

"But the goblins-" Inspector cuts Guild Girl off.

"It's him, or the town." She said as Guild Girl looked at the elemental who was still standing.

"Let's go..." Guild Girl whispered as they carried him out of the house...

* * *

Meanwhile, Fighter and Priestess followed Ranger to a temple of sorts embedded in a mountain, which is where the captives were brought. Ranger then dropped down from above after climbing and grappling up over the guards' headed...and dashes between them so rapidly he appeared to be a blur of motion as he sliced them all apart with his twin greatswords. He then severed the arms of the largest guard just as he spotted Ranger...then got both legs sliced off, bot chopped in half at the waist, then got it's head split open with a gauntlet before Ranger went inside.

"Army of One only lasts an hour right?" Priestess asked.

"I think so...here's hoping he gets to the hostages before then." Fighter said as they went after Ranger...who was showing the dozens of guards in his way no mercy as he literally pulled them apart, shattered their heads with stomps, punches, and even their on weapons, threw them into groups of their friends, used larger versions of his claws to shred them, sometimes as he ran along the walls, or punched them so hard they flew across the wall and splattered against the wall as it broke apart and buried them under rubble.

He then got to a circular room ringed with cages full of goblins as the demons brought the captives in, and left the area with Ranger's father struggling to get free as the cages opened...then Ranger jumped down with his pistols just as the goblins got to work undressing the girls while laughing and snorting, and the ones who were getting ready to forcibly mate with the the girls...again, were the first to get their brains blown out as Ranger unleashed a storm of bullets.

"Son?!" Ranger's dad exclaimed as he watched his son gun down the lustful monsters by the dozen. The demonic soldiers behind him were all stunned by a burst of heat and force from Ranger's charged-up guns, before Ranger morphed him into gauntlets, grabbed the two demons, raised them up, slammed them both into the ground, and held fast until their throats were crushed by the impact. He then turned around and grabbed a goblin who was missing an ear as it pounced at him...then tightened his grip around it's whole body, and it's pained screams and the sickening crunching of it's bones breaking fell on deaf ears as Ranger turned it's insides into glue. He then looked at the girls who were all drenched in blood and shaking in terror...then looked at his stunned father.

"I'm here to get you out of here father." Ranger said calmly despite his previous anger and the rush of power he was feeling, as his father kept staring at him.

"Is this...what the War God gave you?" Ranger's dad asked in awe as Ranger looked himself over.

"Yes...as the vampire queen learned the hard way, as have these gob-" Ranger shut up the moment he saw his mother who was among the girls, and also missing some clothes before tightening his grip.

"Ranger!" Priestess yelled as he snapped his head to see her.

"What? What are you doin-" Fighter cuts him off.

"Helping you." She said.

"Fighter..." Ranger whispered as she approached...then they looked over the girls.

"I cannot believe they'd go through this again." Priestess said somberly.

"I stopped them before they could, but there's no way this is all of them." Ranger said.

"There isn't, but at least they're safe for now." Ranger's dad said.

"We'll stay here with them." Fighter said as Priestess looked the girls over.

"I'm going to get the rest, and I will return _every_ blow these abominations have struck!" Ranger exclaimed before running off.

"Please...get us out of here... I...I can't go through that again!" A girl said while shaking, weeping, and curling into a fetal position.

"You'll be o.k. The goblins are dead, and the others are being sought out." Priestess said softly as she knelt next to the girl who calmed down.

"Good..." the girl whispered before smiling a bit.

"Kill them son. Every last one...!" Ranger's mom growled...and Ranger must've heard her because he heated his greatsword before swinging it into a group of demonic elites with a fierce yell.

* * *

GS meanwhile was still chopping the goblins apart with Rhea Fighter, and a team of Warrior's clones backing him up. The Wizard siblings even put some traps to use...by sealing a lightning rune on a rift or two so any goblins that came through would be either vaporized, or stunned. Cow Girl kept blowing the goblins' brains out with her shotgun, and switched to her sword if they got too close. The massacre of the waves of goblins ended when Female Knight casts Holy Light to blind and burn the goblins, then GS severed and split heads left and right in one crowd until they were dead, then moved on to a second one, then a third one, and blew up a fourth one with his last bomb.

"That's 416..." GS said before watching Rhea Fighter spin around in mid-air, while upside-down, to behead several goblins, then bisected and finally kneed the last one in the chin so hard it's throat tore open. "437..." Warrior's clones then smashed in the heads of more goblins with their hammers as they were coming through a series of rifts. "458...472...509...518..." The Wizard siblings joined into and used Firestream at the same time to reduce another horde of goblins to ashes as they poured down the street.

"How many is that?" Wizard asked.

"At least 645." GS said.

"Unbelievable..." Rhea Fighter said before sealing a rift with her sword., and F.K. did the same.

"Well, that should be all of them. Let's get back to the tavern to see what's going on." Cow Girl said.

"Me and the boys will check the rest of the town." Warrior said as he led his clones down the street, as the others went back to the tavern...and saw Summoner being carried out with a bleeding leg.

"What happened!?" Wizard asked.

"He's been cut by a poison dagger!" Guild Girl said with watery eyes as a water elemental showed up, which surprised quite a few people. It then looked Summoner over, then touched his wounded leg...it then poured it's essence into the wound as it disappeared.

"Of course! Water elementals have healing powers..." Wizard said.

"Why did I not know this sooner?" Guild Girl asked.

"He probably meant to tell you, but this is hardly the first time we've seen this. Hell, the first time we met, he said water elementals are the most useful. Now we know why..." Wizard said.

"Of course you know why..." Summoner whispered.

"Summoner!" Guild Girl exclaimed as Summoner got on his own feet, then she hugged him tightly while burying her face into his shoulder as the two sat their holding each other. "I thought you were a goner..."

"Sorry I didn't tell you about water elementals sooner." Summoner said softly.

"It's o.k..." Guild Girl whispered as the rest of the group watched their moment.

"I hate to ruin the moment, but you three really should get back inside." F.K. said seriously.

"Right. Come on big boy." Inspector said dryly as Summoner and Guild Girl got up and went inside.

"Don't call me that..." Summoner said as Inspector giggled.

"Nice to see them have a moment, but I've got to get back to my team..." F.K. said before turning to leave...and getting stopped by a pair of champions.

"Look out below!" Warrior yelled before charging up his blade and cutting one champion down the middle halfway, then falling on his back, then Wizard knocked it down with a fireball.

"Clumsy oaf..." Wizard said with amusement before giving GS more bombs, then he and Rhea Fighter charged at the second paladin from different angles, and GS froze it's side with one bomb, as Rhea Fighter ran up it's other side and severed it's head.

"That makes 647..." GS said.

"Seriously...I've killed _giants_; these things might as well sever their _own_ heads." Rhea Fighter said dryly.

* * *

Back in Hell, Ranger ran through the temple's lower levels, and found a pit filled with lava, with a massive dome overhead pouring lava into it from a single value in the middle from underneath. On the sides, two massive archdemons were holding up an equally massive boulder with rubies on them, that also poured out lava from the sides...all over the archdemons as well. Ranger morphed his greatsword into a massive harpoon, and was about to hurl it, when he heard a voice he'd know anywhere.

"Wait!" Hero yelled as Ranger turned and saw her holding her hand out with a spooked look in the face.

"What in...?" Ranger trailed off.

"Those archdemons are holding cages full of the captives." Sage said.

"How do you know that?" Ranger asked.

"I found out myself." Cherub said as he flew out from behind them.

"You?" Ranger exclaimed.

"Surprise." Cherub said with a smirk.

"So...you used the Army of One miracle again?" Sage asked.

"Yes I did, my parents are here, and two of my teammates are looking after them while I get the rest...and get some revenge in the process." Ranger said.

"What a coincidence, I brought these lovely ladies here to save those people as well." Cherub said.

"Can we please free those people, kill those archdemons, and get out of this crazy place?" Sword Saint asked.

"Right..." Ranger said as he grappled up to where they were and climbed up a flight of stairs.

"We heard what happened to the Sword Maiden...and Storm Mage." Sword Saint said somberly and Ranger sighed.

"The Cambion that killed her is going to pay for it too..." He whispered harshly.

"Cambion?" Hero asked before stopping and looking right at him.

"A human-demon hybrid, and no I don't know what the deal with that is." Ranger said.

"Well...if it's important, we'll find out." Sage said as they kept going and Ranger noticed a sad expression on Sword Saint's face.

"Is something wrong? Well, aside from what's obvious." He asked.

"To go along with what you said...no, other than I wish I could have apologized to Storm Mage for being unfair to him." Sword Saint said somberly.

"I'll be sure to let him know next time I get to Heaven." Cherub said and she smiled.

"Thanks." Sword Saint said.

"Eh, that's what I'm here for, other than watching you humans' backs." Cherub said.

"Now, this is probably none of my business, but did you...like him?" Ranger asked.

"Yes I did...before I found out he just wanted to get between my legs and move on to the next girl. I'm not going to say anything against Her Grace...but I still think she was too good for him." Sword Saint said.

"She actually _needed_ his affections; she was ensnared by goblins once, and it went about as far south as you'd expect." Cherub said which stunned the entire party.

"What...?" Sage asked in disbelief.

"Storm Mage did everything he could to ease her pain; he admitted he was still greedy, but...if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been given the War God's blessing, the Sword Maiden would've been captured...again, and she never would've known what a lover's touch would be like." Ranger said somberly.

"Damn...this got heavy, even by Hell's standards." Hero said.

"Ohhhh, not even close." Cherub said seriously.

"Now...can we please, for the love of all that's good and logical...get those people out of here?" Sword Saint asked.

"Right, we'll save the rest of the questions for later." Ranger said before they kept going up the stairs...then they got to the cages full of people who were all crammed into cages too small for them.

"What the hell?!" Sword Saint exclaimed, then Ranger popped chains out of his armor, which latched onto all the cages, and absorbed them all, which freed the people.

"Nice use of the armor." Cherub said with pride before hitting the people with holy energy and their bodies were restored...and they got new outfits, before they disappeared.

"Let me guess: they were sent back to Earth?" Hero asked.

"Sharp girl." Cherub said.

"There's a first..." Sage said, and Hero laughed dryly.

"Now the other one..." Hero said before Cherub waapped them there, Ranger absorbed the cages as well, Cherub heals, clothes, then sends them back to Earth, then...there's a problem.

"Uhhh...I can't use my powers anymore!" Cherub exclaimed.

"Get out of here!" Ranger yelled.

"I'll be back if I can!" Cherub said before vanishing.

"Well, at least the people are back home-" Sword Saint shut up the moment the archdemon shook the boulder they were in, then Ranger smashed them a way out, then Hero leaped at the other archdemon, cuts it in half, then Ranger hurled a harpoon at the other one, hitting it in the heart with enough force to knock it down just as Sword Saint, and Sage jumped/flew out of the boulder...then demons swarmed in from Hell Rifts, before Sage charged up a Mana Blast, launched it into the middle of the room,and streams of energy latches onto the demons and they all blew up from the inside out. The Mana Blast orb then causes an explosion that heavily damages the centerpiece of the room...which inspired Hero to rapidly swing her sword at the edges of the hole to make it big enough for them to all to jump/fly through...then they looked around.

"Damn! That's alot of demons..." Sword Saint exclaimed as they saw a literal field full of them.

"Bah, they're just more kills." Hero said with her usual pride before jumping up, charging up her blade and smashing down onto the crowd, causing a burst of holy light that scorches the field, and tears a chunk out of their numbers. Ranger then morphed his guns, charged them up, and loaded a stream of bullets into the mass of demons and each bullet causing it's own explosion strong enough to blow up the demons hit, and stun the ones around them, as Sage fired one Mana Blast after another into the crowd. Sword Saint then joined Hero in chopping down the demons that get too close...then Ranger morphs a ball-and-chain, hurls it into the distance, sets it on fire, lands on the other side of the army, and makes a decent-sized crater when he lands with an explosion.

"Sheesh...overzealous much?" Sage said dryly before unleashing another Mana Bolt. Ranger then got his bearings, morphed his heavy armor and two greatswords, then charged through the army, splattering any demons that were in the way, and bisecting any on the sides with his blades. He eventually stopped in the middle of the crowd as Hero and Sword Saint split off to hit the ones on each side, and Ranger sliced apart the ones in the middle.

Hero swung her sword around like a chef in the kitchen, and sliced up demons by the hundreds, even if they were far from her. Sword Saint jammed her sword into scores of demonic soldiers so rapidly, that her kill count was racking up just as rapidly as Hero's was. Ranger gets the idea of making his greatswords have whip functions, and craved up not only the demons, but the very ground they told on, and his vertical strikes caused the ground to upturn. A miscellaneous result was the chunks of rock and body parts being flung around to stun or hurt more demons in the far distance. They all regrouped at the spot Sage held during the annihilation, as the ladies were exhausted while Ranger had no signs of fatigue.

"How...are you...not worn out...?" Hero asked.

"Either this blessing raises my stamina as well as my power, it decreased my stamina requirements...or I just don't feel fatigue." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"O.k...I know you married and all, but you sound _really_ good when you have this miracle on you." Sword Saint said as Ranger smirked.

"I wonder what my wife thinks of it...?" He said thoughtfully before looking back at the ladies.

"Well, that's your business. Anyway, the people are free, the demons are down, and we're none the worse for wear." Sage said.

"Now all we need-" Cherub reappearing cuts Sword Saint off.

"Present and accounted for ma'am." He said dramatically.

"Just get us out of here..." Ranger said dryly.

"Killjoy..." Cherub said before snapping his fingers, and next moment, Ranger was back at the town...with the girls, and his parents, all there and accounted for.

"Mother...father..." Ranger whispered as he walked up to them, then it sunk in that they were all wearing clothes again. "If...if you're all here, then where's-" Fighter cuts him off by speaking to him from behind.

"We're here too love." She said softly as he turned to face her and Priestess.

"Fighter...Priestess..." Ranger whispered before the two women embraced their husband/older brother figure.

"Did you put this power to good use?" Priestess asked cautiously before Ranger huffed.

"Me, and the Hero's team, slaughtered thousands of demons in one sitting...and wrecked several of the Demon Lord's temples, so...what do you think?" He asked before Fighter gave him a quick kiss.

"I think, you really are an Army of One...and you need to shave." She said while smiling brightly, and he chuckled at her, before turning to the captives.

"They're o.k...and so are your parents." Priestess said.

"And so are we boss." Warrior said as the rest of the team showed up.

"What about the rest of the people that weren't kidnapped?" Ranger asked.

"Some other adventurers joined the party-" Cow Girl shut up the moment Summoner showed up...with a surprise in his hand.

"And _this_ little bastard tried to kill me, and the two ladies." He said before dropping Rhea Scout's corpse on the ground...and GS went to look the body over.

"This is the same rhea that tried to kill me several months ago. How was he still alive?" GS asked.

"Must've been that damn Cambion." Wizard said.

"Well, let's just put this mess behind us. Priestess?" Fighter said and Priestess knelt and put her hands together.

"O Great Supreme, Ruler of Heaven, Master of the Scale, and overseer of all that is righteous. A piece of this world has been left in tatters, and as a carrier of your will, I decree this place worthy...of a Restoration." She prayed and a light from the sky parted some of the gathering clouds and the city and people were patched up. Guild Girl and Inspector were so moved by the vision that both their eyes watered.

"Will this ever get old...?" Fighter asked as Priestess smiled at her and Fighter hugged her, before looking at Ranger, who joined the embrace.

The various groups went around town to see how the people were, and how much damage was repaired. Luckily, out of the thousands of people that lived there, only a few dozen died; the rest were kidnapped by the goblins, but they were all given treatments by Priestess, the Wizard siblings, and even Female Knight who put her paladin arts to use by empowering the trio, and the rest of the healers for that matter.

Summoner went around to look for any traces of hell energy to get rid of, or make use of, but Ranger's rampage with the Hero's group made a bigger impact than anyone thought; according to the Sword Maiden, Hell's forces were knocked on their backs so hard, it will be some time before more goblins invade from any more Hell Rifts.

* * *

At the end of the day, the entire town and it's people were mostly recovered from the damage the Restoration didn't repair, which wasn't saying much, but...Restoration only repairs physical damage; mental trauma did to be done personally. Everyone involved went to the tavern to celebrate...but Wizard went home without a word, with Warrior following her.

"Are you alright baby?" He asked as he went into their room...and found her forming a red dress like she wore at the festival when they were promoted to Gold Rank, looking herself in the mirror.

"Come here and hold me..." Wizard said as Warrior came in, then hugged her from behind as her breathing became deeper as she leaned back into him, closed her eyes, and focused on his frame supporting her.

"Did you just want to feel pretty?" Warrior asked.

"Yes...and no. The real dress is still in the closet, I just wanted to see if a copy could do the same thing...I was only half-right." Wizard said.

"What do you mean?" Warrior asked softly.

"My dress...my _real_ dress, I love it as much as the others; each one is there to mark a special occasion in my life." Wizard said.

"I remember. The multi-colored one is one you got for your birthday, the blue one was for Noble Fencer's birthday..." Warrior trailed off before Wizard looked at him, and pulled him into a kiss, that she deepened after wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her thin waist.

"And the red one is what I wore after we became Gold Ranked...I'll never forget the look on your face when you first saw me." Wizard said with amusement.

"You still are a walking pile of "take me now", even when you're not wearing it." Warrior said while caressing her smiling face.

"Then take me now...after you _tear_ it off of me." Wizard said sensually as Warrior gripped her collar with both hands, ripped her dress open with one tug, making her large, luscious breasts spill out of their confines, as he de-morphed his armor and kept tearing her dress off while they mashed their hungry mouths together, and lashed tongues as he kept tearing her dress off, while she chuckled into their kiss...especially when he removed the dress from her round, supple buttocks and gave it a hard but loving squeeze, then he slid his hands up her sides to give her breasts the same treatment. She then turned around, and he took advantage of that by sucking on her neck and continuing massaging her breasts from every angle... then listened to her moan her lungs out while he rolled her nipples between his fingers.

"Would you like some clones in on this?" Warrior asked.

"Oh _yes_..." Wizard breathed out as Warrior made six clones, and she laid down as one held her up from her upper back, while two held up her arms and head, the last two went back and forth between squeezing her breasts and butt, massaging her thick legs, licking her nipples...and stroking her womanhood while the real Warrior watched his wife tense up and moan, and eventually wail her lungs out while his clones worked her body from head to toe for at least a minute. "Alright...that's...enough I...can't...take much more!"

The clones then set her on the bed and merged with the original who knelt next to he bed as Wizard laid there with a look of pure peace and bliss on her face as he watched her catch her breath, as her heaving breasts went up and down, and different parts of her body, especially her limbs flexed slowly and enticingly as her blood flowed like a river throughout her body. She eventually caught her breath, opened her eyes and looked at him, as he lovingly ran his hand through her hair.

"I love you so much..." Warrior whispered before kissing her as softly as he could.

"And I love you...my dear dragon-killer." Wizard said as Warrior smiled.

"Should I take some potion?" He asked.

"Please..." Wizard whispered as Warrior went to go take a swig, then Wizard spread her legs, and waited for Warrior to crawl onto the bed, then he kissed her as softly as before before joining their bodies as Wizard gasped a bit at the contact before wrapping her legs around his ass. He then moved in and out of her womanhood slowly but forcefully before picking up the pace as her groans became more labored. She then let out blissful throaty moans as her had her opening pounded by her beloved monster-killer, and they both let out an elongated moan of euphoria before he collapsed on top of her. The two then laid there drunk on their pleasure and catching their breath, and Wizard even chuckled a bit from the afterglow.

"You really are in a good mood aren't you?" Warrior asked before kissing her cheek and neck over and over while she kept grinning .

"That's what happens when a girl lays with a man who's just too damn good at this." She said before kissing him deeply and sweetly.

"I love you too..." Warrior teased before slipping out of her womanhood with her gasping and then the two laid there rubbing their bodies together and sighing in contentment. "What about the rest of the team?"

"We can ask about what we missed later. For now...let me just rest with my loving husband." Wizard said softly as Warrior tightened their embrace.

* * *

"Ho...ly...shit..." Spearman said as he watched Ranger's rampage in Hell with the event recalled with the others watching as well.

"Holy shit indeed." Wizard's brother said.

"Well, they don't give Platinum ranks to just anyone." Summoner said as he stood against the wall with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"No kidding...but just like the Hero, there's no way he can be everywhere at once." Spearman said.

"Otherwise, why we be here, right?" Witch asked.

"You are never going to let me live that down are you?" Spearman asked as Witch chuckled before spinning her pipe around.

"To be able to give the forces of Hell, a mauling like this, over the unfortunate event of having one's parents taken. It's both a tragedy of epic proportions, and beautifully poetic." She said before inhaling some smoke.

"It was tragic alright...for _them_." Summoner said before the people all went back to their meals and gossip.

"I never thought his parents would get taken like this..." Priestess said somberly as she leaned into Fighter's side as they watched Ranger hold the baby at a distance while watching the people talk about the rampage.

"We all know how far loyalty can go; our ranks are proof of it afterall." Fighter said.

"Any of us would do the same thing I'm sure." Priestess said.

"Would you?" Fighter asked and Priestess looked right at her.

"Of course..." She said before the two smiled at each other and held hands before Priestess leaned on Fighter's shoulder some more. "I still think we could've stopped the kidnapping in the first place..."

"Don't...those goblins snuck up on us, and if they hadn't done what they did...my dear husband never would've crippled the forces of Hell, and anyone they captured...well, it would've been the Sword Maiden's plight all over again for countless people." Fighter said seriously.

"You're right...and I don't even want to think about that actually happening." Priestess said.

"Me neither." Fighter said.

"It's too bad we never found out why this happened." Priestess said.

"Does the Demon Lord need a reason to cause trouble? Besides, we can find out later if it's important." Fighter said.

"Right..." Priestess whispered before Fighter kissed the top of her head.

"Even if this happens again, we'll just floor them all again." Fighter said.

"Right." Priestess said before snuggling into Fighter's side.

"I love you..." She said.

"I love you too...sister." Priestess said...then the two noticed Inspector approach Summoner, then pull him upstairs, into the main office.

* * *

"So...what's this all about?" Summoner asked.

"I just...wanted to say thanks for saving our lives, and how glad I am you made it." Inspector said.

"Hey, I'm Gold Ranked for a reason." Summoner said seriously.

"It's no wonder why. Wait...just how much of a difference did your elementals make? O.k...I know you said there's hundreds of them, and as you know, I can tell when someone's lying, but what I _don't_ know is how big that difference was." Inspector said.

"Hmmm...I didn't keep a kill count, but the number of goblins my summons killed could easily be in the hundreds maybe the thousands." Summoner said and Inspector's eyes popped out of their sockets.

"What?!" She exclaimed.

"This invasion was nothing to laugh at, and just one of my summons can take on a pack of goblins with almost no help; imagine what _hundreds_ can do." Summoner said.

"Point taken; glad that kind of power is on our side...the Storm Mage wasn't much weaker was he?" Inspector asked and Summoner sighed.

"We actually fought once, and...he completely floored me with almost no trouble, even with my summons backing me up." He said.

"I know..." Inspector asked.

"What?" Summoner asked.

"Guild Girl and I share...alot of things; we're about as close as sisters can be. She even told me about your encounter with Sword Maiden, what she said to you...and how you acted on it." Inspector said as Summoner stood there staring at her.

"What...?" He said in disbelief.

"O.k...I'm just going to come out with it: she's not the only one who was interested in you...and still isn't." Inspector said honestly.

"But...I'm with her already..." Summoner said.

"I know, but...I actually talked to her about...well, both of us-" Summoner cuts her off.

"I'm not going down my brother's path; did she not tell you what he used to be like with women?" He asked.

"Yes, but you're not him are you? He may have been a womanizer, but by definition, that meant he slept around without their consent. Think about it: the three of us are hardly strangers, you yourself said we're both adorable, and to top it off...you're a Gold Ranked demon hunter. Trust me...she's o.k. with this, almost as much as I am." Inspector said.

"So...what? You want to go out with me like she and I did?" Summoner asked.

"Technically, you and I go out all the time; you even saved our lives, nearly at the cost of your own. Do you have _any_ idea how many women have a wish for a knight-in-shining-armor? Guild Girl sure did, the Sword Maiden apparently did, and deep down...I do as well. Granted, that's not always the case, not by a long shot, but still."

"Alright, alright, point taken...and he did throw Her Grace a bone- o.k. _terrible_ choice of words, but you know what I mean." Summoner said.

"Of course...now, will you give us a chance?" Inspector asked.

"Oh what the hell..." Summoner said.

"Alright. So...would you like to come to the beach me and Guild Girl went to to celebrate with Goblin Slayer, and Ranger's teams when they killed the leviathan? We had heaps of fun." Inspector asked.

"It's a date..." Summoner said before she hugged him.

"I'm sure you'll have fun as well, the kind that doesn't involve demons." Inspector said before Summoner pulled back a bit, they stared at each other for a bit...then he pulled her into a kiss that they broke a few seconds later, and he saw that it left her a bit stunned. "_Wow_..."

"Impressed?" Summoner teased.

"Very..." Inspector said with a smile, that made him stroke her cheek.

"At the beach, I may even let you both see a World Spawn, the toughest summon in the book, and even send it into Limbo." He said.

"That...would be impressive." Inspector said.

* * *

**Well...Ranger got his parents back, he and the Hero's crew went Doomguy on the demon's asses, and Summoner's getting some loving from the ladies. But on a serious note, this is one of the shorter chapters because of how much of a pain in the ass it was to write, but...who can blame me? Anyway, there's not much to tell about what's next so...you know the drill by now, so...stay tuned.**


	36. Chapter 18 Part II

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Scratch yet another shitton of goblins and demons. Let have a look-see how the team picks up from here shall we?**

**Review Response: Yeah, Hero, Ranger, and company kicked some serious ass didn't they? As did Goblin Slayer and company for that matter...**

**Fighter also had a good point over them finding out later if it mattered, and that the invaders would get their asses whooped if they tried again; they don't give Gold and especially not Platinum Ranks to people who aren't a force of nature.**

**I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually planned Summoner being the one who killed Rhea Scout because frankly...Ranger didn't deserve that kill as much as Summoner did. Yes, you all read that right: Ranger...my main character, except of course for GS himself, didn't deserve a kill. But oh well, I'm pretty sure I don't need to explain why...but I will anyway. R.S. talked smack about Sword Maiden and Storm Mage's murders, talked down to Guild Girl, and even tried to kill her and Inspector, and nearly killed Summoner, so...Ranger may have nearly died, but with Summoner...it was personal.  
**

* * *

"Yo Ranger, why didn't you just shoot that paladin who jumped you?" Spearman asked.

"Wouldn't do any good; the last time I fought a paladin, my bullets just bounced off it's armor like I was throwing pebbles at it." Ranger said.

"Lovely..." Spearman said.

"What about those swamps you went through? We heard it was pretty hairy in the lizard people's homeland with just those outlaws, or outcasts, whatever." Rookie Warrior said.

"Luckily for myself, training in weather like that is nothing new for me." Ranger said.

"What?" R.W. asked.

"When I was a boy, I had no day off when I trained to be a ranger; if it was raining heavily, snowing, even blistering heat, it was fair game." Ranger said.

"Yeesh..." Apprentice Cleric said.

"I'm alittle amazed my father didn't tell you that." Ranger said.

"Look at the environment around here..." Heavy Warrior said.

"Right...nothing like the swamps." Ranger said dryly.

"Nice to see your eyes are working well honey." Fighter teased as Ranger glanced at her.

"Wiseass..." Ranger said as Fighter laughed a bit.

"Whatever happened to that Rhea Scout's body?" Female Knight asked.

"Summoner cremated the body." Wizard's brother said.

"Too much of an honor for that pest..." Ranger said sharply.

"You'd say that since he nearly killed you." Spearman said and Ranger side-glanced at him.

"At least when he had that shotgun to my head I didn't shit myself, even before I knew he was out of ammo. I nearly blew his head off with his own cannon in the end, if you recall watching the recaller." Ranger said and R.W. snickered.

"Recall the recaller...wow." He said.

"Anyway, I say good riddance to those assholes holding up the elves and lizardmen." Spearman said before taking a bite out of a porkchop.

"And I can't wait to see the looks on the rest of the trainees' faces when they hear of what happened here...thanks to my son, and company of course." Ranger's dad said as he had his hand on Ranger's shoulder.

"Where are they anyway?" Ranger asked.

"They each had their own missions away from here; you name the type, it's on the table." Ranger's dad said.

"Good for them. Hope it goes well for them." Ranger said.

"Until they return, let us make the most of the moment, yes?" Witch said.

"Yeah!" Everyone but Ranger, Fighter, and Priestess yelled before the three got their own table, with Ranger's parents, and Priestess and Fighter sat there holding and playing with the baby while Ranger watched them from across the table. Ranger and Fighter eventually smiled and held hands before Fighter got the baby from Priestess...then Ranger got the baby himself, and kissed her forehead.

You know, she's just like you were as a baby, only...you weren't so fair." Ranger's mom said.

"One would _hope_ so." Ranger said with a raised eyebrow and a half-smirk.

"Yeah, I know, it's not manly to call a male fair, but seriously...look at her." Ranger's mom said before Fighter took the baby back and held her close.

"Both your parents helped save the town daughter, and we're going to keep it up until this world is safe enough for you." Fighter said softly and Priestess stroked the baby's cheek.

"Can I hold her now?" Cow Girl asked as the baby squealed a bit, and reached for her, which earned her some laughs

"Subtle..." Ranger said as Fighter handed her child to Cow Girl who let the baby touch her face.

"You having fun yourself?" Cow Girl asked as she took the baby to GS who was in the corner without his helmet on.

"She really is going to be an amazing mother..." Priestess said warmly.

"No question about that..." Ranger's mom said.

"Bless her heart; she once kept our daughter from being killed, or captured by goblins, even though she was nearly...ensnared by them." Ranger said.

"Bless her heart indeed; she deserves to be Sapphire Rank for that alone as far as I'm concerned." Ranger's dad said seriously.

"On another note, how much do you want to bet she told Goblin Slayer to remove his helmet so he wouldn't make our child cry?" Fighter asked.

"I for one would not put it past her." Ranger said.

"He's not that scary..." Priestess said...which got her some raised eyebrows.

"Not that sc- Priestess, I _never_ thought I'd see the day you said something stupid. Goblin Slayer doesn't even look _human_ in that armor, even when he had his original suit..." Ranger said dryly.

"Nonetheless...if she did ask him to remove his helmet so he wouldn't scare her, then good on her-" Fighter shut up the moment GS took the baby and just stared at her, then Cow Girl whispered to him, he removed a gauntlet...and let the baby grip his finger.

"Is Goblin Slayer really doing that?" Ranger asked in awe.

"Apparently so. Nice to see him lightening up though." Fighter said.

"He's well on his way to becoming a dad himself..." Ranger's dad said.

"Yeah...I see..." Guild Girl said somberly.

"Problem?" Ranger's dad asked.

"It's just..I used to have a thing for him, but whatever...Summoner is a good man too." Guild Girl said.

"You saved your life didn't he?" Fighter asked.

"Yes he did..." Guild Girl said brightening up.

"Alright then..." Fighter said.

"He used Hell Rifts didn't he?" Ranger asked.

"Yes..how'd you know?" Guild Girl asked.

"I fought him remember?" Ranger asked.

"Oh...right..." Guild Girl said as Summoner and Inspector came downstairs.

"Well, look who decided to show up..." Fighter teased.

"Hee hee..." Inspector said.

"So..." Guild Girl trailed off.

"I'm in." Summoner said as the two ladies high-fived.

"In what?" Female Knight asked from behind them.

"None of your business." Summoner said.

"If you say so..." Female Knight breathed out before going back to her meal.

"Let me guess: You're taking him to the beach to show him around?" Fighter asked and the three each had their eyeballs pop out of their sockets.

"How did you know that?" Inspector asked in awe.

"Simple: we went there, you two are interested in him, and he's the only one of us who didn't go there." Fighter said simply.

"Well, enjoy your beach time." Female Knight said seriously.

"Not a problem..."Guild Girl and Inspector said at the same time.

"So...you're both interested in him?" Ranger asked after noting that most of the people are occupied with their own things.

"Apparently." Inspector said simply.

"I think it's a bit odd too, but hey...why the hell would I complain?" Summoner asked.

"Well...o.k. then...if it works it works..." Ranger said simply.

"Glad you approve..." Summoner said dryly before Guild Girl yawns and Inspector looks outside.

"I think we should head home. Wait, can I sleepover?" She asked.

"I...guess, but I only have one bedroom." Guild Girl said.

"That's o.k. Summoner can just make one, right?" Inspector asked.

"Uhhh, I suppose I could turn one of those dummies into a bed, but it's a bit of a longshot." Summoner said honestly.

"Let's just try it, o.k.?" Inspector said.

"I'm not protesting; I'm just letting you know." Summoner said before Inspector clapped her hands together.

"Then it's settled. Let's go catch some shut-eye." "She said she left, then Summoner looked at Ranger and company, shrugged, and followed the ladies out.

"Well...that happened..." Fighter said.

"Hey, to each their own." Ranger's dad said.

"Oh, those adventurers you trained...do you think it'll be enough, what you taught them?" Priestess asked.

"Hand me that recaller..." Ranger's dad said seriously, and the group got a vision of Ranger's dad having the rookies spar each other en masse...and Ranger recognized quite a few tricks he learned himself, and ones he taught Warrior. The trainees even got a crash course of how goblins fought, especially how they didn't fight as a whole, despite their often vast numbers. Ranger and his team learned first-hand that even if large numbers of enemies just throw themselves at their foe...ones who actually maintain a formation, or at least use basic teamwork...the goblins would just get cut down, and they _were_, countless times.

"Wowie..."Fighter breathed out.

"That proof enough for you?" Ranger's dad asked.

"Very much so." Priestess said before GS and Cow Girl showed up, and gave the baby to Ranger's mom.

"You know son, she's about as heavy as you were at that age." She said.

"And now I weight just under 200 pounds, minus my armor." Ranger said.

"Really?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yes, look at me." Ranger said with his arms spread out.

"How was I supposed to know that?" Cow Girl asked.

"Right..." Ranger said before Priestess yawned.

"And that's out cue, to hit the hay ourselves." Fighter said before they all got up.

"Good night everyone." Ranger's mom said before giving the baby back to Fighter, and they all went home.

* * *

"Home sweet home..." Guild Girl said as she went inside, then they went upstairs to her bedroom.

"So...how are we doing this?" Inspector asked, before Summoner started thinking, then got an idea. He summoned a stone golem, absorbed some of it's power, literally created a rock out of thin air, made a bed shape out of it, took some of the material used to make the dummies, and made a mattress out of it. The whole time, the two ladies were watching with their eyes glued to his actions.

"That was...impressive..." Guild Girl said finally before Inspector tested it...and immediately sighed and shifted around.

"Now _this_ is a bed..." She groaned.

"Let me feel it." Guild Girl said as he got on, and had a similar reaction.

"Well?" Inspector asked as Guild Girl shifted.

"I cannot agree did you do this?" She asked.

"I have an alchemist at the fort remember? He taught me a thing or two." Summoner said simply.

"Can you make two beds?" Guild Girl asked.

"We could also share this one." Inspector said.

"Wow...you _really_ want this don't you?" Summoner asked.

"Of course I do, need I tell you again why?" Inspector asked.

"No...you do not..." Summoner said.

"Alright...then let's get ready." Guild Girl said before the two got up, and Guild Girl got her blankets and pillow out her bed and put it on the new bed...while Inspector stripped to her underwear as Summoner looked her over.

"Seen enough?" Inspector teased.

"You don't want me to answer that..." Summoner said as Guild Girl stripped herself.

"Why exactly are we're almost naked, and you're not?" Inspector asked before Summoner removed his armored cloak, leaving him in just his pants.

"Happy?" He asked as the two ladies looked him over.

"Very much so..." Inspector said while nodding before Guild Girl approached her ear.

"He _feels_ even better..." She whispered.

"I read your lips you know..." Summoner said with a raised eyebrow before Inspector hugged Guild Girl from behind while the two looked at him.

"Then come here, and shut her up with your own lips." Inspector said sensually before Summoner walked up to Guild Girl, and practically yanked her into a kiss, while Inspector backed up, and circled Summoner while running her hand along his back, then he pulled away, and looked at her.

"Your turn..." He said with his voice deepened, and kissed her as well while they pressed into each other... then she pulled back and looked down...and Summoner had an annoyed look on his face as he positioned his manhood against his lower abdomen as Inspector laughed at him.

"Someone's in a good mood." Guild Girl teased.

"Careful, none of us had any sterility potion, and I didn't bring any." Summoner said.

"Good, it's too soon for that. Besides, there's a difference between this, and...going all the way." Inspector said honestly as Guild Girl laid down.

"Let's just go to sleep shall we?" She said as Inspector laid down herself.

"Say...who do you think has the better body?" She asked.

"That's the most unfair question I've ever been asked..." Summoner said.

"Right...well, at least you get to lay in the same bed with two adorable women. This should be a dream come true eh?" Inspector teased before Summoner shook his head.

"If you say so..." He said as he took his pants off...while the two watched, and he raised an eyebrow at them.

"Hey, we let you look us over; fair's fair right?" Inspector asked.

"Right...may I ask just how into this you two are?" Summoner asked.

"Are you kidding? You went around, helped stop an invasion, possibly prevented others before that, helped that poor farm girl get back to Goblin Slayer, and to top it off...you saved our lives, nearly at the cost of your own. You...my good sir, are the definition of a keeper." Inspector said seriously.

"Right..." Summoner said with a smirk and got between them as they ran their hands up and down his chest and abdomen while his arms were wrapped around each of their waists while the two ladies occasionally shifted against him.

"How do you feel?" Guild Girl asked sensually before Summoner kissed her.

"That answer your question?" He teased before she kissed him again more deeply, while Inspector kissed his neck, making him break he kiss and pat her butt just hard enough to make it jiggle, making her flinch and chuckle a bit before Summoner kissed her as well, while Guild Girl kissed his neck on the other side and got her butt squeezed as well which earned him a giggle.

"Think you can handle us both like this?" Inspector asked while running her finger along his face with lust on her face and in her voice.

"I hunt demons for a living; I can adapt..." Summoner said simply.

"Ohhh, confident are we?" Guild Girl teased before Summoner raised an eyebrow at her.

"Give one reason I shouldn't be..." He said.

"No way, no how." Guild Girl said seriously before her butt got squeezed again.

"Good girl..." Summoner teased before kissing her and Inspector sighed as she snuggled into his side.

"I can't wait to hit the beach tomorrow..." She said dreamily.

"I'm still open to give you ladies a demonstration, namely...showing a World Spawn." Summoner said.

"Keep that up, and I won't be able to sleep." Guild Girl said.

"Alright...good night ladies." Summoner said as they snuggled into his sides as he held them close.

* * *

In the morning, Ranger left Fighter to spend time with their baby, while he went to the kitchen in the apartment, to cook some breakfast for his mother, who showed up a while after he was done.

"Ah, you're just in time." Ranger said as he set the table.

"Son, you shouldn't have..." His mom said as she sat down.

"Why? It's Mother's Day, isn't it?" Ranger asked before kissing the top of her head.

"Yes it is." She said as she took a bite out of some of the eggs and put up a thumb.

"Not only did you give birth to me, but those potions saved my team alot of trouble, inspired Wizard to further your craft, which would not happen without you. You work at the temple which...speaks for itself, and I will never forget you supplied the potion that healed my beautiful wife on our first quest. I don't know what dad has in store for you, but I have no idea if it's enough." Ranger said.

"The same thing goes for you son. That Platinum Rank on your neck couldn't be on a better man, or a better son." His mother said before they embraced.

"Happy Mother's Day..." Ranger whispered.

"Thank you son." His mother said before he let her go and continue eating.

"You know, my Platinum Rank is your victory as well." Ranger said.

"Oh you don't have to tell me son, now please...you're making me forget my manners." His mother said with her mouth full as Ranger laughed a bit before Fighter came down with their baby.

"Enjoying your breakfast ma'am?" Fighter asked.

"Please dear, I'm your mother now remember?" Ranger's mom said as she finished up and Fighter approached.

"Right..." Fighter said as she gave the baby to her grandmother.

"Hello." Ranger's mom said.

"Hello..." the baby said as Ranger's mom chuckled and Ranger stood there watching while Fighter leaned into him with him wrapping an arm around her.

"So...you have anything planned for my new daughter?" Ranger's mom said as Fighter looked at Ranger with both eyebrows raised.

"Maybe..." Ranger said with a smirk.

* * *

The team got in a cart and hit the road to the oceanic city, with Fighter holding her baby...and Warrior stared at the baby the whole time.

"You want to hold her?" Fighter asked.

"Might as well hold my niece." Warrior said as he took her.

"Niece? You haven't call her that in a while." Fighter said.

"True... I miss your father..." Warrior said thoughtfully.

"We can go see him when we're done in the oceanic city." Fighter said.

"I would like that very much." Warrior said.

"I'd like to meet him as well." Priestess said.

"Me too." Wizard said.

"Goblin Slayer?" Cow Girl asked.

"Why not?" GS said.

"What about us?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Yeah." Wizard's brother said.

"Of course you can come; who or what is stopping you?" Fighter asked.

"Alright then..." Rhea Fighter said, and they kept going for about half an hour before Ranger spoke up.

"Something just occurred to me; Rhea Scout used Hell Rifts to jump around the place when we fought, just like I did with this portal gem against the vampire queen..." He said.

"You thinking of taking a page out of his book and doing the same thing later on?" Wizard asked.

"Possibly, if we get a chance, I'm going to head up to the archmage and ask if she can improve the number of times it can be used, or at least a way to charge it." Ranger said,

"But first-things-first..." Fighter said firmly, which earned her a smirk.

"Of course." Ranger said softly before she got closer to him, and kissed him. They eventually got to the monastery, but kept going since the Abbot was probably still working on the relic, but they waved at some of the monks as they did some work on the grounds.

"Wow...that is one impressive city, they even have some farms out there." Cow Girl said.

"I cannot believe I'm asking this, but are you thinking of living here?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Maybe...but let's see what's what first." Cow Girl said somberly as GS actually held her hand, which earned him a smile from her. They then went through the gates, went to the apartment they went to last time they were here, and did some exploring as a group. It wasn't much different from Water Town, other than the fact that it wasn't as...heavenly.

"So...what should we do first?" Cow Girl asked.

"Well, we didn't do much last time we were here, so...there's quite a bit to look for." Warrior said.

"Hmmm...decisions decisions." Priestess said while the baby she held as reaching for her face, which she allowed.

"That baby really likes you doesn't she?" Wizard's brother asked with a smile.

"You're here to celebrate Mother's Day Right? Well..use the portal gem to go to different locations that are special to you." GS said.

"That was supposed to be a surprise; thanks for spoiling it..." Ranger said dryly.

"Sorry..." GS said.

"Eh, there's still details that need to be discovered." Fighter said.

"That's true." Ranger said.

"As for here...well, we can check out the archmage's spire first." GS said.

"That's...actually not a bad idea." Fighter said.

"Can't wait to see the look on the archmage's face when she hears what we did with the armor we got from there." Wizard said with a smile.

"What?" Cow Girl asked.

"Your armor came from there remember?" Wizard asked.

"Oh...right..." Cow Girl said.

"Alright, let's go." Ranger said as they stood up and went to the spire.

* * *

"Oh...you're back." H.E. Archmage said as she looked up from her desk.

"We made use of the armor you gave us." GS said as Cow Girl posed.

"I see...and I can sense you made some improvements." H.E. Archmage said impressed.

"We're also here to see what other wonders are available." Fighter said hopefully.

"Well...we have quite a few sights to behold, as long as you respect what's not allowed to be looked into." H.E. Archmage said seriously.

"Will do." Ranger said.

"Very well...just down there. Enjoy the tour." H.E. Archmage said, and the team went down a corridor...and saw mages practice spells of different types, like blowing things up with lightning and fire mixed together...which got Wizard's attention, as Warrior drew his hammer as he thought the same thing: they could do that in the future! They also saw some alchemists turn metal into cloth, or the other way around, some summoners make a swarm of butterfly familiars that make an array of colors that resembled a yarnball of rainbows.

"Wow..." Cow Girl whispered.

"Wow indeed..." Wizard's brother said.

"Thinking of trying that yourself?" Wizard asked.

"I might very well do that someday." Her brother said seriously.

"Alright...what other wonders can we find?" Priestess asked as the baby started whining, then Fighter took her back and looked her over.

"What's her problem?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Maybe she's overwhelmed. Let's get out of here." Fighter said seriously.

"That's a shame..." Cow Girl said.

"We can come back later." GS said.

"Still." Cow Girl said as they went to leave.

The team went to the docks to get some fish to cook, then they went back home to make some tuna steaks, potatoes, an array of veggies, and even some eggs. Fighter went to the back to breastfeed her baby while the rest of the team cooked.

"It's too bad we didn't do much foraging in the elves' and lizardmen's homelands. Hell, we rarely do much foraging at all." Warrior said.

"We foraged all the time while on missions together, remember?" Wizard asked.

"Of course I do, but it's pretty stupid that the boss gave us all that ranger training and we never got to use it at his side." Warrior said.

"How did you do it?" Ranger asked as he fried some fish, and Cow Girl peeled and mashed some boiled potatoes.

"When you're done, we'll show you on the event recaller." Wizard said.

"Right..." Ranger said.

"Although, spoiler alert, we're not the only ones who put your training to use." Warrior said before Wizard tapped his arm.

"Play nice you two." Fighter said as she came back and gave the baby to Priestess.

"You having a good Mother's Day so far?" Cow Girl asked.

"So far so good." Fighter said.

"As long as we have a say love, it'll end the same way." Ranger said softly as Cow Girl went "aww" and got a funny look from him.

"It's not my fault you two are adorable." She said.

"Right..." Ranger said before checking the fish.

"And?" Cow Girl asked...before Ranger removed the fish from the pan, added some more spice and put them with the rest of the steaks.

"That answer your question?" Fighter asked.

"Let's eat." Rhea Fighter said as they all got their food, sat down, and dug in for several minutes straight.

"Ah...now that's what I call fish." Warrior said as he finished up.

"Didn't you hunt some fish up north sir?" Priestess asked.

"Yep, for myself, as a companion." Ranger said.

"That Herbalist Girl who looks like me?" Fighter asked.

"Same one..." Ranger trailed off.

"What?" Priestess asked.

"Goblins...they took her right out from under me, and I got there just in time." Ranger said.

"How many?" GS asked.

"I didn't count, but it could've easily been a dozen." Ranger said and Cow Girl went pale.

"She...she was captured by a dozen?" She asked in horror.

"He said he stopped them in the nick of time, but...we just _ate_; let's not think about that too deeply please." Wizard's brother said seriously.

"Right..." Cow Girl whispered before getting a grip.

"As long as those goblins were killed, whatever could've happened doesn't matter." GS said.

"I rarely agree with that sentiment more my good man." Warrior said.

"Now, that recaller?" Ranger asked.

"Right..." Wizard said before taking it out of her bag, and they spent the next half an hour recapping moments where Warrior and Wizard discussed what plants could be used for potions, or poisons, when they were in the wilderness. They even took parts from monsters they helped others took down, like trolls, giant bugs, spiders, snakes, or even bats. Most of the monster parts were sold for coin, especially the bones.

"Huh...I guess those foraging lessons weren't a waste afterall." Ranger said.

"No kidding; we actually did some ourselves." Rhea Fighter said.

"Sure, we used to just buy the stuff we needed from herbalists, and alchemists, but hey." Warrior said.

"Right..." Ranger said.

"Now, I'd like to explore the other side of town please." Fighter said.

"Ready when you are." Cow Girl said.

* * *

"Looks like it's about to rain." Priestess said as she looked at the sky that was clouding up.

"Good." Fighter said as she inhaled the freshening air.

"She likes rain..." Warrior whispered to Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother as they looked around. Eventually, they heard yells...then saw Master Fighter teaching some people katas, and they moved in near-perfect harmony.

"Just like how my father did it..." Fighter whispered as they all watched the conclusion, then they all bowed to Master Fighter and left, before he noticed her.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here..." He said curiously.

"We're here because I wanted to explore the city; it's Mother's Day afterall." Fighter said as Priestess approached with Fighter's daughter.

"Another surprise...I wasn't aware you were a mother either. Who's the father, if I may ask?" Master Fighter asked.

"That would be me master." Ranger said as Master Fighter looked him over.

"And...you are?" Master Fighter asked.

"The Ranger." Ranger said.

"Ranger? The same one people keep saying killed the vampire queen and led the team that aided the Goblin Slayer? If I knew you were that same team, I would've been far more supportive earlier...follow me." Master Fighter said as they went inside the dojo, and went to the back.

"My father had a dojo similar to this one." Fighter said.

"You lost him? My sympathies dear." Master Fighter said seriously.

"Thanks master." Fighter said as Master Fighter sat down.

"May I ask what you intend to do to support us, exactly?" Ranger asked.

"Well...for starters, but I can't give you support yet. I can however give you a chance to make a difference. I know it's out of left field, and it's not a good day to ask for help...but there's actually a crime lord giving static to this part of town. No one knows why the elves and guards aren't helping out, but few people are willing to ask the elves for help, or the city's lord for that matter, and those that _do_ ask for help...wind up getting punished in some form or another." Master Fighter said.

"Punished?" Ranger asked.

"Yes...the worst case I've seen involved a man getting both his knees snapped, and his five-year-old son being threatened with an axe right in front of each other." Master Fighter said.

"What?!" Everyone asks at once.

"I never confronted any of my students, but I have reason to believe that some of them are spies, or at least wannabe recruits for the gang." Master Fighter said.

"You're taking a big risk telling us this, if they find out-" Fighter cuts GS off.

"We'll look into it." She said firmly.

"What? But it's-" Fighter cuts Warrior off.

"I cannot in good conscience have a "good day" while this kind of filth is being thrown at my craft. At the very least, we must get these thugs out of town; show them what happens when they get too close to the wrong place." She said seriously.

"I completely understand, and I'm certain your father would be honored to see his daughter take a stand like this." Master Fighter said.

"Thanks master..." Fighter said softly.

"What exactly are they doing here?" Ranger asked.

"So far, nothing major, but they're moving into this area day by day...I fear they might eventually use this place to use this place to train their thugs-" Fighter cuts Master Fighter off by slamming her fist into the desk.

"No! This will not stand! This place being threatened is one thing, but the idea of this place being used to openly train criminals disgusts me." She said seriously.

"Then let's go find some, and kick their asses." Warrior said.

"Luckily, there is a tournament tomorrow, and it would be a golden opportunity to draw the gang's leader out if you get some of his followers to send a message from me to have some of his best fighters come here to win me over." Master Fighter said.

"There is no way they would fight honorably." Fighter said.

"And even if they did...you're practically opening the door for them to take this place over. You said they didn't do anything major; if you draw them here...nothing more major can happen here." Ranger said.

"I know...but sometimes, to redress the balance-" Fighter cuts Master Fighter off.

"The balance must be destroyed entirely...my father said the same thing once..." She said.

"I see...I thank you all for your help, now...if you have anything else to do, I suggest you get on with it." Master Fighter said seriously as Fighter got up.

"That will not be a problem." She said.

"I could wail on some of them, if you can point me in the right direction." Warrior said.

"No, it should be me." Fighter said.

"Actually...you my dear should remain out of the spotlight, as should anyone else who wants to aid you, at least for now." Master Fighter said.

"He's right. Surprise is key here." Ranger said as Fighter sighed.

"Alright...but be careful please." She said.

"Relax, he's got me, and everyone else. So go enjoy your day; we've got this handled." Wizard said.

"Thanks..." Fighter said as they left...and Master Fighter sighed and looked out the window.

* * *

Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric were escorting a cart back to the frontier...and R.W. was chopping through a fallen tree with his axe for a few minutes.

"This...is one...tough...as hell...tree..." R.W. said between swings.

"It's an oak tree, what do you expect?" A.C. asked.

"Helpful..." R.W. said before continuing to chop away. He then froze his axe, and kept chopping into the tree.

"Hey, we can use the wood from that tree!" The driver yelled.

"It's either I do this quick, or we'll be here all day." R.W. said as A.C. sighed.

"Empower!" She yelled and R.W. flexes his muscles then hacked into the tree several times a second, and then picked up some wood pieces, and throwing them into the cart.

"Alright...let's go." The driver said as the cart kept going...then they spotted a troll.

"Ohhhhh shit..." R.W. said before grabbing his crossbow, the empowerment leaks into the crossbow, and his shot staggered the troll as it charged them.

"Holy Smite!" A.C. yelled as the troll was burned by a bolt of lightning from her mace...only to regenerate it's burns, yank the bolt out of it's shoulder, then grab a large rock and throw it at the cart, barely missing it. The troll then charged them again as R.W. got out of the cart, charged it, threw his axe at it's knee, making it fall down just as the empowerment wore off. He then called his axe back to him, as A.C. used Empower on him, and herself, and they each attacked the troll up-close from different sides until it collapsed, then they hit on the head over and over until it died...then it collapsed and fell right on A.C.'s leg, making her scream in pain.

"Hold on!" R.W. said before pushing the dead troll off of her, then looked her leg over.

"How is it...?" A.C. asked nervously.

"Not good. Your leg is busted." R.W. said.

"Oh great..." A.C. said as R.W. picked her up and carried her back to the cart.

"Good thing we brought some of those life potions." R.W. said.

"Right...doesn't make this less painful though." A.C. said as R.W. carefully placed her in the cart, and gave her a potion.

"Think you can handle the trip back?" The driver asked.

"I don't have much choice do I?" A.C. asked as the cart kept going and they kept quiet for several minutes as R.W. eyed the troll.

"Too bad our bosses aren't here; they're have killed that thing with neither of us getting hurt." He said somberly.

"We still did it...and you got me out of yet another jam." A.C. said.

"That's what partners do right?" R.W. asked with a smile.

"Yes...they do..." A.C. said before he gave her a quick kiss.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter went home with their baby, so they could be alone, they then spent the whole time watching events they had with their baby on the recaller, from the time at the pond, to the times with the Sword Maiden...as heart-tugging as it was, it was still fitting, to the time Cow Girl watched the festival with their baby. Turns out the event recaller worked on babies' memories as well...somehow.

Meanwhile, Warrior led the group around without their armors to draw less attention. Eventually, they heard some crashing in a corner building...and saw a bunch of thugs trashing the place with a man hiding behind a counter, and a woman in the middle watching the thugs trash the place. Warrior then kicked in the door, startling the thugs.

"What are you doing here!? This is _our_ turf, get lost!" A thug yelled.

"Sorry, no can do. We don't take kindly to scrawny little turdballs turning a good establishment into a junkyard." Warrior said.

"Boy, you're starting something you don't want to finish." The woman said smugly as the thugs cracked their knuckles.

"That's a first..." Warrior said.

"Get him!" A thug yelled as they charged him...then Warrior morphed his armor and punched them all to the ground with one hit each, leaving only the woman there.

"Now...send your boss a message. We know he wants the dojo not far from here. If he wants it, he can have it after the tournament..._if_ he wins." Warrior said to her.

"Oh he'll win...and you'll be sorry." She growled as Warrior morphed his hammer, making her flinch.

"Not as sorry as all of you are now." He said as she ran.

"Did she seriously just leave her men here to die?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Criminals aren't know for living lives of honor." GS said.

"Yeah, like that wasn't pathetically obvious." Wizard said as the man behind the counter stood.

"Thank you young man. I gave my life to this place..." He said.

"We were looking for them anyway, but you're welcome." Warrior said.

"Let me guess: they were either after protection money, or wanted to just blow off steam?" Wizard asked.

"The former my dear. I've been holding out on them, and they eventually found out." the man said.

"Well, that's going to come to an end soon enough." Cow Girl said.

"But before we go..." Wizard said before looking at her brother, and they used a repair spell to fix what was destroyed as the man watched in awe.

"No need to thank us." Warrior said as they left.

"What next?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Well...we can look for upgrades to our weapons while we're here?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Not a bad idea..." Warrior said.

"The elves will probably have something for us." GS said.

"Sheesh, two visits in one day..." Wizard said.

"They'll survive." GS said before morphing his armor back on.

* * *

"Why are you back?" H.E. Archmage asked.

"Can you give us any upgrades?" GS asked.

"We can upgrade almost anything, just go through there to the alchemical forge and leave me be." H.E. Archmage said.

"Thank you." GS said simply as he walked off.

"Just what are you working on-" H.E. Archmage cuts Cow Girl off.

"I myself am going over the results of what goes on down the corridor you were down earlier today. Now...please go." H.E. Archmage said as the team followed GS.

"So...how are we going to improve our stuff?" Warrior asked.

"I already have something in mind..." GS said.

"Which is?" Rhea Fighter asked as GS approached as alchemist.

"Excuse me? Can you modify a weapon for us?" GS asked.

"That depends, what do you need work done on?" the alchemist said as GS turned to Cow Girl.

"A rifle." GS said, as Cow Girl handed over her gun and the alchemist looked it over.

"This is quite a piece of handiwork..." the alchemist said.

"Can you make it hold more bullets, or even fire faster?" GS asked.

"I'll try, can't promise anything though..." The alchemist said.

"We can pay you for it." GS said.

"Boy, we don't use money for anything but resources, and even then, they environment itself is full of stuff for us to use." The alchemist said.

"Sorry." GS said.

"Ah, forget it. Just get on with your day, and let me work will you?" The alchemist said.

"Thank you." GS said before turning to leave.

"And what if she needs that later on?" Wizard asked.

"One of the scrolls I took from the outcast base me and Ranger raided was a replication scroll." GS said.

"And you're telling us that now because?" Warrior asked.

"I didn't need to until now." GS said.

"Next time you leave in the dark, I swear to the Supreme..." Wizard said as they went outside and saw it raining.

* * *

"Wow...rain starts, and she's out like a torch." Fighter said as she put her baby on a series of set-up pillows as a make-shift crib, before sitting next to Ranger and having him hold her next to him.

"You think she'll look like you or me as she grows up?" Ranger asked.

"Who knows, who cares? I'm sure she'll be beautiful either way." Fighter said before kissing him sweetly.

"I ever say I love you?" Ranger asked.

"Not since this morning." Fighter said.

"Well...I do." Ranger said

"I love you too." Fighter said before hugging him tightly.

"Happy Mother's Day..." Ranger whispered before kissing her as deeply as he could before she broke the kiss and snuggled into him.

"Despite what we discovered earlier...this isn't a bad first Mother's Day." Fighter said.

"Until that tournament, you're all ours." He said.

"Don't let me go..." Fighter whispered...then remembered that she said that after he woke up when the Sword Maiden used Resurrection on him.

"I won't..." Ranger said seriously, before she looked up at him. "What is it?"

"Nothing...I just remembered how the Sword Maiden said how lucky I am to be with you..." Fighter said softly.

"I'm sure she still thinks that way. Can't imagine what it's like for her and Storm Mage now." Ranger said.

"Actually...can we use that recaller to see our wedding?" Fighter asked.

"Of course, but...before we do, I have to ask...in Hell, the Hero's Sword Saint friend said I have a better voice when I use Army of One...do I?" Ranger asked and Fighter thought for a moment.

"Let's hear it again..." She said before she used the recaller to listen to him threaten the Demon Lord...and her reaction was immediate. "Ranger...try to copy that voice now please."

"You mean like this...?" Ranger asked with his voice deepened, which makes her suck in a breath.

"Yes, just like that..." She said.

"Well, I'll save it for some times; it's not easy on my throat." Ranger said honestly.

"Can't have that can we? Now...our wedding?" Fighter asked as Ranger used it to recall their wedding. From the time they first saw each other, to seeing the Sword Maiden healthy again after almost a decade, to their vows, to her blessing, to their dance...to the love they made in the bathhouse; thank goodness no one but them were present, and the baby was sound asleep.

"That's...quite enough of that." Ranger said awkwardly as Fighter laughed at him.

"You were so good back then..." Fighter said sensually as she snuggled into him.

"Fighter...not in front of the baby." Ranger said.

"She's asleep." Fighter whispered before licking her lips...and Ranger slammed his lips against hers right away, and even reached into her shirt to rub her belly.

"Good thing your stretch marks are gone. I would be a shame for you to lose some- No...you wouldn't lose any beauty at all." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: because they were evidence of how I gave you a daughter?" Fighter asked.

"Yes indeed." Ranger said seriously.

"I say when she wakes up, we visit that pond again." Fighter said.

"I agree...and I'll never forget what you did for me there." Ranger said softly.

"How could I do anything else...my love and life?" Fighter whispered before kissing him again...and he actually pushed her off of him.

"O.k. o.k...we should get some practice in before that tournament...and then some." Ranger said.

"Right..." Fighter said before getting up, they checked their baby who was still sound asleep; if history was anything to go by, it would be a few hours before she woke up, so the two went out back to get some training in.

"By the way...you know those interrogations I did with those terrorists? How'd I do?" Ranger asked as they morphed their light armor.

"_Very_ scary honey." Fighter said before kissing him, and taking her place on the other side of the arena...after he lightly spanked her, and she gave him a look that said "it's on now"...

* * *

Back at the frontier, Summoner returned to from his demon hunting in the late afternoon, for some dinner...and found the place full of people. Most were eating, drinking, and gossiping, and from the looks of things, he got there just in time; some guys were so drunk, they were getting a bit...chaotic. He then approached the tables and noticed Guild Girl who was waiting on some people...before spotting him just as she gave a guy some ale, and her face brightened.

"Summoner!" She exclaimed before giving him a quick hug.

"Hey beautiful." Summoner said softly.

"You still interested in our...date?" Guild Girl asked.

"How can I not be?" Summoner asked as Guild Girl giggled.

"Well, until then...please keep an eye out for trouble; some guys actually hit on me a while ago." She said.

"Figures. Well, no one but me handles you like that." Summoner said seriously as Guild Girl smiled.

"I feel safer already." She said.

"Is that your catchphrase or something?" Summoner teased and Guild Girl patted his chest.

"Just keep a lookout." She said before getting back to work, then Summoner got himself some pork and potato stew, and cider. He was downing the broth of his stew before getting up, then noticing a guy approach Guild Girl, who was sitting down eating her own meal,from a table full of other guys.

"Hey baby, I saw you with that mage guy. You know those guys tend to be walking twigs if you get my meaning?" The guy said.

"He seems alright to me." Guild Girl said simply.

"Well...come with me and my friends over there, and we'll give you more than just "alright"." The guy said.

"I'll be fine, thank you." Guild Girl said before getting up and moving past Summoner as the guy pursued her...and Summoner yanked him back from her.

"Lady said "no". Take a hint." Summoner said sharply.

"Says the guy who probably has to screw her five times to ma-" Summoner shuts the guy up by snapping his fingers and making a stone golem appear out of nowhere, which scares the whole room.

"Finish that sentence at your own risk..." Summoner grumbled.

"Summoner...you made your point. Now put the golem away." the manager said seriously, then Summoner snaps his fingers and the golem vanishes.

"For the record...I was never going to use it seriously, but regardless...I have hundreds of elementals to my name; you might as well call me the general of a personal army." Summoner said as the guy who pursued Guild Girl went back to his table.

"Thanks for that..." Guild Girl whispered before giving him a quick kiss before going back to work, and some people chattered about how lucky Guild Girl was, some men said how lucky Summoner was, and others even mentioned his Gold Rank...which really got people's attention. Summoner then got himself some more stew and cider, and polished it off, before nibbling on some bread as the people eventually left on more quests.

"I hope you're not too full..." Inspector said as Summoner smirked and got up.

"Not anymore...shall we?" He asked.

"Of course, got everything we need right here." Inspector said as she held up a bag, and they went to the team's apartment, and Summoner looked over the gateway Wizard made.

"Something wrong?" Guild Girl asked.

"Well...I am the one who taught Wizard how these things work, but...there's multiple different locations." Summoner said.

"We're after the beach." Inspector said.

"I know that, but I can't tell which one the beach is. I can tell how many places were marked, and each one is different, but she never told me which it is." Summoner said.

"Can't you just send us back and forth between here and each spot until you get it right?" Inspector asked.

"I'd need a restore-magic potion and a half for that." Summoner said.

"Great..." Guild Girl groaned.

"Wait...maybe I can use an elemental in Limbo to decrease the energy cost..." Summoner said before snapping his fingers, a water elemental appeared, and it used the gateway no less than three times before Summoner stopped.

"And?" Inspector asked hopefully.

"Got it! Let's go." Summoner said before they used the gateway...and wound up at the beach.

"Woo-hoo!" The ladies exclaimed before Summoner had the elemental check the environment, as the ladies went to the beach houses, went into one of them, and stripped down to their underwear as Summoner removed his armored cloak, and Inspector took out a few masks.

"What in...?" Summoner trailed off.

"Wizard gave them to us last time we were here. They let us breathe underwater. Sorry I didn't get three." Inspector said.

"Eh, my water elemental lets me breathe and move normally through water anyway." Summoner said.

"O.k...that sort of makes sense-" Guild Girl shut up the moment some sterility potion fell out of the bag.

"Seriously...?" Summoner teased as Inspector chuckled.

"You got me...but hey, this isn't a bad place." She said.

"You're hopeless..." Guild Girl said.

"Bold too." Summoner teased before going up to Inspector and yanking her into a kiss, that she deepened while pressing her body into his.

"Alright alright, let's do some swimming and other things first." Guild Girl said while chuckling while she spoke.

"Right...and you two beauties owe me some stories, and maybe I could tell some myself?" Summoner asked.

"Alright. Well, when we were last here, some of us got coconuts, the Lizard Prest just sunbathed, and...well, the elf and Priestess talked to us a bit about Sword Maiden...but didn't tell us that she went through...that." Guild Girl said.

"Well, she's with my brother now." Summoner said.

"Anyway, we also went swimming close, and further out to sea, with a boat of course." Guild Girl said.

"Sharks?" Summoner asked.

"Yep...a hammerhead, and a whitetip." Inspector said and Summoner's eyes popped.

"A whitetip...? You were both lucky as all hell. I've heard cases where whitetips actually attacked survivors of shipwrecks, just because they were there." He said seriously.

"Dear Supreme..." Inspector whispered.

"Well, as long as there's no more then one, we should be fine." Summoner said.

"On a lighter note, we got some jewels and both Fighter, and that farm girl got their own." Guild Girl said.

"Fighter got a purple one, and the farm girl got an emerald." Inspector said.

"Huh, lucky them." Summoner said.

"Ranger thinks purple is Fighter's color..." Inspector said softly.

"Romantic devil..." Summoner said.

"So...any stories of your own?" Inspector asked.

"Other than some books I've read that unironically pissed some people I knew off, including myself?" Summoner asked.

"What? How?" Guild Girl asked.

"Only with the worst ending to a book ever..." Summoner grumbled.

"Dare I ask?" Guild Girl asked as Summoner sighed.

"O.k...I'm not giving too much away, but it's about a whole group of people who go through a place that needs their help, or the other way around at various times, and...again, I'm not spoiling too much, but quite a few of the events are quite gripping, at least if you ask me. Even the parts where ass-kicking is involved was gripping." Summoner said.

"So...what's the problem?" Inspector asked.

"Well...I'm in a bit of a pickle now; I do recommend it for anyone who's into that kind of thing, but I have to give a warning as well: Do not read the last chapter; the whole thing gets ruined from that point forward, without too much trouble either." Summoner said as the ladies looked, and nodded at each other.

"What happens in the last chapter...?" Guild Girl asked as Summoner sighed again.

"Alright, here we go...everything that the reader experiences, gets attached to, and learns, last chance, spoiler alert...it was _all_ a dream. None of it was real..." Summoner said as the ladies stared at him.

"What...?" Inspector asked dryly.

"Yes, everything was an illusion! Why...on this green and blue Earth, would someone write a masterpiece of a book, only to slap the reader in the face by having it all not be real? It's like growing a garden, and then setting it all on fire! Especially since I actually encouraged some people to get their hands on it themselves, they agreed with me, and some of my friends even reenacted parts of it, then the story stabs us all in the back!" Summoner said.

"Did you at least get something out of it?" Guild Girl asked.

"Of course I did; this book did actually teach me things that help me out to this day, and quite possibly my career was aided by it as well, but that doesn't excuse how utterly disrespectful that was." Summoner said seriously.

"Well...at least people know how _not_ to write a book now." Inspector said.

"Damn straight..." Summoner said.

"Alright, enough of that...we came here to get some action, so...let's go." Guild Girl as they went outside, the ladies put their helmets on, and Summoner drew power from his elemental, and dived in after them. True to his word, he was zipping around in the water like it was no problem, and didn't need a helmet to breathe. The trio then swam around looking at the fishes, the vast ocean in the distance, spotted some sharks as well...including a great white, and even found a sea snake or two, that they gave a wide berth to. It was well-known that sea snakes were some of the most toxic in the world. The great white they saw stayed around but never got close to them, especially since Summoner was the only one who didn't swim back to shallow water when it approached. Eventually, the shark leaves, and so does Summoner.

"Whoa...three- no, I'm sorry, five sharks in two visits." Inspector said.

"Five?" Summoner asked.

"We saw...alot of reef sharks down there as well. Also...it's almost sundown." Guild Girl said.

"Don't tell me you want to sleep here." Summoner said.

"What? You don't want to sleep here, even with us with you?" Inspector teased.

"That's not it; I just think it's a bit questionable." Summoner said.

"Even though I brought that bed you made for me? Or should I say us." Inspector said.

"You shrunk it didn't you?" Guild Girl asked.

"Actually, I shrunk it, and I can grow it." Summoner said.

"Then get in there and get ready..." Guild Girl said.

"Just for reference...are you two...new to this? Because...it'll likely hurt the first time." Summoner said seriously.

"We'll manage." Inspector said before Summoner shrugged, went into their hut, drank a shot glass worth of potion, formed the bed...then turned to see both the ladies buck-naked...and his eyes feasts on their forms.

"And I thought you two were lovely before." Summoner teased as Inspector pushed Guild Girl to Summoner, who caught her and kissed her while Inspector circled him and removed his pants for him... then the two looked at his manhood and then at his face.

"Wow..." Inspector whispered.

"Relax, I'm new to this myself remember?" Summoner asked.

"Right." Guild Girl said before kissing him again as Inspector sucked on his neck while Summoner squeezed Guild Girl's butt as she chuckled into their kiss and caressed his chest.

"So passionate..." Inspector teased as the two in front of her ran their hands up and down each other's bodies while lashing tongues, while she herself caressed everywhere Guild Girl didn't. Eventually Summoner turned Guild Girl around and fondled her breasts as she gasped in bliss, especially when he discovered that she liked having her nipples twisted and Inspector rubbed her own breasts against Summoner's back.

"You want some as well?" He asked.

"You two go first...I want to see what's in store for me." Inspector said.

"In that case..." Summoner then put Guild Girl on the bed as Inspector leaned against the wall, and watched Summoner rub Guild Girl's legs, waist, sides, and belly and eventually...lick her nipples as she held his head in place and moaned in bliss.

"Someone's having a good time." Inspector said.

"Just...wait until...it's your turn." Guild Girl breathed out as Summoner fondled her bosoms and goaded her to spread her legs, as he looked at how moist, and swollen her womanhood was, then looked at her...and got a small nod.

"Relax...if the Sword Maiden can handle this, so can you." Summoner said seriously yet softly as she closed her eyes, and felt him slowly but steadily push into her as she tensed up and sucked in one trembling breath after another as her virginity was removed.

"How is it?" Inspector asked with concern.

"I'll manage..." Guild Girl whispered before Summoner moved out slowly, then back in as she calmed down. Eventually, her tension, turned into ease, and eventually euphoria as he picked up the pace in response to her throaty moans. The two eventually snapped from their orgasms and he collapsed on top of her.

"You managed alright..." Inspector said as Summoner removed himself from her body, then sat on the edge of the bed.

"And you're next." He said as Inspector let out a sharp breath as she approached him, then came down to kiss him while wrapping her legs around his waist. They sat there passionately kissing while he rubbed her smooth, milky thighs and hips, while she giggled into his mouth. Summoner eventually moved up her sides, to her breasts, and gave them the same fondling, and licking treatment he gave Guild Girl...got the same reaction as well.

"Pretty good isn't it?" Guild Girl teased.

"Oh _yes_..." Inspector said with lust in her voice while Summoner playfully chewed on her breast.

"Plan on using any new tricks?" Guild Girl asked before Summoner released Inspector's breast then squeezed them with his hands the old-fashioned way.

"Actually...I have half a mind to try all of them, but...let's not get ahead of ourselves. Plus, I don't want to hurt either of you too much." He said seriously.

"Well...I'm not hurt at _all_..." Inspector said sensually as she kissed him, and he let go of her breasts.

"What you might be interested in, is that...you can lower yourself onto me, and move at your pace." Summoner said as he positioned his manhood, and Inspector lowered herself onto him like he said, and groaned as she let him into her body. They then sat there until she was ready several seconds later, and she bounced up and down on his lap slowly, then picked up the pace as she got used to it, then started moaning as Summoner gripped her flopping breasts. Eventually, the two snapped and Summoner held her close, as she caught her breath and chuckled a bit.

"Good idea?" Guild Girl teased as Inspector nodded.

"I don't know about you two but...I've had enough for one time. But what a time it was..." Summoner said as Inspector laughed a bit while caressing his back and kissing his chest.

"Dream come true indeed right?" She asked.

"Oh yes..." Summoner said as Guild Girl sat up and crawled over to him to kiss him.

"Next time...let's do the other things you found out." She said.

"I cannot wait." Summoner said before kissing her again.

"Oh! Show us a World Spawn!" Inspector exclaimed and Guild Girl squealed herself.

"I have to see this!" She said.

"First off...you know I'm still inside you right?" Summoner asked as they looked down to see their bodies were still connected, before Inspector got off his lap.

"Alright...now let's get dressed and watch us a summoning!" Guild Girl exclaimed as the three got dressed, and Summoner grabbed his belt of summon stones he never leaves behind, puts them all in a ring, focuses on them, they spin around like a wheel as the two ladies shake with anticipation...then a portal opened in the middle of the beach where the water touches the sand, the wind picked up, and sand and water flew everywhere.

"This is it!" Inspector exclaimed as a World Spawn formed piece by piece, and stood up with it's arms outstretched to the side, looked at them, and knelt down to their level.

"Ladies...I give you, a World Spawn." Summoner said dramatically as the two looked it over with utter disbelief.

"I've seen towers that weren't that tall..." Guild Girl said as the World Spawn looked them all over.

"It gets better..." Summoner said before chanting in the Demon Lord's tongue for the better part of a minute while the World Spawn vanished.

"Wha- Where did it go?" Guild Girl asked.

"Limbo...the world between worlds." Summoner said.

"What...?" Inspector asked.

"Yep...that World Spawn can be literally anywhere, and no one will know it. But don't worry, it's priority is anything we wouldn't be friendly towards." Summoner said.

"So...these elementals in...Limbo, are they why you can fight demons so well?" Guild Girl asked.

"Not entirely, but they do..._alot_ of work for me." Summoner said.

"Wow..." Guild Girl said.

"Double wow..." Inspector said as the sky started turning dark.

* * *

Ranger meanwhile, was helping Fighter train for the tournament; her skills were as sharp as ever, but using her armor was out-of-the-question; she needed to get used to not using it again. She pressed the offense while he stuck to defense, and she pulled every tricks she could think of. From barrages of punches, to going between high and low attacks, to hitting one side, then the other, or the same side more than once, to even fake hits. One time, she threw a punch halfway at Ranger's face, then changed it to hit his chest.

Obviously, she wasn't using her full strength since she didn't want to injure her husband, but the refinement in her skills spoke for itself. They then took it up a notch, but having Fighter use her more advanced moves...which included her backing up, then jumping at Ranger while throwing several kicks before landing, then he jumped before she could grab his legs and trip him, then he backed up as she threw no less than three spinning kicks while jumping, one for each height. Ranger than gave her a life potion to restore her energy, then she smiled from the exercise high, then kissed him deeply.

* * *

**Happy Mother's Day Fighter...Heaven knows you've earned it. Yes, I know, Mother's Day was two days before the day I posted this chapter, but who cares? In their universe, Mother's Day is today. Anyways...what a Mother's Day it's been, even for Ranger's mom. But, it's not over yet, not even close. Yes I took a page or two out of The Karate Kid's book here, but it's not only...pretty loosely-inspired, but also an accident...which seems to be a theme in this saga. Anyway, what's next you wonder? Well, you're just going to have to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait...stay tuned.**


	37. Chapter 19 Part I

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. This episode is going to be a good one; Fighter is going to get just about every awesome treatment she got in the rest of my work in one package, minus the delicious loving she gets from our main man, Ranger...or is she? Well, one thing's for sure: I built up some things last time, and I have every intention of delivering.**

**Review Response: For once, I've got nothing to say here; everything you said speaks for itself Engineer...**

**Actually...fun fact: in the 1st part of Year One, I was going to have Fighter get her leg hurt by having it pinned under the dead hob, but I like what I actually did better so...I might as well have done it with A.C.'s leg. The same goes for Warrior cutting up a fallen tree, but R.W. doing it makes more sense. So...there's that.**

* * *

In the North, Hero and company were going through the ruins of an ancient castle, that actually goes underground. When they got deep enough, they found a handful of dead goblins that lacked any injuries.

"There's only one person we know that does that..." Sage said seriously.

"Uh, ladies? You may want to go into this stealthily." Cherub said as the team pulled their swords, then went in deeper...and found a band of adventurers feasting at a table with a large kettle in the middle being stirred by Berserker.

"What the-?" Hero asked.

"Aren't you glad I'm with you?" Cherub asked with pride.

"Now, and beforehand." Sage said.

"Hey, didn't you watch out for Ranger once?" Sword Saint asked.

"Yep, and FYI...the Sword Maiden herself watches out for him and his team now." Cherub said.

"Lucky them..." Hero said.

"No kidding. Now...you should go out there, and...you might want to go forward carefully." Cherub said before vanishing, the three then engaged the adventurers led by Berserker, who spotted the three ladies.

"Ah, join us Sword-Sisters." He said as the rest greeted them.

"Thanks, but we're not hungry." Sword Saint said.

"I am!" Hero said as she rushed over to the kettle and looked inside.

"Freshly-hunted boar and elk. Shot them both dead myself." One of the women, Huntress said.

"Carrots and tomatoes galore I see..." Hero said as Berserker gave her a bowl-full, and Hero sat down to eat...then kept going after the first bite.

"Sheesh, you _are_ hungry." Sage said.

"Even if I wasn't, this is _good_ stuff." Hero said barely taking time between bites.

"May I ask what's up with those goblins outside?" Sword Saint asked.

"Ah, they were reaped by our revenant friend in that room over there." Huntress said as she pointed to a room behind them.

"You have a _revenant_ with you?" Sword Saint asked as Hero snapped her head up.

"Aye, he was here this whole time. Keeps to himself, and lets us do our own business." Berserker said.

"Good bit of business that...don't know if I could eat around a dead guy." Another man said.

"Speak for yourself. He's not even dead." Huntress said.

"Close enough..." The man said.

"Well, we've literally been to Hell; good luck spoiling our appetites." Hero said as she offered her bowl back to Berserker, who gave her seconds.

"Oh whatever, give me some as well." Sage said as she sat down for some stew. Sword Saint then went to the room, and lo and behold...she saw Elder Revenant meditating with a live goblin in a cage in front of him.

"You?" Sword Saint said as the undead man looked at her.

"Hello..." Elder Revenant said as the goblin stirred then grabbed the cage while snarling, making Sword Saint pull her sword.

"Why do you have that little monster in a cage?" She asked.

"Because I plan on using it as a sacrifice to the Death God, to get these souls out of my possession." Elder Revenant said.

"Sage told me a bit about that...but why bother giving only a handful of souls to the Death God?" Sword Saint asked.

"Simple: I have more than a handful." Elder Revenant said before the goblin tried to break out of the cage. "Squirm all you wish; you've been in that cage for the better part of an hour, and I have no more sympathy for you then I did before." The goblin kept shaking the cage before Elder Revenant kicked the cage hard enough to knock the goblin down. "Don't make me come in there!"

"Why haven't you sacrificed it yet?" Sword Saint asked.

"Because when those adventurers leave, I will summon the Death God. I would do it now, but an encounter with the Death God isn't for the faint of heart; not many can stomach the idea of meeting the one who will sever your connection to this world." Elder Revenant said.

"Right. Those people outside complained about having to eat in the same room with a dead man." Sword Saint said.

"The feeling is mutual. Seeing them feast reminds me of what I am missing , despite the fact that not requiring food, drink, or sleep is quite liberating." Elder Revenant said.

"What?" Sword Saint asked before being looked at seriously. "I get what you mean, but...that's quite a perspective." Elder Revenant simply hummed in response. "May I ask what other perks come with being undead?"

"I can use all of my strength without tiring, unlike a living body. I need not fear injury, or death, since I'm already dead, and that also means I do not age." Elder Revenant said.

"May I ask how old you are?" Sword Saint asked.

"5,000 years, perhaps even older. Time has little meaning to a revenant." Elder Revenant said.

"I can understand that. May I ask how strong you are?" Sword Saint asked and her undead companion looked right at her.

"The last revenant that came to this country was a match for the Hero you travel with, and there are no revenants greater than myself. None that traveled to more worlds or countries than myself either. Heaven, Hell, the Astral Plane, the Abyss, the Void, the Realm of Chaos, the Realm of Harmony, none but myself went to all of them." Elder Revenant said and Sword Saint stood there breathing hard.

"How are you not Platinum Ranked?" She asked.

"I am not an adventurer; I never was." Elder Revenant said simply.

"Have you reaped the Sword Maiden and Storm Mage?" Sword Saint asked.

"No. The Death God took them to Heaven himself." Elder Revenant said.

"I see...well, nice talking to you...I guess." Sword Saint said as she went to leave the room.

"Wait...why are you asking me these things?" Elder Revenant asked.

"Curiosity..." Sword Saint said.

"And the rest of your intent?" Elder Revenant asked.

"Am I not allowed to know about a possible ally?" Sword Saint asked seriously.

"We are not allies. We are not even friends; who could be a friend to death itself?" Elder Revenant asked and Sword Saint stood there thinking. "I may have more respect for the living than the other one, but regardless...life does not appeal to me as much as it did to him. Why do you think I have been a revenant for this long? Because like him, the dead's fates concern me, yours...does not." Elder Revenant turned from her to eyeball the captive goblin, as Sword Saint looked them both over nervously...then she left the two alone.

* * *

After their training, Ranger and Fighter quickly checked on their baby who was still asleep, then went to their room with a bucket of water, and a pair of towels to clean each other off, and as usual, took their sweet time doing it, and were as through as ever. They didn't touch each other beyond simply using their fingers to get a stubborn piece of dirt off every now and then; they got most of the intimacy out of their systems during their training. When they were done, they laid down on top of the blankets, with Fighter pressing her breasts into her husband's side as he held her tightly. They then simply laid there inhaling each others scents, and basking in each other's warmth, and leftover moisture while shifting and rubbing their bodies together, especially Fighter herself.

"Happy Mother's Day..." Ranger whispered in her ear while caressing her freshly-washed hair, before she looked up at him smiling brightly.

"Thank you...my love and life." Fighter said dreamily before kissing him, then laying back down on his shoulder. She eventually ran her soft, but strong hand over his chest, abs, and sides.

"I will never stop being amazed how these hands can be so gentle, yet enable you to tear through dozens of vampires." Ranger said in awe as Fighter touched his face.

"These hands are as available to you, as the rest of my body is." Fighter said sensually as Ranger smiled then his face fell.

"Which of your arms was ripped off by the Cambion?" He asked.

"The one I used to touch you now..." Fighter whispered before Ranger held her right hand to his face.

"Remember the time we made love in that spring?" Ranger asked and Fighter trembled at the memory.

"I never want to forget..." She breathed out as Ranger chuckled.

"Then don't..." He whispered. She then grabbed the recaller, they both sat up, with her between his legs with his arms holding her belly, and they spent the next half an hour watching their moment in the spring. Fighter even touched herself where her husband did, especially her breasts and legs. He then noticed and took over as she let out one trembling breath after another, especially when he squeezed her breasts, let them go, which made them bounce, then he rubbed his hands all over them.

"I love you so much..." Fighter whispered before Ranger shook her breasts, making her giggle.

"As that moment shows, every second you spent moaning your lungs out? That's one second you spent with the man who loves you. I may not follow the Love Goddess excessively, but there is no denying her teachings about what interactions between bodies should be like. From the first moment, mine became yours, just as yours has been, and always will be _mine_..." Ranger said sensually while he rubbed up and down her body, from her shoulders, to her hips. to the sides of her butt, to her womanhood itself which made her gasp, and tremble as he rubbed her most sacred place with his fingers, making her moan softly and shift against him some more. "May whatever forces dare come between us..."

"Look upon the strength of our bond...and shatter against it..." Fighter said as Ranger stopped fingering her. "Do you see us Sword Maiden? I don't know what Storm Mage is doing for you, but...for blessing our marriage alone...you deserve all of what he has to offer." Ranger then brushed her hair away from her neck, licked, and sucked on it as Fighter chuckled and gasped in bliss...especially when he slowly, and lovingly, rubbed and fondled her breasts, especially from underneath, and the front. Sometimes, he even roughly gripped her breasts, but not too hard..._never_ too hard.

"You remember how it felt? The warm water washing over you, my hands treating this lovely body like the treasure it is..." Ranger said.

"...And what masterful hands you have..." Fighter breathed out while leaning into him while the atmosphere clouded the entire moment; her head was swimming like a fish from the way her husband treated her, and how she remembered how he did in the past.

"And those times I mated with you..." Ranger said with his voice deepened making her let off a moan while her legs tensed and closed.

"Oh yes...the love you made to me was _divine_..." Fighter breathed out.

"And what a divine body you have to work with, made even more so by the passing of time, and I know you feel the same about mine...I'm sure the Love Goddess smiles on us both as much as the War God smiles on me when I crush goblins and demons in his name." Ranger said while continuing to massage her breasts, then went over her sides, and belly, then her thighs and hips, with her smiling and gasping all the while. Eventually, he raised her chin to kiss her, while she returned the passion while caressing his pecs before breaking the kiss, licking her lips. He then latched onto her mouth again, and they lashed tongues, while she pinched and rubbed the tip of his manhood as he sucked in one breath after another before stopping her...for obvious reasons.

"Wait...I have an idea. Make some underarmor, then...put it on." Fighter said while pointing to his manhood, then Ranger looked thoughtful.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes. Just make it dense so it doesn't tear, and thin enough so...it's not getting in the way." Fighter said, then Ranger grabbed his belt, morphed some underarmor around his manhood, and she stroked him a bit and he made it thinner until he sucked in a breath.

"That's it..." He whispered.

"Ready then?" Fighter asked, then Ranger answered her by stopping her strokes, then she smirked, and lowered herself onto him. She then slowly raised and lowered herself while pressing her luscious breasts into his upper chest as they both sucked in one breath after another while she held his shoulders, and her held her hips.

"So _good_..." Ranger breathed out as the goddess in his lap continuing going up and down slowly but steadily. One look from each other's half-opened eyes showed they had the same idea: the memory of their past mating sessions were as fresh as they could be; lust may have a place in this moment, but it was just there. About a minute of gasping and faint moaning later, Fighter removed herself from his manhood, looked over the rubber on it and saw it wasn't damaged.

"We should've done this before..." Fighter whispered.

"So much for abstinence prior to battle being vital..." Ranger teased.

"We're already past the point of no return, plus...I get more mana from this remember? So fucking me apparently helps in the end." Fighter said.

"Should we keep going until we climax?" Ranger asked as he ran his finger along her round cheek.

"Yes..." Fighter said before kissing him deeply as Ranger squeezed her butt. He then laid her on her back, remained between her legs, and started fucking her as slowly as before.

"When we deal with the Cambion...I want another baby." Fighter said seriously.

"Like I said before...I'll give you as many children as you want. Although, I can't see us with more than three." Ranger said honestly.

"Me neither, but...being a mother is the only thing I take more pride in than my father's teachings." Fighter said softly before Ranger rubbed her cheek.

"The same goes for me...only I'm not the one who gave birth." He said and got a scoff from his wife.

"No kidding." She said before Ranger picked up the pace and they both groaned as they climaxed before hugging each other. He then buried his face into her neck as his hold tightened.

"When you gave birth...I know why you were screaming, but...it really took a toll on me to hear that." He whispered.

"And you want another child in spite of that?" Fighter asked before Ranger looked her in the face.

"I had the opportunity to leave when I needed to, plus...I've seen your face when your mind was broken. FYI...it reminded me of the broken faces on those girls I slaughtered on our first quest. Dear Supreme, I _never_ want to see you like that again." Ranger said while struggling to keep himself together, before she kissed him sweetly as he let her come up.

"Right here, right now...do you see anything broken?" Fighter asked softly.

"No..." Ranger whispered before Fighter smiled at him, which reminded him of the brightness he fell in love with as he looked up at her...then they mashed their lips together again as she caressed his faithfully-shaved face. The moment they pulled away, and looked at each other...their baby started crying.

"I'll see her...sorry for-" Ranger shuts her up by putting a finger on her lips.

"Go..spend some time with that beautiful little girl we were graced with..." Ranger whispered before Fighter morphed her underarmor, watched him remove his underarmor from his manhood...which was still intact so no fear of a too-soon pregnancy, and a few seconds later, Fighter came back holding their baby, then Ranger morphed a small crib for their baby...but first Fighter breastfed her for a while. The family then sat there in silence while Ranger watched his wife nurse their child. When she was content, the two parents stayed up with the baby until she went back to sleep, before laying down under the blankets. She then giggled as Ranger groped her butt.

"You just cannot help yourself can you...?" Fighter teased while her husband played with her flesh.

"Of course I can't...plus I get to hear that adorable giggle of yours." Ranger said before letting go of her butt, kissing her cheek, making her giggle even more, then snuggle into him even more.

"Good night..." Fighter said softly while Ranger caressed her smiling face.

"Good night...my _beautiful_ wife." Ranger whispered before kissing her and holding her close before they went to sleep.

* * *

"We have a surprise for you." Warrior said before Wizard showed a brooch made of iron.

"What are those?" Fighter asked before Wizard gave her one.

"Put it on your collarbone." Wizard said and the moment Fighter put it on...she vanished.

"Whoa!" Fighter exclaimed as Ranger reached out to touch her, and he felt her arm, her shoulder, and even poked her cheek...dangerously close to her eye, before she took the brooch off.

"Oh, sorry!" Ranger exclaimed before Fighter held his hand.

"It's o.k. it's o.k..." She said.

"Anyway...this has got to be a whole new level of unfair." Rhea Fighter said.

"No kidding. But, it only _cloaks_ you, not silences you. Need I say more?" Wizard asked.

"That is bound to come in handy...for one person." Wizard's brother said.

"We can put the enchantment on other things as well, and even give them an "off" function. You know tap it, you're invisible, tap it again, you're visible? And before you say anything: I legitimately didn't know this was a possibility until now; there is no way I would've let something this useful slip through my fingers if I knew it was a thing." Wizard said seriously.

"No kidding..." Fighter said.

"Regardless, it's in our hands now, and now's as good a time as any to put it to use. Now, where's Goblin Slayer, or should I say...the Goblin Slayers?" Ranger asked.

"At the spire getting their new rifle, and FYI, we took a look at it before we got you two...it's a doozy and a half." Warrior said.

"O...k..." Ranger said.

"Fighter, you and I should probably take a stroll through town to see what's what, while the rest of you check out that rifle. We'll use that beacon thingie if things get too nasty, or if something needs your attention specifically." Warrior said.

"Alright...and honey? Don't get too hard on miss Goblin Slayer." Fighter teased.

"I'm no more likely to do that than you are to rip a guy's jewels off for hitting on you." Ranger said and Fighter groaned.

"You're never going to let me forget those assholes at the weapon shop are you?" She asked.

"Considering you two sucked face afterwards, why would he?" Wizard teased.

"Oh shut it..." Fighter groaned and Wizard and Warrior snickered.

* * *

Cow Girl took some shots at some gel dummies with her new rifle. It now had a 20-bullet box in front of the trigger, and could even fire three bullets a second if she held the trigger. Her shotgun mod had the same feature...only it fired shells, not bullets.

"I..._love_ this thing!" Cow Girl exclaimed.

"I'm glad-" She shuts GS up by yanking him into a kiss.

"But not as much as I love the goblin-killing jackass who dreamed this up for me." Cow Girl said dreamily.

"I'm not a jackass." GS said simply and Cow Girl lowered her head and chuckled.

"A truer word has never been spoken. Don't overthink it please." She said.

"Alright." GS said as Ranger, Wizard, and Priestess, the latter holding the baby, showed up, which made Cow Girl pull away from GS just as she was about to kiss him again.

"Please, don't stop on our part. Heaven knows none of us have virgin lips..." Wizard said which earned her some funny looks.

"Had to put it like that...?" Cow Girl asked as GS put his helmet on.

"Don't tell me you don't think that's poetic." Wizard said.

"What brings you here?" GS asked and Ranger looked at the new gun.

"I'd like to see what you can do with it." He said as Cow Girl pointed at some dummies, then he went to look over the damage.

"So...how'd I do?" Cow Girl asked as Ranger looked over one of the dummies

"If Dwarf Rifleman were here, he'd be green with envy, you completely riddled this one dummy with bullets all over the left side of his chest. Each shot, even by themselves is a kill; even if he was _right_ next to a healer when he got shot, no one could save this guy. These two right here...? Neck shot, several chest shots...oh, here we have an interesting one. This goes right under the back of the skull, that's where the brain stem is. You sever that, this guy literally dies on his feet. This one's obvious...one shot through the eye, you're dead." Ranger said as he examined the dummies.

"Any advanced training you have in mind?" Cow Girl asked.

"As a matter of fact...I'm curious how that gun handles at long range." Ranger said.

"It handles fine." Cow Girl honestly.

"I mean _long_ long range. As in, the "other side of a town" long." Ranger said and Cow Girl looked at him funny.

"Why on Earth would I want to do that? O.k...I get how useful that can be, but what are the chances-" GS cuts her off.

"The fact that the chance exists is enough. Just like with goblins, we should take every advantage we can get." He said.

"Be that as it may, it's better to have a skill and not need it than the other way around. Who knows? You might get a miscellaneous bonus out of it." Ranger said, which got Cow Girl's thinking.

"Well...I suppose picking off the big cheeses from a distance before the fight starts could give us an edge." She said.

"Lady...it is really apparent you're never had any military training; I'm not even a ranger and I can tell that's the case..." Wizard said dryly.

"I was just thinking out loud..." Cow Girl said honestly.

"To be fair, that is completely true." Ranger said before looking over the dummies, then spotted a small clearing in the distance, then pulled his portal gem. "Wait here..." Ranger then opened a portal, tossed the dummies into the clearing, through the portal, then went through it.

"Look through this scope." Wizard said as she attached one to Cow Girl's rifle, then she looked at the clearing...and saw Ranger setting up each dummy the way it was before. Then Ranger opened a portal back to the group.

"Alright...Wizard, did you-" She cuts him off.

"Yep, made that scope myself too." Wizard said with pride.

"Nice. Now...see those targets? Try to hit each in the head." Ranger said.

"From here?" Cow Girl asked in awe.

"Yes, and with that scope, it should be cake." Ranger said, then Cow Girl looked at GS who nodded, then she took aim.

"Steady your breath?" Ranger asked.

"That's easy." Cow Girl said.

"Hold the rifle snugly against your shoulder?" Ranger asked.

"That's easy too." Cow Girl said.

"Well, here's the part that's not. Try predicting where the shot will hit, and make the shot hit that spot, and no where else, and since your targets are further...the wind is against you, and so is gravity." Ranger said as Cow Girl groaned, then took several seconds before trying a shot.

"Damn...I hit the lower side when I aimed for the center." Cow Girl said.

"Try to compensate." GS said as Cow Girl got a grip, aimed and fired.

"Better...but still not the middle." She said before aiming again, and took more time...and fired again. "Yes! Got it."

"Alright. Now, most targets rarely stand still, but hey, one step at a time..." Ranger said.

"I can have some elementals move around down there." Wizard said.

"Do it..." Ranger said.

* * *

Warrior and Fighter meanwhile were looking over a street that wasn't very busy, considering that only a dozen people were seen the whole time.

"You think we'll get any more action here?" Warrior asked.

"Unless anyone recognizes you." Fighter said seriously, then Warrior morphed a hairband to give himself a ponytail and bangs. "Seriously..."

"Hey, it's good enough for the boss, it's good enough for me." Warrior said.

"Right...What does your wife think of that?" Fighter asked.

"I'll have you know she told me that it fits like a glove right to my face." Warrior said.

"I have to admit, she's not wrong." Fighter said.

"Says the lady who gave birth to his daughter." Warrior said.

"My greatest honor and joy mind you." Fighter said seriously...then noticed Warrior with a second hairband he was handing to her with a smile.

"I'm sure your father is proud of you for it as well..." Warrior said softly, as Fighter returned the smile, before she tied her hair into a ponytail like she had when they met Ranger, and even morphed a robe and pants of the same type. Warrior couldn't stop staring at her in awe the whole time, and when she finished...she hugged him.

"Thank you brother." Fighter whispered before Warrior returned the embrace.

"Did you enjoy your first Mother's Day?" Warrior asked.

"Of course..." Fighter said.

"I'm sure your family had no small part to play in that." Warrior said seriously before Fighter pulled back a bit.

"You're not wrong." She said.

"I almost envy you. Me and Wizard-" Fighter cuts Warrior off.

"You'll have a child...when you have a child. Speaking of which...have you tried putting underarmor on your... little friend? Well, my husband did when we made love, and it's fool-proof." She said as she pulled back, and Warrior raised an eyebrow.

"Yikes..." He said simply, and Fighter chuckled.

"Saves you the "did either of us drink any potion" discussion doesn't it?" She asked.

"Quite possibly. But on a more important note...as nice as it is to see you in your old outfit, why?" Warrior asked.

"Think of this as a "return to your roots" situation for me." Fighter said.

"I suppose that makes sense." Warrior said before they walked out...and saw a group of men, some with weapons engage them.

"Hey, you two lovebirds have something for us?" One of them asked.

"Lovebir- Boy, you really don't know who we are do you?" Warrior asked.

"Lovers, siblings, cousins, puppies in a mill, I don't give a fuck. Give us something to save you some pain. Although...you sweetheart look like you could use some loving-" Fighter cuts him off.

"You know what happened to the last bunch of guys who tried that? Nothing good..." She said seriously as some of the thugs laughed at her.

"Wow...they really don't know who we are...oh well, have some fun." Warrior said as Fighter cracked her knuckles.

"Are you kidding me? A man's letting his woman fight his battles? And I thought you were dickless before; I'll bet she's the one who has it instead." A thug said.

"Ohhhh...you _really_ shouldn't have said that-" Fighter cuts Warrior off by tossing a crate at the thug who insulted her, hitting him in the face hard enough to knock him down, as the rest looked at the results...then Fighter rushed them, jumped at them while throwing a flurry of kicks at the two in the middle, and grabbing one on each side with one hand each, slammed them into the ground as she landed, picked another up and threw him behind her, side kicked another in the gut, then round kicked his head when he grabbed her foot. She then walked back to Warrior when she heard the one she threw pull a blade.

"We're not done you bite-sized bitch!" the thug yelled, then Fighter spin kicked the sword out of his hand, then kicked him to the side with her alternate foot just before she landed.

"Who's the bitch now...?" Fighter asked sharply before picking the guy up with one hand, and threatening him with his own sword.

"Wait! I'll tell you anything!" The thug said.

"Like what? Where your boss is? I want him to come here, so we can settle this properly." Fighter said as the thugs got up, then she noticed Warrior morph an auto-crossbow.

"Don't...even...think about it..." He said then the thugs backed away from Fighter.

"What's going on here?" A guard asked as he and some friends showed up.

"These peons tried to strong-arm us, at the edge of a blade." Fighter said before backing up to let the guards arrest the thugs, who were all too beaten to resist.

"Nice going. We'll get some answers out of them soon." a guard said.

"All in a day's work for a pair of Gold Ranks..." Warrior said.

"What?" the guard asked as the two showed their tags. "Well...that explains alot."

"No kidding. Now, don't let us keep you anymore officer." Fighter said as the guards left.

"Well...that was fun." Warrior said.

"You don't seem all that impressed with me kicking their asses." Fighter said.

"Uh, seen it once, seen it a thousand times..." Warrior said simply.

"Riiiiight...that's not what the boss thinks." Fighter said smugly.

"Since he put a ring on your finger, it's no wonder." Warrior said and got a deadpan look from Fighter.

"Smartass..." She said and Warrior snickered.

"Hey, why didn't we tell those thugs we were Gold Ranked beforehand? It would've made things go alot smoother." He asked.

"Well, I can't speak for you, but I just wanted to see what would happen if they didn't know who we were...even if they weren't interested. Afterall, simply showing you're Gold Ranked says alot." Fighter said.

"Good points all around, now...let's go see what else is going down." Warrior said before de-morphing his crossbow then following Fighter down the road.

* * *

Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother checked out the docks, and Rhea Fighter dangled her feet over the edge of a pier, and kicked the water every now and then.

"Careful, you don't know what's down there- Oh, right, your chakras..." Wizard's brother said.

"I don't always have them open, but...I'm glad you care." Rhea Fighter said as Wizard's brother leaned against a nearby post.

"Of course I care." Wizard's brother said.

"I didn't say you didn't, nor did I think it." Rhea Fighter said seriously.

"Right..." Wizard brother breathed out as Rhea Fighter looked at him, then turned back to the water while smiling.

"I remember when I was with Warrior in a meadow after a mission to show some trainees how it was done, against some stray goblins no less. When we got there...I saw him pick some flowers for Wizard...big ones too." She said softly.

"I remember them. Too bad they didn't last very long." Wizard's brother said.

"Still...flowers aren't just nice to look at, they're also a symbol for some people. From the sentiment itself, to a sign of purity, to saying "I want to be with you in both life, and death." Rhea Fighter said which got her companion's attention.

"Wow..." He said.

"Too bad we didn't pick any flowers last time we were in a meadow..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Yeah..." Wizard's brother whispered.

"You seem a bit tense." Rhea Fighter said.

"I am a bit, especially since...well..." Wizard's brother trailed off.

"What?" Rhea Fighter asked while getting up and they looked at each other for a while.

"You asked about us at the time; believe it or not, I've been putting quite a bit of thought into it while things were peaceful." Wizard's brother said.

"And?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"No "and". That's it..." Wizard's brother said honestly.

"Unbelievable..." Rhea Fighter said.

"What? Things have been batshit crazy lately, and chances are...they won't calm down any moment either. Even if I were good with feelings, which...frankly I'm not, this wouldn't be a good time for us to be together." Wizard's brother said.

"I see...well, for what it's worth, I appreciate your efforts. You may not be good with feelings, but you more than make up for it by being real." Rhea Fighter said and the two shared a smile, before he hugged her.

"Thank you..." Wizard's brother whispered as he held the little scrapper.

"Aren't you two adorable..." Rhea Hunter said behind them which made them both jump.

"What the- How long were you there?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Long enough to see you two holding each other like you were trying to stick to the ground." Rhea Hunter said.

"What do you want?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Just came to say welcome back, and to let you know that we could use a hand on a treasure hunt. You'll probably get to kill a ton of monsters." Rhea Hunter said with an inviting tone.

"I don't know...the rest of us are here on-" Rhea Fighter cuts Wizard's brother off.

"A personal mission that- o.k. it involves the local syndicate, but still." She said.

"The syndicate? Shit, this is serious...even the elves upstairs won't touch them, even though they've been trafficking slaves of all things. Yes, we've tried to do something about it, but...they seriously outnumber us, and the Evil Sect must have the most subtle agents in the world helping them; every attempt to stop them either gets the people who try killed, or...wishing they were killed." Rhea Hunter said.

"Then it's a good thing we got here when we did..." Wizard's brother said.

"Boy, you don't know the half of it. But hey, that's what your teammates are here for right? Especially that strapping beast of a man that leads you. " Rhea Hunter said with a smirk.

"He's married." Wizard's brother said dryly.

"Doesn't mean I can't fantasize boy." Rhea Hunter said.

"Good grief..." Rhea Fighter groaned.

"Anyway...we'll let Ranger and company know you have a quest for us, and wait for his word on who's coming." Wizard's brother said.

"Lovely...hope he comes himself." Rhea Hunter said with a smirk as she walked away.

"Sheesh...I've seen prostitutes more subtle than her..." Wizard's brother said as they went back to the spire.

* * *

Fighter and Warrior went to the dojo...and already saw some men gathering around a pair of men who were throwing punches at each other while bobbing and weaving.

"Wait...that's all I'm dealing with?" Fighter asked harshly as she saw the two brawler slug it out.

"Apparently..." Warrior said simply.

"Unbelievable..." Fighter said while shaking her head. Their movements were that of brawlers alright; the two just slammed into each other, tried to wrestle each other to the ground, while punching each other in the gut to avoid being thrown. Fighter could already think of half a dozen ways to beat them at their own game, if not change the game entirely. From undermining their footing, to redirecting the force of their attacks, to hitting their blind spots.

Ranger was able to keep pace with her in their first duel, and she improved significantly since then, even though she didn't use all of her moves at the time. Neither wanted to hurt each other at the time, but he didn't go easy on her, even though she was a woman. Even at the time, he could've probably crushed both the brawlers at once by himself. Her pregnancy kept her body's power in the shadows since training was out-of-the-question with a baby growing in her womb, but her skills never went away, which she was always grateful for.

"Oof!" Warrior exclaimed which snapped Fighter out of her thoughts, and she watched a brawler slam his opponent into the ground, then ruthlessly punch him until his lights were out.

"Well, we've got ourselves a winner." The ref said as he held up the brawler's arm.

"Yeah, and I'll take care of the rest of the bitches who want a piece of the boss." Brawler said as he spotted Fighter and Warrior. "Ooooh, a new piece of meat for the grinder."

"If you're talking about me, you're out of luck, but if you mean her...you might want to take that back." Warrior said.

"Wait...a girl? I go through all this training, and the master sends a _girl_ to fight me?" Brawler asked.

"A girl who has nothing to worry about." Fighter said bluntly and some men chuckled and whistled.

"Sexy, apparently able to hold her own, and witty...I'm in love." A man said.

"As is the father of my infant daughter." Fighter said while showing her ring.

"You're point?" The man asked.

"Do I really need to explain why that's an issue?" Fighter asked in awe.

"Forget it sis, let's just see the master and go." Warrior said.

"No need, I'm right here." Master Fighter said as the two approached.

"Well...we're here as promised master." Fighter said.

"Glad you fulfilled your promise." Master Fighter said with a smile.

"So...interesting band of people." Warrior said.

"They're just thugs who want in on the syndicate. I say good luck to them all..." Master Fighter said.

"Should we be aware of anything?" Fighter asked.

"Well...don't expect any honorable methods; I dare say you might need to even the odds if need be." Master Fighter said.

"Oh, we'll be ready. We have some secret weapons of our own, and no I'm not saying what they are, even to you. With all due respect." Warrior said.

"Noted." Master Fighter said.

"So...anyone besides those two brawlers involved in this directly?" Fighter asked.

"Maybe, but none of them did anything other than try each other out, but what you saw was the most impressive, and I use that term lightly. Brute force has too much of a place in the minds of criminals, which...in hindsight, is a good thing." Master Fighter said.

"No kidding." Warrior said.

"Well, we'll be back before the tournament starts, and yes we'll watch our backs. We wouldn't have lasted as long as we did if we didn't." Fighter said.

"Farewell." Master Fighter said as the two left...then some of the men followed them outside.

* * *

"That's one...that's two...that's three...that's four...and that's five!" Cow Girl exclaimed as she shot each elemental with her now-suppressed rifle.

"Nice shooting." GS said.

"You expected less?" Cow Girl boasted as she reloaded.

"I didn't expect more." GS said.

"Wow..." Ranger said as he noticed Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother approach.

"Boss, we've got some news. The monster hunters have a treasure hunt in mind, and want us to come along." Wizard's brother said.

"Did you say yes?" Wizard asked.

"We said we'd talk to all of you." Rhea Fighter said as Ranger was thinking.

"We should do it." GS said and everyone snapped to look at him.

"Yeah...and the tournament my wife is going be in, against criminals no less doesn't mean anything. Yeah that makes perfect sense." Ranger said with his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"We don't all have to go." GS said.

"Of course we don't all have to go, but who goes or stays does matter. Ranger does have a right to be here for his wife." Priestess said seriously.

"Right." GS said before Sword Maiden appears.

"Priestess, you should go with the hunters, as should you Goblin Slayer, and your farm girl friends. Ranger, you go with your wife; she's most likely going to need you and Warrior by her side. The rest of you...do as you will." She said.

"We'll go with the hunters." Wizard said.

"Right." Her brother said.

"So will I." Rhea Fighter said.

"Mother...will you take her?" Priestess asked as she handed the baby to Sword Maiden who took her without hesitation.

"I will care for her as I always do." Sword Maiden said before vanishing.

"Alright...best of luck to you all." Ranger said.

"Wait, you're really alright with her just taking your offspring?" Wizard's brother asked.

"I never once lost my faith in her; if she says my child is in good hands, then she's in good hands." Ranger said seriously.

"O.k...she's your baby." Wizard's brother said as they all left to join the hunters, or in Ranger's case, join Fighter and Warrior, before he entrusted his portal gem to Priestess.

* * *

Meanwhile, Elder Revenant and Hero led the group through the keep's underground. Berserker's hunters slaughtered hell goblins by the dozen with axes, swords, bows and crossbows, spears and shields, and even javelins. Elder Revenant was also reaping their souls, and reanimating the dead to create more dead. Hero's team went for the Hell Rifts themselves, and especially the tougher demons like the Wrathers, and even a Luster that appeared. Elder Revenant then broke off from the group.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Hero asked.

"I sense a handful of souls down this way..." Elder Revenant said as he left the others to finish their fight, and he walked down a corridor, until he spotted a naked woman chained to a wall, with cuts on her body, and she was shivering from the cold.

"W-who are you?" The woman asked with a broken voice.

"A servant of the Death God." Elder Revenant said.

"Please...kill these abominations..." The woman said.

"Gladly..." Elder Revenant said as he walked past her, tore off a cloth on the wall, to reveal a goblin that pounced at him...only to get bashed into a wall as it passed him. He then tore his scythe through the children the goblin was protecting, then removed their souls.

"How dare those...things, call themselves my children...!" The woman said.

"According to the Death God, the goblins' numbers took a critical blow a year ago, and their numbers fall every month. Before long, they will go extinct." Elder Revenant.

"Good...must you leave now?" The woman asked.

"I have a bounty of souls to reap." Elder Revenant said.

"Take mine with you." The woman said while weeping.

"Are you sure?" Elder Revenant asked.

"Yes...my firstborn children...were _goblins_. I can't live with that." The woman said.

"Very well..." Elder Revenant said before turning away from her, then driving a scythe through her skull, then removing her soul. "Heaven will hold all the life you were denied." He then went to leave...and saw Hero rush to the woman's dead body.

"Why did you kill her?!" She asked.

"I did so at her request. She said she couldn't live with how her firstborn children were goblins, and to be fair...that is quite a burden to bare." Elder Revenant said.

"We might've been able to help her get past that!" Sword Saint yelled.

"Could any of you live with giving birth to goblins? Especially if you didn't give birth to any human children first?" Elder Revenant asked.

"We face the Demon Lord, and killed a heap of goblins earlier-" Elder Revenant cuts Hero off.

"Which would make you fall even further, and even harder. During my time as a revenant, I've seen countless others put in the exact same situation, and I regretted not being able to ease their passage to the afterlife ever since. I refuse to be part of that again. I am aware some people are strong enough to get past this...but not all of them, and denying this, is as cruel as what they goblins do themselves." Elder Revenant said.

"Just promise-" He cuts Hero off.

"Relax, I have no intention of putting all victims out of their misery. Now...I must a sacrifice this goblin to summon the Death God." Elder Revenant said as he grabbed the unconscious goblin, and walked out.

"Wait, what about that goblin in the cage?" Sword Saint asked.

"I changed my mind..." Elder Revenant said, then the adventurers came out with treasure chests.

"A glorious bounty brothers and sisters." Huntress said.

"Aye, truly the Chief God has blessed us for our valor." Berserker said before Elder Revenant came out with the three ladies behind him.

"That would be our signal to get out of here." A man said as they all took their loot and left the chamber, as Elder Revenant positioned the barely-alive goblin as he looked to he ceiling, morphed an scythe, then jammed the scythe into it's heart...and the Death God appeared, sucking the heat out of the room, making the three ladies shiver violently and take cover. They were watched their undead companion, stick a scythe blade into his gut, and when he removed it...souls galore flooded out of his gut, and into the Death God's gourd before he vanished.

"That...was the Death God...we just saw the freaking _Death_ God!" Sword Saint said in awe.

"And he will ferry all souls to the afterlife...even yours eventually." Elder Revenant said as he looked at them over his shoulder as Hero actually gulped.

* * *

Ranger morphed his light armor when he noticed he was alone, then kept walking to the other side of town, and when he got there...he saw a gang of men following two people, and he morphed his claws, climbed up a building, to see what was going on from the roof...and noticed the two people sitting at a well.

"Warrior...Fighter..." Ranger whispered then noticed the gang approach the two, who noticed them.

"Looking for something?" Warrior asked.

"Yeah, forget the tournament, we want to see what you two can do." A thug said.

"Forget the tournament? That's why we're here remember?" Fighter asked.

"We don't care about that; you think we'd throw away to make a name for ourselves just because of "honor and spirit"? Well, news flash: shit don't work that way around here. You don't roll with the pack,the pack rolls over you. Got it?" Another thug asked.

"Your "pack" is officially full of shit..." Warrior said while shaking his head before a thug pulled a one-handed crossbow on them.

"Let's see you say that with a bolt between your teeth!" The thug said before Warrior morphed his sword in time to block a bolt with it in a reversed grip as the thugs stared at him in awe, especially when Warrior pointed his sword at them.

"You may have eight people...but take my word for it: it'll only take one of us to teach all of you." He said, as the thugs looked at each other, before pulling short swords and they engaged each other...and Warrior sliced all their blades in half with one swing, as they looked at their destroyed blades in awe, before Warrior backed up and sat back down. "I think I made my point..." The thug who shot his crossbow reloaded, then Warrior morphed his own crossbow and put a bolt in the thug's shoulder.

Then Fighter got up, grabbed a nearby cloth, threw it at a thug's face, before skipping forward and kicking one thug down. She then jumped on the chest of another, spin-kicked another in the face, grabbed the cloth off the face of the thug she threw it at, used it to yank him to the ground, before tripping a thug who threw a kick at her by pulling out his footing, then kicking him to the side as he fell. She then side-kicked another to the ground, one thug got up and tried grabbing her from behind, but she countered by grabbing his hand, dislocating his wrist, then flipping him to the ground, and dislocating his shoulder.

Another thug tried kicking her, only to get his knee dislocated with a stomp to the side of it, then he gets a knee to the gut. Another thug tried to give her a haymaker punch, which she ducked under, then punched his arm in the nerve cluster on his upper tricep, then gave him a barrage of quick punches to the ribs until he fell down. She then dropped down, and jammed both feet into the gut of another thug who tried to hit her from behind, then she spun around, and gave him an uppercut as she stood up. She then looked around at the men who's asses she just kicked...then spotted Ranger on the roof giving her an amused grin and a wave...which she returned, before looking at the final thug who was nursing his injured shoulder after retreating from the chaos caused by the one-woman-army who just kicked the shit out of his comrades. Ranger beat her to the punch by dropping down behind him and tying him up with a chain as Fighter approached him with Warrior at her back.

"I want you to deliver a message. Tell that boss of yours, as well as every puppy under his payroll, that if he gets the notion of pulling a stunt like this again...ignore it." Fighter said seriously, as Ranger lets him go, and they watch him run off.

"Heaven help those clowns if they try a serious fight..." Warrior said while shaking his head.

* * *

**Couldn't have said it better myself Warrior...anyway, Fighter sure had some time to shine didn't she? Well, spoiler alert: it's not ending anytime soon. You know how Cow Girl's rifle got an upgrade? Well, that's based on the M14, which for those of you who don't know, is an upgraded M1 Garand. Also...fun bit of trivia: in the original version of this story...Fighter gets involved with Revenant, and he eventually regains his humanity, obviously I liked the idea of her being with a ranger better, and...who can blame me? Revenant just isn't her type. And that scene where Sword Saint talks to Elder Revenant? That happened between Fighter and Revenant in the original concept for this story. Will the strongest of the undead return to life? How much more ass will Fighter kick? What treasures await the hunters? Why did Hero gulp like that? Well...you'll just have to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait. Stay tuned.**


	38. Chapter 19 Part II

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. We left off on...quite a foot forward didn't we? Well, wait no more for the rest of the ass-kickery folks.**

**Review Response: Well, according to the wiki, Sword Saint isn't interested in dating a man who isn't stronger than her, tight restriction by the way, but if she does get involved with the Elder Revenant...well, they'd need even more work than Storm Mage and Sword Maiden did, and that is quite a feat: he'd need to return to life...duh, he'd need one hell of an attitude adjustment, and...who knows what else.**

**As for those thugs Fighter floored? As Magneto once said: In chess, the pawns go first...make of that what you will.**

**Cow Girl getting an M14...or at least something like it is something I couldn't not do; I do respect the Garand for what it is, and what it did for America's army...but the M14 is where it's at in my opinion, especially in GS where guns were just getting started, and some alchemists were involved in handling them, and alchemists tend to be...pretty high on the academic totem pole to say the least.**

* * *

"Well that was fun." Warrior said.

"What's the word with everyone else?" Fighter asked and Ranger snickered.

"Get this: they're going on a treasure hunt with the hunters." He said.

"What? With our daughter with them?!" Fighter asked and Ranger looked around with Life Sight to see they were alone.

"The Sword Maiden is looking after her." Ranger said and Fighter calmed down.

"Supernatural baby-sitters...gotta love em..." Warrior said and got a deadpan look from both parents. "What?"

"Nevermind..." Ranger said dryly.

"Anyway...one pack of goons down...now let's see what the real fighters can do, if you can even call them that." Fighter said.

"Huh?" Ranger asked.

"We saw some big guys throwing down about an hour ago, and...holy shit they sucked..." Warrior said.

"For this crime boss' sake, he better have an ace up his sleeve, actually...he better have a whole deck up his sleeve; he's going to need it." Ranger said.

"You're not getting involved are you?" Fighter asked.

"Not unless I need to." Ranger said honestly.

"Right...like my new outfit?" Fighter asked.

"You look just as radiant as you did when we met." Ranger said with a smile.

"If you saw that answer coming, raise my hand..." Warrior said.

"Oh shut it." Fighter said as Warrior snickered.

* * *

"Hey! Look who's back in town." Amazon Warrior said as GS and company appeared.

"We heard you were on a treasure hunt?" GS asked.

"Now how could you have heard that?" Rhea Hunter asked knowingly.

"You told us." GS said simply.

"Good grief..." Rhea Hunter groaned.

"See what we have to deal with?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Anyway...shall we set sail?" A.W. asked.

"Yeah!" Cow Girl said as they all got on-board, and left port and traveled along the coast.

"Nice toy." Rhea Hunter said as Cow Girl took out her new rifle.

"This? I just got it from the elves." She said.

"No shit. That things practically _reeks_ of alchemy." Rhea Hunter said.

"Do you think it'll help against monsters?" Cow Girl asked.

"Oh yes...if you hit the right places." Rhea Hunter said.

"Such as?" Cow Girl asked.

"The eyes, the gills, sometimes, the tentacles...the tongue." Rhea Hunter said.

"What?" Cow Girl asked with a weird look in he face.

"The tongue is more sensitive than you think...if you kissed anyone, you'd know exactly what I mean." Rhea Hunter said and Cow Girl hummed in acknowledgement. "You kissed that guy in the black armor did you?"

"And then some..." Cow Girl said and Rhea Hunter laughed a bit.

"Lucky him..." She said as Cow Girl looked at her funny. "Hey, anyone with eyes is going to envy you; I almost wish I had a body like yours...almost."

"Still...there's noticing, then there's focusing." Cow Girl said.

"Even that's a chore honey." Rhea Hunter said.

"Hey, give the girl a break will you?" A.W. snapped.

"Right...sorry boss." Rhea Hunter said as she walked away.

"Sorry, she tends to be...pretty focused on physical appeal, if you get my drift." A.W. said.

"I don't mind that being talked about, but...it's been talked about so frequently, it's making me uncomfortable." Cow Girl said.

"Well, I'm sure some monster-killing will make you feel better, if we even run into any." A.W. said.

"Maybe...do you know where we're going?" Cow Girl asked.

"There's a small group of islands, just through a passage through a pair of cliffs, which happens to have an island just in front of it." A.W. said.

"Huh?" Cow Girl asked.

"You'll know, when we see it." A.W. said before walking away and joining Samurai on the ship's bridge.

"You look different." Rhea Hunter said as she joined Priestess.

"The Sword Maiden used to look like this." She said.

"Ah...so you heard too didn't you?" Rhea Hunter asked somberly.

"Yes...she was the closest thing I had to a mother, and she even taught me some things she knew. I even got some new powers thanks to her; she may not have given them to me directly, but she is the reason I got them." Priestess said.

"May I ask?" Rhea Hunter asked.

"Restoration, and Resurrection. I can only use the former once a day, and the latter...well, that's a bit more complicated." Priestess said.

"Well, hopefully we won't need either." Rhea Hunter said.

"That's what Ranger said on our first quest..." Priestess said.

"I'd ask but-" Priestess cuts Rhea Hunter off.

"Please don't." She said.

"Alright alright...but for the record...it's quite noble that you're honoring Her Grace like this." Rhea Hunter said seriously and got a smile from Priestess.

"I think so too." She said.

"I take it the sword is also tribute?" Rhea Hunter asked as Priestess drew it.

"It very much is; my teammates actually gave me insight in how to use one properly." She said.

"Dwarven-made too...good luck finding a superior one." Rhea Hunter said with a smirk before walking away.

* * *

About half an hour later, their ship reached an island in front of a passage between two cliffs as established...with an unpleasant bonus.

"Pirates..." Amazon Warrior said as she noticed the four ships around the island, which had docks and even a headquarter on the island.

"I take it you're familiar with them?" GS asked.

"Familiar? I know people who were captured by pirates, and got the shit kicked out of them...if they were lucky." A.W. said.

"Sounds like the goblins to me..." GS said.

"Eh, that's debatable; not all pirates are twisted bast-" A cannon shot cut A.W. off, and the side of the ship was grazed. "But these guys apparently are...batten down the hatches! Ready all weapons, and be ready to engage!" The crew then armed all the cannons, ballistas...and even a couples of ballistas that launches metal balls.

"That's new..." Wizard said.

"Catapult-ballista hybrid that shoots exploding balls. We only have a few shots, but eh...emergencies happen." Rhea Hunter said as Wizard's brother used Repair on the graze.

"Are you ready for this?" GS asked as Cow Girl pulled her rifle.

"About as ready as I can be." She said as she looked through her scope.

"Can you hit their captains?" GS asked as Cow Girl sucked in a breath.

"I think so..." She said softly.

"Do it..." GS said simply then Cow Girl steeled herself, and fired at one of the ships.

"Got one." Cow Girl said.

"Where did you hit him?" GS asked.

"The lower chest..." Cow Girl breathed out.

"His pain won't last long." GS said.

"Don't waste your sympathy." A.W. said coldly as more cannonballs hit the water, and Wizard's brother repaired the bow, which took a few hits, as Priestess drank some holy water.

"Protection!" She yelled as a barrier was erected around the ship, as more cannonballs slammed into it. Some smaller ships appeared, then GS threw a bomb at one, which hits a stockpile of gunpowder, and the whole ship went up in smoke. Some of the hunters shot into a few more ship with the ballistas, which punch holes in them which makes them take in water, and other hunters picked off the crew with bows, crossbows, some rifles, and Rhea Hunter uses an auto-crossbow like Warrior's.

"Firestorm!" Wizard yelled as a barrage of blue fireballs spewed out of her glaive and several more ships were blown apart. He then summoned a flock of bird familiars that fly to the larger ships to distract them...then a burst of lightning hits them all, which surprised the whole crew.

"They have a mage with them...a strong one..." Samurai said as a ship the lightning came from vanished, then reappeared next to their ship...and their fears were confirmed, as a pirate showed up with a quarterstaff with a jewel on it. He then unleashed lightning on the Protection barrier until it dropped, then some pirates grappled over to their ship, and all hell broke loose.

"Empower!" Priestess yelled as the hunters, and her teammates all went from having a hard time against the pirates...to completely wastelanding them. Wizard's brother then summoned more birds that attacked the mage with energy bolts, which made the mage retreat and several pirates opened fire on the hunters with guns, and wounded several of them, including Rhea Hunters, who collapsed from a gut shot, and a knee shot, which Priestess healed when she got out of cover. Cow Girl then shot at the pirates, hitting several in the head, and even shot two pirates with one bullet as it pierced one and hit the one behind him. GS even shot down three pirates with a hail of shot from his gun as they were grappling to their ship.

"Another ship, port side!" A hunter yelled, and Rhea Fighter got on a cannon, aimed it at the bow, and fired, hitting the side, but still pierced the middle. Wizard's brother then finished the job with an empowered/charged-up fireball, which blew the ship to pieces. The last two ships sailed for the hunters' ship...that a series of tentacles grabbed one of the ships, and the other went to help out...only to be latched onto itself but two sets of tentacles.

"Krakens!" A hunter yelled as they all looked over the sides...only to be yanked back by A.W.

"Get away from the sides! Do you want to get yanked off the ship?" She yelled.

"I can keep an eye out!" Wizard's brother said as he used Life Sight.

"So can I." Rhea Fighter said as she opened her chakras.

"Anything?" GS asked as he prepared his shotgun.

"Yes...including the two we saw just now...there are five of them, each as big as this ship." Rhea Fighter said grimly as Cow Girl groaned.

"Dear Supreme, and Merciful Earth Mother..." Priestess whispered, before Wizard summoned some water elementals, and her brother summoned some shark familiars that all dived into the water, and Rhea Fighter started meditating.

"Good news...those summons are giving one of those krakens a hard time." Rhea Fighter said.

"Well, that's good news for _us_." Rhea Hunter said.

"Wait-!" Rhea Fighter exclaimed as some tentacles ensnared their ship, and some hunters were bashed by the tentacles, and most were just knocked down, but some had broken limbs, which Priestess had to heal. Wizard's brother then bashed some tentacles with his mace, but it did almost nothing so he used the spearhead instead, then his sister had to slice them at his side as the other hunters shot and hacked away at the tentacles, especially Samurai...who swung his sword with speed, power, and precision that rivaled Ranger's.

A.W. actually picked up a cannon, and shot a tentacle at it's base, and Cow Girl screamed as a tentacles picked her up and started squeezing her, before GS freed her by shooting the tentacles, then Cow Girl grabbed her rifle then looked over the edge, then fired into the kraken's eye, which finally made it let go. The Wizard siblings then unleashed firestorms into the pirates ships which were still being attacked by a pair of krakens, and both the ships, and monsters were blown apart.

"Alright! Three down-" Rhea Fighter cuts A.W. off.

"Four actually. The summons just took out the two below us...and the last one is retreating." She said.

"In that case, let's get our shit together and keep setting sail." A.W. said as the hunters got to work re-organizing their supplies, the wizard siblings repaired the ship, gave potions around, and Priestess kept healing people.

* * *

"Ah, Ranger. Welcome back." Master Fighter said as he, Fighter, and Warrior walked in, and saw the competitors training.

"Are we too late?" Ranger asked.

"Not at all, we await, only our other host to arrive to begin." Master Fighter said.

"Well, good luck you two, not that you'll need it." Warrior said as he stayed by the entrance.

"You're not getting involved?" Fighter asked.

"Heh, this is more your thing, than mine. Besides...I can back you up like I did before if things go too far south." Warrior.

"Right..." Fighter said.

"Wait, it's not too late for me to join is it?" Ranger asked.

"As long as you promise to do this fairly." Master Fighter said.

"Of course." Ranger said while handing over his belt.

"I take it this belt is what you use to fight with, and there's more to it than meets the eye?" Master Fighter asked.

"Master...you don't know the half of it." Fighter said.

"May I ask?" Master Fighter asked.

"Sorry, but with all due respect, this isn't the time or place to tell my secrets." Ranger said.

"Understandable." Master Fighter said.

"Hey, who who made her triumphant return..." Brawler said as he entered the ring.

"And those guys who came after us actually tried to kill us, and got their asses kicked." Fighter said.

"You planning the same thing for me?" Brawler asked.

"As long as you don't ambush us outside the ring." Fighter said.

"No need for that." Brawler said as Ranger shook his head. "Hey, wiseguy, you have an issue?"

"Not directly no." Ranger said.

"And indirectly?" Brawler asked.

"Indirectly...I don't get why someone would try intentionally fighting someone they don't know when there's no excuse." Ranger said.

"Oh really? Would you care to tell me then?" Brawler asked and Ranger looked at Fighter, who shrugged.

"A better question is...how do you think my dear wife crushed no less than eight men while bare-handed?" Ranger asked and Brawler stood them puzzled.

"All that means is that she spent a good chunk of her energy, and shouldn't even be here." He said simply.

"Oh, you are so screwed..." Warrior groaned.

"I could not have said that better myself..." Ranger said as he sat down, and Fighter cracked her knuckles.

"Just the fact that I can take down eight men with almost no help, is a feat of skill, not a waste of energy. In fact...I can't remember the last time I felt this fired up." She said with a smirk.

"So what, you want to step in the ring so I can snuff that fire out?" Brawler asked.

"What do you think boss?" Fighter asked.

"Come on, he's not even in your league." Ranger said.

"What's wrong? Don't want your wife to mess up her hair or something? Or do you want to fight me yourself?" Brawled taunted and Ranger scoffed.

"I...honestly don't know which of us is better suited for this job..." Ranger said.

"Well quite dicking around, and let's do this." Brawler snapped, then Ranger sighed, side-glanced at Fighter, who winked at him, got up and joined Brawler in the ring. Brawler then put his fists up, then Ranger took a stance that was a combination between Fighter's, and Brawler's, who then beat his fists together a few times, before running at Ranger, who side-stepped a heavy swing, then spin-stepped to the middle of the ring. The two then looked each other over while moving around, then Brawler threw a kick, which Ranger deflected with his shin, then ducked a punch, then side-stepped an uppercut. Brawler then threw a barrage of punches at Ranger, all of which were dodged, blocked, deflected or, in one case...countered with a quick punch which was hard enough to stagger Brawler.

He then shook off the hit, glared at Ranger who dived at Ranger's legs...only to get jumped over, then Brawler tried to trip him, and Ranger cartwheeled away, then glanced at Fighter and Master Fighter who were smirking and staring in anticipation respectively. He then looked back at Brawler who grabbed Ranger's mid-section, lifted him up, then Ranger jammed the tip of his elbow into Brawler's back over and over, then knees him in the gut...just in time for Brawler to slam Ranger into the ground. Brawler then pinned Ranger down and brought down both fists on his shoulders, which were caught by Ranger, who then twisted Brawler's wrists, then punched Brawler's diaphragm, then punched him off, and got up.

"This fight is over." Master Fighter said as Ranger straightened himself out and cracked a few bones.

"Yeah..._this_ fight is over, but next time...I'll get you." Brawler said as he staggered away, and Warrior approached Ranger who sat back down.

"Boss...you smoked him like a pipe." Warrior said and Ranger stared at him.

"Did you not hear that cracking sound as I stood up? Bones aren't supposed to sound like that Warrior." He said seriously as Fighter removed his shirt, somehow ignored his looks, and ran her fingers along his pressure points as Ranger instantly relaxed.

"I thought you were tougher than a normal man?" Master Fighter asked.

"My armor is where my power comes from; my body is no greater than what you can expect." Ranger said.

"Well, I can't find any broken bones, but you've still taken a serious beating." Fighter said.

"Where's a life potion when you need one...?" Warrior asked.

"I have some healing and stamina potions for moments like this." Master Fighter said as he led Warrior to a small cabinet.

"Even when beaten and tired like this, you're _still_ incredibly sexy..." Fighter whispered before Ranger smirked and got a quick but deep kiss from her.

"You, my love and life, are at your sexiest when you kick demon ass, or _thug_ ass in this case..." Ranger whispered as Fighter giggled.

"There will be plenty more where that came from." Fighter said as Master Fighter came back and gave a potion to Ranger who downed it.

"I still recommend you take it easy from this point for now; let your wife handle the rest." Master Fighter said.

"I cannot say "no" to that master." Ranger said simply.

"Wise decision. Also...I couldn't help but notice that you were wearing your opponent down before making any serious moves. That is a wise tactic...although your opponent is clearly no amateur." Master Fighter said.

"Right, although I rarely fight opponents I am not trying to kill, or ones that I have nothing against. That Brawler clearly has no such qualms." Ranger said seriously.

"Were you holding back?" Master Fighter asked.

"I could tell my opponent wasn't that's for sure. But to answer you: I was _very much_ holding back, if I wasn't, I wouldn't have been injured." Ranger said.

"It's true. We've seen him fight over a year; this man did about as much damage as the rest of us combined on our first quest." Warrior said and Ranger smirked.

"Ah...good times." He said sarcastically.

"To be fair boss, you _were_ pretty awesome." Warrior said.

"You're not still torn up are you?" Fighter asked softly under her breath as Ranger shook his head.

"Should I know something?" Master Fighter asked seriously.

"Sorry master, but it's a bit of a sore subject, even now." Ranger said.

"I see...well, in any case, you should both be ready for the tournamen-" Master Fighter shut up the moment a tall, bald, muscular man walked in and crossed his arms.

"You know what I'm here for." The man said.

"The tournament has yet to begin Heavy Fighter." Master Fighter said seriously.

"Oh? So I guess I'm just imagining the dozen or so of my henchmen, who were all disposed of by one girl?! By my reckoning...this tournament is nearly complete. So where is the little bitch in question?" Heavy Fighter said and Ranger tensed up but Fighter beat him to the punch.

"That "little bitch" is the same one who's going to save this place." She said firmly.

"Ohhh, my next challenger is a cute one." Heavy Fighter said before looking at the other two. "Your two boyfriends can play too-" Ranger cuts him off.

"I'm her husband, and he's a brother figure to her, and speaking of "playing too"...she beat those henchmen of yours _alone_. Do you seriously want all three of us fighting you?" He asked.

"Don't mistake me for those meatheads you played tag with either; I could probably crush all four of you if the boss wanted me to." Heavy Fighter said.

"Good luck with that." Warrior said as Heavy Fighter uncrossed his arms.

"I mean it. Some fighters us brute force, others use skills...I use both of those things." Heavy Fighter. said.

"And we don't?" Warrior asked.

"Not enough boy. Now, enough of the piggy-back bullshit. Give up the dojo now, or things will get nasty." Heavy Fighter asked.

"Things already got nasty." Master Fighter said.

"I mean...there won't be a dojo to save." Heavy Fighter said simply as Fighter tensed up.

"Take me to your boss; you and I will fight in front of him. One-on-one; no one else involved. I win, he leaves this place alone." She said as the three men with her looked at her.

"But if I win?" Heavy Fighter asked.

"I join his syndicate." Fighter said.

"Are you nuts?" Warrior asked in awe.

"Absolutely not." Master Fighter said.

"Love..." Ranger said softly and Fighter simply smirked.

"On my boss' behalf, I accept those terms. Meet us at the fort down the eastern road at sundown...and don't make us wait..." Heavy Fighter said as he left.

"Don't tell me you trust them? These are _criminals_ we're talking about, and they clearly want blood." Warrior said.

"So do I..." Fighter said.

"We never should've had that one guy send a message..." Ranger said.

"If you hadn't, then we would not have the means to put an end to this as quickly as possible. Now...form a plan to get this resolved as well as you can." Master Fighter.

"I have a plan. Boss, you and I follow her at a distance, and if we find any funny business...then we jump them." Warrior said.

"No...I will do this like we agreed." Fighter said.

"Not a chance. We are not throwing you into a dragon's nest without a back-up plan." Ranger said sternly.

"Ranger...my love and life...our daughter in the only thing I value more-" Ranger cuts Fighter off with his words and by gripping her hands.

"Then think of her! If you go into that place...she might grow up without you. Remember how we mentioned that before?" He asked with fear in his voice.

"Right..." Fighter whispered.

"Well, we have hours before sundown, so we can quibble about what we actually do." Master Fighter said.

"Right...now, I should get as ready as I can, while I can. And...I'd like to be alone while I do so." Fighter said as she walked out as Ranger stayed put and sighed.

"Do you not respect her choice to do this herself?" Master Fighter asked.

"Of course I do, but..." Ranger trailed.

"I can imagine how you feel about her, but she needs to be allowed to follow her own path at some point. You cannot be with her forever." Master Fighter said.

"Don't you think I know that?! Not even a month ago, I left on a mission to the north, and just being away from her for a couple of days was torture; I felt every second I was away from her, and I know she felt the same way." Ranger said firmly before getting up and walked around trying to get a grip.

"Then have faith in her..." Master Fighter said.

"My faith in her is absolute...but not headless..." Ranger said as he left, with Warrior following..then they shared a glance.

* * *

Back at the frontier, Summoner went around town in Limbo looking for demonic leftovers, and found none, so he re-entered the real world, and went to the temple.

"Brother?" Summoner asked as he entered the back room, and Storm Mage's ghost appeared.

"I'm here. I'm here. Welcome to the living" He said.

"I should be the one telling you that." Summoner quipped.

"Very funny. I can't stay here for long, so make it snappy." Storm Mage said.

"What? Got some loving to give to the Sword Maiden bottled up? Well, to be fair, good on both of you." Summoner said and Storm Mage stared at him.

"That's how I _thought_ you'd end that sentence. She might be dead, but she's still the one and only Sword Maiden, and deserves my love, and nothing else." Storm Mage said seriously.

"I get it, and speaking of which...what's it like being a ghost?" Summoner asked.

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Storm Mage asked.

"Yes. I have no intention of leaving this world any time soon, and thick chance of me becoming a Nephilim like Her Grace. So...spill. What's it like being a ghost?" Summoner asked.

"Well...imagine never feeling thirst, hungry, fatigue, itches, the need to use a toilet...you name it, but keeping everything else, and don't get me started on what other limits are removed. In Heaven, the water doesn't stick to your body, unless you want it to, don't ask me how I figured that out." Storm Mage said.

"Let me guess: you and Sword Maiden bathed together?" Summoner asked seriously.

"As a matter of fact, we never did so a single time since we died, but I bathed myself. But...we don't just belong together personally; I never felt so physically attached to anyone as I do with her, even before we first connected." Storm Mage said seriously.

"I can imagine brother." Summoner said as Storm Mage sighed.

"When the Cambion impaled me...my last thoughts were of her holding me after I put the goblins who attacked us down." He said.

"She held you?" Summoner asked and Storm Mage used a recaller to show that Sword Maiden was hugging Storm Mage as tightly as she could with tears running down her cheeks as the main chamber of he Temple of Law was full of dead goblins, including a champion, and Storm Mage was on his knees with his arms around her. "She was a mess wasn't she?"

"Yes...and now, I have eternity to clean that mess up, and we will start by taking back the ten years the goblins robbed her of." Storm Mage said with no small amount of affection in his voice.

"Wow...she choose wisely having you as a protector." Summoner said in awe.

"Thank you. Now, as for your case...?" Storm Mage trailed off and Summoner sighed.

"Well, I do like having both Guild Girl, and Inspector in my bed- or should I say, I like being in _their_ bed." He said.

"And as such, you get to sleep with two adorable women whenever you please. My past self would be envious." Storm Mage said.

"I'll bet...but as for marriage? Well, I can see myself with Guild Girl more, since her case is more personal, _far_ more personal." Summoner said.

"Still, if they both want to be with you, and you want to be with them, I'm sure the Love Goddess will understand." Storm Mage said before vanishing with a smile. Summoner then went to the tavern...and found it empty...almost.

"Summoner! Any finds?" Guild Girl asked.

"Nope." Summoner said.

"Then enjoy your meal sweetheart." Guild Girl said as Summoner went to get some food...then Inspector ambushed him from behind a wall, then he turned his head at the last moment, stopped her cold, then she planted a quick, but sweet kiss on his lips, then Guild Girl did the same before Summoner got some stew and cider.

* * *

For the better part of an hour before sundown, Fighter doing a kata that blended slow, and tense movements...and she went between extremes sometimes with noticeable transition, and sometimes without. She did that to get used to how radically different physical shifts can get in the middle of combat. Even with her considerable experience, you're never trained enough in the grand scheme of things. Fighter then ceased her kata, then stretched herself in various ways. From bending backwards until she touched the tree behind her, to cracking her neck, and other joints to limber up some more, to raising her leg up 180 degrees and holding it there against the tree, then doing the same with her other leg. She felt her tendons recover thanks to her enchanted pendant, and knew she was in peak condition without question, she also removed her pendant and reminisced about the beach she got it from; the way her dear husband put it on her, how he passionately informed her that purple was her color...and even recalled the love he made to her in the hut which both endeared and aroused her.

Fighter then removed her Gold tag from her pocket, looked it over, then put it away again, then went to the dojo, and noticed some ruckus going on, then peeked inside...and saw the same thugs she worked over hours ago. They must've got a healing potion or something; the injuries she gave them were no joke. She even saw Heavy Fighter with them.

"Take everything that's not nailed down...then take the nailed stuff too." He said and the thugs laughed while picking up items from around the dojo and stuffed some in bags, while others were just grabbed.

"Hey!" Fighter yelled as the thugs stopped, and Heavy Fighter took a more assertive stance.

"You're supposed to head to that fort little girl." He said.

"And you're _not_ supposed to be in here, going back on your word in the most serious way possible." Fighter snapped.

"You going to put us all on our asses again with the big guy here to back us up? Give me a break..." a thug said.

"Hey, at least we can pay her back this time. I for one would like to see what goods she's packing..." Another said while looking her over, then Fighter tightened her fists, then closed her eyes.

"Meditate as much as you want...you're going to need it. Boys?" Heavy Fighter said as the thugs all approached her from different angles, then severla pinned her to the wall...but got no response, then one tried to grab her chest...and she snapped her hand up to stop him just in time, then twisted his wrist, opened her now-cyan-colored eyes, which alarmed the thugs, then she mauled every one of them like a bear. She snapped a neck, caved in anothers skull with one punch, kneed one in the gut hard enough to make him vomit all over another one, before he got kicked in the chest hard enough to cave it in, then Fighter broke the neck of the one she kneed with the point of her elbow, then slammed his corpse into the last thug who was close to her before stomping his nose into his brain.

The rest of the dozen thugs were stunned how the fact that no less than four of their friends were dead in a few seconds, and that Fighter's movements weren't even human, let alone that she looked serene the whole time, and was still full of energy. They then looked at each other, at their dead friends, and the sexy but scary girl who put them down.

"That's why you don't drop your guard, and work together instead of by yourself one by one." Heavy Fighter said and the thugs all rushed Fighter, and a pair to threw heavy swings at her face, then then they each took a punch to the diaphragm at the same time, then shoved them backwards, then she jumped and punch at one thug at one side, and a kick at the other side. She then jumped forward and the thugs in front of her ducked just in time to avoid a flurry of kicks, then one actually landed a punch in her side, then another punched her in the face hard enough to make her spin, then Heavy Fighter kicked her in the gut hard enough to make her slouch over. A thug then tripped her, then they all kicked the shit out of her from all sides as she was on the ground helpless.

"Alright, that should do...that should do." Heavy Fighter said as the thugs back up, and Fighter tried to get up, only for Heavy Fighter kicked her in the side hard enough to flip her on her back, and looked over her bruised and dusty form, before crouching down to her level. "Well...look at the heroine. I don't know how you pulled off the little burst of strength earlier, but it's not worth much now is it?" He then snapped his fingers and a pair of thugs brought in Master Fighter who was also beaten and bleeding, then Heavy Fighter walked over to him. "You know what weakness you diehard martial artist types all have in common? Even when you lose, hideously...you think you still win; you think there's something _to_ win. Look at those guys the little girl behind me took out. You're going to tell me that they served a cause greater themselves? Please...it looks like they lost to me."

"They...served a cause...weaker than themselves, as are you..." Master Fighter said.

"For once, I agree with you, but I'm not doing this for the boss. At this rate, I might become the boss myself." Heavy Fighter said with pride.

"I'm glad you have a good deal of ambition." Fighter said as Heavy Fighter turned to her.

"As for you..." He said before grabbing her by the throat and picking her up with one hand as she struggled to breathe. "I hope for your sake you don't plan on adventuring; the monsters of this world would tear you to shreds." Fighter then grinned.

"It's quite the other way around..." She whispered harshly as her chakras opened again, then wrapped her legs around his arm, and dislocating it before prying his fingers off her throat with enough force to dislocate them, and he staggered away.

"Kill this bitch!" Heavy Fighter yelled at the thugs engaged her again, then she adapted to their moves, by blocking hits from multiple directions at once, then thrashed one with a barrage of punches all over his torso, knife-handed another in the throat after blocking a kick, then quickly knife-handed another in the throat, before slamming their heads together with enough force to cave in their skulls, spun around and threw their corpses into three other thugs. The last few then ran out of the dojo.

Heavy Fighter relocated his arm and fingers meanwhile, and watched his back-up flee in terror, and he engaged Fighter again then the two threw a flurry of punches and kicks at each other. Fighter then noted that despite being larger than Brawler, Heavy Fighter's skill was nearly equal to hers...but his strength was superior to hers, and her edge in speed was only slight, so her best bet was to hit his pressure points, which did do it's job...the first few times. He wisened up and stuck to his medium range game, so she couldn't get too much of an edge, especially since the hits to one his side that happened on-repeat took their toll, and he had the bruise to prove it. Fighter then slid under him, and tried to topple him with a leg grapple...big mistake; Heavy Fighter dropped down on her, knee-first, and hurt her shoulder blade when he landed, making her scream in pain, then he picked her up and threw her across the room.

Fighter then stood up, leaned against the wall, and massaged her shoulder-blade when she got up. Her vision was a bit blurry, but she was just quick enough to dodge a kick from Heavy Fighter who charged at her to finish her off. He swatted her arm away when she tried to give a haymaker punch into his diaphragm, and he backed up when she tried a jumping uppercut. Heavy Fighter grabbed her, and bear-hugged her as she tried getting free, but he was too strong. Fighter then headbashed Heavy Fighter in the collarbone over and over, but that just made him angry, and slam her into the ground. She then kicked him in the nuts as he was about to stomp on her head, which staggered him, then she wrapped her legs around one of his, and twisted her while body, which brought him down, and she rolled back to get some breathing room. She then saw Heavy Fighter was still reeling from the pain she caused him, then she held her pendant as she caught her breath.

"Thank you...Ranger..." Fighter whispered before she kissed the pendant as sweetly as she kisses him, then put it back on as she focused on the life enchantment it had, and noticed her pain was vanishing, and her stamina were returning, just like it was before. She then got up and walked over to Heavy Fighter who tried getting up himself, then she kicked him in his injured side, making him yell in pain.

"How...? You should be more winded than I am!" He asked and Fighter tapped her pendant.

"This has a life enchantment on it; it doesn't keep me from dying, but it doesn't have to." She said simply.

"So...you look down on me...for being "dishonorable", yet you fight me with that?" Heavy Fighter spat.

"I don't agree with dishonoring my art, but my husband is right about one thing I can agree with before everything: the playing field needs to stay even. In other words: if you can have a game shark...so can I, right?" Fighter asked and Heavy Fighter huffed. She then turned to Master Fighter who was slouched by the wall the whole time, then walked over to give him her pendant, and he eased up right away, before giving her belt back. She then took the pendant back when it served it's purpose, then went back to Heavy Fighter. "Now...is your boss still at his fort?"

"He should be, but you're not going to get to him; his guard is at it's strongest at night-" Fighter jammed a morphed blade into Heavy Fighter's chest before he could finish.

"Do you think I'm worried about that?" She asked as the rest of her armor morphed.

"You...had tha-" Fighter cuts him off.

"No. The master gave it back to me. I was going to do this at least somewhat fairly..but you forced my hand, and now your boss is doomed." She then removed the blade, then walked out as her last victim breathed his last breath.

* * *

The hunters sailed through the cliff passage after torching and looting the pirate camp of it's food, coin, weapons, and other things, which include clothing of various types that they ladies each tried on. Eventually...they got to a river and sailed through a forest, and took in the scenery.

"You alright sis?" Wizard asked as she joined Priestess who was looking at the forest.

"I'm a bit concerned about the others...but I also believe they can handle themselves, and I know that's contradictory, but-" Wizard cuts her off with a hug.

"I feel the same believe it or not, but once we get that treasure, we'll use that portal gem the boss gave you to get back, o.k.?" She asked as Priestess returned the embrace.

"O.k..." Priestess said softly.

"Heads up people!" Amazon Warrior yelled as the hunters ran up to the bow, and they saw and heard commotion in the distance.

"What's going on down there?" GS asked before Cow Girl looked through her scope.

"A pair of werewolves...and they're tearing a heap of goblins apart!" She said as the hunters all clamored among themselves.

"Shut it!" A.W. yelled, before Cow Girl fired.

"What did you do that for?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"There was a goblin champion getting ready to bash them with a club, so I shot it in the face." Cow Girl said seriously.

"Nice shot." GS said then Cow Girl smiled at him.

"Wait, you said they were werewolves? There's only two werewolves we know of..." Wizard said.

"You don't think...?" Priestess asked in awe.

"Maybe it's those demon hunters who worked with Summoner." GS said.

"We haven't seen them in a while." Priestess said.

"O.k. so you have a history with them, so are they friendly?" A.W. asked.

"Friendly? Yes. Pleasant? Eh, that's debatable." Wizard said.

"Lovely..." Rhea Hunter said.

"Those goblins are getting an edge..." Cow Girl said grimly before she kept shooting, and the moment the group got to shore, GS, Rhea Fighter, and a pack of wolf familiars and ice elementals charged into the rear of the goblin army, and slaughtered every goblin they could get their hands on. heads were severed, crushed, or both, guts were ripped out, throats were bitten by the wolves, goblins were straight-up torn in half, or torn apart, others took spikes of ice through their hearts, brains, or both, others were given severe frostbite, others were even shredded by clouds of frost and ice shards.

The pair then looked at the two werewolves who were dealing with a goblin paladin, who was keeping them at bay with a pair of axes. GS and Rhea Fighter looked at each other and watched the summoned creatures engage the paladin, but one by one...they are all chopped down. Even the ice elementals' attacks bounced off the paladin's armor. The two werewolves, actually snuck up on it in the chaos, and sank their canines into it's calves, then Rhea Fighter charged him, jumped up, kicked him down with both feet, tossed her sword to GS, who jammed it into the paladin's face before giving the sword back as one of the werewolves turned into Assassin, who apparently didn't care she was completely nude.

"Long time, no see Goblin Slayer. Nice armor." She said with her usual sensual tone of voice as Rhea Fighter kept her eyes averted, but GS gave no fucks.

"How long were you fighting this horde?" He asked before she chuckled.

"About five minutes I guess, but we've been feasting on goblins around here for more than a day. They may have a disgusting way to reproduce...but they're good eating." Assassin said.

"Lady, do you have any decency?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Oh, cry me a river bite-sized. We werewolves are made to hunt, and goblins are easy prey." Assassin said as the rest of the hunters show up.

"These the demon hunters you mentioned?" Rhea Hunter asked.

"Yep...just as subtle as ever." Wizard said sarcastically.

"And before you ask: you do not want them in your crew...trust me." Priestess said seriously.

"Why Priestess...you're hurting my feelings." Assassin said with a sickeningly sweet tone which was anything but genuine.

"Wow...subtle..." Rhea Hunter said.

"Where's the treasure?" GS asked.

"You mean that?" Assassin asked as she pointed to a dug-up chest with a small sword inside it, and Priestess went to look it over. "It's made of silver. Hell of a thing to use against demons."

"Why not use it yourselves?" Cow Girl asked.

"We're not demon hunters anymore,at least...not for now." Assassin said.

"For now?" Rhea Fighter asked as Assassin held her lower belly, and it sunk in right away.

"You're pregnant?" Wizard asked.

"Yep, even more pups are on their way." Assassin said.

"More? You were pregnant before?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"We live in this forest, and our home is a cave not far from here, and these goblins made good meat for our pups." Assassin said with a smile.

"Appropriate. They've been preying on us, now you prey on them." GS said as Priestess brought the silver sword to Wizard, who used Transmute to merge the silver sword with her dwarven sword and made a sword that not only looked better as far as Priestess was concerned, but also had more substance.

"This will do nicely..." She said with a smile.

"Is that all the treasure?" A.W. asked.

"Unfortunately." Priestess said.

"Oh well, we have a pirate base's loot to show for it." A.W. said.

"Well, we have some people to get back to, so...Priestess? Would you do the honors?" Wizard asked and Priestess opened a portal back to their apartment in the oceanic city.

"Boss? We're back!" Rhea Fighter called out...and Sword Maiden was seen nursing the baby she was entrusted with...with a small blanket covering the action of course.

"He's not here..." She said.

"Where is he then?" Priestess asked.

* * *

Fighter went outside the walls, and morphed her armor so she could rush down the road, ignoring all the farms she went past, until she saw the fort, and rushed down to it, until she was just withing view, morphed her old outfit, then approached the stairs and saw two guards with crossbows.

"Weapons?" A guard asked.

"I don't have any." Fighter said...which was only half-true.

"Search her." The guard said to his friend who approached her, and looked her over.

"Careful where you put your hands..." Fighter said.

"You're not good enough to touch sweetheart." The guard snapped.

"Don't take any chances." The first guard said, then the second sighed and gripped her ankles, her sides, even her sleeves.

"She's fine..." The second guard said, then they walked her inside, and eventually, they went downstairs to reached a massive chamber with windows on the sides, and rows of chairs at different heights under them for an audience. In the center was a dark blonde man with a beard and ponytail, wearing a red robe, and two women, both buxom and barely-clothed were caressing him as he nursed a glass of wine while watching the fountains spurt water in various ways.

"Boss? She's here." The first guard said as the women turned his chair to see Fighter.

"Ah...so this is the tigress who preyed on those louts who wanted in on my organization. It serves them right for getting in over their heads." The boss said as Fighter remained silent. "So...are you here to fight? You should be." Fighter remained silent, much to the boss' amusement. "Shall I take that as a yes?"

"Your thugs tried to rob the dojo, and did a considerable amount of damage." Fighter said sharply.

"That foolish old man should have known better than to trifle with a power greater than his." The boss said simply.

"They also tried to kill me, and my brother figure, just to try and join you." Fighter said.

"Same goes for them as well. Also...last I checked, we were supposed to settle this mess with an actual tournament, but you had to-" Fighter cuts the boss off.

"I only did what I had to; the tournament got called off, because those thugs who...somehow, thought it was wise to follow a corrupt man, didn't want to take responsibility for their own actions, and apparently, neither do you." She said as the boss simply stared at her.

"Well...I can see you have no interest in joining me, so I have no choice but to oblige your deathwish. Guards, leave us." The boss said as he got up, and removed his robe, revealing that he was as built as Heavy Fighter, but not as tell. The two ladies held his robe as he stepped into the arena. He then did a false lunge at Fighter who flinched, but not a second time when the boss did it again. The boss then jabbed at her, was blocked, then they jabbed at each other several times and neither landed a hit. Fighter then backed up a bit and tried to get a grip. The boss was as tough as Heavy Fighter...but also faster than her; this wasn't going to be easy.

The two then circled each other with the boss being completely calm, and Fighter doing her best to remain calm, lest her base chakra become too blocked. The boss then threw a kick at her, which she swatted back down, then he did several kicks at her with the other foot, then threw a spin-kick at her with the first foot, which she narrowly dodged, then side-stepped a front kicked, then a backfist, and blocked several elbow strikes as they got close to each other. She then tried hitting his kidney-area...but missed; he actually flinched to avoid the hit. He then twisted her arm to make her bend down, and she blocked a knee to the face with both hands, then twisted out of his grip, kicked his knee, then he backfliped away from her. The two women watching where clearly enjoying the show as Fighter noticed them both breathing harder, and even blushing.

The boss then skipped forward to make Fighter flinch, but it didn't work aside from reminding Fighter to keep her guard up. The boss then threw a fake kick at her...only to be counter by a real one, which landed in his gut, which barely staggered him. He then spin-stepped from side to side, then Fighter slid under a kick and tripped the boss, who landed on his back, then got up without an issue and cracked his neck. Fighter then came up behind him, locked one of his arms, and started choking him out, but the boss elbowed her in the side, and the face, making her flinch, and break out of her grip, then side-kicked her to the ground, making her reel.

"Not a smart move..." The boss said simply as he circled her. She then rolled back, got her bearings, and the boss tried to tackle her, but she leap-frogged over him, he sunk to the ground, and jammed both feet into her back...and she could feel her hips crack from the force, then fell down groaning in pain, before her pendant healed her bone fractures, and gave her a quick second wind. She then slowly got up, and the boss tripped her, followed her to the ground, and pinned her with his arm around her neck, restricting her breath, and her blood supply to her brain. She could feel her consciousness slipping away, but she still kept her neck tightened...then she recalled her fight with the archdemon, opened her chakras, then pried herself out of his grip, rolled off of him, gripped his foot, yanked him towards her, and whirled him around before throwing him across the floor...but her chakra boost wore her body out; she already used her chakras against those thugs earlier, so she was reaching her limit, and without her armor, which she told herself she wouldn't use, she was out of luck now.

"Impressive...but I can tell you're running out of steam. You know what will happen when you do: it's over." The boss said seriously, as he rolled over and looked at her before getting up slowly, then collapsing back down. "This is taking a greater toll on me than I thought...but even if it didn't, I can see now that this is taking a larger toll on you. So I say we need this before it ceases to be entertaining. Guards? Please put an end to this."

"Yes boss." A guard said as they aimed their crossbows at Fighter...then two gunshots were heard as a window shattered and the guards fell down with bullet wounds in their heads as Ranger jumped in through the window and pointed one gun at the ladies, and one at the boss.

"What the-?! Who are you?" The boss asked with fear in his voice.

"The Ranger. Slayer of the vampire queen, friend of the Goblin Slayer, and husband to the woman I watched you beat to her knees." Ranger said seriously.

"You...were watching me? How long?" Fighter asked.

"Since you trained for the tournament this worm ruined before it started." Ranger said honestly.

"Only because you all had to be so noble!" The boss yelled.

"Like my wife said, you are responsible for your own actions, as those two dogs learned the hard way." Ranger said before putting his guns away, and Fighter stood up. "Sorry, I couldn't stay out of this..."

"I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad you didn't." Fighter said with mixed feelings in her voice.

"Hey! We still have a fight to finish." The boss snapped before Ranger approached.

"Then fight _me_." He said.

"No...I fought her, I finish with her-" Ranger cut the boss off by pulling a gun on him.

"You can either fight me like you fought her, or you can stand there and be shot dead like your guards were. What's it going to be?" He asked and the boss huffed.

"Very well..." He breathed out as Ranger de-morphed his armor and guns, and gave his belt to Fighter, who held his hand.

"This pendant helped me...more than once." She whispered before Ranger softly caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers

"I can imagine." Ranger whispered before letting go, steeling himself and getting in the ring after removing his shirt. The boss came back after downing a potion Ranger recognized as a life potion, which wasn't unfair, since Ranger was in peak condition himself. The boss then tried flinching Ranger...but it didn't work; Ranger watched the boss' fight with his wife; Ranger knew the boss' style...and it's weaknesses. The boss then skipped forward, and Ranger leaned to the side, and knife-handed him in the hip, and pulled his hand back. The hit made the boss cringe and back up; the strike hit a nerve point which took away the feeling in the boss' front thigh. Ranger then paced back and forth like a lion, then the boss recovered, and charged at him, which made Ranger crouch, spin, and sweep his leg out which made the boss jump over him, then throw a spin-kick in mid-air, which knocked Ranger down, then the boss let him get up.

The boss then skipped forward to kick Ranger back down, he got his leg grabbed, Ranger then tried to yank his leg upward, then the boss backflipped...but Ranger was prepared for that. The moment the boss hit the ground, Ranger simply shoved him down, grabbed his ankle, dislocated it, and stomped on the boss' gut.

"This fight is over..." Ranger said as he took his belt back. Then the boss crawled over to the dead guards, grabbed their crossbows, one in each hand, and Ranger morphed a greatsword just in time to deflected them, which made the ladies scream, and the boss' eyes pop as Ranger made a slit in the tip of his sword, dashed towards him, and jammed the greatsword's slit into the boss' neck, picked him up and held him against the wall, looking the terrified crime boss in the face...then he reached into his pocket and showed his Platinum tag.

"You know what this is? It shows that I'm Platinum Ranked, and only ten people got their hands on them before I did. How do you think I got them in the first place? First off, I have more than a fair share of boons of different calibers, and I've made more than a few friends in high and low places; I've even been in high and low places myself. And that in-turn is because of my bottomless love for this world, and my boiling hatred for those that try to make it not worth living in...and guess what? You qualify." The boss then groaned and breathed rapidly from the fear. "Frankly...the only reason I'm telling you this, is because I think death is too easy for you. Extortion, attempted murder...defilement of sacred ground!"

"Sacred ground?" Fighter asked and Ranger gave her a knowing look...he meant the dojo.

"Anyway...I would look into what else you've done, especially with those women behind me, but I don't want to lose what little patience with you I have left-" The boss cuts Ranger off.

"Nothing! They're just there to keep me company, I never did anything with them. I swear it!" He said as Ranger turned his head in curiosity.

"I fail to see why someone like you would have that kind of decency, but in hindsight...that is excellent news for you. But then, not so excellent; I still think death is too easy for you, so your assets...are now _mine_. This fort, the possessions you keep within, all of it belongs to myself, and my friends to do with as we please. The authorities in the oceanic city can have you, and don't even think about contacting anyone to cause trouble because if you do...I will hunt you down, and finish what I started." Ranger said as he freed the boss, watched him drop to his knees, then they heard yelling, swords clanging, and felt rumbling outside.

"Well...apparently there won't be anyone to send after us; the cavalry has arrived." Fighter said and Ranger hummed in acknowledgement before crouching down to the boss' level.

"You want to know a secret? I have..._alot_ to be angry around, but I've learned that anger is a weapon that tears into anything around it, including a person's intellect, but if it's controlled...no weapon is deadlier. Think about it: the intense desire and precise ability to use as much power as you can, and then put that power where you want it, which happens to be in the same place as your opponent's weakness...how can you compete with it?" Ranger asked as the boss just sat there, before footsteps were heard, and Warrior showed up with the rest of the team.

"Good news everyone. We got ourselves a new home." Fighter said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Abbot was in the monastery, praying over the relic he was given, then out of nowhere...it floated into the air, spun like a wheel...and opened a portal to a place that made him catch his breath.

"Could that...be _Heaven_?" Abbot whispered.

* * *

**O.k...raise your hands, who predicted that the relic would do that? Anyway, Assassin and Werewolf are parents now...can't say that should be a surprise. Also, Fighter got a damn good tribute in this part methinks, and...if you ask me, the crime boss getting his assets seized is a pretty fitting punishment. Supreme knows Ranger and company can put it to better use, not to mention they need a foothold in as many places as possible, for obvious reasons. For those of you that got Pirates of the Caribbean vibes from that sea fight...that's a coincidence I swear. And FYI, I was legitimately going to have a tournament happen, but...criminals aren't known for playing fair, and Fighter is absolutely right; these guys are responsible for their own actions, and...Gold Ranks aren't given to amateurs, and Platinum Ranks are DEFINITELY not given to amateurs. I mean, come on...Ranger killed someone even the Hero couldn't beat, granted that's not exactly a fair comparison, but still. Anyway...how the hell is a way to Heaven going to be explored? Well, you'll have to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait, so...stay tuned?**

**P.S. awfully sweet to see that Storm Mage's last thoughts before he shrugged off this mortal coil were of his lady embracing him after his greatest victory eh?  
**


	39. Chapter 20

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. This is another I've been waiting to write, so let's get down to business!**

**Review Response: I've been planning on having the relic do that since the Stone Age...metaphorically, and I do pride myself on surprises, as long as they're good.**

**Amazon Warrior's hunter party fought a gang of pirates, and a few krakens and kicked their asses side-by-side with a team of mostly Gold Ranks...of course they did well. Storm Mage having a moment with Summoner is just too good to pass up...as is Priestess getting a new weapon.**

**The werewolves having their pups, not cubs, causing problems for the neighbors isn't likely; they clearly have plenty of prey, and they hunt demons for a living, so...unless the pups get too crazy, things shouldn't be too heavy.**

**I'll bet no one saw Ranger sparing the boss' life coming eh?**

* * *

Elder Revenant was being followed by the Hero, and company out of the ruins they fought in when he turned to face them.

"Why do you follow me?" He asked.

"This happens to be the only way out we know of." Hero said sharply

"Very well then...since we've reached the outside world, you may be on your way now." Elder Revenant said as Cherub appeared.

"Eh...now that that sordid affair is out of the way, let's get involved in something even more righteous, shall we?" He asked with his usual casual tone.

"Angel, there's nothing righteous about what's ahead of you if you do not speak sense." Elder Revenant said.

"Sheesh, and I thought the other guy was harsh on the heart...I just thought you should know the gates of Heaven have been torn open, and no this isn't a sign of Armageddon, so keep your cool." Cherub said.

"I have already been to Heaven, and my only concern-" Cherub cuts Elder Revenant off.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're a harvester of souls, only their fates concern you, blah blah blah blah blah, but the three angels behind you cannot say that now, can they?

"What are you even talking about?" Sage asked.

"I'm talking about how a portal gem creates portals to different points in the world, and now a Heaven Lock was made usuable, and the Abbot has it." Cherub said.

"Abbot...take us to him." Hero said.

"That'll have to wait..." Cherub said serious before pointing to Cambion heading toward them.

"The Evil Sect!" Hero exclaimed as she and Sword Saint pulled their swords, and Elder Revenant just stood there.

"The Hero and her entourage I presume...as well the greatest of the revenants." Cambion said with intrigue.

"And you're the murderer of the Sword Maiden." Sage said sharply.

"Ah...yes, the Sword Maiden. I do pity her for choosing death, but when people see her in the next world, she can bask in their praise for all eternity...and her Storm Mage lover can do so however he wishes." Cambion said.

"Shut your mouth!" Hero yelled as she unleashed a wave of energy from her sword, and Cambion side-stepped it, watched the wave slice through everything behind him with no fear in his face, then he ducked a swing to the neck from her, then ducked, side-stepped, and jumped over one swing after another, then Cambion has enough, grabs her by the face, and casually flings her back to where she was with enough force to make the ground shake as Hero laid there groaning before Sage healed her. Sword Saint looked on with awe and Elder Revenant wasn't showing any emotion at al.

"You were no match for the vampire queen without the great and powerful Ranger, and even he fears me. If you fight me, you will join the Sword Maiden." Cambion said seriously.

"Let's see how you handle our undead friend her-" Elder Revenant cuts Hero off.

"We are not friends." He said.

"Whatever." Hero said.

"Since you mention it, the Death God's power would be an excellent jumpstart to what I have in mind." Cambion said thoughtfully.

"I have no interest in your petty scheme to make this world in your image halfbreed." Elder Revenant said.

"You don't need any interest, and my "image", is one of true greatness, not this pathetic notion of a few being great while the rest toil and tumble around in the mire." Cambion said sharply.

"What? That doesn't even make sense." Hero said.

"Of course a child in a woman's boots would think so..." Cambion said dryly.

"What did you say?!" Hero snapped.

"Last chance undead, will you give me your power...or must I take it?" Cambion asked and Elder Revenant summoned his scythe.

"I believe you know the answer." He said and the two circled each other over and over with Cambion morphing his arm into a blade. The trio of ladies watched the suspenseful movements for the better part of half a minute before the two entities stopped and stared at each other. The fight really started with Elder Revenant launching a dark-purple ghostly hand at the Cambion's chest, which began removing his soul...then the Cambion straightened his body out and dug his feet into the ground and the soul extraction failed.

The next minute was pure chaos! The two clashed their scythes and blades together over and over so quickly and so frequently the three ladies were getting dizzy, and the force of each blow shook the ground, and made the leaves in the trees rustle. Cambion eventually took a scythe to his side as he jammed his blade-arm into Elder Revenant's gut, but only Cambion flinched from pain...for obvious reasons. The two then removed their weapons from each other's bodies, and Cambion knelt from his wound...and both of their wounds closed up, much to the trio's alarm, and Elder Revenant's curiosity.

Cambion made a fireball in his hand, and slammed it into Elder Revenant's chest after their wounds fully healed, and the undead simply stood there, and watched his badly-scorched body heal before spewing a torrent of dust and bone shards out of his chest to launch Cambion across the area, and the cloud turned into a group of zombies that were all sliced in half by Cambion who then charged at Elder Revenant, who jumped over him, then dashed backward, then forward to slice Cambion's chest open from the side, then Cambion cuts through Elder Revenant's spine from behind, and they both fall down and heal again. They then had another rapid weapon clash that was even more violent than the first, and they each landed several hits, which tore open their chests, faces, limbs, and abdomens until they each had enough, and backed up while watching each other heal.

"At this rate, we'll be at this the rest of the day, and the night for the matter. So I ask you again...give me your power. You know it's as good as mine alre-" Elder Revenant cuts Cambion off by trying another soul extraction with his ghost hand.

"My answer will not change. Now, or ever." He said coldly as he tried to remove Cambion's soul...then he retreated into a Hell Rift, and reappeared behind Elder Revenant and tried to remove his power with a bright-orange ghost hand, then Elder Revenant severed Cambion's arm with a one-handed scythe, then tried plunge another into his chest, only for the Cambion to retreat into another rift. The two then warped around the area trying to get an edge on each other for the better part of a minute as the ladies tried to keep up with the chaos, then Cambion pinned Elder Revenant down with a blade-arm, then tried to remove his power again...then Elder Revenat tries tearing out his soul...again, and it became a tug-of-war between them, until Cambion retreats into another rift and doesn't come back.

"Well...that was quite a show." Cherub said as he came out of hiding.

"Is he coming back?" Sword Saint asked.

"I don't sense anything unusual." Sage said.

"Well, if he does, we're all getting invol-" Hero shuts up when Elder Revenant walks off.

"Hey! What if that guy comes back?" Sword Saint asked as he stopped cold.

"Your mage friend has a powerful soul; her ability to sense supernatural forces is about as accurate as it could be, for a human. If she says there's nothing unusual, then she's correct. I do not sense anything unusual myself." Elder Revenant said before he kept going and Sword Saint rushed to him and stopped him.

"Tell me something...if you really don't care for us living people...why did you mercy-kill that woman earlier?" She asked.

"Because she asked me to." Elder Revenant said simply.

"Well, I'm asking you to stay with us until that...man comes ba-" Elder Revenant cuts Sword Saint off.

"He is not a man, but a Cambion." He said.

"We know that much, but...look, the point is, you say you don't concern yourself with the living, but your actions tell a different story; you helped us, not once, but multiple times, and who knows what other services you did." Sword Saint said seriously.

"The living I have served were merely in the right place at the right time." Elder Revenant said.

"Regardless, why haven't you warped away by now instead of taking the time to talk to me?" Sword Saint asked.

"I believe by going through this trouble now, I can save more later." Elder Revenant said.

"Trouble? I think you just don't want to leave us in the dark, plain and simple." Sword Saint said and Elder Revenant stared at her for several seconds.

"You overestimate your significance..." He said finally.

"And _you_ underestimate my significance." Sword Saint said.

"How so?" Elder Revenant asked.

"First off, the three of us defeated the Demon Lord, and then some. Second, we helped defeat the vampire queen. Last, and I cannot stress this last part enough...you were human yourself; losing contact with that fact would make you better off truly dead, no matter how many souls you send to Heaven...or Hell." Sword Saint said as seriously as ever.

"Believe it or not, I do miss being alive, but there are some things I will never miss, such as the lack of longevity." Elder Revenant said.

"In other words: he doesn't want to die. Now, can we please save the "I know you cared all along" speech for another time, and go see what else needs doing?" Cherub asked.

"You may do as you wish...I have my own path to follow." Elder Revenant said as he tore open a portal with his scythe and went through it.

"Good riddance..." Hero groaned as they left. Cambion then appeared on a ledge over them, watched them leave...and looked at his dark-purple glowing hand.

* * *

Back at the fort, the team cleared out the dozens of dead guards, and Wizard used a gateway to get her, Warrior, and the boss they arrested back to the oceanic city for his imprisonment, then the rest of the team went over the fort itself.

The fort had outer walls, some towers, some for sightseeing, others for defense, and several floors in the main house, and it was like Fighter and Ranger's home in Water Town: there was a kitchen, a library, multiple guest rooms, a main hall, a meeting room, a series of offices, and then some.

"This place is a freaking palace!" Wizard's brother exclaimed as the team looked over the library, which Fighter took advantage of to get some reading in Wizard's spellbook.

"No kidding...Ranger, could me and Goblin Slayer live here?" Cow Girl asked and Ranger looked at her.

"I suppose, may I ask why?" He asked.

"Because, well...there's a series of farms not far from here right? There's even a dairy farm like we used to have, as well as wheat farms, apple orchards, and even a sheep farm. Don't get me, wrong, I am proud of being a part of this team but..." Cow Girl trailed off.

"You want a place to settle. This place is yours then." Ranger said and Cow Girl hugged him, which he returned.

"Thank you so much." Cow Girl said softly.

"Do you really not mind having a home in the same place as a former crime lord?" Ranger asked as Cow Girl backed up.

"It's not his anymore now is it?" Cow Girl asked smugly.

"I think the way you think." Ranger said as Cow Girl looked at GS. "You want to leave here as well?"

"Why not?" GS asked and Cow girl giggled.

"This is still part of the entire team's property though. You may live here, but if we need the two of you for anything major-" Cow Girl cuts Ranger off.

"We know the drill, and we are always available to kill more goblins...and whatever else you need as well." GS said.

"Speaking of needing..." Wizard's brother said as he tossed GS a second shotgun...and a harpoon in-between the barrels, and a third trigger.

"You did not..." Cow Girl said.

"Yes I did. You think one of those babies is bad news, imagine having one in both hands, and I already tested it; it's got just as much bang as the other one, and here's the harpoon attachment for the one you already have." Wizard's brother said as he tossed it over, and GS wasted no time attaching it, then pointed at an empty space with both shotguns.

"This will do." GS said as he put them away.

"One would hope so." Rhea Fighter said seriously as Wizard and Warrior came back through the gateway.

"It's done." Warrior said.

"The sentence?" Fighter asked as she finished reading.

"Life of course. Any new spells?" Wizard asked.

"The clone spell is a real winner, no wonder you use it." Fighter said.

"Sis, you don't know the half of it..." Warrior said.

"Guess what? This is our place now." Cow Girl said as she held GS' arm.

"Let me guess: those farms attracted you?" Wizard asked dryly.

"Give the lady a prize." Ranger quipped.

"Very funny boss." Wizard deadpanned.

"Anyway, we won this small war on crime, so...let's celebrate!" Warrior said as the team all went to the kitchen to cook up two slabs of ribs, made a a bowl of broth for their bread, melted some cheese for the ones they didn't want to soak in the broth, and steamed various vegetables. They even made some ice cream for desert, and saved some for later, and made some sandwiches as "field rations".

"Damn, that boss sure did well for himself." Wizard's brother said as they finished their feast.

"Yep, it's amazing what you can do after screwing over just a few hundred people." Warrior said sarcastically.

"When you put it like that..." Rhea Fighter said before biting some bread.

"It doesn't matter. You dealt with him, and we can now put his ill-gotten goods to use for a noble cause." GS said seriously as ever.

"Hey boss, there's that synergy you two share again." Warrior said.

"He thought of that himself. Although...that's not a bad point." Ranger said.

"Hey Priestess, want to let them know what we found?" Wizard asked and Priestess showed her new blade, and Fighter let off a whistle.

"We found a sword made of silver, and Wizard merged it with the one I had. This is the result." Priestess said.

"If looks could kill..." Ranger said and Warrior snickered.

"Oh boy, if looks could kill, all she'd have to do if she had to fight the Demon Lord, show him that sword, and he'd lose right away." He said.

"Uh, not to burst your bubble, but the Hero had no such luck." Rhea Fighter said.

"How would you know that?" Cow Girl asked.

"Logical guess." Rhea Fighter said.

"Yeah, pull the other one..." Cow Girl said and Sword Maiden appeared...with Ranger and Fighter's baby in her arms, as the parents went to see their child.

"She's as healthy as she was when you last saw her." Sword Maiden said as softly as ever as Fighter took her daughter.

"Thank you so much Your Gr- I mean Sword Maiden. I forgot you're not the archbishop anymore..." Fighter said with a chuckle.

"I understand." Sword Maiden said said as Priestess came up to hug her.

"Welcome back mother." Priestess said before Sword Maiden kissed her forehead.

"Thank you my child." Sword Maiden whispered and the two holy women looked at the baby's hands playing with Cow Girl's finger.

"Is there anything we should be aware of before we get too relaxed?" Ranger asked and Sword Maiden sighed.

"Yes, but it can wait; now is the time to celebrate." She said with a smile as Cow Girl came to GS, who removed his helmet and let the baby look at him...and the rest of the team stared at him as well. They might know what he looks like now, but he shows it so rarely, that it's a special occasion every time. The team then went back to talking to each other.

"You know...we could go down to the farms every now and then, for old time's sake." Cow Girl said.

"Yeah." GS said, as Cow Girl gave the baby to Priestess, then she leaned on his shoulder.

"Words cannot express how badly I wanted to see you when the farm was destroyed, and I had to stay with those demon hunters. I didn't think they'd hurt me, but..." Cow Girl trailed off as GS side-hugged her, which surprised her a bit.

"It's not the same as this, is it?" GS asked as Cow Girl sighed and relaxed.

"Not at all, but...thank the Supreme we're together again." She said.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about your uncle." GS said.

"He is with the rest of us in Heaven my dear." Sword Maiden said as she held Cow Girl's hand as they shared a smile. "And he's quite proud of you, and he's sorry Goblin Slayer; he used to think you were mad...but after seeing what you, and the rest of your teammates have done because of you, he rethought his entire opinion of you."

"Good." GS said.

"And should the two of you wish to become parents someday, you both have his blessing, and my own." Sword Maiden said.

"Thanks Sword Maiden." Cow Girl said .

"No...thank you." Sword Maiden said before the two embraced.

"Hey boss? Would you like to see that dragon we saw?" Warrior asked as he held up a recaller.

"I would!" Cow Girl said excitedly, then Warrior shrugged, and they all saw the dragon display it's full glory, and even Ranger and GS' eyes popped out of their sockets.

"Holy..." Ranger said in awe.

"I would offer that we can go see him, but...he didn't seem to like us very much." Warrior said.

"Smart...oh, what about my fight at the dojo?" Fighter asked.

"Sure, why not?" Cow Girl asked, and they saw the whole thing: from Fighter stomping a bunch of the thugs, to her getting kicked while she was down herself, which Ranger was visibly pained by, to her back-and-forth with Heavy Fighter, to her finishing him off with her arm blade.

"Lady, you don't mess around." Wizard's brother said with an eyebrow raised.

"You could not be more right my good sir." Fighter said with pride, and saw Ranger smiling, but noted his lack of ease.

"Should we head to bed now?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Might as well." Warrior said.

"Good night, all of you." Priestess said as Fighter handed her the baby and she stayed there with her husband.

"It wasn't easy seeing you get the living shit kicked out of you, even though I know you can handle it." Ranger said seriously before Fighter touched his face, then kissed him sweetly as he held her close.

"I'm alright now; you saw what your pendant did for me." She said.

"Right...and even if you didn't have it, I would've gotten involved, like I did with that boss. I should get a Platinum Rank again for restraining myself when you were getting pummeled that frequently." Ranger said.

"Thanks for believing in me." Fighter breathed out before snuggling into his shoulder as she felt him tighten his hold as the two sat there like that for the better part of a minute.

"I am rarely as happy to be married to you as I am now." Ranger said.

"Because of how much ass I can kick?" Fighter teased and Ranger chuckled at her before backing up and looking at her smirking face.

"That...and everything else." He said before kissing her again. "It really is a shame we can only marry once."

"Ranger...we marry every day as far as I'm concerned." Fighter said as she snuggled into him, then he looked her over.

"Will that outfit ever stop being so nostalgic?" He asked.

"Only as long as you want it to be...my love and life." Fighter whispered before they went to bed, stripped naked and just when they did...Fighter made a single clone of herself, much to Ranger's surprise.

"Fighter...?" He said as she got behind her clone and hugged her from behind as the clone smiled at him.

"What? I just thought I'd give that clone spell a test, and apparently it works like a charm. According to what I read, my clones aren't under my control, but their bodies and mindsets are the same as my own. Not only that, but if I reabsorb my clones, I learn everything they learn, and their memories became my own, and in out case...it gets better." Fighter said as she glanced at her clone.

"Apparently...if you fuck me, even without a potion, the real me doesn't get pregnant." The clone said and Ranger raised an eyebrow.

"In that case..." He said.

"Not now." The two ladies said at the same time.

"You know what you're missing." Ranger teased.

"Still, this isn't a good time." Fighter said.

"However..." The clone said sensually as she wrapped her arms around Ranger's neck and Fighter watched her clone press her lips against Ranger's own, and her breasts press into his chest. The clone even chuckled into the kiss as Ranger gropped her buttocks from the sides and fondled it just roughly enough to make it shake.

"Well...at least I know how we look when we kiss like that..." Fighter said casually as the kiss broke, and both looked at her.

"Can we sleep like this as well?" Ranger asked.

"I suppose...I didn't see anything in the book about my clones having a time limit." Fighter said as she got in bed, then Ranger snuggled into her front, as the clone snuggled into his back.

"We _really_ should've done this sooner..." Ranger said and Fighter chuckled.

"I figured you'd say that." She teased.

"Hey, I get not one, but two stone-cold beauties in my bed; good luck finding a man who wouldn't love that." Ranger said seriously.

"If you say so." Fighter breathed out.

"But seriously...I do appreciate this gesture, if you can call it that...anyway, that clone spell really works as well as you say. You both are the same in every way, from the way you look, to the way you sound, smell...and feel." Ranger said as he rubbed the thigh the clone wrapped around his waist, much to her delight.

"And our kiss?" The clone asked against his ear, then Ranger turned to her.

"Remind me..." He whispered as she kissed him passionately.

"Well?" The clone asked.

"Perfect match..." Ranger whispered as the three went to sleep.

* * *

In the morning, Cow Girl got up, didn't bother waking GS, who was sleeping like a baby, much to her delight. She then got dressed, went upstairs, and looked out from the tower she was on, and admired the clear skies, the rolling farmland, the mountains in the background, some with snow on their tips, and the sun that took it's sweet time coming up. She then stayed like that, until she heard footsteps, and saw GS join her...without his armor.

"Good morning." She said softly as he approached.

"Good morning." He said before kissing her deeply, then she embraced him.

"Sorry I woke you." Cow Girl said.

"You didn't. I simply noticed you weren't there. I actually missed you." GS said as Cow Girl looked up at him and touched his face.

"I missed you whenever you left the farm...whenever you left _me_." She said before GS held her hand.

"I'm not leaving you again." GS said seriously before hugging her again.

"I love you." Cow Girl breathed out.

"I love you too." GS said tensely as he tightened his hold on her, and there stood there hugging, then she sighed and snuggled into him some more.

"Take me back to bed." She whispered.

"It's still morning." GS said.

"I don't care, I'm not entirely awake yet, and I want to be with you." Cow Girl said.

"Alright." GS said as he walked her back to bed, then she pulled him down, as they locked lips. She then poked her tongue through his lips, and their tongues lashed against each other as GS ran his hand along her thick leg that she rubbed against his hip.

"Kiss my neck..." Cow Girl whispered before she turned her head then GS kissed up and down her neck until she held his head in place when he got to the point where her neck meets her shoulder and her breathing got deeper.

"The others should be on their way by now..." GS said, and his deep, breathy voice made her muscles flex and her skin get bumps.

"I wish them luck on their travels...now, keep touching me." Cow Girl said as he started fondling and rubbing her heavy breasts, as she grinned and gasped in bliss.

"Do you want to head down to those farms later?" GS asked before rising up to look at his lover's smiling face.

"Very much so..." Cow Girl said before she brought him down to kiss him again.

"Should I drink some potion?" GS asked and Cow Girl shook her head.

"No...I don't want to have sex this time. I just want to be with a certain big, dumb, goblin-killing badass, who also happens to be _incredibly_ sexy." She said with a smirk...which GS returns.

"Then it's a good thing one is right on top of you now." He said.

"Why Goblin Slayer...when did _you_ get so saucy?" Cow Girl asked before GS came down to kiss her again, as she flipped them over, kissed his neck and chuckled as he roughly gripped her buttocks with an audible slapping sound.

* * *

The team traveled down the road, with Priestess holding the baby, until they got to the monastery...and were flagged down by one of the monks.

"Is something wrong brother?" Ranger asked.

"Father Superior wants to speak with you. We discovered what the relic is for." the monk said as the team looked at each other and went inside...and saw Abbot standing side-by-side at the alter.

"Father...?" Ranger asked.

"Ah, welcome back." Abbot said as the team approached.

"We heard you got that relic figured out?" Wizard asked.

"Yes...it opens a portal to Heaven itself!" Abbot said and the whole team either stood there in awe, or disbelief.

"What...?" Ranger asked.

"You heard right. It actually opens the angelic version of a Hell Rift, and it leads right to Heaven's gates." Abbot said.

"O.k...not that that isn't impressive, but...why does that concern us? We're not ready to go to the afterlife yet; we still have decades left to live." Wizard's brother said.

"Are you kidding me? We get to see Heaven; the gods themselves, as well as some people we lost...and come back to talk about it, not that we should right Father?" Fighter asked.

"Correct, there is a reason that Heaven Keys like this are so rare; there used to be more, but they were either destroyed, or hidden well." Abbot said.

"Uh, Father...speaking of the Hell Rifts, have they been declining recently?" Warrior asked.

"Actually...they're as plentiful as ever; it's a miracle the pope's forces can keep up with them." Abbot said.

"How do we stop them?" Priestess asked.

"Give the Demon Lord a reason to stop them." Elder Revenant said as he walked into the monastery.

"You?" Ranger said.

"Yes, me." Elder Revenant said.

"You know this guy?" Wizard asked.

"He's another Revenant." Ranger said.

"Oh boy..." Rhea Fighter said.

"What did you mean we should give the Demon Lord a reason to stop?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Just what I said." Elder Revenant said.

"Me, the Hero, and her team tore a massive hole in the Demon Lord's forces days ago; how is that not enough?" Ranger asked.

"You don't get how the Demon Lord's power works do you? Why so many demons follow him? Why he comes back so often? He thrives on destruction and suffering of all kinds. Wars between the elves, humans, dwarves, and whatever else, the goblins' work, the various monsters that wreck havoc, it doesn't matter. The Demon Lord has the unique ability to thrive on the darkness driving all of it, and at this rate...he's not just coming back much sooner than the last time, the next time will be far less pleasant." Elder Revenant said.

"All the more reason to put this Heaven Key to use." Abbot said as he held the relic, and Elder Revenant actually laughed.

"You will need all of Heaven's power to even have a _chance_ of ending the Demon Lord once and for all. Countless people tried to kill him once and for all, and every time, they failed to get rid of his ability to come back." He said.

"You got a way to do that?" Warrior asked.

"The Demon Lord's vitality is equal to the Supreme God's." Elder Revenant said simply.

"Revenant...do you truly believe the Supreme would have such a creature responsible for so much pain exist without a good cause?" Abbot asked.

"I care little for what you all believe; the reason I am here is to see what this...gateway to Heaven is supposed to be." Elder Revenant said.

"Then be on your way and stop sowing the seeds of despair." Abbot said sharply.

"Although...I did ask about how to stop the Hell Rifts before, but I was simply told that the Sword Maiden's power would not return until the storm was weathered." Elder Revenant said.

"Well that's a load and a half; she's a nephilim now; she's stronger than ever." Warrior said.

"Which means whoever said that was lying." Priestess said.

"Or there's more than one way to interpret that." Ranger said.

"Or he was speaking chronologically." Wizard said and got some looks. "Think about it: the Sword Maiden got her power back under...pretty wacky circumstances to say the least, but without those circumstances, she'd get her power back who-knows-when."

"We don't have "who-knows-when". We need to stop these hell goblins now." Priestess said.

"Well, may you have better luck uncovering the truth than I have had." Elder Revenant said as he turned to leave.

"It was quite noble of you to give us this information." Priestess said as the undead man stopped cold. "You could have simply left us in the dark, but you showed us at least some light. It means quite a bit."

"Don't be ridiculous child." Elder Revenant said as he turned to look at her, then Sword Maiden appears in front of him.

"Hello." She said sharply.

"Sword Maiden..." Elder Revenant grumbled.

"Yes, and you are being less-than-cooperative enough to be welcome here." Sword Maiden said.

"Need I inform you I did not need to come here, and that your surrogate daughter just thanked me for my help?" Elder Revenant asked.

"And yet you claim that the living do not concern you. You have aided countless people directly and indirectly, and still make this claim? You either have difficulty accepting your place in the living world, or you're the single greatest hypocrite in existence. Which is it?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Why do I concern myself with one who has everything they lacked in life is the better ques-" Sword Maiden cuts him off by gripping his hand and holding it up and the undead man rapidly, and harshly breathes, and even starts violently shaking. "How-? This is-?"

"What? Sensation? Liberty? _Life_?" Sword Maiden asked harshly as Elder Revenant collapsed to his knees as the team watched in awe.

"Sword Maiden, don't you think that's enough?" Fighter asked.

"Very well..." Sword Maiden said as she released Elder Revenant who fell down looking at his shaking hand, and clenched his fist over and over, before glaring at her as he stood.

"Don't...ever...do that again..." He growled.

"I am already dead revenant, and it was clear as day that words alone would do nothing for you; the people behind you have done little except demonstrate that action is needed to make a difference, not just words alone." Sword Maiden said seriously, and Elder Revenant looked at the team, who were just watching...then he tore open a portal with a scythe and left.

"Sword Maiden..." Priestess said in awe as the nephilim deflated.

"I never thought I'd see myself do that either, but I was not wrong when I mentioned you all." Sword Maiden said.

"There is something he failed to mention, and he actually came here last night to tell me this." Abbot said and got everyone's attention.

"Tell you what Father?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"That revenant actually aided the Hero's party, and when they were done...they were ambushed by the Cambion, who managed to steal a portion of his power." Abbot said and the team's hearts sank.

"You mean...he has the powers of the Death God now?" Fighter asked with fear in her voice.

"Most likely, which means that coming to Heaven is no longer optional. Father, open the gateway." Sword Maiden said, then Abbot nodded, poured some energy into the Heaven Key, and it floated up, spun like a wheel, and a portal opened, that Sword Maiden led the team through.

* * *

When they got through...their eyes popped out of their sockets. Warrior even rubbed his eyes and opened them again.

"Heaven..." Ranger whispered as they looked around. As far as their eyes could see...and beyond, the entire place was a series of golden-ivory castles floating on what looked to be solid clouds, with bridges between them. The light that shined off and from the buildings was intense, but not overwhelming, and the air itself was so clear and was such a perfect temperature, that none of them felt even the slightest discomfort; quite the opposite in fact.

"Impressive isn't it? Well, this is just the bottom part of Heaven; the rest of it is reserved for the gods themselves, and for good reason." Sword Maiden said.

"Oh?" Wizard asked.

"Yes. Should a human being set foot there, the beauty and pleasure they'd find there would likely drive them mad." Sword Maiden said and the team all looked at her funny.

"Yeah, let's avoid that..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Shall we?" Sword Maiden asked as she led them down a porcelain stone road, then they looked down and saw a whole other world. The sky there was a combination of a starry night sky, with countless auroras dancing across it, and a sunny day sky, and they somehow balanced each other out flawlessly. The floor was a series of rolling plains that were like an endless garden of flowers, trees, and rivers of rushing water, flowing through rocks of every size.

"What is that place?" Fighter asked.

"That is the absolute bottom part of Heaven, the place where the Earth Mother herself draws a connection to the world of mortals, and where she cares for the souls of the dead animals, and those who most staunchly serve her cause.

"What do you mean?" Priestess asked and Sword Maiden stopped cold.

"There are those who are so devoted to nature, that they intentionally, and fully sever their ties to civilization and live among the plants and animals in the wild. Most of them form entire communities, but others live alone, far from civilization." Sword Maiden.

"Why?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Mostly because of their interest in nature, but others simply wish to be left alone, others simply go mad." Sword Maiden said before they continued their trek, and eventually...they reached the famous Pearly Gates, and the suspense mounted up as they entered the city of the gods, and in the distance, they a saw thousands of souls walking around simply traveling from one place to another, socializing, and simply enjoying themselves in various ways.

"These have to be the happiest people I've ever seen." Rhea Fighter said and Wizard's brother snickered.

"It's Heaven, what do you expect?" He asked.

"Still..." Rhea Fighter said.

"A grand forum we call it. There's countless of them all over Heaven, and most people flock to them, but others, like myself...we have our own forums. In fact, that is where we should go now." Sword Maiden said.

"Is...there anyone we can see here? Like our lost friends and family?" Fighter asked.

"As a matter of fact, there is." Sword Maiden said with a smile as they went up a staircase made of clouds and stone, until they got to another level of the front part of the city...then saw a familiar figure waiting for them.

"Welcome to Heaven people. I see that the good Abbot put that key to use." Cherub said.

"He has indeed." Sword Maiden said with a smile.

"Come...there's some people you should see." Cherub said as they went into a large circular house, and they saw a lone figure...and Fighter recognized him right away.

"Father!" She exclaimed as she rushed to hug him, and he instantly returned the embrace.

"Daughter, what are you doing here?" Her father asked as she pulled back.

"An abbot used a Heaven Key to send us through a portal...and there's more to do here than I thought." Fighter said.

"There's more than any of us thought it seems." Ranger said as he approached Fighter's dad, and the two looked at each other.

"It's good to see you in person son-in-law." Fighter's dad said.

"Likewise master." Ranger said as Fighter let go of her father and they two clasped arms, and then embraced.

"Is my granddaughter with you?" Fighter's dad asked then Priestess approached.

"Here she is sir." She said as the baby finally woke up and looked at her grandfather who smiled at her.

"Hello..." Fighter's dad said.

"Hello..." The baby said and Fighter's dad laughed as he carefully took the child from Priestess.

"She's just like you were when you were a baby my daughter." Fighter's dad said, as Fighter touched her daughter's cheek.

"Sir?" Warrior said as he took his turn, and Fighter's dad stared at him.

"You too?" He asked in awe.

"Yep, all of us came." Warrior said as Rhea Fighter and the wizard siblings came up.

"The two of us are new. How is Heaven treating you sir?" Rhea Fighter asked as she touched Wizard's brother's shoulder.

"Very fair, like Earth is to you all." Fighter's dad said.

"My team expanded quite a bit master. As did our assets." Ranger said and Fighter's dad smiled.

"I expected nothing less, and I watched your battles daughter. You honor our past masters well." He said as he gave the baby to Warrior, and hugged Fighter again.

"Thank you..." She whispered.

"And I look forward to seeing what my granddaughter can do, thanks to my son-in-law as well." Fighter's dad said as he looked at Ranger.

"I can hardly wait myself..." Ranger said.

"Well...not that this isn't touching, but there are other people who want a word with you." Cherub said seriously.

"Then let's go see them...with all due respect." Wizard said.

"Wait...show you ring." Warrior said and Wizard did so.

"I saw your wedding as well." Fighter's dad said.

"What don't you know about?" Wizard asked.

"Whatever the Supreme thinks I should know, I find out about, It's that simple." Fighter's dad said.

"Is that normal here?" Priestess asked.

"Very much so. Even the future is known to a great many people here, but of course, there are rules in this regard." Fighter's dad said.

"No doubt." Wizard's brother said.

"Now now, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves; you all can't stay in Heaven forever." Cherub said as they went to another chamber as Fighter's dad entered a portal to another house. When they reached the next room, they found dozens of dwarves feasting, drinking, and talking...until.

"What are you doing here?" A dwarf asked as he walked up to the team.

"I brought them here to see you." Cherub said.

"Wait...have we met?" Ranger asked and the dwarf looked puzzled, than it sank in.

"Ah, I see you don't recognize me; I was much older when we last met." The dwarf said.

"Wait...you're the first dwarf we had with us aren't you? Wow, you've gotten young again..." Wizard said.

"Yes I have, and that's only one gift I was given for my services, just look around! Most of these people are my ancestors!" Dwarf Shaman said.

"Talk about a family reunion..." Warrior said with a raised eyebrow.

"Wait, where's Beard-Cutter?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"He and the farm girl have their own home now, in the now-used-by-us fort that a crime boss used." Wizard said.

"Good for him. He's earned more than his fair share of joy. Speaking of which, how is Long Ears?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"She's not much worse actually, and neither is her people." Fighter said.

"So my sacrifice meant more than I thought." Dwarf Shaman said as Ranger knelt and touched his shoulder.

"Your sacrifice was both an inspiration, and another motive to see this through, and we're not slowing down one bit." He said firmly.

"Good, the last thing I want is for you all to be slowed down by my loss, although I'm touched you think so much of me. Also...when you get back to Earth, tell Long Ears I'm sorry for making fun of her so much, and that rifleman that he's a lucky man." Dwarf Shaman said.

"We will..." Ranger said as he stood up, and the shaman went back to his family.

"The rest of you can look around the city as much as you want, Ranger...there's some people who'd like to see you, alone." Cherub said.

"Alright..." Ranger said as he kissed his daughter's forehead, then Fighter's lips, before going with Cherub.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Hell, Cambion walked through a series of corridors, paying the goblins and demons who were butchered, and the ones who were being put back together with Hell energy little to no mind, as he gathered as much spare essence as he could, before moving onto the next corridor.

"Dear Ranger...you really do spare no expense with the carnage do you...?" Cambion asked with amusement as he examined the destroyed landscape and buildings. He eventually got to a collapsed temple on the top of a mountain. "Even a copy of the site of the Demon Lord's last failure wasn't spared...how sad."

"Yoooou...you have a great of nerve coming heeere." A voice spoke from no where.

"Sorry to disappoint you...father." Cambion said sharply.

"You do not deserve to bare my blood! You should have died in your mother's womb that day." The voice said.

"Last I checked, you are the one who put your blood in her womb while she and I were dying all those decades ago, in order to make a mockery of the cycle of birth the Earth Mother holds so dearly. But she got the last laugh and my human side became dominant, didn't it? Tough break for you..." Cambion said with faint but still noticeable pride in his voice.

"Make no mistake child, I will soon be freeee, and when I am...you will suffer more than everyone else; even the Sword Maiden, in all her past wretchedness will not be able to hold a candle to you." The voice said and Cambion scoffed.

"I wish you the greatest of luck." Cambion said as he left, and opened a rift back to the prisons to collect more essence.

"Hey! Get me out of here! Get me out of- Oh...no, not you..." Elf General said as Cambion approached.

"Yes...me. The same one who told you not to underestimate the Ranger and company, so once again, you are the architect of your own suffering." Cambion said.

"Just get me out of here, we can take him down together." Elf General said urgently.

"Oh no no no no...you're going to stay right here until the Supreme comes down here and says your time is up, and if I know anything about how the Supreme's definition of justice works...you're going to be here for..._quite_ some time." Cambion said.

"Wait, my liege...what about us?" Rhea Scout asked from another cell, then Cambion turned to him with a disappointed look in the face.

"You? You had a perfect opportunity to kill the Ranger, and even a pair of nearly-defenseless girls...and you still failed, despite the secrets I shared with you. You even made my cause less likely to bare fruit. As of now you, and that warlock, no longer serve a purpose." He said.

"You damn bastard!" R.S. yelled as Cambion disappeared into a rift.

* * *

Ranger followed Cherub down another hall, and Cherub opened a double door into a chamber with no one in it, then Cherub vanished, which alarmed Ranger.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Ranger called out, then heard footsteps...and saw an armored woman. "Who are you-" The woman then removed her helmet...and Ranger recognized her right away.

"I believe you know me...you severed my head when we last met." The woman said.

"You're the vampire queen?" Ranger asked.

"You killed the vampire queen with your own hands. I stand here, in Heaven as a nephilim, just like the Sword Maiden. I am also reunited with my husband and children, so I have more than a small number of blessings to thank you personally for...and even more atrocities to apologize for." Nephilim said.

"Oh?" Ranger asked before they started to circle each other.

"Yes...I am sorry for getting between you and your wife with that succubus; I deserved having my head severed and used as a trophy for that act alone. May I ask why you came here? I know _how_ you came here, but I don't now why." Nephilim said.

"There's a Cambion running around, causing all kinds of trouble which includes the Sword Maiden's murder, and now he's taken power from one of the Death God's servants. We came here to find a way to stop him." Ranger said before they stopped circling.

"I know this man...you'll never defeat him without your full power, especially with the powers of the Death God on his side. I doubt even I could when I was the vampire queen." Nephilim said.

"Despite the fact I had the War God's power when I defeated you?" Ranger asked.

"Even then...but with everything you can get working in your favor, and everyone you can get in-touch with working alongside you...that Cambion will have even less luck than I did...and I did not fare well against you." Nephilim said.

"Will you aid us?" Ranger asked.

"I'm sorry, I cannot. The Sword Maiden herself guiding you is already too much; if I were to get involved, the forces of Hell would step up their game in response. Worst case scenario...the abyss tears open, and all it's horrors on unleashed." Nephilim said.

"Armageddon..." Ranger whispered.

"Right. There is a reason the Supreme has things work the way they do; even the goblins' work has it's place, even if it _is_ just to break hearts and inflame people's anger." Nephilim said and Ranger sighed.

"I get it...now, unless you have anything else to add, I would like to obtain what we came here for; we were told our time is short." Ranger said.

"Of course. I actually met this War God you were blessed by, and he actually wishes to see you." Nephilim said and Ranger went pale.

"He what?" He asked.

"Don't worry, he is not displeased with you, quite the opposite in fact. I believe he wants to test you." Nephilim said and Ranger calmed down a bit as it sank in.

"The War God...wants to see me..." He whispered in awe.

"Follow me..." Nephilim said as a portal opens and they went through. When they got to the other side, they walked down a hallway with a stone floor...and walls and a ceiling made of iron. The whole place was pitch-black except for blood-red torches on the walls. Eventually, the got to a large room with mannequins of various monster types lining the edges of the room.

"What is this place?" Ranger asked as he looked over the mannequins...and recognized a good number of them. There was everything from the various types of goblins, including the goblin lord, the ogre he killed in Water Town, even the Evil Sect terrorists and priests.

"This is a room devoted to the various types of foes you have slaughtered. Don't worry, they didn't include the girls you mercy-killed; the War God isn't _that_ devoted to bloodshed. Speaking of whom, I believe you will be happy to know they are in the primary district of Heaven spending as much time as they can with their families, and they really do forgive you." Nephilimi said as Ranger took a moment to keep his composure.

"What district are we in now?" Ranger asked.

"The middle, where those most devoted to the gods, and a few of the lesser gods reside." Nephilim said.

"The War God is a lesser god? Oh...wait, Storm Mage said that before." Ranger said.

"Storm Mage also lives here, in the Sword Maiden's home...and in her bed." Nephilim said and Ranger looked right at her.

"From what I've heard, he _belongs_ in her bed." Ranger said.

"Just as the War God and the Love Goddess belong in each other's beds, and no, the Love Goddess does not live here." Nephilim said.

"I thought hey were married?" Ranger asked.

"They are, but they live in opposite ends of this district; he believes her home to be too...peaceful." Nephilim said.

"I'm not surprised; war and peace are natural opposites after all. May I see her when-" Nephilim cuts Ranger off.

"No, the Love Goddess can change her appearance based on what each person she meets finds most attractive. If you see her...your wife will likely look repulsive by comparison. I'm sorry, but there is a reason she is so reclusive." Nephilim said.

"Right..." Ranger whispered.

"Shall we continue?" Nephilim asked, and Ranger followed her down another hallway, then they stopped in front of a pair of double doors.

"He's in there isn't he?" Ranger asked.

"Yes. That's the entrance to his throne room. Before you go in, you must keep a few things in mind: like I said before, he is not displeased with you, so do not be afraid of him; even I am aware of how well you followed his path, so he certainly knows. Also, he may be a lesser god, but he is still the greatest warrior among the gods; his skill is equal to the Supreme's power. Above all...make sure you do not show weakness, or he will snuff it out. Good luck..." Nephilim said as Ranger composed himself and approached the doors. He then looked back to see she was gone...then pushed open the doors to see a large room lined with pillars, more red torches, and an occupied throne with a dragon statue on either side of it. The person on the throne was heavily shadowed to the point where only his armored legs, hands and a few strands of black hair were visible, even as Ranger got close.

"War God..." Ranger said tensely and the War God's hands clenched.

"You bare my mark..." The War God said as if pleased to see a son. His voice was deep, clear, and smooth, quite fitting for a god; Ranger almost envied him for it alone.

"Yes I do...I am the Ranger." Ranger said.

"The slayer of the vampire queen, a servant of the Sword Maiden, and the 11th Platinum Rank...welcome to my fortress." The War God said.

"I was told...you wanted to see me." Ranger said, then the War God leaned forward into the light to reveal the rest of his form. The War God was depicted as incredibly handsome, and the lighting showed that his visage matched his voice.

"You were told correct. You have accomplished much with my power, but this war is not over until you sever the Cambion's head as well as the vampire queen's." The War God said.

"How can I do that? I faced him before...and he snapped my sword in two as it it were made of wood." Ranger said.

"Which is precisely why you must absorb as much power as you can, and why at the right moment, I will grant you the results of a hundred moments where you spawned weapons from my personal arsenal, and had your armor consume them." The War God said.

"You approve of those moments? I actually believed I was simply being greedy when I used Smith to make and absorb weaponry." Ranger said.

"You did what you believed was needed, and the results of your victories speak for themselves Ranger." The War God said.

"I am glad I followed your path, even when I believed I strayed from it." Ranger said.

"You may have followed my path out of greed, but you eventually proved that greed does have a brighter side Ranger, and that is a feat few of my servants can boast about. Eventually, the only one who can boast more than you...is my previous champion." The War God.

"The wearer of the Apocalypse Armor." Ranger said.

"Correct. While you are not descended from him, any more than the Sword Maiden is descended from the Supreme God's champion, there are still no fewer parallels between the four of you respectively. And do not think I have forgotten about those moments where you used the miracle of Smith to bestow arms upon others, which is yet another insult to the sin of greed. Ranger...your goal of improving the world of mortals, is baring a great deal of fruit, thanks to the war you wage against the corrupt forces infesting it." The War God said.

"It is an honor, and a joy to be part of this my liege." Ranger said as he put his fist on his chest.

"However...there is one thing I must give you now. You have learned much of your armor's potential, including the ability to have it repair your body, as it did against the vampire queen when your arm broke...but there is one thing I am surprised you haven't learned: how to use your armor to fly, without growing wings. You know of how your greatswords follow your will to be swung despite their colossal size and mass, but you can use your armor the same way." The War God said and Ranger focused on his armor...then started floating a few feet off the ground which surprised him and then he fell back to the ground.

"That...will take some getting used to." Ranger said.

"Do not put a greater tax on yourself, or this war before it is time. Another tactic would be to summon weaponry, then have them fight on your behalf with using your hands, try these skills well Ranger. They can and will be necessary in the battles to come." The War God said.

"Are you going to test me my liege?" Ranger asked...then the War God stood, and took several steps towards him.

"Do you wish this?" The War God asked, Ranger then remembered what the former vampire queen said and steeled himself.

"Yes..." Ranger said as he spawned several swords and had them float around.

"Then let us begin..." The War God said as he spawned his own swords, then the two sets clashed against each other in mid-air until the swords were all in pieces...and Ranger looked around. "Very good, for a first try."

"First?" Ranger asked.

"Yes, there is still a great deal for you to learn..." The War God said as they tried again.

* * *

"Wow..." Priestess breathed out as she looked over a forest with a swirling vortex of aurora-colored stars in a night sky. The pathway through the forest was also filled with status of people none of the team recognized, each one spread out so much they

"Who are these people?" Warrior asked.

"Former Platinum Ranks, or at the very least, people who were worthy of the title...and here..." Sword Maiden trailed off, as the team looked over a statue of Hero standing with her sword brandished...and another of Ranger, in his heavy armor, with a greatsword stuck in the ground, and his left gauntlet outstretched.

"Wow...the boss is never going to believe this." Wizard said.

"No kidding...I wish I had _my_ own statue." Her brother said.

"Can't you just make one yourself?" Wizard asked.

"I might very well do that once I get my own place." Her brother said and got looks from everyone else. "What? I didn't expect one in this area...although it wouldn't hurt."

"Hey, most people don't get statues here; most people don't become Platinum level." Fighter said.

"And you...my dear girl, are married to this great man." Sword Maiden said with a smile before hugging her.

"I will never forget the time you did Sword Maiden...we even told each other it was a shame we can't do it again, even though we use a recaller to watch it over and over..." Fighter said before Sword Maiden backed up.

"It's not the same is it?" She asked and Fighter shook her head.

"No..but like I told him last time we embraced: we marry every day as far as I'm concerned." She said and Priestess took her hand.

"An endearing sentiment Fighter. Now...shall we continue?" Sword Maiden asked and they kept going through the woods...and got to a castle...made of mostly wood.

"Who lives there?" Warrior asked.

"The Chief God, patron deity of the northern kingdom, the same one in which the vampire queen was slain." Sword Maiden said.

"I actually read about her fall from grace..." Fighter said.

"A sad tale that is...but luckily, she cast off her unholy skin when she died at Ranger's sword, and became a nephilim herself." Sword Maiden said.

"You mean she's here, in Heaven?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Yes, and she is reunited with the family she was cut off from for so long. I can only imagine the bliss it must cause to be apart for so long, then finally get them back." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Speaking of which...where is Storm Mage?" Priestess asked and Sword Maiden looked right at her.

"In that castle in the far distance." She said as she pointed at it.

"Can we go see it? If that's alright." Warrior asked.

"If we have time I will gladly show you my home, but if not...well, I can show you images later, on Earth." Sword Maiden said as she led them through another portal, and they arrived at a courtyard, and there paintings of the people the statues were devoted to, one for each of them...and it had an extra.

"Is that Goblin Slayer?" Priestess asked as they eyeballed the statue of GS impaling a goblin and holding it over his head while pointing his shotgun at a small horde on the side.

"It is indeed." Sword Maiden said as she walked up to it and the team kept looking it over.

"And I thought he looked badass before..." Warrior said, then they looked over the paintings of Hero branding her glowing sword, and Ranger who was yelling to the heavens while in the middle of a blood-red inferno.

"The Army of One miracle..." Fighter said with a smirk.

"Uhhh...I couldn't help but notice one is missing." Rhea Fighter said.

"Oh, it's not missing; it's just not here." Sword Maiden said.

"Then where is it?" Fighter asked.

"And who's on it?" Wizard asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Sword Maiden asked while smiling.

* * *

She then went up to the entrance of a manor the courtyard was in front of...then she just went inside, and escorted them down a hallway. When they reached the end, she opened another door...and there was a figure sitting on a stone chair in the middle of an indoor garden looking over a fruit from a tree in the middle. The figure was actually a man, and not just any man. He looked enough like Sword Maiden that he could be mistaken for her twin brother; they even had the same hair color, only his was only half as long. He then turned to face the group.

"Visitors? From Earth no less..." The man said with a softness that rivaled Sword Maiden's own voice.

"Yes, everyone...say hello to the Supreme God's champion, the very first Platinum rank." She said and several people exclaimed.

"The Champion! We've heard about you before from an Abbot of the Supreme God a year ago! It is such an honor to meet you..." Priestess said as she got on her knees.

"Stand dear girl. I am little more than a man without my armor, and I left it on Earth when I died." Champion said.

"Still...we've heard about you countless times, and never once thought we'd get to see you. Priestess just spoke for all of us." Fighter said.

"You got that right." Warrior said seriously.

"You all honor me greatly, but I'm certain you did not come here just to take in the sights." Champion said.

"You're right sir. We're here to get more means to face down a cambion." Wizard said.

"A cambion? You truly know how to pick staunch adversaries, even if he _did_ murder the good Sword Maiden here." Champion said.

"You know about that?" Fighter asked.

"My good ma'am, that incident is a secret to no one, least of all in Heaven." Champion said seriously.

"Well...can you help us?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Directly? No. Indirectly? Very much so. When you return to Earth, seek out my armor. You may not be able to use it without dying...but you _can_ access it's power to give yourselves a boost in vitality, at least for the moment." Champion said.

"Just like Abbot did when we first saw him fight those demons a year ago..." Priestess said.

"And I could maybe use the power the elder dragon gave me to cook up something juicy for us." Wizard said.

"And I'll help." Her brother said.

"Right." Wizard said.

"You obtained power from an elder dragon? That's not common." Champion said.

"You'd be amazed how much we went through; we've even been to Hell itself and came back to tell the tale, and our leader went to Hell willingly to save who-knows-how-many people a few days ago." Warrior said.

"That I've heard of...the Demon Lord will not take kindly to that, although...he'll likely use the dead as sacrifices in place of the kidnapped people." Champion said.

"So he really can do that?" Priestess asked.

"Alas...but, I am sure you will find more than a fair number of ways to counteract whatever he dares to throw at you." Champion said.

"If history is anything to go by...there's no fear of that." Fighter said.

"Before we leave...may I ask how you became the Champion in the first place?" Warrior asked.

"That's...a long story." Champion said.

"Please?" Priestess asked.

"Well...do you know anything about my armor?" Champion asked.

"Other than it aided you against not only the Demon Lord, but also his pet, and that it killed you after the battle? Not really." Wizard said.

"Then you should know, I wasn't always in possession of the armor, in fact...I wasn't always worthy of the armor. I even talked to some priests whom I believed were worthy, but they insisted I was chosen by the Supreme to wear it...but I was a nine year old boy, how could I have wielded such a power? Then...not even five years later...the soul of whom I learned afterwards, was my unborn brother, told me that the Supreme did in fact choose me to be the Champion in those dark times." Champion said.

"Dark times?" Priestess asked.

"Yes. Hell actually succeeded in taking over Earth at least once before your time, and...well, take a guess how it affected people's lives. Then there was the Supreme's armor. Countless people tried to use it, and no one succeeded, then eventually... my brother told me in a dream that I had to let people know that the Demon Lord's rule was going to end; evil might win battles...but the Supreme always wins the war. I've seen more darkness lift from the people's faces in one hour, than I did in one year before my campaign. Thanks to my messages, demon hunters and crusaders flocked together in droves, from all walks of life no less. Peasants, clergymen, nobles, even outlaws, they all came together to obtain the Supreme's blessing and take the fight to the Demon Lord's army. Eventually...I too joined the battle, and the Demon Lord left the world...and so did I." Champion said.

"That is, without question, the most incredible story I have ever heard..." Rhea Fighter said in awe.

"May I ask how you became a Platinum Rank after death?" Wizard asked.

"Officially, I was never given a Platinum tag. Unofficially... well, you know the rest." Champion said.

"I see...well, we do appreciate that you took the time to give us this insight, but we need to return home." Fighter said with a bow.

"I look forward to seeing you all again, but hopefully...not too soon." Champion said.

"Thanks...I guess." Fighter said.

"Wait...I waited to ask, but now I must. Is that your daughter Her Grace is holding?" Champion asked.

"Yes she is. Why?" Fighter asked.

"May I ask who the father is?" Champion asked.

"The 11th Platinum Rank actually." Warrior said.

"A daughter of a servant of the War God likely grows up to be quite a woman; she will likely become as great as her parents." Champion said.

"That is our hope good Champion." Priestess said as Sword Maiden escorted the team out.

"Can we see your home now mother?" Priestess asked.

"Unfortunately no...Ranger's training with the War God is nearing it's completion-" Warrior cuts Sword Maiden off.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! _The_ War God? As in the deity who gave him the unbelievable power he used to tear the forces of Hell itself a new one, after giving the vampire queen what for? _That_ War God?" He asked in disbelief.

"The same one." Sword Maiden said simply and Warrior stared at her...along with the rest of the team. "As I was saying, when his training is complete, he will join us at the gateway back to Earth. I am sorry I cannot show you my home, but I will keep my word and show you later."

"And we do appreciate that Sword Maiden." Wizard said with a smile.

* * *

Ranger watched the War God sprout four chains out of his armor, morph a greatsword on the end of each one, then lash them around, craving through the self-repairing pillars with each stroke, then used the chains as flexible legs that pulled his body towards different points. The War God then de-morphed the chains and floated there as Ranger copied the movements step by step, but with less speed and finesse since it was his first time trying the moves.

"Very good..." The War God said before spawning a pair of rifles in mid-air that unloaded into a pillar. Ranger then tried the same thing...but wound up having to hold the two guns, and adapt to the recoil with his body instead of his mind.

"I will need to practice these tricks more..." Ranger said as he reabsorbed the rifles.

"That should be no problem for one as devoted to warfare as yourself. You even learned the art of Silent Wrath, and your wife, whom you gracious compare to my own has learned her own share of skills. She is not only your consort...but also your master in this regard." The War God said before teleporting to his throne. "As for your portal gem...you have already used it wisely against the vampire queen. Refine it some more, and that rhea who nearly slaughtered you will have been your teacher."

"You speak of the time I used my portal gem to reunite with my team when she was attacked by that World Spawn." Ranger said.

"I see your memory continues to serve you well." The War God said.

"Speaking of the World Spawn-" The War God cuts Ranger said.

"The Storm Mage is in the Sword Maiden's bed, awaiting her return." The War God said.

"I see...about your miracles..." Ranger trailed off.

"You have already used my power as well as you could, but the miracle of Empower still evades your notice." The War God said.

"I never saw the need; my Priestess teammate-" The War God cuts Ranger off.

"She can empower others, as well as herself, but you can give yourself a portion of the Army of One's power for a time of need, but it will never equal the Army of One, no matter what you add to it." He said.

"Understood. Are they any more miracles you can bestow upon me?" Ranger asked.

"Only the Meteor power, which I now give to you. But you must exercise caution, for the meteors will care little for what they hit, be they foe, friend...or caster." The War God said.

"I see...as for the Army of One miracle itself...how many more times can I use it?" Ranger asked.

"You will have nothing to fear in the future...trust me. Now, your time here is nearing it's end. But before you leave...there is one last person who wishes to see you." He said as he motioned to the side...and an old friend came through a portal.

"Revenant..." Ranger said.

"Hello Ranger, it's been a long time." Revenant said as Ranger stared at him.

"Right, just over a year. How has Heaven treated you?" He asked.

"Your prayer after my death did not fall on deaf ears; I have reunited with my family again, my parents, my five children, everything is back. My family's heirlooms were lost decades ago, but nevertheless, the Supreme was gracious enough to give me everything back." Revenant said.

"Glad to hear it old friend." Ranger said.

"Friend...we were hardly friends when I was on Earth." Revenant said.

"Still...you saved our lives, with your last few moments nonetheless." Ranger said.

"Moments I have never regretted once since. As for my services..." Revenant trailed off.

"You were replaced; a new, stronger revenant is with us." Ranger said.

"I noticed, this new one has done everything I have not." Revenant said seriously.

"Here's hoping he does not turn from the Death God-" The War God cuts Ranger off.

"My eldest brother lets fewer out of his services than I do, and trust me Ranger, my reputation as a punisher of betrayals is well-earned." He said.

"Understood." Ranger said.

"Ranger...I am sorry about the farm." Revenant said and Ranger sighed.

"Well, it's just as well it happened; that farm girl is now romantically involved with Goblin Slayer, and I believe the farm's destruction is the last nudge they needed. They even live together now." Ranger said.

"May they receive as much joy as I missed out on." Revenant said before turning to leave, then Ranger gripped his shoulder.

"And may you receive what you missed out on." He said, and Revenant gripped Ranger's hand in acknowledge, then left.

"Now...go. Rejoin your team, stay true to my path, and your training, and win this war you wage." The War God said as he leaned back into the shadows. Ranger then put his fist on his chest, bowed and left the room.

* * *

Sword Maiden walked into her room, which was refurbished like her room in the Temple of Law, but the walls were a warm shade of golden-brown, the room has a pond, and even a waterfall that could be stopped, or started at her command. In the large bed laid Storm Mage...her protector and lover. She couldn't help but smile as he woke and noticed her come in.

"Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage said.

"Hello." Sword Maiden said as softly as ever as her beloved protector got up, with neither one caring that he was nude. Then she had her skin-tight gown vanish to reveal her own skin, as the two embraced as tightly as they could before kissing with the same amount of passion, then pressing their foreheads together.

"I missed you..." Storm Mage said with pure love in his voice.

"And I missed you." Sword Maiden said as she snuggled closer into him and touched his face. He then backed up and looked at her.

"How did it go?" Storm Mage asked.

"It's done. Everyone was caught up, Ranger got some training done with his patron, and the rest of his team learned what to do against the Cambion." Sword Maiden said.

"Oh Sword Maiden, that's great news." Storm Mage as he hugged Sword Maiden again, then she sat next to him on the bed...then sat on his lap. "Normally, I would talk about how they'll avenge us..."

"Vengeance may be an ideal of the War God's, but let Ranger and his team follow it, if they must." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"Right...and besides, I only advocate for the War God, but I serve the Love Goddess, and I've never been happier." Storm Mage said as he caressed Sword Maiden's smiling face, before she held his hand against her ample cheek.

"Nor have I, even when we were alive." She said as softly as she could before snuggling into her protector's shoulder and wrapped her arms around his bulk as he held her slim waist and felt her fleshy thighs rub against his own.

"You really showed your claws with that revenant before you came back." Storm Mage said.

"He needed to be disciplined, and as much as I hate to admit it, nothing instills discipline like punishment...as long as it's justified." Sword Maiden said.

"Can't argue with that, but...now is not the time for pain, but peace." Storm Mage said.

"I agree..." Sword Maiden said as she leaned against Storm Mage's shoulder.

"I love you...I always have.." He whispered, then Sword Maiden looked up at him.

"I love you as well..." She said with a slightly cracked voice before kissing him with the same passion as before. They broke their kiss and locked their lips together several times over, listening to the smacking sounds their lips made, and each other's breaths. He eventually groped her breast, making her moan into their kiss and shifted her butt against his lap while moving even closer to him and stroking his back muscle, shoulders, and hair. He then moved his hand down to her thigh and massaged it gently, especially her inner thigh while kissing his lady as deeply and sweetly as possible.

"Do you remember when I promised to protect you from the goblins...and I did?" Storm Mage asked.

"I will never forget." Sword Maiden whispered.

"That has probably been the greatest middle finger I've ever given to anyone. Probably as much as that alligator familiar of yours." Storm Mage as Sword Maiden let off an absolutely adorable giggle.

"Now that you mention it... I've been avenging my own suffering for as long as those goblins were beneath my home, and even more so when they attacked the northern kingdom." She said proudly

"See? Even when they defeat you...you still win, and now you're with me. The man you helped redeem, and has sworn to protect you with his life. And guess what? I still hold that promise dear." Storm Mage said before kissing her ample cheek, and they stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Even though I'm more powerful than ever?" Sword Maiden asked as she locked their hands together.

"Even then." Storm Mage said while keeping his eyes locked with hers. "You really are the most beautiful woman I've ever met..."

"You have a good number of the Love Goddess' blessings yourself, especially your...structure..." Sword Maiden said as she let his hand go and caressed his dense chest...then he managed to wrap his entire hand around one of her breasts, and he squeezed slowly but strongly as she let out one deep breath after another.

"You know that time when...Ranger made love to Fighter countless times in that spring?" Storm Mage said as Sword Maiden's breath hitched.

"Yes...it reminds me of the times you made love to me, and now...we have eternity to follow in their footsteps. Maybe I can have a child of my own, finally." She said as Storm Mage kept kneading her large, luscious breast like it was dough.

"You can choose when you get pregnant can you not? Then until you're ready...we can spend as much time together as you wish." Storm Mage said as he finally get her breast go, and watched it jiggle...before Sword Maiden got up and walked towards the wall.

"Storm Mage...I spent over a decade being haunted by what the goblins did to me, even in Heaven's light...do you think it can be made up for?" She asked while facing the wall.

"Of course it can, even if you must do it on your own, I will not forsake you; when we were alive, I promised I'd protect you, even if that means from your grief." Storm Mage said.

"In that case..." Sword Maiden said before she shrunk, and her figure became less curvaceous as she turned around, much to Storm Mage's puzzlement. "This is what I looked like a decade ago. May I see what you looked like at the time?"

"I suppose..." Storm Mage sensing the tension, then Sword Maiden put her hand on his chest, and he reverted to a small, and longer-haired version of himself which Sword Maiden stared at.

"Your charms were no less than they are now..." She said, before she slowly got closer, then they kissed like the lovesick teens they both felt like, before she broke the kiss and hugged him tightly while weeping.

"Sword Maiden...?" Storm Mage asked with a voice that wasn't as deep as it was before as he held her close.

"That was like our first kiss all over again...only in Heaven's glory could I forget everything we had, only to have it return with a whole new experience added to it." Sword Maiden said with a sob-choked voice.

"I understand...I felt like that was my first real kiss as well. Looks like you _do_ get to be my first woman afterall." Storm Mage said as he held her closer, then she pulled back and looked at him, before he dried her tears and shared a smile with her. She then reverted them back to their adult forms, then sat on his lap again, and he rubbed her arm before their fingers interlocked. "Do you know what was going through my mind when we first kissed?"

"Tell me..." Sword Maiden whispered.

"Well...I know I asked if I could kiss you, but...it didn't sink in until much later. Anyway, I was actually thinking to myself...I just kissed the _Sword Maiden_!" Storm Mage said in exasperation to prove his point. Sword Maiden then caressed his face while looking into his eyes.

"I remember the first time your lips touched my own every time the experience repeats." She said softly.

"And what enticing lips you have...my lady." Storm Mage whispered while running his hand through her hair, and across her cheek as she smiled.

"Touch them again..." Sword Maiden whispered before he claimed her lips with his own, she then deepened the kiss as he continued to caress her angelic face. "Storm Mage...take me into that water, and remind me of our first time."

"O.k..." Storm Mage whispered as they stood up, and he held her hand, as she leaned on his shoulder on the way to the water. When they got to the stairs and entered the warm water, she wasted no time pressing her lips to his as he ran his fingers through her hair while returning the passion. She then broke the kiss and lowered her head. He then hugged her again for about ten seconds as they let the intimacy sink in...she then made a glass of wine appear.

"To this moment..." Sword Maiden whispered before taking a sip, then he finished it before she turned the glass into water the flowed down her hand into the pool.

"To the ten years we will take back for you..." Storm Mage said softly before hugging her again, and felt her snuggle and shift against him.

"I never thought I would be this happy, even before the goblins attacked me, and even when I entered Heaven's gates..." Sword Maiden said tensely.

"Sword Maiden...My _sweet_ Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage whispered in her ear. The pure, refined love in his whisper made her respond by shifting against him again and sucking in another breath, as she tried to process how safe and happy she was with Storm Mage's warm and powerful arms wrapped around her.

"I will also never stop thanking you for being there for me, to protect me, to cherish me, and to give me peace,...and pleasure." Sword Maiden said before she looked up at her protector as he held her face with both hands.

"And I'm going to give you more of all those things, and when this business with the Cambion is over, we will take back those ten years the goblins stole from you, even if it takes an eternity to find them." Storm Mage said.

"Really?" Sword Maiden asked.

"When have I ever broken a promise to you?" Storm Mage asked and Sword Maiden smiled.

"Never..." She whispered before kissing him again, then she signaled him to back up, then she rose herself up, held his manhood up, and lowered herself onto it as she held his shoulders. She then closed her eyes as she slowly but steadily lowered and raised herself as she listened to the water swishing, and felt the incredible pleasure build in her most sacred area. She then held up one of her breasts, and Storm Mage held it for her and sucked on her nipple...as if she didn't have enough reason to gasp in bliss.

"Sword Maiden, you glorious fox..." Storm Mage breathed out as he watched his lady move up and down with a toothy smile on her face. She then looked down at him and reveled in how he drank in her beauty.

"Every fox...needs a den...and you...are the perfect den, or was it the other way around?" Sword Maiden teased before she eventually picked up the pace and bucked her hips before Storm Mage held both of her bouncing breasts as he thrusted into her in-sync with her own thrusts until they both let out an elongated moan. She then collapsed on his shoulder, then giggled as the aftershocks of her orgasm washed over her like the water they were sitting in while Storm Mage held and caressed her sides.

"You have such an adorable laugh...and an even more entertaining way of showing how much pleasure you're in." Storm Mage said softly while he stroked her hair as she smiled at him.

"Give me more..." Sword Maiden whispered as she kissed him deeply and he lashed his tongue against hers while fondling her butt, and listening to her moan as if she was tasting the best meal she's ever eaten. He then pushed her back to the stairs...which turned into waterproof cushions that she molded into perfectly. He then broke the kiss, looked at her lust-filled eyes, then kissed down her cheek and neck, licking her every now and then as she gasped and smiled, especially when he lightly chewed on the top of her breast, then the nipple as he fondled the other. He then rubbed her stomach for a while.

"Is my lady pleased?" Storm Mage asked and Sword Maiden giggled more than ever.

"Very much so...but I still want more." She said.

"And I thought I was greedy..." Storm Mage teased as Sword Maiden giggled some more, before turning over and letting him massage her thick legs and buttocks up and down, sometimes with one hand on each leg, sometimes with both hands on one leg, then alternating between them, and including her round, plump butt as well. Sword Maiden gasped in bliss all the while as she felt her generously fleshed-out lower body being worked by her strong, handsome, and loving protector.

"Praise the Love Goddess for giving you legs like these." Storm Mage said while deeply massaging one of her thighs, especially the inside as Sword Maiden giggled some more.

"How are they?" She asked.

"As soft and smooth as the rest of your skin...and just as fun to play with as your breasts. Also..." Storm Mage trailed off before answering her unsaid curiosity about what he meant by lightly spanking her and watching her butt jiggle as she chuckled...then he caressed her hips. "You also have amazing hips."

"Oh?" Sword Maiden asked.

"There's more to the body then just how it feels; you also just plain look the part. Afterall, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Aside from that...well, if it wasn't for your hips, how could you get such an incredible buttocks?" Storm Mage asked and watched her smile...then she looks away while he kept rubbing and fondling her bottom.

"I wonder what Ranger thinks of his wife's body...?" Sword Maiden said.

"Who knows? She may not be as...soft are you are, but he clearly reveres her body as much as I do yours. Although...I almost feel sorry for any goblin she hits; her muscles are no joke. Then again...she's one of those women who can pull off a muscled look." Storm Mage said.

"Can you imagine me like that?" Sword Maiden asked.

"I don't know...but I do _love_ how soft your body is now." Storm Mage said with a smirk as he spanked her again while Sword Maiden chuckled.

"I would say we could look into what each of them felt but...that would be the greatest invasion of their privacy I can think of. I have already done so much in their personal lives as it is." She said seriously...yet still as softly as ever. Storm Mage then laid down next to her and snuggled into her.

"I don't tell you I love you anywhere near often enough..." He said and Sword Maiden shifted against him.

"You have shown me more love than everyone else I know, even Ranger and Goblin Slayer don't compare." She said before kissing his forehead.

"I'll bet my brother never saw this coming when we were young." Storm Mage said.

"As would I, and you earned your place here, in Heaven. You went from a selfish, avaricious vagabond, to reformed, honorable, loving, and as far as I'm concerned, a holy knight." Sword Maiden said and Storm Mage smiled.

"Me...a holy knight. I know you were the archbishop, but I don't think anyone else would see me as anything but a demon hunter who happens to be in bed with the archbishop." He said.

"I am not anyone else." Sword Maiden said before kissing him, then he deepened the kiss as she rubbed her legs against his, then rested her head on his chest...then he tightened his hold on her.

"Do you remember when I first held you?" Storm Mage asked.

"Yes..." Sword Maiden said and felt her protector tremble.

"You were so _miserable_..." Storm Mage whispered as he trembled more violently. Sword Maiden then ran her hand through his hair and approached his ear.

"But I'm alright now... I am nephilim, the people will surely immortalize me, I get to spend the rest of eternity with the best man I could ever be with...I even have a worthy successor." She said, and Storm Mage calmed down right away.

"Priestess..." He whispered.

"Yes." Sword Maiden said and Storm Mage looked at his lady and kissed her while getting on top of her. He then kissed down her neck, then she gasped and rubbed his hips with her thighs, as he slowly but lovingly sucked and licked her nipples. "Your love and compassion truly touch my heart..." Storm Mage then looked up at her.

"I have nothing but both of those things for you." He said with a crack in his voice before he laid his head down next to her, despite her chest being in the way. He then played with strands of her hair while she ran her hands over his lovely muscles...then she flinched a bit. "What is it?"

"I have an idea..." Sword Maiden said as she floated her lower body up in mid-air and spread her legs while keeping them, and the rest of her body straight.

"Are you serious?" Storm Mage asked in amusement.

"Quite, now...enter me." Sword Maiden said and Storm Mage pushed into her body again and gripped her butt as he slipped in and out of her womanhood over and over. This new position let him simply enjoy the feeling...and the sight, of his manhood slip in and out of her narrow opening, and occasionally feeling her moist, and still soft and thick thighs brush pleasantly against his hips while he listened to her moan her lungs out as Storm Mage thrusted into her more quickly until she eventually burst with euphoria and collapsed onto the cushion as Storm Mage collapsed onto her with his organ still inside her.

"You're a genius my love..." Storm Mage groaned.

"And you are good at making love...my love." Sword Maiden said as she looked back at him with a smile and an unfocused yet blissful look in the face.

"And the rest of eternity will be nothing but this...whenever you wish it." Storm Mage said as he brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her cheek.

"And I am glad you enjoy my body...as much as I enjoy yours." Sword Maiden said before Storm Mage removed himself from her warmth, then she held out her arms, inviting him to come down and kiss her...which he did, then he broke the kiss, and they laid there in each other's arms. "Remind me why you enjoy my body..."

"Sword Maiden...I enjoy your entire body, from your sparkling eyes, to your incredibly long, silky hair with that light gold color, your lips I don't think I will ever get tired of kissing..." Storm Mage said before giving her a series of quick, but deep kisses before continuing. "And...I'm pretty sure I made my feelings about the rest of this glorious body pretty clear...especially these _incredible_ breasts..." He then gripped both of her soft, heavy breasts and gave them slow, but strong squeezes from all angles as he watched her smile and continue to let off chuckles.

"And I love how you handle my breasts...you're so loving in general as well." Sword Maiden said softly.

"It's difficult not to be, especially considering my luck." Storm Mage said.

"Luck?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Come now, I'm literally in Heaven. I'm free from my body's limitations, and even when I was alive, I was able to take the fight to the demons themselves, save countless lives, feel the contrast between sin and redemption, and...I get to take the one and only Sword Maiden to my bed...or was it the other way around?" Storm Mage asked.

"Does it matter?" Sword Maiden asked innocently.

"Dear Supreme your _voice_..." Storm Mage whispered as he picked her up and held her against his body as close and as tightly as he could...she then approached his ear.

"This voice is yet another gift from the Love Goddess, and if it means you make more love to me, I will speak to you however you wish..." Sword Maiden said sensually, and reveled in how her lover trembled as she spoke. He then kissed her as deeply, and slowly as he could, and repeated the process several more times after backing to look into each other's half-opened eyes, and each other's half-open mouths that called for additional kisses. Both of them listened to their breath, the sucking sounds their lips made, and the occasional soft moan as they feasted on their intimacy. The two then finally backed up, and smiled brightly at each other while Storm Mage caressed Sword Maiden's cheek.

"Those eyes..." Storm Mage whispered.

"They have been through a great deal, but in the end- no, this is not the end. How could it be?" Sword Maiden asked.

"It isn't, not by a long shot." Storm Mage said seriously.

"See to it that it's not, my love and life." Sword Maiden said...and the reference was lost on neither of them as they kissed with the same passion as last time, then she snuggled into him again as he held her closer. "Thank you so much for not giving up on me..."

"How could I?" Storm Mage asked seriously, then Sword Maiden kissed him yet again, and just held onto him that way for about five seconds.

"There's that love and compassion I want to continue bathing in..." She whispered with a minor sob in her voice, then Storm Mage kissed her himself.

"I want to make more love now." Storm Mage whispered against her lips.

"Then take me to that bed...and take my body..." Sword Maiden said normally before she licked his ear...which made him pick her up, she made the water flow off their bodies back into the pool, but left enough to keep their flesh moist, especially her own. Storm Mage then placed her on the bed, watched her lay down, spread her legs again, and he plunged into her opening over and over as she chuckled from the contact, and pleasured moans were added to the mix. The two said absolutely nothing as he pushed into her and pulled out slowly but strongly, wanting her to feel everything he does to her...and she feels it alright. She wrapped her legs around his waist to keep him from stopping, and held his neck with her arms as she kept moaning and chuckling. Eventually, he picked up the pace, and kept up the force until they both snapped from the pleasure and went limp. He then kept his manhood inside her, bathing in how warm and moist she was as her legs were entwined with his.

"Has your lady pleased _you_?" Sword Maiden teased, and Storm Mage laughed at his lover pulling a fast one on him.

"You please me just by letting me feel, and taste this sweet flesh of yours...my _cherished_ Sword Maiden..." He said as he licked her neck, squeezed her breast and listened to her giggle.

"How are my breasts my love?" Sword Maiden asked sensually.

"As big, soft...and beautiful as ever." Storm Mage said with his own lust as palpable as hers as he playfully chewed on one of them as she giggled some more, then he went to the other, and gave it the same treatment as she caressed his shoulders and ran her fingers through his hair as she bathed in the pleasure her lover bestowed upon her. He then stopped chewing on her breasts then looked up at her while kneading her breasts with his hands. "I hope you see the way I treat your body as a sign that I want you to feel as beautiful as you look."

"If that's the case, I feel like a child of the Love Goddess herself." Sword Maiden breathed out as Storm Mage took advantage of her heaving chest by squeezing her breasts with more enthusiasm as she let out small moans. "I love you so much..."

"And I love you...my love and life..." Storm Mage said before kissing her and running his hand through her hair. "This hair...is there any part of your body that isn't majestic?"

"The Abbot once said my majesty made people question my humanity." Sword Maiden said.

"I can see why...and that young Priestess copied your image as tribute. Bless her heart." Storm Mage said.

"Should Priestess become archbishop...may whatever protector she gains please her as much as you please me. She's earned nothing less..." Sword Maiden said, then Storm Mage touched her face.

"So did you, and this love-making session marks the beginning of our ten-year journey." He said.

"After the Cambion is defeated." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"All the more reason to aid Ranger and his team in putting him in his place." Storm Mage said.

"But for now...let me sleep next to my protector." Sword Maiden said.

"Of course...my beloved Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage said as the two laid down snuggled into each other's warmth.

"Sing to me..." Sword Maiden said as the two sang their song, with him in the lead.

* * *

"Boss you are not going to believe this shit..." Warrior said as the team reunited on a platform.

"I have my own fair amount of incredible encounters to talk about." Ranger said.

"Like with the War God? We already know." Wizard's brother said.

"Nevermind how you know that...that's just the start of who I ran into." Ranger said.

"Well, let's just get back to Earth and you can tell us all about it." Fighter said as they opened a portal back to the monastery, and hit the road.

* * *

"And she's not holding you cutting off her head against you?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"No, she actually apologized for sending that succubus after us." Ranger said.

"How gracious of her." Wizard said seriously.

"And...the first Platinum Rank..." Ranger trailed off.

"Yep, looks alot like a male version of the Sword Maiden." Warrior said.

"I still cannot believe the War God said he's not her forefather." Ranger said.

"What if he's mine?" Priestess asked and got some looks.

"That would be pretty awesome." Warrior said.

"I don't agree with you this often brother-in-law." Wizard's brother said.

"Well...the frontier is just up ahead." Ranger said.

"We're not going to say anything about our trip are we?" Wizard asked.

"Nothing but the most basic, so..." Fighter trailed off.

"Lips are sealed." Rhea Fighter said.

"What's our plan now?" Warrior asked.

"Well...me and Fighter are going to Water Town to get whatever shit we can get together up there, while the rest of you stay here and do the same." Ranger said.

"We should also probably leave our baby with your parents honey." Fighter said as she looked at the baby in her arms.

"Right...I'm sure they missed her as much as they missed us." Ranger said as they rolled into town, then the team went to see Ranger's parents, as he went inside.

"Ranger! Welcome back." Guild Girl said.

"Glad to be back. How's Summoner?" Ranger asked.

"Oh, he's out hunting demons, getting some people in line, same old." Guild Girl said.

"So he's a peacekeeper now? Good to know." Ranger said.

"How was Fighter's Mother's Day?" Guild Girl asked.

"Other than the fact we had to deal with a major gang? It was peaches and sugar." Ranger said.

"You took down a gang? I mean, I don't doubt you could; you're Platinum Ranked for a reason, but...wow." Guild Girl said.

"Their boss is in chains now as well. Other than that, Fighter got a good deal of practice in, without her power armor too, and Priestess got some silver infused into her sword. As if she wasn't already a nightmare for demons to face." Ranger said.

"Speaking of whom...do you have anything in store for the Cambion?" Guild Girl asked.

"That's why we came here: to sort our stuff out, while me and Fighter head to Water Town to sort things out there...if the atmosphere died down that is." Ranger said.

"I doubt the people there will get over Sword Maiden's death anytime soon; she was loved by the whole country, and she called that place home; they must have it the worst." Guild Girl said.

"Still...she has her fingers in this matter, even in death. Here's hoping it's enough." Ranger said.

"Well...good luck Ranger. I'll tell Summoner you said hi." Guild Girl said as he left, then she slouched over in exhaustion.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter rode to Water Town in near total silence as they felt the tension in the air from what the people were no doubt feelings...then they both gasped as smoke was seen inside Water Town's walls. The place was occupied by the Evil Sect!

"No...!" Ranger growled as he clenched his fists.

* * *

**Nearly 18,000 words, a new record, but that's what happens when there's alot to do, and I REALLY wanted to get that bit with Heaven done and over with. Speaking of which...I'll bet none of you thought you'd see all those people the team interacted with again...especially not the freaking War God himself! Also...how many of you were satisfied with how Sword Maiden handled Elder Revenant's lack of respect? Now...I don't advocate for causing pain out of vengeance, but...there's a reason people get whoopings for being spiteful. On that note, I've gotten whoopings as a kid for just being an asshole for the heck of it...although there were some cases were it was just a misunderstanding which I don't condone, but still. Anyway...you all got Cambion's origins, and now he's got the Death God's power, and Water Town's under siege, so looks like it's the Team to the rescue again. So be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait for the Team to retake a holy city. Stay tuned...**

**P.S. I hate to break it to anyone who follows my train of thought, but chances are...that's the last lemon between Storm Mage and Sword Maiden for this story. I love to be able to give her the same bliss that Fighter deserves, especially since I couldn't save Sword Maiden from her torment like I did with Fighter in Part One, but it's no longer an option from this point onward, at least if or when I make a 3rd part of this series.**


	40. Chapter 21 Part I

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Shit's going down again in quite possibly the unluckiest town in the Goblin Slayer verse...like, seriously, how often has Water Town been assaulted? First the demons probe it for who-knows-how-long, then multiple goblin infestations...now this? What next? Oh well, at least we've got people on the job...so let's on with it.**

**Review Response: Yeah...the Cambion and Elder Revenant really had at it didn't they? Although...him stealing the Death God's power would be cause for alarm for most people.**

**As for Sword Maiden and Elder Revenant? Well, Storm Mage wasn't kidding when he said she showed her claws...she may have been a scaredy-cat in the official version of GS, but she's a beauty AND a beast here.**

**VIPs...that's one way to refer to them, especially since the Champion was built up for eons. Not to mention the other people the team met like the freaking vampire queen!**

**By the way...not that I'm complaining, but you say "keep up the good work" almost every time...that a trademark or something?  
**

* * *

"Summoner! What are you doing back?" Guild Girl asked as he walked in...then Abbot followed suite.

"I decided to stop by and relieve the good Summoner ma'am. I occurred to me that my newly-bestowed youth can be put to use more effectively in this place." He said.

"Well...o.k. Make yourself at home Father." Guild Girl said then Inspector showed up and gasped.

"Yes please Father!" She exclaimed.

"Happy to see you again Sister." Abbot said with a small bow.

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask you...could you, maybe...give me some more power? I mean-" Abbout cuts her off by holding up his hand.

"I know what you mean, and that goes hand-in-hand with another reason I came here: to finish Priestess' training." He said.

"What do you mean?" Inspector asked.

"As powerful as she is, she lacks several powers that she might very well need in the future, and you could make a great deal of use out of more powers yourself, not to mention that Summoner and myself could share some of our knowledge of the demons with the two of you." Abbot said, then Inspector and Guild Girl looked at each other, and the latter shrugged.

"Alright, lead the way." Inspector said as she followed the two men outside...after Guild Girl winked at her; she got to be with their man, possibly one-on-one if she was lucky.

* * *

The group found Ranger's mom holding her grandchild while watching some recruits sparring, sometimes with each other, sometimes with Warrior, or Wizard, with Priestess on stand-by in case anyone was injured.

"Father Superior? I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon." Priestess said.

"Nor I my child, but something occurred to me that cannot wait." Abbot said and got a funny look from her.

"Are you ready to get some new powers?" Summoner asked and Priestess' eyes widen.

"Of course, what did you have in mind?" She asked.

"First, let me ask you something. Can you sense lies?" Abbot asked, Priestess shook her head, and Abbot handed her a scale necklace like Inspector's; she even took hers out to compare them. Priestess then put the necklace on and looked it over.

"I cannot believe I never thought about this..." Priestess said thoughtfully.

"All kinds happen in the Supreme's good time my child. Secondly, can you use Purge? The same miracle you saw me use when we first met, and the same the Sword Maiden used to help defeat the Demon Lord a decade ago?" Abbot asked and Priestess nodded. "Well... how you like to use it as well as I can?" At this, Priestess' eyes widened yet again, her breathing became harsher, and she started shaking.

"Please teach me!" She exclaimed.

"Very well, come with me to the temple, all of you." Abbot said, and when they got to the temple, he gave his staff to Inspector, knelt by the alter, and put his hands together. A few seconds later, he stood up and held out a blue speck of light that turned into three. One went into Priestess' chest, the other two went into Inspector's. "Congratulations Priestess, you are now as strong as the Sword Maiden was...at a much younger age too."

"Whoa..." Priestess breathed out as she looked herself over. "I wish I had this power when I faced the vampire queen."

"It wouldn't have helped; she was immune to holy arts, remember?" Abbot said.

"No I did not." Priestess said.

"As for you Sister...Healing and Empower are both yours to us...and the demons' to fear." Abbot said as Inspector looked herself over...as did Summoner.

"Thank you so much Father. I'm almost anxious to get started now." Inspector said as she clenched her fists.

"Not so fast, demon hunting is nothing to laugh at." Summoner said seriously.

"He's right Sister. For now your new talents are best put to use aiding people, inside or outside of combat. Hence why I gave you those two miracles in particular." Abbot said.

"Right. Well, as luck would have it, there's plenty of people to aid right there." Inspector said as she pointed at the training grounds.

"Hope they won't need it Sister." Abbot said seriously.

"Of course Father..." Inspector said.

"I'll look after them." Priestess said.

"Wait...there is one miracle I have yet to give you: Vision, the same Sword Maiden and myself used." Abbot said as he went to the alter again, and got another blue speck to give to her.

"This must be how the Sword Maiden was able to see while her eyes were damaged..." Priestess said thoughtfully.

"Possibly...she really was an extraordinary woman." Abbot said.

"She still is Father." Priestess said, and Abbot smiled.

"Of course, now...let us see to those trainees." He said, then they went back to the training grounds...and saw Warrior and Wizard clashing in a duel that was so violent, that the ground shook a little from each blow, and they were moving so fast that a normal person wouldn't be able to tell what was going on; some of the recruits actually got dizzy and had to leave to throw up. The match ended with Warrior rolling away from Wizard, she vaults up and crashes back down to hit him, then he rolls to the side as she repeatedly tried to stab him, then he swats her blade away, only to get hit in the mask with the macehead of her glaive.

"Looks like I win." Wizard said with a smirk, then Warrior de-morphed his helmet.

"When I don't charge my sword." He said seriously.

"Lucky me..." Wizard said.

"You two can flirt all you want outside of the battlefield." Ranger's dad said.

"We're married, Gold Ranked, and this isn't a battlefield...sir." Wizard said.

"Well, the same cannot be said for the rest of you now can it?" Ranger's dad asked.

"Sir no sir." The recruits all said at once.

"I can't hear you!" Ranger's dad yelled.

"SIR NO SIR!" The recruits yelled.

"Did you all enjoy seeing Gold Ranks in action?" Ranger's dad asked.

"SIR YES SIR!" The recruits yelled.

"Do you want to get to that point in your careers?" Ranger's dad asked.

"SIR YES SIR!" The recruits yelled.

"Good for you, now let's see if you can. Get some fucking breakfast; your first round of training starts in one hour." Ranger's dad said as the recruits all left one by one.

"Nice touch sarge." Inspector said and Ranger's dad smirked.

"You expected less girl?" He asked.

"Can't say I did..." Inspector said.

"As for you two...did you look through that book I gave you?" Summoner asked.

"I did..sort of." Wizard said.

"Well, keep at it." Summoner said seriously.

"You don't have to tell me." Wizard said.

"I also looked through it, but...don't expect anything major from me...yet." Warrior said.

"Right..." Summoner said.

"Well...while you're discussing, whatever this is...I'm checking with my granddaughter over there." Ranger's dad said as he joined his wife and granddaughter.

"Hey, Summoner, you have any stories for us?" Inspector asked.

"Not here..." Summoner said.

"While you tell your tale, I will check this town." Abbot said as he walked off.

"Thank you Father. Now...let's go..." Inspector said as they went to Guild Girl's house.

"You go ahead, we have our own stuff to do." Warrior said as he walked his wife home. When Inspector opened the door to Guild Girl's home, they got situated at a table.

"Now, what's the word?" Inspector asked.

"Well...one of my most serious hunts involved a demon that thrived on fear. I heard how Fighter dealt with a demon that thrived on rage and...between you and me, I have no idea how she'd handle that; I know she and company were angry before, but I don't know how fear played into things. Priestess?" Summoner asked.

"There were plenty of times we were afraid, like when Ranger caught fire; me and Fighter were both worried about him...alot. He also was consumed by his rage over the time Fighter's mind was broken, which...also scared me quite a bit. Perhaps the worst case was the Cambion...he defeated all of my companions...then came after me. I was never that concerned for my life as I was as that moment." Priestess said while trying to keep herself calm.

"Well, he's not here is he?" Summoner asked.

"May I ask what he looks like? You know...so we know who to look out for?" Inspector asked before Priestess sucked in a breath.

"He has sliver hair that goes down to his shoulders, and piercing red eyes; if he wasn't evil, I might call him handsome. He also wore a robe that was black as the night when I last saw him, but who knows if he'll change his look or not." She said.

"Helpful..." Summoner said.

"You asked, and I answered." Priestess said simply.

"Well...he might be able to get part your team, but let's see him get past a legion of elementals." Summoner said.

"He tore through a handful of summons like they were made of wet paper once." Priestess said seriously, then Summoner stared at her.

"What...?" He asked.

"You heard me right." Priestess said.

"Was Ranger there? Surely someone who took on the forces of Hell by himself and won could-" Priestess cuts Inspector off.

"He wasn't there, and when he fought against Hell's armies, he had help...from the Hero." She said.

"Figures..." Summoner whispered.

"Regardless, I'm sure we'll be ready for him next time, especially with this new powers of ours. So, with that out of the way, this fear demon...dare I ask?" Inspector asked.

"Well, since he thrived on fear, this story isn't for the faint of heart." Summoner said seriously.

"As long as you don't use that recaller, we'll be fine." Inspector said.

"No way I"m using that recaller for this. Anyway...this, thing I went after, wasn't very strong physically but...good luck fighting effectively when you're not only being bombarded with nightmares you can't wake from, but also rage fueled by the notion that this kind of injustice was being handed out like they were sweets. And don't get me started on what this demon's attitude towards their fear was like..." Summoner said.

"I can only imagine the anger this thing induced." Inspector said.

"It definitely learned not to piss off the wrong person." Summoner said, and Inspector smirked.

"Apparently..." She said with both eyebrows raised, and her flirtation was clearing getting to Summoner.

"Should we be aware of this creature still being on the loose?" Priestess asked.

"Maybe...but to be safe, you should probably tell your team about it when you get the chance: get your fears under control, and keep an eye on what you trust...and why." Summoner said.

"Not a problem." Priestess said as she bowed and left.

"You know, this means I can heal your wounds and give you strength when needed?" Inspector asked and Summoner took her hand.

"I'm aware, and I love you all the more for it." He said before kissing her hand, which made her smile.

"I almost, and I mean almost wish I could do so right now." She said.

"I could cut my hand and give you a trial run." Summoner said jokingly

"Let's just stop right there..." Inspector said seriously

"I wasn't being serious baby..." Summoner said softly.

"Right...now, were you...serious about that fear demon?" Inspector asked.

"I thought you could sense lies?" Summoner teased.

"Summoner...please." Inspector said.

"Of course I was serious, why would I lie about something like that? Besides...if that fear demon shows up again, I'll just kick it's ass like I did the first time." Summorer said.

"True..." Inspector said before sighing. "It's too bad I have to get back to work, otherwise..." She then saw Summoner take out a flask of potion. "Really now?"

"We don't even have to get undressed all the way..." He said simply, then Inspector smirked then dropped her skirt and underpants as her lover took a swig, then he watched her lean forward into the wall before Summoner got behind her, gripped her hips, then pushed into her already-aroused womanhood.

"Oh! Oh...oh yes...ohhhh" Inspector gasped as Summoner went in and out of her opening slowly but steadily while caressing her hips and lower back.

"Your skin is so smooth..." Summoner breathed out as he continued to gently mate with the holy woman who turned her head to give him a smile.

"Please...go faster..." She whispered and he obeyed right away as he went just fast and hard enough to make slapping sounds as he slammed into her butt, and her gasps got louder and more frequent as he rapidly yet lovingly pounded her tightening entrance until they both burst, and Summoner held Inspector up as he removed himself from her womanhood, then he braced her until she could stand up right, and summoned a water elemental to clean his manhood before sending it into Limbo. He then pulled his pants up as she turned, and suddenly gripped his face and gave him a quick but sweet kiss.

"You're such a gentleman, holding me up until I can stand on my own two feet..." Inspector said sensually as she kept her hands on his face while he held her slim waist.

"How could I not be a gentleman with such a lovely maiden?" Summoner asked, then Inspector purred before the pair kissed again, and spent at least ten seconds shifting their lips against each other while he moved his hands to rub and fondle her butt, which made her giggle into their kiss until he broke it and saw her smile.

"Like it?" Inspector teased and Summoner gripped her butt a bit harder and made her flesh jiggle as she tensed up and laughed.

"I like you from head to toe..." Summoner said before kissing her forehead, then helping her pull her skirt and underpants up. Inspector then got back to kissing Summoner, then he turned his head as she sucked on his neck. "That's right, get it all out of your system before you leave baby..."

"Oh...I intend to..." Inspector whispered before licking his neck up and down. "It's too bad this is all we can do now..."

"We can make love properly later, alone _or_ with Guild Girl, as for your job...well, it's not like you don't have a good excuse; you got new powers from the Abbot, and new information from a Gold Ranked demon hunter." Summoner said.

"True, and I got a good _loving_ from him as well." Inspector said then Summoner looked at her funny .

"You're not actually going to say that are you?" He asked.

"Of course not, but still, who can blame a woman for wanting to spend this kind of time with a big, tough demon killer?" Inspector said with a smirk before she kissed him repeatedly, with each kiss being quick, deep, and noisy.

"To answer your question...about as many people that can blame a man for wanting to spend this kind of time with a sexy priestess." Summon said sensually as he caressed her smiling face.

"Can this sexy priestess enjoy the protection of your arms more later tonight?" Inspector asked.

"So I can take a page out of my brother's book and enjoy the wonder of being able to touch the body of a lady of faith?" Summoned asked.

"And...maybe the _other_ lady as well." Inspector teased as she rubbed his thigh with her own while putting a hand on his chest, which he held with his own.

"_Definitely_..." Summoner breathed out as she walked away...after he gropes her breast from the side which made her chuckle.

* * *

Back at their apartment, Warrior and Wizard shared a life potion, then he shed his shirt and laid down on their bed before she sat next to him with the armor plating on her robe de-morphed.

"Whoo...that was a workout." Warrior said.

"You're not seriously worn out are you?" Wizard asked with a smirk.

"Nah, but I still felt it. Did you?" Warrior asked.

"Uh, yeah, but you don't see me acting like I just moved a mountain." Wizard said.

"You could probably move one without touching it." Warrior said.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now." Wizard said as she got up.

"Hey, knowing you, we'll probably have magic-strengthening potions that will let anyone do that in at least half a decade from now." Warrior said and Wizard started laughing.

"That would make me Platinum level no question." She said as she de-morphed her robe itself...and formed a black dress, which made Warrior let off a whistle, then Wizard showed each of her sides. "Like it?"

"What's not to like? May I see other colors?" Warrior asked then Wizard tried different shades of green, blue, red, orange, yellow, purple, and plain white. "The only ones I don't like are orange, yellow and white. Everything else? Hotter than a volcano..." Wizard then went back to black then turned to the wall. Warrior then sat up on the bed's edge. "Is something wrong baby?"

"No...I still find it amazing how not even the same type of dress can invoke so many memories. The dresses themselves I can understand, but...this is just a copy. Yes I know it's the type of dress itself, not the dresses themselves but..." Wizard trailed off, then Warrior approached and hugged her from behind.

"Good thing I'm here to pull you out of your head." Warrior said and Wizard lowered her head with a smile.

"I cannot believe Ranger and Fighter didn't use the gateway I made to their manor, or at least the portal gem." She said.

"Priestess has the portal gem remember? Besides, they probably wanted the scenic rout, can't say I blame them." Warrior said.

"Right..." Wizard whispered.

"Speaking of scenery; I also envy Goblin Slayer and that farm girl; they get a whole fort all to themselves, they have a king's ransom to their name, and there;s farmland as far as the eye can see. What more could you ask for?" Warrior asked and Wizard smiled before she shed her dress, baring her skin as Warrior removed his pants. She then took a few steps toward the bed with him...then spotted how stiff his manhood was.

"Hey, not my fault your body is has as many curves as Witch's..which is _quite_ a feat..." Warrior said as he ran his sides down her sides, to her hips, and Wizard raised an eyebrow.

"I take it you recall how you eyeballed her when we first met her?" She asked.

"Not until you just brought it up, but besides...who hasn't looked her over?" Warrior said.

"Nice save genius..." Wizard said dryly before calming down, sitting on his lap and letting him hold her close. "How funny is it that I'm getting jealous after all this time when I let you put a ring on me?"

"Slightly less funny than Goblin Slayer sleeping with his farm girl friend after knowing her since childhood." Warrior said.

"Ah yes...the girl who looks like me." Wizard teased.

"You mean the girl who looks enough like you that I actually find you both equally attractive as a result." Warrior said and Wizard raised an eyebrow at him.

"Do you now?" She asked.

"Yeah, even your chest is the same size..." Warrior said as he groped her breast and she chuckled as he let it go and watched it bounce.

"Keep going boy." Wizard said with her impression of Ranger's dad, which made Warrior chuckle as Wizard put a knee on either side of his waist, then he got to work on her breasts. Squeezing them, rubbing them, pinching her nipples, and lightly shaking them from underneath which made her laugh as her breasts shook and bounced around. She then used Levitate to make her belt buckle float towards her. "Watch this..." She then formed a rubber, which made Warrior look at it curiously...especially when she covered his manhood with it.

"Let me guess: to stop my-" Wizard cuts him off by putting a finger on his lips.

"Yep, now...use that silencing spell, sit back and let me ride you." She said sensually as he charges his hand with light-blue energy and covered the room in it, before the light fades. Wizard then held his shoulders while she lowered herself onto his manhood, gasping at the feeling of his girth filling her lower body. She then moved up and down as Warrior held her hips and occasionally pressed his fingers into the flesh of her butt as she breathed deeply while continuing to ride him. They stayed like that for a good minute or two as she went up and down slowly, then then picked up the pace as her breasts bounced in front of her husband's face, much to his enjoyment she proudly noticed. She then let out throaty moans and threw her head back in bliss until they both burst and she collapsed on top of him as he rotated their bodies to lay on the pillows.

"You are so fun to watch when we get like this..." Warrior breathed out and Wizard chuckled.

"I thought you preferred to take me from behind...?" She teased.

"Oh I do...watching your ass jiggle as I slam into it, especially in front of a mirror...hoo boy..." Warrior said.

"You are such a perv..." Wizard teased.

"But I'm _your_ perv." Warrior said before Wizard giggled and kissed him deeply. "By the way...don't pretend you don't like me slamming into you like that..."

"Oh I pretend nothing of the sort; did you notice that some women like when her man takes control like that? Well guess what..._I'm_ like that." Wizard said.

"Right..." Warrior said.

"I also know how much you like looking me over when I ride you like this, just like how I look you over when _you're_ the one on top." Wizard said while running her hand through his hair.

"Glad we're on the same page." Warrior said before she kissed him again. "And seriously...your body really is as good as Witch's, at least as far as I'm concerned."

"You better not try to find out what hers feels like." Wizard said.

"Would I do that to you?" Warrior asked seriously.

"No...no you wouldn't." Wizard said.

"There's my sweet girl..." Warrior said before pulling her into another kiss and caressing her back, and running his hands through her hair. "You know...I don't know why Spearman went this long without at least making a move on her; just about any other guy would've tried to get in bed with her ASAP."

"The heart wants what the heart wants..." Wizard said thoughtfully, then laid down on his chest. "Like right now, I want _you_..."

"Greedy little viper." Warrior teased, then Wizard smirked, kissed him again and moaned as their tongues lashed.

"Don't forget this greedy little viper gave you that hammer." She said as she ran a finger over his face.

"And don't forget that this great and mighty dragon slayer is here to hammer you." Warrior teased and Wizard chuckled.

"How can I forget?" She asked sensually before slamming her lips into his. "What? No ass-grabbing-" Warrior cuts her off by gripping her plump buttocks hard enough to make her yelp as her whole body tensed up.

"Happy?" He asked with a smirk before Wizard tapped his chest, then Warrior got revenge by spanking her, which made her chuckle before kissing him again, getting off of his manhood and laying down on top of him with her body flattened.

"You hound..." Wizard said.

"Hey, you asked, I answered...and for the record: this is what you get for having such a nice ass. Although..." Warrior trailed off before fondling her bottom...then gripping her bosoms, and squeezing away, much to his wife's delight. "These aren't much worse either..."

"I can put a spell on you in just about anyway can't I?" Wizard asked sensually.

"Like I can't return the favor..." Warrior teased.

"That you can...that you can..." Wizard said as she laid down with her head on his shoulder, and one leg draped across his waist while she rubbed her body against his while they just laid holding each other close. "I love you..."

"I know..." Warrior whispered, before the two both sighed and shifted against each other some more. "You want a massage?"

"You know what a girl wants..." Wizard said with both lust and amazement in her voice as Warrior got out from under her, and pressed his hands into his thighs, earned some moans as her rubbed her inner thighs, then some chuckles as he groped her butt from various angles, and caressed her back and shoulders, then went down to her feet, and squeezed the tension out of them.

"Judging from the sounds you're making, I _really_ know what a girl wants...or I know what _my_ girl wants." Warrior said sensually as he laid down next to her, as she smiled at him.

"I'm your _wife_, not just your girl, remember?" Wizard asked before Warrior caressed her cheek.

"How can I forget? And I married a damn good girl as well..." He said before kissing her deeply.

"This "damn good girl" would like to be fucked again." Wizard breathed out before using alchemy to have Warrior's rubber become clean as a whistle, before he got between her legs, plunged into her, and watched her shut her eyes, lean back, and let out gasps and moans as he thrusted into her. He actually stopped about ten seconds later, much to her displeasure.

"Flip over, we're doing this _my_ way..." Warrior said, then Wizard smirked, flipped over, got on all fours, then Warrior gripped her waist and the sounds of his groin slamming into her butt was added to her throaty groans. "Dear Supreme that sound..." Wizard then started laughing and collapsed her upper body into the pillow before going back to moaning in euphoria until they both had an orgasm, then he moved her knees out from beneath her to get her to lay down flat as he collapsed on top of her. "Satisfied now?"

"Oh yes...you know...you taking me from behind...is probably my favorite position too. That roughness you put on display really confirms that it takes a beast...to kill a beast.." Wizard breathed out.

"No shortage of the beasts I put down." Warrior boasted.

"Keep that up and I'll ask you to fuck me again." Wizard said sensually.

"I'll fuck you as many times as you want...my dear sorceress." Warrior said before sucking on her neck like a vampire...they then heard galloping outside.

* * *

"Boss? I thought you two were going to Water Town?" Priestess asked as Ranger and Fighter rolled in on their horse and cart.

"We were, but when we got there..." Fighter trailed off.

"What?" Priestess asked nervously.

"Water Town is under siege." Ranger said and Priestess gasped. "Go get the rest of the team, we have a job to do."

"Alright." Fighter said before she went into the tavern.

"Priestess?" Ranger said seriously.

"Warrior and Wizard are at home and...I didn't want to disturb them." Priestess said.

"What's going on out- Boss? What's going on?" Wizard asked as she and Warrior came outside.

"We have to save Water Town...again." Ranger said and Wizard groaned.

"Just _once_ I'd like to go there and not have to fix anything!" She exclaimed.

"At least we get to be heroes again." Warrior said simply.

"That's true, but still!" Wizard said.

"Enough. Who wants to get Goblin Slayer and the farm girl?" Ranger asked.

"I will." Priestess said then Ranger gave her the portal gem, and she went into Wizard and Warrior's apartment.

"One would think people would be used to portals opening." Warrior said.

"The fewer people know about that gem, the better. Thank goodness we're all alone here." Ranger said, then Fighter came out with Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother.

"It's a damn good thing we just had breakfast boss." Rhea Fighter said.

"No kidding." Warrior said.

"What's the plan?" Wizard asked.

"First we need to scout the place; who knows what's been happening there, or how many foes we have to deal with." Ranger said.

"This is a golden opportunity to try out my new spells." Rhea Fighter said, which got her some looks from the others.

"What?" Wizard asked.

"We happened to have practiced magic in our spare time, especially that silencing spell you taught your husband." Her brother said.

"Technically I learned it myself." Warrior said simply.

"Whatever, we learned it together." Wizard's brother said.

"Do you have one of those invisibility brooches?" Ranger asked.

"Yep, right here." Rhea Fighter said as she held it up.

"Good, then go see what's happening in Water Town, but do not engage anyone, I don't care what you see; we can stop or make them pay for it later." Ranger said seriously.

"That reminds me! I can probably give my familiars some new tricks as well. Sis, I'm going to need some help." Wizard's brother said.

"Count us in." Wizard said.

"Us?" Warrior asked.

"Yeah, you're into magic yourself remember?" Wizard asked.

"Right...well, three heads beat two." Warrior said.

"Hence when do you count as a third head?" Wizard teased.

"Oh shut it." Warrior said and Wizard giggled.

"Let's just improve my summons, then go kick some more ass." Her brother deadpanned as they...and Rhea Fighter, went into the apartment.

"Rhea Fighter...don't forget your chakras if you need them." Fighter said.

"Right, the sense boost could make scouting much easier..." Rhea Fighter said thoughtfully as she went inside.

"We're likely to get the entire Evil Sect army involved." Ranger said.

"Then they'll just be throwing away their own troops. Can't say I'm against that..." Fighter said.

"Nor I...but when we get there, the first thing I'm doing is reclaiming our house." Ranger said.

"After that, you go see what's happening at the Temple of Law." Fighter said.

"But-" She cuts Ranger off.

"But nothing, you're the only Platinum Rank in this team for a reason; you met your patron for crying out loud." Fighter said seriously.

"Right...well, don't forget your own bag of tricks please." Ranger said as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Of course..." Fighter whispered before he kissed her quickly yet sweetly. They then noticed GS and Cow Girl leave the apartment with Priestess...as well as Dwarf Rifleman.

"What the-? What are you doing here?" Ranger asked.

"Well, I came back with Her Highness, but she joined the scouting mission you had going on." D.R. said casually.

"You got High Elf Arch- I mean Druid involved in this?" Fighter asked.

"Yep, and believe me...it was a bitch to get her to say yes to this; she freaking _hates_ that place." D.R. said.

"Yeah, that place has quite a few problems lately doesn't it?" Fighter said.

"That's what we're here for." Cow Girl said.

"Damn straight." D.R. said.

"Do you think there will be goblins in the sewers again?" GS asked.

"Don't know, but would anyone put it past them?" Fighter asked.

"Probably not." GS said.

"Well, that settles it, you check the sewers, we'll handle the rest of the place." Ranger said simply.

"I _can_ handle more than just goblins." GS said.

"Goblin Slayer...buddy, you're not called _Goblin_ Slayer for nothing; while it's nice to see you branching out like this...goblins are your specialty. Just give them a punch or two from me will you?" Cow Girl said.

"Right." GS said, then Rhea Fighter and H.E. Druid came out.

"Nice of you to make your triumphant return Your Highness." D.R. teased with a small bow, which she smirked at.

"Very funny, but...it's not funny in Water Town, not at all." She said before signalling the others to come inside and sit down. "The Evil Sect in everywhere; terrorists patrolled the streets, people were enslaved and forced to help turn the place into a fortress, and anyone who refused either got killed themselves, or had to watch their families get killed. We actually managed to talk to one of the women and...her brother just asked what they were doing...then got tossed into a room full of goblins and got butchered and eaten by them."

"Then they've all dug their own graves, only they won't be coming back." Ranger said simply yet tensely.

"Other than that, the fortress they made was rather impressive: towers, walls, a spire for mages, you name it. I don't know if the place looked different beforehand- well, other than the fortifications, but still." Rhea Fighter said.

"The place hasn't changed other than that. The houses weren't torn down, the streets are still intact, but there's no one outside anymore; the place is under complete martial law." H.E. Druid.

"Then we each take a certain place and stick to it." Priestess said.

"Right. Priestess, you stay with the rifleman and farm girl outside to watch their backs as they pick off guards on the towers." Ranger said.

"I'll stay them as well. I may not use a gun...but I don't have to." H.E. Druid said.

"What do you mean?" D.R. asked and got a smile out of the elf.

"You'll see..." She said.

"The rest of us will go through the city and clear the place out." Fighter said.

"Please be careful when you do; there's no telling what the Evil Sect will have in store for you." Priestess said and Fighter held her hand.

"Hey, who are you talking to sis? You've seen how much ass I can kick." Fighter said with a smile, which Priestess returned.

"Right..." She said softly.

"And you Orcbolg?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I'll take the sewers." GS said simply.

"Again with the damn sewers..." H.E. Druid groaned.

"On second thought, I want to go with him. She may need some help with the lighting and I can help fight any demons or at least weaken them for him." Priestess said.

"Good idea. Do you three think you'll be o.k. without her?" Ranger asked.

"Of course we will, especially since I got_ this_!" D.R. said as he reached into his bag and pullout an axe blade that attached to the butt of his rifle...much to everyone's amazement.

"Yeah, that'll get the job done nicely..." Fighter said.

"Well...once they get done working on the familiars-" Ranger shut up the moment Warrior came out of the room the wizard siblings were working in.

"Sorry to interrupt, but here's what's being worked on: the familiars are being given the same stealth abilities that Rhea Fighter here has, and even the ability to turn into other familiars. Granted the combination of those abilities isn't perfect, but it should work." Warrior said.

"We shouldn't rely on it either; if those abilities are going to be used, they should be tested only. Do not think of those abilities as a trump card." Ranger said seriously.

"Of course not, I'm just letting you know what's what." Warrior said.

"Should we hit them any time soon? I don't even want to think about what's going on while we're sitting here jabbering." H.E. Druid groaned.

"You three go first. Priestess, open a portal to the road to Water Town, and let them go their damage." Ranger said, then Priestess followed his order as the three shooters got locked and loaded.

"We'll let you know when we did what we could." D.R. said.

"Just take out the ones you think are the most dangerous, let us know, and keep going your thing." Ranger said.

"For Water Town!" D.R. said dramatically as the three went through the portal.

"Goblin Slayer?" Priestess asked as GS got up.

"Send me to the sewers." GS said and Priestess made the portal sink, then opened up again.

"Good luck you two." Fighter said before Priestess hugged her.

"Good luck...sister." She said before Fighter returned the hug, then kissed Priestess' forehead.

"Give them hell." Fighter said and Priestess giggled at the irony before GS entered the portal.

* * *

H.E. Druid led Dwarf Rifleman and Cow Girl down the road until they spotted Water Town...and Rhea Fighter wasn't kidding; the place was almost unrecognizable.

"O.k...I know I haven't been to Water Town in years, but there's no way it changed that much." D.R. said.

"You've been here before?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yep, never got to meet the Sword Maiden though. What was she like?" D.R. asked.

"What was she like? She was sweet, wise, and...gods above she was beautiful; especially when I saw her at Ranger and Fighter's wedding without that ungodly blindfold." Cow Girl said dreamily.

"Cut the chatter, there's guards on those towers, we can daydream after we take care of them." H.E. Druid said seriously.

"Oh, right." Cow Girl said as she and D.R. looked through their scopes...as H.E. Druid kept looking at them without one. She then notched and shot an arrow to the side, which got Cow Girl's attention. "What are you-"

"Just watch..." H.E. Druid said as the arrow swerved back around, and hit a guard on the top of one of the towers in the neck, which astonished both her companions.

"Nice shot Your Highness." D.R. teased.

"Thank you very much..." H.E. Druid said proudly.

"How...?" Cow Girl asked.

"We elves have our ways, but on a serious note...as a druid, my senses are leagues ahead of what they were, and my archery benefits from it as well." H.E. Druid said.

"Will you marry me?" D. .

"No...but thank you for asking." H.E. Druid said with a smirk before Cow Girl fired a shot...and a guard who found the first one's body dropped dead.

"Nice shot sweetheart." D.R. said.

"Thanks...and don't call me sweetheart." Cow Girl deadpanned and D.R. snickered before sniping more guards, with H.E. Druid pulling more stunts with her arrows. Cow Girl then kept up her own shots.

"That rifle is _accurate_. What did those elves do to it other than make it look better?" D.R. asked before taking another shot.

"They made it quieter obviously-" H.E. Druid cuts Cow Girl off.

"Thanks the spirits for my ears being able to drown out sounds...dwarf." She said.

"Hey, next time I see those wizards, I'll ask them to give my gun a boost." D.R. said as they continued shooting down the guards.

"Anyway, it's quieter, hold more bullets, and it lets wind blow over it...no pun intended." Cow Girl said as she shot down yet another guard.

"Smart of them, the wind can be a bitch when shooting." D.R. said as he looked over the walls and towers.

"Unless you're me." H.E. Druid boasted.

"Yep...a sharp, talented, and dare I say gorgeous elf." D.R. teased.

"Just keep your eyes on those guards instead of me." H.E. Druid said as a portal opened...and Priestess came through it and ran to them.

"Wait! I forgot to give you this..." She said as she gave Cow Girl the portal gem..then her eyes widened.

"That's right! How would we get back to the others without it?" She asked.

"Oh shit..." D.R. said.

"Thanks, not you should get to Goblin S...layer" Priestess went through the portal before Cow Girl could finish.

"Let's just get back to sho- shit!" D.R. exclaimed as a bullet hit the ground by his feet, then more bullets tore up the trees around them, the trio entered a portal Cow Girl made then reappeared in the apartment.

"They're onto us!" Cow Girl exclaimed then Ranger groaned and facepalmed.

"So much for shock and awe..." Fighter said.

"Wait a minute...they probably think you're the vanguard of an invasion, but I highly doubt they know about the gateways, we have around Water Town, especially in the manors. I was going to suggest me blow open the gates and hit them directly and indirectly...but if we attack using the portals and nothing else..." Ranger trailed off.

"Then we can hit in places they won't expect at all!" Cow Girl exclaimed.

"You two are geniuses!" D.R. exclaimed.

"Let's not get carried away; there's no telling how they'll prepare." H.E. Druid said seriously.

"Relax, me and Ranger know that place like the back of our hands; we, or should I say I, can send you right to places where no one will expect you." Fighter said.

"He's no com-" Ranger cuts D.R. off.

"I'm going to hit the Temple of Law itself, after I retake my _fucking_ house." He said as he clenched his fist.

"Sheesh, I feel sorry for anyone who robbed the place..." D.R. said.

"Oh the first thing I'm doing is checking to see if someone took my stuff, and I know everything we own." Ranger said then the Wizard siblings came out.

"While you do that...we'll be wrecking havoc with invisible squirrels that turn into crocodiles that make a meal out of those terrorist bastards." Wizard's brother said.

"Just make sure they don't make a meal out of _us_!" Rhea Fighter exclaimed.

"Oh relax, they're not _that_ bloodthirsty." Wizard said.

"Yeah, if they were, we wouldn't use them." Wizard's brother said.

"Well, regardless, there's quite a few people we should get in touch with- Noble Fencer!" Warrior exclaimed.

"Please Supreme, let her be o.k..." Ranger groaned.

"Open a portal or two and let's get this show on the road then!" Fighter said, then Cow Girl gave the portal gem to Ranger.

"Fighter, you go first." He said then gave the gem to Fighter went through, then Ranger made the portal shrink then return to normal. "Send your familiars through this portal." The two wizard made two dozen squirrels, then made them turn invisible.

"They went through." Wizard said, then Rhea Fighter took the gem and she worked the portal.

"I got this one." She said before giving Ranger the gem to Warrior who worked the portal yet again.

"I'll take the docks." He said before Ranger took the gem and worked it another time.

"You three come go back to where you were." The portal then closed after the shooters went through. "We'll use the gateway..." The wizards and Ranger went through the gateway...to his home.

* * *

In the sewers, Goblin Slayer and Priestess looked the place over with Priestess illuminating the place with Holy Light.

"I obtained the miracles of Vision and Purge in case we need them." She said.

"How often?" GS asked.

"I never tried them, but I assume Purge should be used as a last resort, and I believe the Sword Maiden used Vision all the time, so..." Priestess trailed off.

"She may have been an exception; she was a powerful miracle-user...but then, so are you." GS said and Priestess perked up.

"That's right; she even said I'm her successor." She said and GS looked right at her.

"She chose wisely." He said before he looked both ways at an intersection. "This way, the other way is a dead end."

"How did you know?" Priestess asked.

"I remember this place." GS said as he turned the corner...then threw a knife at a shadow, and a goblin fell into the sewer face-first. "That's one..." A Hell Rift opens behind them, and they both drew their swords as goblins poured out of it, then GS rushed at them and butchered goblins by the dozen, and occasionally retreating to get his barrings, as Priestess impaled a goblin to two when she got the chance. She also noticed that her sword burned the goblins thanks to the silver in her sword...and noticed a silvery glue on GS's sword. He was taking a page out of the demon hunters' book! "41...45...47...53...61...!"

"71...74...79...81..." Priestess said as she continued impaling goblins until they both finished the rest and they put their swords away.

"That makes 94..." GS said as he kept going like nothing happened with Priestess following. "You've improved."

"I've been watching you and Ranger for over a year, plus I tried my swordsmanship out on my own time." Priestess said.

"Why didn't you use a sword before?" GS asked.

"I didn't think of it, and I certainly didn't think I could replace the Sword Maiden until now." Priestess said somberly.

"Now you not only have a chance to, but it might even be a necessity." GS said.

"Don't you think I'm alittle...young to become archbis-" GS cuts Priestess off.

"If the Sword Maiden says you should be...who's going to say no to her?" He asked, and Priestess looked down in thought. "Let's just keep going, there's no way that was the only rift that will open."

"Right." Priestess said as she continued to follow him.

* * *

Fighter exited the portal in an alleyway, then ducked under some sacks and boxes as some terrorists walked by. She then morphed a cloak and mask over her armor, and looked around for anyone, and saw no one but the terrorists she snuck past. She then snuck around some more, until...

"Hey you there! Why are you doing out in the streets?" A terrorist asked as Fighter stood still. You hard of hearing pal? I ask you a quest-" Fighter popped a blade and cut the man's throat before launching a blade at this partner's throat, then hid the bodies.

"So much for stealth..." Fighter said, then rushed through the city at breakneck speeds, then ducked into another alleyway to catch her breath...then she morphed cables out of her fingertips and grappled up to the roof and looked around.

"This is a much better view..." She whispered, then ran across the rooftops until she reached a park...and found a huge pit filled with corpses. Most were of the guards, but others were of innocent bystanders, including women and children. The sight made her eyes water and her stomach turn so much she clutched her abdomen as she turned away. "No...all these people..." She then heard a woman wailing, then roof-hopped until she got there, and saw some terrorists holding the woman back as three men were being hanged from a post...with dozens of people watching in horror.

"This is what happens when you stick your nose where it doesn't belong!" A terrorist said before his friend punched the woman to the ground. "You get involved in something at the wrong place at the wrong time, this hap-" The man didn't even finish before Fighter dashed into the area, freed the men being hung by severed the ropes choking them, then grabbed the dead terrorist's axe and threw it at the man who hit the woman, hitting him in the face, then the rest of the terrorists charged at her, only for one to get their sword blocked and their chest impaled, another to get spin-kicked in the throat, another to get tripped and spin-kicked into another before both get pierced through their heads by her arms blade, then Fighter ducks a spear thrust from behind, then kicks the man back with both feet before stabbing him with his own spear and stood back as he tried to remove the spear before dying. Fighter then removed her mask and the people chattered among themselves. They were clearly happy to see her face.

"This occupation is ending. All of you keep silent about this; it's critical that my team's work stay secret, at least for now." She said.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say, thank the Supreme you returned Fighter." One of the freed men said as he took her hand and shook it while bowing.

"He speaks for me as well." The woman who was hit said as the man embraced her.

"Where's our daughter?" The man asked.

"Daddy!" A little girl yelled as she rushed to see her father with tears in her eyes. She then looked at Fighter who was smiling down at her.

"I wish I could stay longer, but I have to go..." She said.

"Are you going to kick their butts Miss Fighter?" The girl asked before Fighter knelt to her level.

"Me and my team are going to kick _all_ of their butts." She said and the girl held her hand out, and Fighter shook it before she ran off.

"Godspeed Fighter...godspeed..." The woman whispered as Fighter climbed a building, then opened her chakras before she spotted a large group of terrorists gathered in one spot.

"Whatever you assholes are doing, you better enjoy it while you can. As soon as stealth goes out the window, you're mi-" Fighter shut up when she spotted a short figure dashing through them and as it jumped up, a terrorist of two lost it's head, an arm, or both. Fighter then leaped over to another set of buildings, and ran to see what was going on...then saw Rhea Fighter moving through the terrorists so quickly, and so violently, that they couldn't tell what was going on as their comrades were butchered. When it was over, dozens of terrorists all had their heads severed or split open, their hearts impaled, one or more limbs missing, their bodies bisected in various ways, or any combination of those things.

"Disgusting bastards..." Rhea Fighter growled as she put her blessed sword away, and Fighter dropped down to see her...but she didn't turn to see her. "You're late to the party."

"This is supposed to be a stealth operation." Fighter whispered harshly, then Rhea Fighter side-glanced at her.

"I checked to make sure the patrols were busy or just plain killed them before I came here, and the more we kill now, the less we'll have to deal with later, and this place could have hundreds if not thousands of terrorists here." Rhea Fighter said seriously.

"Still, they're going to come looking for intruders when these guys don't show up. The people who live here are in enough trouble as it is..." Fighter said.

"I know...I saw a pit full of corpses earlier." Rhea Fighter said and Fighter's eyes widened.

"You saw it too?" She asked.

"No...there's more than one, and each one is just as full as the last. These...savages were actually bragging about it; some even gang-raped a woman in front of her family, slit her family's throats one by one as each _man_, if you can even call them that, finished up, and then slit her throat while the ones who didn't get involved watched in amusement. I don't even want to think about what the others did." Rhea Fighter said while shaking in fury.

"These peop- savages are no better than the goblins...!" Fighter said in exasperation.

"So...with that knowledge, you got a new plan boss lady?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"We hide these corpses, and continue our work." Fighter said as she gathered the severed body parts.

"And the blood?" Rhea Fighter asked as Fighter used her cables to absorb the blood, and even absorbed the heaviest of the armor suits, and the weapons. "Nevermind then..." The pair then went around the city, sneaking past people, climbing up walls and dashing across the roofs, assassinating guards, saving people, and Fighter absorbed the dead terrorists' armor, weapons and blood, as Rhea hid the corpses.

"That makes 52...sheesh, I'm starting to sound like Goblin Slayer." Fighter groaned and Rhea Fighter chuckled.

"I'll stop you if you start brooding like him." She said and Fighter tapped her shoulder. "Ow..." The pair then kept going until they reached Noble Fencer's manor...and the place was wrecked.

"Oh fuck..." Fighter whispered as the two ladies went inside and saw the place wasn't just wrecked, it was _robbed_. "So they not only destroy the place, but also take stuff? What won't these assholes do-" A voice cuts her off.

"Hey, is that Fighter? Hey! Fighter! Get me out of this! Can you hear me?!" The voice yelled.

"I know that voice..." Fighter whispered then they went to see an iron vat in the back room and lo and behold... "I hear you Noble Fencer."

"Then get me the hell out of here!" She yelled, and Fighter popped her blades, cut the lock open and held Noble Fencer up as the vat opened, and she started coughing and gagging.

"Where have you been?! We've been under the Evil Sect's thumb for days!" Noble Fencer exclaimed before Rhea Fighter gave her a sword she found.

"You're _welcome_..." She said sharply, then Fighter looked the place over again.

"Well excuse me for being pissed that my home was robbed and trashed by a band of renegades, and I was made a prisoner in said house while I w_atched it all happen!_" Noble Fencer snapped before sucking in a breath. "But...I _am_ thankful that you came when you did."

"Are you the only one who was locked up like this?" Fighter asked.

"Not even close; they locked up lots of people in these things, took them to that spire in front of the Temple of Law...I don't know if they were going to take me there but, I wouldn't put it past them to just leave me here to rot in my own home." Noble Fencer said.

"Neither would I. Honestly I can't remember the last time I was this angry..." Rhea Fighter breathed out.

"Well, now we can free Water Town and make the Evil Sect regret setting foot here." Fighter said.

"Well, we're in luck, while you were gone, a half-elf man came here to visit his mother, and he's a Sword Mage." Noble Fencer said.

"Sword...Mage?" Fighter asked.

"Yep, like me, he's good with magic, and a sword at the same time; we even had ourselves a duel and it ended with him winning. Good thing I learned from the Storm Mage when he was alive." Noble Fencer said.

"You trained with him?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Not often, but he took a break from his demon hunts to show me a thing or two. Killed half the people who attacked this place as a result." Noble Fencer said.

"Maybe they locked you up to get revenge." Rhea Fighter said and Noble Fencer scoffed.

"Since when does the Evil Sect care about it's people? They did that out of sheer spite; they even said so, and I have pretty good reason to believe them. Say, did you kill any of them on the way in?" She asked.

"Don't know, and frankly, don't care." Rhea Fighter said.

"Well, can you help me get my stuff back?" Noble Fencer asked.

"No problem, and we'll get our wizard friends to repair the house for you." Fighter said and Noble Fencer hugged her.

"You're a good friend Fighter. You and your team are true Gold Ranks..." She said.

"You're in a good mood, not that I blame you." Rhea Fighter said as Noble Fencer let Fighter go.

"Wouldn't you be? My day went from completely bleak, to apples and rainbows in a few seconds." She said.

"Let's not celebrate yet..." Fighter said as the three ladies left.

* * *

Ranger and the Wizard siblings entered his manor through the gateway to the front yard of his home, then looked the place over...before going inside and looking around upstairs.

"Why didn't we just sneak in before?" Wizard's brother asked then Ranger raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hell will freeze over before I sneak into my own home." He said sharply.

"Right..." Wizard's brother said and Ranger bangs on a wall.

"Dammit! Some of my things are gone..." He said.

"We can get them back, or repair them later boss." Wizard said.

"Right...let's split up and search the place..." Ranger said as he left the siblings as he checked the front of the manor. He eventually got to his main bathroom, and saw nothing was gone...yet. He then suddenly recalled when Fighter welcomed him home after he got back from investigating the vampire queen...how soft her skin was, how loving her movements where, how bright her smile was as she giggled...how _enchanting_ her voice was as she spoke to him. He then shook his head. "_Focus_ Ranger...you can do that with your wife as much as you want later. Now, you have a city to save...asses to kick..." He then left the bathroom and heard voices that got louder as he neared the staircase to he living room.

"This place is a fucking treasure trove of loot." A terrorist said as he loaded some of _his_ coin into a cart full of other valuables.

"This whole city is!" Another terrorist said and as soon as they went up he stairs, Ranger hid...the punched the first terrorist in the face hard enough to make him stumble down the stairs into the second one, then a terrorist pulled a sword, tried to impale Ranger...then his arms dislocated, got to watch his friend got floored by a kick to the gut, then Ranger took the sword and ran it's owner through the chest with it, then Ranger pinned the second terrorist to the cart.

"Is this all the stuff you took?" Ranger asked.

"I'm not telling you shit." The terrorist said, then Ranger put a gun under his chin which made his eyes widen. "No...this everything. I swear it."

"See that wasn't so difficult..." Ranger said.

"Why do you even care?" The terrorist asked then Ranger scowled at him.

"A better question is why shouldn't I be outraged that a pair of Evil Sect shitstains made an all-you-can-take out of my _home_? Now...did anyone else come here before you?" Ranger asked.

"No...it was just us..." The terrorist said.

"So...all this destruction, all this thievery, was done by just two men...impressive, and foolish." Ranger said before grappling up the ceiling with his harpoon as the terrorist yelled and groaned in terror.

"Wait! I've...I...I...I have information!" He exclaimed.

"Let's hear it..." Ranger said simply.

"There's more loot in the center of town lots of it, and hostages in the spire, and there's something going on at the Temple of Law, something to do with a high-ranking demon. Please! I'm just in this for the money; I've got nothing against any of you. I even let some hostages go when they were about to be given to goblins!" The terrorist said.

"Let me repay you..." Ranger said coldly before dropping the terrorist and watching him scream until he hit the ground head-first, then dropped down himself and landing on his feet.

"Damn Ranger..." Wizard's brother said.

"He was lying." Ranger said as he looked into the cart and searched through it.

"How can you tell?" Wizard's brother asked.

"I may not have Sense Lie, but I don't need it; there are verbal and non-verbal cues that say "I'm a liar" written all over there, and he had several." Ranger said as he looked over some jewelry.

"Such as?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Voice stability for one thing; people who tell the truth don't struggle with what they say half as much as liars. There's also the fact that what he said was...pretty hard to believe given the circumstances." Ranger said as he measured some coin.

"What if he mind trick into thinking he did those things?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Then we'd see the evidence ourselves, besides, the dude tried to kill Ranger first...over some materials. Automatic death sentence right there." Wizard said.

"Right...now, luckily, this is alot of the stuff I own, but I don't know what they destroyed in here." Ranger said.

"We found plenty of destroyed things in the other rooms, so..." Wizard's brother trailed off.

"We'll sort this place out and join the others when we can, you just do your thing boss. Show them what happens when you invade a Platinum Rank's home!" Wizard said.

"Oh...I will..." Ranger said as he practically tore the door open and walked out.

"We should probably leave this stuff alone and just fix the place." Wizard said.

"Agreed, who knows where this stuff goes anyway?" Her brother said.

"I know where some of it goes, but you're right." Wizard said.

* * *

Warrior looked the docks over and saw the ships were destroyed and so were nearly every crate in sight.

"Sheesh, this is a takeover, or a scorched earth maneuver to the power of ten?" He said as he looked over the mess.

"Hey! What are you doing? Civilians aren't supposed to be here!" A terrorist yelled.

"Neither are Evil Sect shitheads." Warrior said before he ducked and shot down the terrorist, and his two friends down with his auto crossbow, then he ran up the stairs to hide the bodies, and then looked around for others, then put is crossbow away, and morphed a cloak to skulk around the place, and snuck past several patrols, then picked them off when they weren't looking, the tactic worked for the better part of five minutes as he ran around the place, sticking to the shadows, and cover...until he shot down a patrol and the bodies were found and he had to shot down some alerted guards as well. He then climbed up the building and watched Rhea Fighter butcher the only guards in the area and let out a sigh of relief. "Note to self: more Life Sight, less aimless sneaking..." He then snuck around the edge of the town and occasionally watched the two fighters in the team assassinate guards, then he moved onto others. Eventually, his luck changed when he was caught between two patrols, then hid inside an empty crate...then the guards stayed there to rest.

"Damn...collapsing a statue takes alot of elbow grease." A terrorist said which made Warrior scowl.

"What?" Another terrorist asked.

"We fell that statue in the town square, you know, the one where we stashed our loot?" The first terrorist said.

"Oh, that statue...well, better people just move on am I right? No need to cling to an element of the past..." Another terrorist said.

"Man, this place is just full of those statues." Another terrorist said as Warrior heard them move on, before knocking his crate over and he covered his mouth to keep his muffle quiet. He then heard footsteps approach and started shaking.

"False alarm, I just knocked over a crate." A terrorist said as Warrior heard him join his friends. He then opened the crate, then watched the terrorists leave, got his barrings, then climbs up a wall to get to the main square...and he saw crates and carts full of various goods.

"These bastards _are_ robbing the place...wait, where's everyone else? Oh whatever, these guys will tell me..." Warrior said before arrows and bullets tore through the area and dropped everyone in the area. "Or that..." Wizard and her brother casually walked along and looked the place over, then Fighter, Rhea Fighter...and Noble Fencer showed up. "Talk about a reunion..." Warrior then dropped down to the ground.

"Oh no..." Fighter said somberly as she looked over a toppled statue...of the Sword Maiden. She then knelt down to touch the statue's face as the others came to see it as Fighter lowered her head. Noble Fencer then touched her shoulder...then saw her tear-stained face.

"Oh it is _on_ now...!" Warrior said sharply.

* * *

H.E. Druid put up her hood and mask as she approached the front gate...by herself, then the two guards at the entrance pointed their guns at her.

"Hey, this city is off-limits!" A terrorist yelled, then H.E. Druid stopped walking, put her thumb up...then pointed down, as a bullet tore through each of the terrorists' heads...then she put her thumb back up, before throwing a grappling hook up to the top of the gate and climbing up. D.R. and Cow Girl ran up to the rope left for them and climbed up after her.

"You better not be eyeballing me." Cow Girl said as she climbed.

"Lady...if you didn't want to be eyeballed...you should've gone...after me...besides...I'm spoken for..." D.R. said.

"We aren't married remember? I refused you earlier." H.E. Druid said as she pulled the two up.

"I wasn't being serious Your Highness." D.R. said.

"Still..." H.E. Druid said.

"Can we please talk about something else...like that view..." Cow Girl said.

"It would be alot better if it didn't involve a city needing salvation." H.E. Druid said as she led the trio to the top of a tower...after D.R. uses his axehead to chop down some guards, H.E. Druid puts an arrow through several more, and Cow Girl uses the shotgun-mod to her rifle to blow a guard's brains out. H.E. Druid then unleashed one arrow after another before D.R. and Cow Girl looked at where she was looking and then shot down several guards in the main square.

"They even destroyed the statue devoted to the Sword Maiden? How low can you possibly kick someone below the belt...?" Cow Girl growled.

"These people deserve every shot they take..." H.E. Druid said before unleashing another arrow.

"We got them all." D.R. said.

"Wasn't aiming at them. Look..." H.E. Druid said before D.R. looked through his scope...and saw that she hit a hob through the neck.

"Oh shit...rifts!" He said before one opened downstairs, then he and Cow Girl opened fire on the goblins that rushed up the stairs as H.E. Druid braced her hook.

"Everyone climb down!" She yelled before she and the other two jumped out the window and rappelled down to the ground as some goblins tried to follow them...only to fall out of the window and hit the ground head-first as the three laughed at them.

"Dumbasses!" D.R. yelled as they continued laughing. When they reached the bottom, they ran straight for the main square, then saw Warrior impaling some of the terrorists who were still alive.

"You damn coward!" A terrorist yelled, then Warrior grabbed him and forced him to look at the statue.

"_You're_ the cowards here! The woman who's honor this statue was built in, was a symbol of love and hope to the entire country, and you tore it down, and for _what_?! Fun? Sport? _Spite_?! Well guess what...no one likes people that pull shit like that, especially not us!" He said.

"So unless you want to see what that looks like, you might want to start cooperating." D.R. said with a raised eyebrow and his arms crossed.

"You don't scare me-" Warrior pulling his hammer and electrocuting it shut the terrorist up.

"Afraid of this?" Warrior asked.

"FYI, getting hit by lightning hurts..." Wizard said smugly.

"Alright alright! What do you want to know?" The terrorist asked.

"Where is everyone?" Warrior asked.

"Most of the troops who were here are dead, but the rest of the people are in cages under the city, if they weren't taken to the spire." The terrorist said.

"Spire? You mean that spire in the background?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Of course! A goblin wizard runs that place, and he's in league with the God of Wisdom, just like alot of the highest-ranking goblins are. And before you ask: no, I don't know why he wants people to be taken there!" The terrorist said.

"We can guess; goblins are known for being...creative with people they captured." Wizard said.

"Unlike what you did to this statue...it was _real_ subtle." H.E. Druid said.

"Better what we did...then what the goblins did..." The terrorist spat.

"Oh that is _it_!" Warrior snapped before slamming the terrorist's head into the ground over and over until he was dead. The wizard siblings then used a Repair spell on the statue to restore it to it's former glory, then even used alchemy to fasten the base to the floor so it couldn't be knocked down again, then they all looked at the statue of the Sword Maiden simply standing there holding her staff and wearing her archbishop outfit...minus the blindfold.

"Did you see that Sword Maiden? Even in death, you are still loved..." Fighter whispered before sucking in a breath to keep her composure.

"O.k...I hate to break up the moment, but we were being chased by goblins from a hell rift earlier, and there's likely to be more around town." H.E. Druid said, and the team snapped their heads to their rear and saw a swarm of goblins heading down the sides of each of the canals. Fighter then opened her chakras open then rushed through one side of them...and dozens of goblins were sent flying in all directions. Some landed in he canal and tried to keep themselves above the water but failed, others crashed into the goblins on the other side, and some were simply splattered into the buildings. Fighter then got to the other side and kicked the shit out of every goblin in sight as they got close to her. Then she side-stepped a hob's axe swing, ran up it's side, then jumped off of it with enough force to not only launch Fighter to the other side of the horde, but also sent the hob crashing into a building hard enough too crack to depress it's skull.

When Fighter landed, she continued to maul every goblin with her arm and leg blades as Cow Girl, D.R. and H.E. Druid opened fired on the rest of the goblins, piercing and shredding every goblin in the line of fire, as Warrior and Rhea Fighter swung their swords at the goblins who swarmed them, and even the goblins who weren't hit were sliced apart. The wizard siblings unleashed a stream of fire at another horde coming from the sides...and only the goblins were torched; the city itself was fine while the goblins were set ablaze...as were the stolen supplies, and the ones who weren't ignited, got to watch their brethren scream and thrash around trying to put the flames out until they died, then the survivors charged at the wizards yelling in rage, but once they got close, the wizards put their hands on the ground at the same time...and the goblins that got too close were all launched into the air as the team laughed at them so hard that Warrior, Wizard's brother and Rhea Fighter fell on he floor, and Rhea Fighter even got on top of Wizard's brother as the laughing continued.

"Hey honey, that's _one_ way to end a fight!" Warrior said before he continued laughing.

"We thought you'd...get a kick out of that..." Wizard's brother said as he got ahold of himself...then he and Rhea Fighter noticed she was on top of him, and they both blushed like mad. "Uhhh..."

"I blame the laughter..." Rhea Fighter said as she got up.

"Anyway...I am _so_ using that trap later on. Wish I used it earlier..." Wizard said as Fighter casually walked back as she removed her mask to reveal her cyan eyes that turned back to black as the wind picked up.

"Wow...if I were a goblin and I saw a woman like that come my way looking like that, I'd be shitting bricks..." Warrior said seriously as the wizard siblings used Repair to restore the damage to the stolen goods.

"Those goblins probably _were_." H.E. Druid said.

"The rest of the terrorists occupying this city definitely will." Fighter said seriously as she looked in the distance, as did the rest of the team.

"That spire..." Cow Girl said.

"We're probably going to need the whole team to assault a place like that." D.R. said.

"Right, they'll probably have an entire all-you-can-eat when it comes to defenses." H.E. Druid said.

"Then let's head to the Temple of Law. It's going to be dark soon anyway." Fighter said as they marched to the Temple of Law.

* * *

In the sewers, Priestess and Goblin Slayer were heading down a canal...with dozens of goblin corpses behind them, then the roof shook...

"Something serious must be happening up there." Priestess said.

"Use Vision to see what's happening." GS said.

"Oh...right..." Priestess said before she closed her eyes. "It's Fighter...she's tearing through an entire horde of goblins, and she's winning!"

"Good..." GS said simply...then a large shadow moved through the water.

"What was that!?" Priestess exclaimed.

"Probably just the familiar the Sword Maiden left as a guard." GS said.

"No...it vanished when she died; she let me know that before, and I don't sense it anywhere either." Priestess said.

"Then use Vision again." GS said...and Priestess gasped. "What's wrong?"

"That...that was a leviathan! Only smaller..._much_ smaller, and it's not alone..." She said fearfully.

"Has it eaten any goblins?" GS asked.

"I don't think so...but-" Priestess shut up when a shard of ice flew past them, then she threw up Protection, then GS pull one of his shotguns.

"A shaman..." He said as a shaman pointed at them and dozens of goblins rushed at them..only to get shredded by GS' gun. "That's 5..." The goblins then tried to break through the barrier, and some more goblins tried to break through it from the other side of the canal. Priestess then drank some holy water, and threw up another Protection as reinforcement as GS sliced through the goblins from within the barrier. "Can you handle these goblins on your own?"

"I think so!" Priestess said as GS rushed to the other side, then Priestess drew her sword, and the two sliced through the goblins as they neared the barrier.

"24...27...32..." GS said as he butchered his prey.

"48...53...59...61...67..." Priestess said as she stuck one goblin through the brain after another, then GS threw a bomb between the canals...which exploded and frozen the goblins on both sides solid.

"You're next shaman..." GS said before Priestess beamed him with Holy Light as GS simply watched. "That makes 92..."

"There's got to be mor-" A multitude of voices calling for help shuts Priestess up, as the two rush down a hallway, and when they got to the source of the commotion...they saw dozens of iron vats with people trapped in them.

"We're saved..." A woman said as Priestess empowered GS as he cut open their doors one by one and she healed them all in one feel swoop.

"You should be alright now..." Priestess said softly as the people looked her over.

"The Sword Maiden still smiles upon us...her spirit sends the Priestess and Goblin Slayer to save us!" A man said with reverence and the people all cheered.

"I knew she would not forsake us. She is _truly_ our messiah!" Another man said.

"She didn't send us, we came here on our accord." GS said simply.

"Goblin Slayer! she very much had a hand in us coming here. If it wasn't for her, me and my team wouldn't have the stomach to come back" Priestess said.

"So...even the 11th Platinum Rank has returned. What about the rest of you?" A man she recognized as the one who sells ice cream said.

"We all came back sir." Priestess said as the people all chattered to each other.

"My good Priestess, there are other chambers like this one, and they have people there as well. Please help them." A woman said.

"Of course." Priestess said as she used Vision. "Goblin Slayer, this way."

"What about us?" A man asked.

"We will come back to retrieve you, please stay here until then. I promise we won't be long." Priestess said as she led GS down the hall, and eventually got to a ladder.

"That leads up to the Temple of Law." GS said.

"I know...but I think we might need this later." Priestess said before they went down another hallway until hey reached another room full of vats...with no one in them. "There's one person...in that one." GS then pulled the light sword he got along with his new armor and sliced the vat open, then the person inside yelled in fear, before GS tore the door off it's hinges...and revealed a man who looked like a male version of Witch covering himself with his arms in fear.

"Who are you...?" The man asked fearfully.

"The Goblin Slayer, and the Sword Maiden's successor, we're here to save you." Priestess said.

"And to kill the goblins-" She cuts GS off.

"_And_ to save the city." She said sharply.

"Right..." GS said.

"You're going to...save the city?" The man asked.

"Yes, now may I ask who you are?" Priestess asked.

"I am an enemy to the forces who overtook this city, a Sword Mage if you will." Sword Mage said.

"Sword...Mage?" Priestess asked.

"Yes, although...without my sword, I am little more than a simple mage." Sword Mage said.

"How did this all happened?" GS asked.

"I came here to visit my mother, but during my visit, the Evil Sect's forces attacked. It...it was chaos. Even the strongest of us were no match for them; the guards were all slaughtered like cattle, and their families executed as well, all to instill fear, and to extract revenge for the damage done by the 11th." Sword Mage said.

"Ranger..." Priestess said softly.

"It's all hypocrisy; it's no secret his hands are not clean, but compared to the Evil Sect, his hands are clean enough that even the Sword Maiden herself would probably be proud to eat out of a plate that clean, even if he wasn't a servant of hers...why else would she send him to kill the vampire queen?" Sword Mage said.

"He actually killed her on his own accord; the Sword Maiden just sent him to the north." GS said.

"A distinction without a difference; she graced the world with another Platinum Rank, as if she wasn't already enough of a goddess in human form." Sword Mage said.

"Well...do you know where your sword is? We're in a bit of a hurry." Priestess asked.

"I wish I did- wait...where did you get that one?" Sword Mage asked and GS looked over the handle of his light sword.

"This one?" GS asked and Sword Mage's eyes widened.

"That's the Sword of the Stars, said to have been granted the power of the stars themselves, which burn with the same power as the sun. This weapon is sacred-" GS cuts him off.

"Take it." He said simply before tossing it to Sword Mage.

"Goblin Slayer?" Priestess asked in awe.

"He lacks a weapon, and I'm nowhere near as comfortable using it as I am using my sword, especially in tight spaces." GS said.

"I do thank you for this, but the moment I get my sword back, I will return this. " Sword Mage said.

"Keep it." GS said simply.

"No, my sword isn't just a weapon; it's also one half of a conduit for my power." Sword Mage said.

"What?" Priestess asked.

"It's very complicated, but there's an armor set that goes with the sword, and the two can work together to make my spells stronger. It's part of why I'm Ruby Ranked." Sword Mage said.

"Ruby? Whoa..." Priestess said softly.

"How many more rooms are there with vats like these?" GS asked.

"To my knowledge, five. This one, the one I heard you save, and three ahead." Sword Mage said.

"You heard that from here?" GS asked...then Sword Mage brushed his hair back to reveal his ears.

"You're an elf." Priestess said.

"Half-elf; my father was human; he's actually the one who made my sword and armor, so it's as sacred to me, as that starlight sword is to the rest of the elves." Sword Mage said.

"Take us to the other rooms, if you know where they are." GS said and Sword Mage stood up.

"Of course. I saw the other three while I was being dragged down here by the goblins." He said as they walked out.

"Do you know why they're capturing people?" Priestess asked.

"No, and I don't think I want to know...but it involves that spire behind the city...I have no idea how that spire got there; it wasn't built here; it just...appeared out of thin air." Sword Mage said.

"Maybe someone used a gateway." GS said.

"Or something used a gateway..." Priestess said thoughtfully.

"What are you suggesting?" Sword Mage asked cautiously.

"I'm not sure, but if it really did just appear with no explanation...then clearly something more sinister is happening." Priestess said.

"It doesn't matter. We'll deal with it in time, let's get those people, kill the goblins, and get out of the sewers..." GS said.

* * *

When Ranger got to the stairs of the Temple of Law...he couldn't help but stare at the entrance; it just wasn't the same knowing the Sword Maiden was no longer alive, even if she was practically a guardian angel now. The implication of what he'd see...and who he wouldn't or might not see made him sigh deeply. He then went inside.

"At least this place wasn't robbed..." Ranger said with relief as he looked over the artworks in the temple, from the paintings, to the statues, to the occasional relic. He then got to the place he had his wedding in...and recalled the moments like they just happened. How lovely fighter looked, the Sword Maiden's blessing...his and Fighter's first kiss as husband and wife...and he had to stop reliving the moment before he lose his self-control. He then eventually got to the chamber they first met in, and he recalled his meetings with the Sword Maiden, from the time he told her about what kind of damage they did to the goblins' numbers, among other things, and especially the times she handled his infant daughter, as if she was the mother herself. He then closed his eyes as the self-inflicted mental torture continued...he then saw a flash through his eyelids. "Why am I not surprised you'd come back...?"

"Because you know me so well, and I knew my home would affect you like this." An inhumanly sweet voice said, as Ranger glanced to the side, and lo and behold Sword Maiden was there.

"I'll never forget the first time I saw this place; how much anticipation there was...especially for Priestess." Ranger said.

"It's not the same is it?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Not at all. Even though you're practically our guardian angel...you are still technically dead." Ranger said harshly...then felt Sword Maiden hold his hand, which made him look at her.

"I am not just alive...I'm immortal, and it's all thanks to the people's love...thanks to your _team's_ love...thanks to _your_ love." She said with a smile, then he looked back at the entrance and breathed deeply.

"I just recalled the times you held my daughter as if she was your own child...what a mother you would've made." Ranger said softly.

"I would gladly bare Storm Mage's child, or if fate decreed otherwise...your own." Sword Maiden said and Ranger sighed.

"I _do_ love you...I always did." He said honestly.

"When I used the miracle of Resurrection on you...you said that if your heart didn't belong to Fighter, you would have given me what I asked. If that really is true...I am glad you refused me, even if you didn't have another heart in place with your own. Trying to seduce you was a mistake, and I'm happy it had no weight." Sword Maiden said.

"Storm Mage deserves your heart more than I could hope to." Ranger said seriously, then Sword Maiden looked the room over.

"Speaking of whom...I must show you this..." She said as she showed him images of Storm Mage hurling lightning bolts and orbs at the goblins or just shredding them with his sword-whip with Sword Maiden laying down on the ground behind him watching the massacre in awe. Then the goblin champion Storm Mage had to use Thunderstrike on, only to get bashed aside as the goblins closed in on Sword Maiden to claim her...again. Then Storm Mage struck the champion again before finishing off the goblins, then meeting Sword Maiden's warm embrace.

"That man..." Ranger whispered in awe.

"Every...single fear I kept bottled up inside of me for the last decade, completely consumed me in that moment; I could neither run, nor scream...nor even _weep_. He rescued me in the single darkest moment of my life. He has earned everything I have, and everything I am, and I wish I had more than one heart to give...because then I'd give it to him in addition to the first. _No_ amount of greed can smother that kind of love..." Sword Maiden said with a cracked voice.

"Sword Maiden..." Ranger said in awe.

"If he had not been there for me...what those little monsters had in mind probably would have crushed my very sanity beyond any hope of repair. But...when he is with me, in my bed...I apologize for invading your privacy but I had to know what you and Fighter's intimacy was like. Ours actually surpasses yours; the contrast between his touch, and the goblins'...there is no difference greater; with you it is as simple as an expression of love and lust, albeit a strong and dignified one. With us, or at least me...only the Supreme God's touch gives a greater rapture." Sword Maiden said with intense passion.

"And _this_ is coming from a man who's avarice was immeasurable..." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"As if the contrast was not great enough. If the love you, your team, and the people gave me makes me immortal...then the love he gives me makes me..." Sword Maiden trailed off.

"Strong? Happy? Free?" Ranger asked.

"All of those things..." Sword Maiden whispered. Ranger then reached for her...then she threw her arms around him and held him as tightly as he could as he returned the favor as she simply stood there in his embrace. "You must think me foolish...comparing our love lives at a time like this..."

"If it occupies a place in your mind this great, go ahead. I have no right to judge...nor does anyone else." Ranger said seriously as she backed up a bit and looked his armor over.

"This armor...I know it both is, and contains the spoils of war, but...I accepted what you said to Priestess the last time she saved you long ago." Sword Maiden said.

"What do you mean?" Ranger asked.

"You told her that you're not a gentle spirit; if you were, you would not have slaughtered thousands of goblins, with and without your team aiding you." Sword Maiden said.

"I see..." Ranger whispered then Sword Maiden giggled as she pulled away from him.

"You sound just like Goblin Slayer when you say that." She said while smiling as brightly as Fighter does.

"That is not my intention..." Ranger said curiously.

"Nevertheless...I have one last thing to show you." Sword Maiden said as she showed an image of the Chief God's home. "I may be the Sword Maiden...but not even I have my own statue...in Heaven." Ranger looked over each of the statues until he got to the one of Hero...and his eyes widened when she got to the one of himself.

"Holy..." Ranger said.

"All the Platinum Ranks have their own statue in Heaven." Sword Maiden said.

"My Porcelain Rank self never thought of this..." Ranger said with a smirk.

"That is why no one outside of Heaven knows this...and for good reason; only the most trustworthy people can go in and out of Heaven on a whim...and I know few that even rival your trustworthiness good Ranger." Sword Maiden said.

"Why?" Ranger asked.

"Because...you love the people as much as I do, you're a remarkable warrior, a wise leader, have more devotion to your cause than can be measured...and even your hatred and greed are used for good. You've killed goblins with the same vigor and efficiency as Goblin Slayer himself, and you acquire more material possessions just so you can increase your ability to make the lives of your friends, family, and the innocent better. As far as I know, only the War's God's first champion, the Destroyer, was more worthy of his favor than yourself." Sword Maiden said.

"The War God actually told me to my face that only the Destroyer was more worthy of his mark than myself...he also said I was your servant." Ranger said.

"You disapprove?" Sword Maiden asked.

"How can I refuse being a servant of the Sword Maiden? Countless adventurers would kill to have a chance to do something for you. Then again...I'm sure the same is true for those who would wish me to do something for them. Quite an interesting irony..." Ranger said.

"Yes. You...the cold-blooded avenger who fights on the frontlines, and I, a fragile authority figure who sends you there..." Sword Maiden said, then Ranger touched her face.

"Sword Maiden...I don't see you that way at all; you're as much a part of my family as the rest of my team is, and I love you just as much." He said seriously and Sword Maiden giggled.

"There's that sweet side of you, the one that earned you Fighter's heart...and what a fierce, noble, and benevolent heart it is." She said.

"From where I'm standing, yours isn't far behind, or ahead." Ranger said.

"That's what the people think; Priestess and Goblin Slayer recently freed some people...and they practically sang my praises. Priestess even slew some goblins with her sword; I couldn't have done better myself." Sword Maiden said.

"She what?" Ranger asked in awe.

"You will all have interesting tales to tell when you reunite." Sword Maiden said.

"Apparently..." Ranger said.

"You know...I never thought I'd see the day when I'd envy any set of adventurers, but the bonds your team have surpass that of the bonds I had with my own team when I faced the Demon Lord." Sword Maiden said.

"And now you- well you're not officially part of my team, but you might as well be." Ranger said.

"You honor me Ranger..." Sword Maiden and Ranger kissed her forehead.

"The honor is mine...Your Grace..." Ranger whispered and got a smile out of the Nephilim. His eyes then widened as he looked out the window. "It's going to get dark soon!"

"Relax, we were in Limbo from the moment I arrived. We could speak for hours longer, and your family would still be in no danger without you." Sword Maiden said.

"How lucky can a man be to be able to speak of things this personal, with the Sword Maiden or otherwise, and get away with it, during an occupation?" Ranger asked.

"Not many. But then...not many go from the humblest of origins to...a Platinum Rank." Sword Maiden said.

"A Platinum Rank that...well, while I do enjoy speaking with you immensely-" Sword Maiden cuts Ranger off.

"You have a temple to save. I can sense a great amount of activity in the gardens where you fought and defeated the ogre. Something I failed to have congratulated you for, much to my dismay..." She said.

"I'll pretend you did..." Ranger said and Sword Maiden giggled.

"I should've known you would say that. Now...let us waste no more time." She said as she vanished.

* * *

Ranger went straight to the gardens...and when he got there, the sun was nearly set. He then looked around as he morphed his guns.

"Sword Maiden? There's nothing here..." Ranger said, then Sword Maiden appeared behind him...just before a series of rifts opened and dozens of goblins poured out of them...and they were actually laughing at him much to his curiosity.

"These are the same goblins Storm Mage saved me from...the ones who first attacked me a decade ago..." She said and Ranger snapped his head to her with his outrage visible on his face before closing his eyes and the goblins approached slowly but steadily...then Ranger drank some holy water.

"Immolation..." He whispered before unleashing a burst of flame that covered half the area in front of him in one quick burst, then the goblins burned and screamed at the top of their voices as Ranger watched with complete disregard for their agony. Eventually...only one was left alive and then looked at Ranger...only to get a metal javelin thrown through it's gut as it struggled to free itself before expiring. "I'll bet you thought you were lucky..."

"Ranger...there are more coming, and these are the ones you killed before you were set on fire a year ago..." Sword Maiden said cautiously and Ranger sighed before dozens more came through the rifts.

"How many times must I kill the same _stinking_ goblins...?!" He whispered harshly before he morphed a greatsword and heavy armor as he charged into the middle of the garden, tackling down a hob that tried to stop him with an axe, then several more goblins were crushed under the hob before Ranger whirled the greatsword around as he himself whirled around to chop down every goblin that got too close; even ones that snuck up on him weren't safe, like the one that pounced on him from far away, only to get bisected as the sword happened to have been going through that particular space...talk about sour luck. Ranger eventually morphed his light armor and twin short swords and dashed through the goblins as he butchered them in various ways, kicked them into the walls, each other, or just plain struck them hard enough to crush their insides as he moved so fast that even Sword Maiden couldn't tell what was going on. He then broke his swords into whips that he lashed around like Storm Mage did...much to Sword Maiden's surprise as she watched the War God's champion shred, and burn through the little monsters.

A second hob eventually appeared, then Ranger thrusted a sword-whip through his throat, and ripped the blade out of it's throat as the surviving goblins watched it bleed to death, then Ranger latched another goblin with his other sword-whip, yanked it towards him, then charged at the wall to the side and slammed it head-first into the wall once to make it suffer a headache and a concussion...then slammed it into the wall over and over and over until it's head was completely caved in, then tossed the corpse in view of the other goblins...who were all shaking and whimpering in horror as the armored abomination before them made their comrade look pathetic...without a shred of remorse or compassion in his face. Ranger then morphed his guns and shot the rest down in cold blood before watching them bleed to death.

"It always amazes me how you can treat them with such cruelty...yet the rage that drives you isn't as overpowering as it once was." Sword Maiden said as Ranger de-morphed his guns.

"I have dealt with rage more than enough times to know that letting it drive me without thinking about the consequences is a bad idea. Besides...I'd rather see them shaking in fear than feel their bodies break against my knuckles." He said honestly.

"Fear..." Sword Maiden said thoughtfully before Ranger turned to look at her directly.

"Like with my wife...I love you dearly, and the knowledge that you dealt with a fear induced by these gutless wretches for over a decade...really bothers me, and as a servant of the War God, there is no way I'm letting that slide." Ranger said and Sword Maiden sighed.

"Ironically...I would normally be afraid that I would be adding to the darkness your heart contains, but after seeing you demonstrate the Art of Silent Wrath to his degree; that even in the grip of unfathomable rage you still stay true to what you fight for...I am not afraid at all." She said softly.

"Good...the last thing I want to do is instill the wrong kind of fear..." Ranger said.

"You know...me and Storm Mage discussed the revenge we got on the goblins in addition to the vengeance you and your team have wrecked...like that familiar I had that patrolled the sewers." Sword Maiden said.

"We saw that thing devour at least a handful of goblins, and destroy several ships...I'd hate to have met it as a Porcelain Rank." Ranger said and Sword Maiden giggled.

"Who wouldn't feel the same way..." She said.

"Now...about what I said about controlling my rage..." Ranger trailed off.

"There's is no need to explain; I know what you said to that crime boss, and you were always right about it, even before you became a Platinum Rank. I dare say your self-control is second only to your wife's." Sword Maiden said.

"Which is one contest I'm almost happy to lose." Ranger said and Sword Maiden smiled yet again.

"I'm proud of you Ranger...I am as honored to have you serve me as you were to have served me." She said before getting alarmed as Ranger morphed his guns again...and a massive rift spits out a goblin paladin...the same one that his entire team..._and_ Goblin Slayer killed at the farm a year ago...with friends.

* * *

Meanwhile, the team was on their way to the Temple of Law...when a fire broke out of the other side of town. Obviously they went to see what happened, and their hearts sake when they heard a girl screaming for help. Warrior then morphed his full armor, including his mask, then rushed inside as Wizard summoned a group of ice and water elementals to quell the flames. About half a minute later...Warrior jumped out a window and landed with the same girl Fighter met earlier tucked into his arms.

"Daddy!" The girl yelled as she ran into her father's arms before gasping. "Wait! I dropped my dollie!"

"Of course you did..." Warrior groaned before heading back into and came back out with a burnt doll that Wizard's brother used Repair on then the girl took the doll back.

"That's some armor you're wearing sir." Her dad said.

"Anti-magic enchantments...what's not to love?" Warrior said with a smirk before Fighter ran off. "Hey! Where are you go- ohhh shit..." Turns out, Fighter was running right at a large platoon of terrorists as the civilians ran the other way. When Fighter got close enough...she knocked them into the water, slammed them into the walls, the ground, or each other. took their weapons and threw them at the ones on the other side of the canal, in the far distance, or even killed the weapons' users with them, all while rushing between and through their ranks and blocking and dodging their attacks. One time she was swarmed from all sides, and blocked one sword swing after another before popping her blades and destroying their weapons before gutting them. She then grabbed the last two, spun around several times before throwing them away and jumping over a third terrorist and slicing his back open before running off again as the rest of the team finally caught up. They eventually approached the main square while shredding and chopping down goblins this time as they were ambushed from above, the alleyways, or rifts that appeared just above the water's surface.

"Alright...cheating time..." Wizard's brother said as some goblins rushed out of an alleyway...then pounced over the water and got snatched by crocodile familiars that popped out of the water, much to Warrior's amusement.

"That's right! Fuck you!" He yelled then Rhea Fighter gasped.

"There's some goblins harassing those people we left!" She exclaimed.

"Well go see them!" Wizard yelled, and her brother went with Rhea Fighter as he flew across the city with his mace pointed in the direction he was going as Rhea Fighter rushed up the buildings and went to go see the people, and while they were butchering them up close with the usual slipperiness in her case, or launching paralyze and fire spells and commanding the crocodiles or just bashing the goblins' skulls in the case of Wizard's brother...the rest of the team held up against a small horde made entirely of hobs. Warrior rushed around chopping them in half with his blessed sword, if he wasn't shocking or bashing their brains in with his hammer, either up-close or at a range via throwing the hammer, or blocking and deflecting the hob's blows with his shield. He eventually retreated, took a life potion Wizard was halfway through before rejoining the fray. Wizard herself deflected the hob's blades with her glaive before slicing their knees, or stabbing them in the gut or heart, sometimes one after the other; she ducked one blade then stabbed it's heart before stabbing another before it even swung it's blade. She even had the ice elementals form an ice tower for Cow Girl, D.R. and H.E. Druid to safely take pot shots at the hobs...and all of their shots hit the head.

"No survivors!" D.R. yelled before shooting down two hobs.

"No mercy!" Warrior yelled before swinging his fully charged sword and shredding several hobs with one swing...that unleashed a spiraling wave of razor-sharp energy. Fighter eventually got her barrings, then re-joined the team as they were charged at by another horde of hell goblins...who were all stopped cold by Wizard unleashing a Firestorm that blew the horde to pieces with a barrage of fireballs.

"The people are fine now...although I doubt they're going to live alot down. Turns out that goblin attacks are nothing new recently; the guards...before they were killed off, fought of quite a few goblin attacks...but sometimes they were too late to save anyone. I don't want to think about what that means, so let's just go see the boss..." She said.

"Right...please Supreme let Priestess be able to restore what this city has lost..." Fighter said as they marched to the Temple.

* * *

Ranger activated his heavy armor, superheated a gauntlet then punched a hob in front of him, which caused an explosion that blasted it, and some other goblins to bits. When the dust cleared, only the paladin and a few hobs were left standing, and a few dozen goblins exited the rifts. Ranger then grappled to one of the hobs, kicked it in the chest with both feet with enough force to cave in it's ribcage before jumping off of it, landing where he was, then charged forward with two greatswords, and chopped down goblins by the dozen, along with the hobs as Ranger spun, jumped, flipped, and danced around the crowd, until eventually the paladin got involved then swung an energized mace which made Ranger duck...then a hob grabbed him and threw him into a wall.

Ranger shook off the impact and grappled to the roof as the hob tried to finish him off, only to hit the base of a pillar...then Ranger cut off the top of the pillar and had it fall on several goblins before dropping to the ground and flipping the hob over as it tried to grab him again, then ran the hob through with his sword before kicking it into another hob. Ranger then morphed a dozen greatswords and had them fly around and slice apart the goblins with sheer willpower as more came through the rifts. He then morphed his guns, opened fire on the paladin who covered his face with his hands before every greatsword impaled him from every direction.

"What do you know? Even an obsolete detail, but lead to a flawless plan." Ranger said as he re-absorbed the greatswords before looking back at Sword Maiden who then watched Ranger sprout chains out of his armor to absorb the demonic essence of the goblins, as well as their weapons...but the paladin regenerated and slowly stood up, only for Ranger to charge it, punch it hard enough to flip it over, then punched it again hard enough to launch it into a wall. He then grabbed the paladin's mace, then used it as a battering ram to cave in the paladin's face with repeated, and violent blows to the head as the goblins who showed up as reinforcements looked on in dread as Ranger finished up, then casually walked back to where he was as the goblins backed away from him.

Eventually one gets brave enough to pounce at him...then gets it's head enveloped by Ranger's gauntlet as the goblins pounded and stabbed at the metal sheath covering it's face as Ranger squeezed until it's skull was crushed like an egg before chunking the body aside like trash, which enraged the other goblins as they charged at him...only to get slaughtered as Ranger morphed his light armor, flipped over them, and either shot them dead at a distance, put the barrel of his guns at their heads and pulled the trigger, simply bashed in their skulls, or even making the goblins flinch by winding up to bash them...then shooting them with the other gun when it's not looking. "How ironic is it that I express a piece of wisdom that gets counteracted, while they express a flawless detail in an obsolete plan...then it doesn't get counteracted at all?"

"Incredibly so. But you should know that I cannot intervene in this battle too often. I apologize for not giving you any blessings...but this situation is unstable enough as it is." Sword Maiden said.

"How so? Should I aware of something?" Ranger asked.

"I don't believe so, but there I sense an unspeakably sinister presence nearby." Sword Maiden said.

"A demon?" Ranger asked.

"Most likely, and this is no ordinary demon. So I'd stay on the alert as long pos- Ranger behind you!" Sword Maiden exclaimed, and the moment she finished her warning, Ranger put a greatsword in the way of an energized sword...that cut halfway into his own as it poked through a Hell Rift. The sword then went back into the rift as Ranger looked around.

"Not this again..." He groaned as he looked around while is sword repaired itself. He then took several sword blows to various parts of his heavy armor, and blocked others until a figure wearing the same light armor he uses comes through a rift...then dashes from one side to another and Ranger actually has to retreat as the figure engaged him. Every time Rager swung his sword, the figure dodged it, and Ranger had to block the figure's attacks; they were too fast to dodge, and he could feel the force behind each blow as if he was being hit with a hammer while he was wearing leather armor inside of his heavy armor. Eventually he got knocked to his knees and blocked a barrage of relentless attacks until his guard was broken and he was kicked into a wall hard enough to make the wall crack. He then watched the figure casually walk up to him and put his greatsword in the way as the figure charged up his swords...and cut Ranger's in three pieces...but a Protection barrier prevented his arms from being sliced off...then Ranger morphed a gun and shot the figure in the leg...which the figure dodged just before Ranger fired.

The figure then jumped and rolled around, and even blocked several bullets as the Ranger shot at the figure...almost mindlessly. He was unironically surprised by how grossly outclassed he was by this...figure. Ranger then morphed his own light armor, and twin longswords, got his heart and lungs under control, then charged at the figure, and the fight became one of speed vs speed. Ranger was now able to fight on-par with the figure; they dodged and blocked everything each other did, from straightforward swings and stabs, to reverse-gripped side stabs, to round, front, side, and spinning kicks, to grappling attempts which never once work on either side, even when Ranger tripped the figure, and tried to stab him in the gut...only for the figure to grab Ranger's sword and snap it in two as Ranger finally ended the fight by having the snapped-off half hit the figure in the back with his mind. The figure then retreated into a rift.

"Ranger! That wasn't the demon I meant, that was someone else; someone human!" Sword Maiden said.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"I don't know, but that man had your moves for a reason, I think we can find out later, but that demon I ment-" Sword Maiden's voice was cut off the moment a Hell shroud appears and darkens the entire place expect for where Ranger is.

* * *

"What the-? Sword Maiden? Sword Maiden!" Ranger yelled as he looked around...then a surprisingly pleasant, masculine hum is heard from all sides, which aroused more than a little suspicion...then the hum then fades as a quest board appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the area, with nothing on it except a small piece of paper. Ranger then approached it slowly, and saw it had nothing on it. As he was about to turn it over...the words "Do you dare?" appeared on it...written in blood. Ranger then slowly turned the page over and it read "Suffer". He then tore the paper in half and tossed it to the sides as more papers appeared and it read "You may have conquered your anger, but your fears will betray you." Ranger then smashed the board with his sword.

"Even Platinum Ranks have something that bypasses all their defenses, something that pierces their hearts, and makes them weak, makes them dangerous...drives them mad..." A voice said from all directions.

"You're the demon the Sword Maiden just warned me about aren't you?" Ranger asked.

"Ah..the woman who has been a deliciously broken shadow of a woman for years, and soon, the entire town will scream with the same amount of fear in their hearts. I wonder if I'll be able to hear it...?" The voice said.

"You've got some nerve talking about her like that. You know who the fuck I am?" Ranger snapped.

"I know you're a man who deep down, underneath all that love, lust, and rage...is _smothered_ by fear." The voice said.

"Of course I'm afraid, but there's plenty keeping that fear in check." Ranger said firmly.

"And should you lose it?" The voice asked.

"I'll die first..." Ranger said simply...then shadowy images of goblin heads appeared on all sides with each one letting off a hysterical and eerie laugh which made Ranger cringe and raise his furrowing eyebrows. "What...the actual...fuck...?" The faces all vanished before a shadowy humanoid appeared in the middle of the area...and took Ranger's form.

"How right you are..." The voice said, and both Ranger and his copy morphed a knife, and as the copy slowly put the knife at it's own throat...so did Ranger, against his will. He tried to fight it but couldn't control his body to save his life...as the copy ended it's own, and Ranger dropped to the ground...only to wake up with Sword Maiden sitting over him as he gripped his throat and felt it was still intact as his heart and lungs were spiking.

"Relax Ranger, that was nothing more than a nightmare." Sword Maiden said as Ranger finally got a grip.

"What is this magic?!" Ranger asked, still delirious with fear.

"I told you, this demon thrives on fears, no matter how minor. He will most certainly go after what you love and what you hate next, not just your desire to live..." Sword Maiden said.

"Let him...I can face it." Ranger said seriously as he stood up.

"I am sorry, but you must face it alone. I cannot bare to go back to what I was..." Sword Maiden said before vanishing.

"A shame..." The voice came from behind Ranger...then a figure wearing Ranger's light armor and mask swung a sword at him...and slashed him across the eyes, blinding him and making him scream and thrash around in agony before several figures pinned him to the ground, and once again...he couldn't fight back. "Our dear, blind savior...how does it feel? Now you know how the goblin's victims felt. Hopeless, impotent...worthless..." Ranger's fear then turned to anger as he snarled, only to get a wicked laugh as a reaction. "I have good news and bad. The good is that I have no intention of killing you. The flip side...is that soon you'll wish for nothing except for death before long...and never receive it. Why? Oh...let's ask your family shall we?" Ranger then began to hear his teammates scream and cry in pain...especially Fighter. He even heard laughter as he heard the sounds of his teammates getting brutalized. Ranger did nothing but snarl the entire time. "Yes...let that anger flow through you, but it's too late for any kind of resistance. Bravado will not sooth you, love will not save you, and soon...the same will be said for this city." Ranger then felt a hand grip his throat. "Every scream, every death...all vengeance for what you have done. Blame us all you wish, but you brought this war...upon yourself." Ranger sucked in the deepest breath he could. "Anything to say Ranger?"

"I do not believe you..." Ranger whispered and the hand let him go.

"What? Do you not understand? It's over, the Demon Lord...my lord, has won. It is over!" The demon said.

"The battle is over...but not the war demon..." Ranger whispered.

"Why...aren't you _scared_?!" The demon growled.

"Because I am not a weakling who believes his team is hopeless without him, that's why. We don't just have faith between them and only me...we all trust each other; it's not a two-way street, but a 25-way network. We all demonstrated how much that trust can accomplish countless times, so mind games like this? That's all they are: games. Ones I refuse to play..." Ranger said as his body finally worked and he stood up without effort, wiped the blood out of his eyes...and looked right at the demon...then the shroud was dissipated by a golden-white flash.

* * *

Ranger then woke up to barely see him choking a demon.

"No...! I instilled enough fear in you to drive ten people mad...! You're not human...you're a monster...!" The demon exclaimed as he was being choked.

"It takes a monster to stop a monster...!" Ranger growled until he was impaled in the lower chest with the same sword that he was slashed by...then the demon ran off as Ranger fell down and passed out.

"Ranger...? Ranger!" Sword Maiden said as he up to see her over him...again.

"Sword Maiden?" Ranger asked as he felt his head on in her lap.

"Yes, and this time...I'm real." Sword Maiden said as Ranger looked around.

"What is that light?" He asked.

"A Heaven Seal, a holy version of a Hell Shroud. It resembles a Protection barrier, but much more powerful, and the demon who attacked you fled into Limbo...I believe he knew he could not win." Sword Maiden said.

"How do I know you aren't another illusion?" Ranger asked seriously.

"Ranger...that demon lied to you; I didn't face him because I didn't have a chance to; I can face an entire legion of goblins with the power I have, and even if they did get their hands on me...Storm Mage will protect me like he always has. But even if that wasn't the case...why would I abandon you if you being tormented like that when even your daughter was in my care when she was attacked herself?" Sword Maiden asked and Ranger gasped.

"You _are_ the Sword Maiden...!" He whispered before trying to get up...and felt Sword Maiden stop him.

"Rest...I healed your wounds, but you really were damaged, in the real and dreaming worlds, and it might take some time for the demonic energy you were hit with to dissipate." She said and Ranger sighed as he stayed there. "I'm sorry I cannot heal you entirely yet. That was a powerful demon..."

"It's alright. I've been injured more times than I can count, and I still remember the pain of being burned nearly to death. Compared to that...this is nothing." Ranger groaned.

"Still...you deserve none of the pain you suffered, from this, or before. Least of all the loss of your sight." Sword Maiden said softly.

"At least we have something in common..." Ranger breathed out and Sword Maiden said nothing for the better part of a minute; she was clearly recalling the time she had a blindfold. "How is Storm Mage?" Sword Maiden sucked in a breath at the question.

"Ranger...he promised to help me retake the decade the goblins took from me." She said seriously and Ranger's mouth opened in awe.

"That's...that's got to be the loveliest notion I've ever heard..." He whispered harshly.

"He's proven his love for me more often than I can take track of; I was touched of course, but it was not a surprise in the least." Sword Maiden said before Ranger hugged her...neither caring about his head being planted in her breasts.

"I remember when I asked if you could face the goblins in the sewer yourself before I discovered how much they wronged you..." Ranger whispered and Sword Maiden returned the embrace.

"I was never angry with you about that, and like I said before...I can face a legion and not be consumed by fear again; my fears are as under my control as your anger is under yours." She said softly.

"Will my eyes heal?" Ranger asked desperately before Sword Maiden pulled away and held his face.

"My eyes could, so can yours." She said hopefully.

"Good, because..." Ranger trailed off.

"What?" Sword Maiden asked and Ranger sighed.

"That is something I _do_ fear: not being able to look at my wife again..." Ranger said before trembling in sorrow. "I'd rather be thrown into a room full of goblins with no weapons than never get to see her smile at me, and never know whether or not she only looks at me in horror..."

"Ranger!" Priestess exclaimed as she rushed to see him...then she gasped when she saw his eyes. "Ranger...your eyes...!"

"He'll be fine...eventually." Sword Maiden said before Priestess touched his flushed face.

"Ranger?" Priestess asked softly.

"Please...I don't care how...please fix my eyes...I can't live without being able to see Fighter again..." Ranger said with a broken voice.

"Ranger..." Priestess said in disbelief then looked at his abdomen and gasped. "You've been injured!"

"I don't care..." Ranger said.

"You don't- You were healed by the Sword Maiden before; you need to think about thi-" Ranger cuts her off.

"I just fought a demon that played on everything I fear, and made my most believable one come true!" Ranger snapped and heard Priestess breathing hard; she was clearly surprised by his outburst. "If I cannot see, I cannot fight for this world...nor can I see my wife's angelic face again. Being robbed of one of those things is a fate worse than death, both combined...are Hell on Earth..."

"I know what to do...let's get him to the main chamber." Priestess said...then Ranger heard Priestess scream, and flinched himself as an energized blade blocked another, then there was a clash between two of them for several seconds. "Goblin Slayer!"

"Goblin Sl-" Ranger shut up the moment the clash ended and the unmistakable sound of a rift opening was heard.

"Who was that?" Priestess asked in disbelief.

"The demon that attacked us...and he's bound to return." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"Let's get him to the main chamber now." GS said and helped Priestess carry Ranger to the main chamber. Ranger then opened his eyes as much as he could to see Sword Maiden get behind Priestess in front of the alter as Priestess knelt down.

"Priestess...?" Ranger asked.

"Great Supreme God...hear my plea. Your most holy city is in it's most desperate hour. The people are scared and dying, your servants are scattered, and a servant of the War God is badly wounded in both mind and body. Send down your power, and show the world true healing is like...Restoration..." Priestess said softly...and a light from the sky shined down and the night turned into day for the better part of a minute.

"I can feel it. The dead are returning to life, the buildings are being repaired, and-" Sword Maiden shut up the moment she looked at Ranger's eyes and gut being healed as the light died down.

"I can see...I can see!" Ranger exclaimed in relief.

"Can you still fight Ranger?" GS asked.

"Not at my fullest no..." Ranger said honestly.

"Then stay here and wait for the rest to arrive." GS said as Priestess knelt down to Ranger's eye level.

"Sir? would you like to get some bedrest?" She asked softly.

"That would be best..." Ranger whispered as Priestess helped Ranger up and walked him to bed. Sword Maiden then looked away and sucked in a breath.

"That demon...it was cruel beyond words, even by demon standards..." She said.

"If it appears again, I'll kill it." GS said and Sword Maiden looked right at him.

"You would do that for your comrade? Even if it's not a goblin?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Yes. It may not be a goblin...but it might as well be." GS said as Sword Maiden smiled.

"That farm girl really got through to you didn't she?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Yes...she did..." GS said softly, much to Sword Maiden's surprise...then they heard rapid footsteps behind them.

"Boss? We dealt with as any problems as we cou-" Warrior shut up the moment the team reached the main chamber...and saw GS standing there with Sword Maiden using Restoration...and Sword Maiden had her old outfit on this time, minus the blindfold.

"Sword Maiden? Nice to see you in your original dress again." Wizard said.

"Thank you very much." Sword Maiden said.

"Where's Ranger?" Fighter asked.

"He's not here Fighter. Priestess took him to bed to rest." Sword Maiden said.

"Lovely...wait, why?" Wizard asked before Cherub showed up.

"I hate to show up at this of all times, but I have some news. The Cambion actually took some of the Death God's power from the Elder Revenant...and it's now backfiring; life and death don't mix for a reason afterall." Cherub said.

"What does that mean for us?" Priestess asked.

"That means, he'll be out of your hair until further notice; I'll let you know the moment something comes up. But more importantly...you may not be aware of this, but there was an army just outside of Water Town, and that Restoration kicked a hornet's nest. You're now going to have to hold the city you just saved!" Cherub said.

"Well then let's go get Ranger and kick-" Sword Maiden cuts Warrior off.

"Listen, Ranger is in no condition to endanger himself." She said seriously.

"What are you talking about? He's the _Ranger_! He's as tough as they come." Warrior said in disbelief.

"But he's not invincible..." Sword Maiden said somberly.

"What happened...?" Fighter asked with worry, then Sword Maiden and GS looked at each other.

"Let's use the Recaller..." Sword Maiden said.

* * *

"Now that's just all kinds of messed up..." D.R. said as he shook his head, then Fighter stood up, opened her chakras and left. "Where are-"

"To find my husband." Fighter snapped as she left.

"Uhh...somehow I doubt she can be addressed as Miss Healing Hands..." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"She means she's going to heal his mind." H.E. Druid said.

"Even still..." D.R. said.

"My good sir, you clearly have no idea how close she is to Ranger do you?" Wizard asked.

"Can't say I do no." D.R. said.

"As far as Ranger is concerned...that lady is a walking painkiller, as we'll see soon enough.

"What do we do about the invasion?! It took most of our efforts just to retake the place!" H.E. Druid exclaimed and Warrior cleared his throat.

"My time to shine..." He said proudly.

* * *

**Oh shit, better batten down the hatches again. Also...holy shit this was a long chapter; just under 22,000 words; if I break that record again, I'm done...although to be fair, this was quite a bit to do here; I guess I'm just lucky like that. Anyway...Inspector's really moving up in the world when it comes to her power isn't she? Not to mention the tactics and stealth used by the team...before they all resorted to one-man-army stunts again, but who cares? Plus...get ready to see more or Sword Mage in the future, he's going to be a big shot. I'm not spoiling how though, you want details, you'll have to Rate Review, and Share while you wait so...stay tuned?**


	41. Chapter 21 Part II

**Happy Father's Day, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Your main man GLG has returned from the grave, and the Death God says "hi". I'm sorry for being gone for so long but...jeez******, writer's block is a bitch...and so is juggling a million little ideas, not to mention** I've been putting this off against my better judgement I confess. But that stops now, and there's alot of loose ends to tie up, so my work is still cut out for me. In any case, I hope you all find the next chapter worth the wait, so let's see the team save Water Town...again...  
**

**Review Response: "Eventful" is right...and Ranger was put through the wringer alright. Good thing he's not alone in this though.**

**As for Priestess? She's definitely strong enough to be archbishop, but...who knows if she's old enough. As for Restoration? Well...see for yourself.**

**I suppose you have a point with that closing line...**

* * *

"He finally found out what his weakness is..." A smooth, deep, feminine voice said from all sides of the War God's throne room as he sat back in his throne.

"He always knew my dear wife...he just denied it.." The War God said.

"Then let us hope that he is able to recover, and grow stronger in both war...and love." The Love Goddess said.

"That...will take some doing." The War God said.

"Maybe he requires aid?" The Love Goddess said.

"Perhaps, but do not intervene directly." The War God said.

"Do not worry my dear. I have not forgotten the wisdom of how growth must work." The Love Goddess said.

"I never worried, I am just concerned of how your true form would effect the mentality of a human. No one can see your true face afterall...only I can..." The War God said as a light shined in front of him and he opened his eyes to see the source.

* * *

"Ranger..." Fighter said as she entered the room where Priestess was sitting on a chair next to the bed Ranger was laying on. She then rushed to see him, as he then turned to see her...and softened right away.

"Is it really you...?" Ranger asked with difficulty.

"In the living flesh..." Fighter said softly as she touched his face...and he held her hand and leaned into it as his eyes watered.

"Fighter...My _sweet_ Fighter..." Ranger said with a sob as his tears finally flowed.

"I'm here my love, and I'm here for you...like I've always been, and always _will_ be." Fighter said softly, and Ranger reacted by softening up a bit more: a sign of progress to be sure. She then looked at Priestess, and the two women were clearly sympathetic with Ranger.

"Should I leave you two alone?" Priestess asked.

"Not if you don't want to..." Ranger said.

"Alright." Priestess said.

"Did you kill the demon who did this?" Fighter asked.

"Unfortunately no, it's still out there." Priestess said.

"I see..." Ranger whispered.

"Should we kill the demon, or bring him to you so you can kill him yourself?" Fighet asked and Ranger thought for a moment.

"Kill him yourself...I've had my fill of that parasite and I want nothing more to do with him." Ranger said tensely.

"Really?" Fighter asked.

"Baby...I am a complete mess right now; I don't even want revenge on the demon who tried to drown me in fear, let alone bring myself to raise my sword to defend my home...not in my current state." Ranger said somberly.

"Alright...well, I think I should get to the others and get them up to speed on what's going on out there." Priestess said.

"Right, we'll see you two later...I hope." Fighter said Priestess walked out and left the married pair alone, and Fighter watched her leave...but Ranger couldn't stop staring at her like the angel he saw her as, which she noticed. "Sword Maiden told me what happened...and I thought the goblins were cruel."

"Please...don't remind me..." Ranger whispered.

"Ranger..." Fighter said.

"I was never afraid...even though what that that damn demon made me go through was a nightmare, I didn't take any of it to heart, and how could I? I know none of you rely on me anymore than I rely on you. That's actually part of how and why I became a Platinum Rank, and why I used to care so little for the rest of your fears; I have no problem risking my own life... if it meant the lives of my teammates. But when that demon slashed my eyes... I _did_ believe that I could get my sight back, just like the Sword Maiden did... I thought of how I might never get to look at you again..." Ranger said with a sob before looking away from her. "It's bad enough not knowing if I'll get to fight for the people anymore, but just thinking of not being able to see you smile at me...while you looked at my damaged eyes in horror _tore me apart_...!" Fighter then watched her husband bawl like the innocent little boy she saw in his heart for the better part of 15 seconds. "I don't _dare_ think about not being able to see our little girl..."

"Ranger..." Fighter said with concern.

"I've been in more battles than I can count, and saw just as many tragedies, but this...this was just_ awful_..." Ranger said with a cracked voice as he kept weeping, and eventually let out a faint but chilling laugh. "If this is supposed to be a punishment of some sort...for what I did to my foes...I'd rather be set on fire instead of this..." Fighter's heart sank the moment she heard that, and the broken tone he used did _not_ help. It was their first moment at the pond all over again: he looked as defeated as a person could get, and she was there to pick up the pieces. She hated seeing him like this like even more than she hated goblins...but at least the remedy to his pain was obvious.

"Ranger...look at me." Fighter said as softly as ever, but her husband didn't budge. "Ranger...please...look at me..." Ranger slowly turned his head and she saw his red eyes, and flushed, tear-stained cheeks. "The Sword Maiden healed your eyes; your defeat was undone, and I'm here, right in front of you. You can look at me as much as you want now..." Fighter then took his hand and Ranger just stared at her, taking in all the features he adored, especially her love-filled eyes as he dried his own.

"I love you _so much_..." Ranger whispered before he held her hand and rubbed his face against it.

"And don't talk about how this kind of heartbreak is a punishment. This is a punishment that fits no crime, especially not against the kind of people you have as enemies. This is nothing but a twisted game played on you by a demon. If anything, it's _him_ who deserves punishment, not you." Fighter said, and she saw the sorrow drain out of her husband like someone pulled the plug as her divine voice filled his ears. Ranger eventually opened his reddened eyes, and she eventually graced him with a heart-melting smile which made his breath hitch.

"Your smile...I can _see_ it..." Ranger whispered harshly.

"I will smile as long as you need me to. My great and loving husband..." Fighter said softly before she put her hand over his heart and he held it there. She then moved her hand to his face...and he didn't let go of her hand the whole time as he continued staring at her.

"Even through tear-fogged eyes, you are still as radiant as the day we met, in body, and soul..." Ranger whispered before reaching up to her face, and she came down to place her lips on his own as he held her head in place while drinking her affection like it was melted ice cream. She then broke the kiss no less than ten seconds later, continued to smile at him until he returned it, and got up to leave...only for Ranger to cling onto her and look at her with desperation in his eyes.

"I need to tell the others how you're doing." Fighter said.

"I need you more..." Ranger said seriously.

"Ranger..." Fighter trailed off

"_Please_...that demon may not have broken my mind...but he crushed my heart, and I need it restored...badly." Ranger said, then Fighter thought for a moment.

"Maybe I could leave a clone or two with you-" Ranger cuts her off.

"_No_...it has to be you. Please, I _beg_ you..." He said desperately.

"Alright..." Fighter said before Ranger watched his wife strip herself naked. She then noticed how his eyes were glued to he body, smirked and slowed down as she noticed her husbands' eyes continue to feast on her gifts from the Love Goddess as she slowly turned, spun, flexed, and undulated herself in various ways to show off her body as much as possible and took her sweet time with each simple, yet enticing motion. She swayed side to side while removing her pants and underwear, puffed out her chest as she leaned back while removing her shirt, and even slowly spun towards the bed with one leg crossed over the other to make her muscular yet supple buttocks tighten. "Seen enough yet?" Ranger just nodded before she crawled into bed with him and pressing her breasts into his pecs. He then clung unto her as if she was being pulled away from him. "Ranger..."

"Please...just let me hold my wife. My strong, devoted, and _impossibly_ affectionate wife..." Ranger said with his voice cracking again as he shifted against her while burying his face in her hair. Eventually...she put a sweet kiss on his cheek before he turned his head to simply press his lips against hers as she put her thighs on either side of his leg and rested her head next to his before kissing him just below the ear.

"Do you remember what you saw when I stripped in front of you?" Fighter asked as softly as ever as Ranger trembled.

"Yes..." He said.

"Tell me what you saw..." Fighter whispered in his ear.

"Everything. Your creamy skin...your powerful muscles, your _glorious_ curves..." Ranger said with reverence.

"And guess what? This will not be the last time you see my body...nor can it be." Fighter said seriously as her husband continued to look at her face.

"That light in your eyes..." Ranger whispered and Fighter looked him in the face again with another luminous smile.

"The light in your eyes is no different. I can see it as clearly as you see mine. That demon may have crushed your hopes, but what you hope for is as real as what you see now. Always has been, always will be, and I'll always be here to save you...like I did at the pond. Afterall...I'm your Love Goddess." Fighter whispered before stroking his face as he held her hand against his face and wept again.

"That you are... " Ranger said with a sob before Fighter laid back down on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Eventually, she shifted in his arms again. "I love you...more than I can measure..."

"And I love you..." Fighter said as softly as ever before Ranger opened his mouth and Fighter gave him a deep, and intensely passionate kiss that lasted no less than a minute as they slowly lashed their tongued, exhaled deeply, and noisily, and even took minor breaks with only their tongues touching, stroking each other's necks, faces and hair all the while. Eventually they broke the kiss and looked at each other with the same passion in their eyes.

"Your kiss is as sweet as ever..." Ranger whispered.

"And it's as real as everything else you sensed. Please believe me..." Fighter said softly.

"Love...I believe your word above all." Ranger said seriously before she kissed him as passionately as before.

"Aren't you going to touch me?" Fighter asked.

"Not this time...I'd rather look at you." Ranger said.

"Then keep looking at me..." Fighter said sensually as she caressed his face before raising up to look down at him properly as her loose-hanging hair cascaded around her head and draped over her shoulders. He then ran his hand through it before she softly kissed his forehead, then smiled at him again, before pressing her lips to his. "Feeling better?"

"Yes..." Ranger whispered.

"Good, now...are you sure you don't want to touch me?" Fighter asked.

"Fighter...I'm in no mood for sex..." Ranger said seriously.

"I never said anything about sex; I just know how much touching me brightens your day, and your day looks like it could use it. Why do you think I practically danced a while ago?" Fighter said honestly.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I need to recover on my own; all you can do is make the process easier." Ranger said.

"Then I'll make it as easy as I can..." Fighter whispered before kissing his cheek.

"Like you did at the pond." Ranger said with a genuine smile that she returned.

"I was trying not to say it; I thought it spoke for itself." Fighter said.

"It did...I just had to stress it." Ranger said before Fighter snuggled into him.

"I'm going to have to go to the battlefield sooner or later..." She said.

"Your clones..." Ranger said.

"My strength is divided between myself and my clones; unless they each down a life potion, which I myself would in this case, it won't do much good. Besides, they can't make more clones unlike myself." Fighter said.

"Right..." Ranger whispered.

"However, if I leave a clone, or two , with you and you work with them, I'll learn everything they experienced as if I experienced myself...like the time I made one clone and learned how it felt to felt up by you while someone watched...or how it felt to be the second girl with a man." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"I don't want anyone but you Fighter, although...technically you were just in two places at one time." Ranger said.

"It also means we have more than one way to go about this; more is merrier." Fighter said with a smirk before kissing him again. "Do you really not want to kill the demon who did this to you?"

"Yes... I made his efforts to scare me fruitless, and even returned the favor. As far as I'm concerned, I already had my revenge." Ranger said.

"Well...he better pray I don't catch him off-guard..." Fighter said.

"Fighter..." Ranger said.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to go after him; I have a thousand other things more worthy of my time...like helping my strong, noble, and handsome husband get back on his feet." Fighter said.

"Go...help the others save the town. I'll join you if I can." Ranger said.

"Ranger you-" Ranger cuts her off.

"The city needs you more than I do. Just promise me you'll come back to me..." He said.

"I promise...afterall, the world still needs the team, and the team needs the Ranger..." Fighter said.

"And the Ranger needs you..." Ranger said as Fighter got up, morphed her armor on, and looked back to see Ranger staring at her, before finally leaving without another word.

* * *

"Alright General Ranger-wannabe, you said it's your time to shine, so shine." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"Smartass...anyway, just like we did before- "Warrior shut up he moment rapid footsteps were heard. "Fighter? How's Ranger?"

"He's fine, or at least...he will be. Now...what's the plan?" Fighter asked.

"Well...we were listening to these two go on like kids-" Fighter cuts Wizard off.

"Yes, yes, I heard, now...o.k., I'm sorry for getting antsy, but I really want to put all this behind us as soon as possible..." She said.

"Alright alright! As like I was going to say, Warrior was actually formulating a plan earlier." Wizard said.

"Was he? Who brought you your big boy pants?" Fighter asked.

"Hey, it was as simple as asking "what would the boss do?"." Warrior said.

"Well let's hear it." Fighter said.

"First we have to split into two groups." Warrior said.

"And...who's doing what now?" Fighter asked.

"I'm going to take care of that spire. Sword Maiden used Vision to see that there's a great deal of goblin activity there." GS said.

"She- And you're o.k seeing that kind of "activity"?" Fighter asked.

"My fears are no longer crippling me Fighter." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Good...now what's the rest of the plan?" Fighter asked.

"The second group will...well, we do what we did beforehand: shooters take the wall, the rest hold the grounds." Warrior said.

"That's a fine start...but what about the angles we can't cover? We only have so many people, and we're splitting up." Rhea Fighter said.

"That's where the guards come in; I'll lead them myself and cover their asses should they need me-" Cow Girl cuts Warrior off.

"Wait a minute...you're going to lead them _yourself_?" She asked in awe.

"Uhhh...yeah, it's hardly the first time I led people into battle." Warrior said.

"It's true, one time, we were with Noble Fencer and Goblin Slayer's teams, and Warrior led Noble Fencer and her team to hold a place against goblins while I went with Goblin Slayer to care of their paladin. All the goblins were wiped out, and Warrior's team all made it out in one piece." Wizard said.

"And like now, I asked myself what Ranger would do...look at the results." Warrior said proudly.

"Well..I'm sure a good chunk of them want their pound of flesh." Rhea Fighter said.

"Who can blame them? This place wasn't exactly a beach trip while those terrorists roamed the place." Wizard said.

"So...if the guards are doing all the fighting on the front line...then the rest of us do the heavier lifting." Wizard's brother said.

"Right, so...who wants to go with Goblin Slayer?" Warrior asked.

"I am." H.E. Druid said firmly.

"So will I." D.R. said.

"No, your gun will make too much noise and we don't have time to silence it; the goblins will likely make more attacks on this town. We need to move as soon as we can." GS said.

"But-" H.E. Druid cuts D.R. off.

"I'll be fine...you've seen my new tricks yourself." She said and D.R. sighed.

"Fine..." He whispered.

"I guess that means I'm staying too." Cow Girl said.

"Don't worry, I'll look after him for you." H.E. Druid said.

"So will I." Priestess said.

"But you're needed here-" Priestess cuts GS off.

"You need me more. Besides...I used up most of my miracles; I can't help more than a handful of people in my current state..." She said.

"I'll go with Goblin Slayer's crew. You go with Warrior's, Sword Maiden here will handle the temple." Cherub said.

"But my powers?" Priestess asked with concern, then Sword Maiden took her hands and they glowed brightly then dimly for several seconds.

"Now you have your miracles restored, but be that as it may, Restoration is off the table, so all of your use extreme caution from this point forward." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"Oh well. Now, as for me? Well, I assume my sister will stick with my brother-in-law so..." Wizard's brother trailed off.

"Hey, his thick ass isn't saving itself." Wizard said with a smirk.

"Hey!" Warrior exclaimed.

"You know I'm right..." Wizard said and Warrior grunted.

"Should I stay too?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Yes, the more people here who can seal the rifts, the better." Cherub said.

"Alright, now send us to that tower." GS said and Priestess used the gem to open and portal then handed it to GS.

"Goblin Slayer...take this." She said and GS put the gem away.

"Best of luck to all of you, and Fighter? Don't worry about your husband. I'll look after him while you're away." Sword Maiden said.

"Thanks Sword Maiden..." Fighter said as she immediately ran off.

"Subtle..." Wizard said and she, Priestess and Warrior went after her as GS's team went through the portal...except Wizard's brother who stopped Rhea Fighter.

"Yes?" She asked and Wizard's brother sighed.

"Just...care care of yourself...o.k?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, you too..." Rhea Fighter said as they stared at each other then he went through the portal.

* * *

In the spire, Cambion himself was sorting out some scrolls, maps, and even some crystals while the phantom imagine of a goblin wearing plate armor from head to toe was speaking.

"How could those humans get here so quickly?! I thought you said they were occupied elsewhere? This was supposed to be a conquest for my people, and that Goblin Slayer pest is making a mess of things as well. Do you hear me?!" The goblin asked.

"It's impossible not to Your Majesty..." Cambion said dryly as he worked.

"What?!" The goblin snapped.

"The Goblin Slayer has his mission to do just like I do, but I've taken the liberty of setting up some...tests, for him should he arrive." Cambion said.

"Tests?! He is the greatest threat to my people that has ever lived! Even that Ranger pest hasn't slain as many of us as Goblin Slayer!" The goblin exclaimed.

"All the more reason for my plans to be perfected. Besides, even that Restoration miracle didn't do much aside from rebuild the city, and that saves us all some trouble, especially us." Cambion said as he looked over a particular scroll.

"What do you mean?" The goblin asked.

"I mean, that Restoration can only be used once, so from this point forward...you have yourself a golden opportunity to finish your task, whatever it may be." Cambion said.

"Just fulfill your end of the bargain and make sure the humans are dealt with. All of them, you understand?" The goblin asked.

"I understand completely. The spire I gave you is in good hands, and nothing serious was lost aside from some of your people's numbers, and they can be replaced. In fact, if I know anything about your people...it's that your numbers are the easiest thing to replace." Cambion said as he finally looked at the goblin's image.

"What _do_ you know of my people...half-blood?" The goblin asked.

"I know I have no more love for your people than you have for me personally, and I could not care less if you go extinct." Cambion said.

"We have done nothing you haven't." The goblin said.

"Really? I do not recall making any women bare my children against their will..." Cambion said dryly.

"We do as we are meant to do." The goblin said.

"All the more reason for the Goblin Slayer to do what he does." Cambion said and the goblin snarled at him. "My only concern is that the power I foolishly took from the Death God's greatest servant isn't squandered, and even if you don't get your hands on any of Water Town's women...should they be so lucky, you still have those cloned soldiers, as well as the clones you use for...breeding. We have your favorite son to thank for that little feat of miracle...overlord." With that, the Cambion left the spire through a rift.

* * *

The team spent the better part of an hour organizing the city's defenses, from the guards with ranged weapons taking the towers, and walls, to the people going home and taking cover, to the guards with melee weapons, especially spears and shields prepare wall formations, or testudos, just within the gate, and be prepared to move outside the gate. Warrior of course set up the plans; at first the troops had doubts that a man who wasn't even 20 years old should or even could lead, but after they heard about his history with GS, and Ranger, and especially about the fact that he trained other adventurers himself, was Gold Ranked, and had some vouching from Noble Fencer...the guards listened to his plans and carried them out with zero hesitation.

Priestess was there mostly as a morale booster than an actual aid, but her powers were available to those who needed it. Fighter was going around making sure the civilians were alright, and occasionally assuring the most frightened people that her team were going to do all they could to win; there was a reason she had a reputation around town as a compassionate soul. Wizard for her part made sure the logistics were taken care of. She organized the troops ammunition, their magic items, and especially their potions; she couldn't help but notice that the life potion she brewed were more common than she thought, which was really saying something.

Wizard then put traps on the bridges aside from the one leading to the main entrance, fighter kept herself in reserve along with the rest of the guards, Rhea Fighter, and especially Priestess; the two not-blood sisters stuck to each other's sides like glue; Fighter even held and squeezed Priestess' hand for emotional support. Warrior himself crouched just behind the parapet of the main gate's top with a telescope to keep a lockout, with Cow Girl and Dwarf Rifleman on one of the smaller towers to keep lookout themselves.

"Now we wait..." D.R. said and Cow Girl hummed in acknowledgement as they spent several minutes surveying the outline of the forest...but saw nothing. "Are you nervous?"

"Yes but...I can handle it..." Cow Girl said softly.

"Hey, don't worry, you're got plenty of back-up...and me." D.R. said.

"Right. Just like Goblin Slayer." Cow Girl said.

"Yeah...and he's got my sweet princess holding his hand." D.R. said.

"I could take her place if I could." Cow Girl said.

"Eh, probably for the best anyway; we can't have mushy bullshit getting in the way." D.R. said and they spent more minutes waiting.

"Hey, something just moved in that water...!" Cow Girl said nervously.

"Oh relax, it's probably just the summoned familiars. They can turn into crocs afterall, which of course means anyone who tries to swim across is dead meat." D.R. said.

"Right...well, I help that's what it was." Cow Girl said...before the two saw several lights in the sky coming in their direction, and next thing they knew...a chunk of the wall was blown apart by a barrage of explosives! Priestess put up Protection to keep the debris at bay, but another barrage came their way...and Wizard countered it with a Firestorm volley. A small horde of troops appeared and charged at the front gates, Warrior then morphed his automatic crossbow and unleashed a barrage of bolts at them...only for them to form a shield wall before he get get a dozen kills. Cow Girl and D.R. opened fired at the ones in the back who stopped to pepper their positions with arrows while Warrior then morphed his mask and heavier armor, then jumped down to engage them. He then pulled his hammer, raised it to the heavens...and made a small thunderstorm overhead that fully-formed in mere seconds.

The troops then witnessed the lone Gold Rank call down several minor bolts of lightning, absorbing them onto his hammer, and then charge into their ranks with a war cry, and shattered their formation with a single swing. The troops in the front never stood a chance of surviving, and the were staggered by the force of the blow alone, or were simply stunned by the action. The ones who survived and managed to get their barrings did so just in time to see Warrior's hammer slam into their faces hard enough to shatter their heads. The ones who actually do attack Warrior get their attacks blocked, their attacks bounce off his armor, or Warrior just dodges their attacks and counters with his own, like when an enemy soldier tried to spear him then got an upward bash to the jaw that was hard enough to tear their throat open with the force.

When the battle was over, and nearly a hundred troops were dead, Warrior heard an explosion and saw one of the bridges blow up and hundreds of other troops fall into the water...then saw them, and other troops who tried to sneak across through the water, get eaten by the leftover familiars Wizard's brother summoned earlier. He then heard series of faint roars, heavy footsteps, and rustling of trees, all caused by a group of armored trolls. Cow Girl then shot one of them...but all that did was piss it off and make it charge at the gate, and Warrior threw his charged-up hammer at it, hit it square in he chest hard enough to heavily damage it's armor.

He then called his hammer back as he charged at it then bashed it in the side of the head hard enough to break it's neck. He then switched to his sword, charged it up and sliced another two trolls in half without even physically hitting them..only for one of the halves to fall on him, and just when he pushed it off of him, the last troll grabbed him, slammed him into the ground over and over before throwing him into the gates. D.R. and Cow Girl then opened fire at the troll until it first get too wounded to keep running at the gate, and finally dropped dead.

"Open the gates, and get someone down there and retrieve him!" D.R. yelled and several guards went through the opened gate to pull Warrior's heavily injured body inside the walls. Someone then gave him a life potion, and Priestess showed up to heal him with Fighter watching in anticipation. Another volley of bombs blowing up another chunk of the wall cut off their relief when Warrior recovered. Fighter then tensed up upon seeing several houses caved in by the debris.

"Priestess...give me that portal gem..." Fighter said harshly.

"You're going to go alo-" Fighter cuts her off.

"Do it!" She snapped, then Priestess handed over the portal gem, and Fighter used it to open a portal to the edge of the lake around Water Town...and they saw about a dozen catapults with metal balls being loaded. Fighter then morphed her mask, rushed through the portal, and slaughtered everyone working on the catapults by dashing between them, snapping their necks, smashing their heads into the metal frames of the catapults themselves, popping her blades and stabbing them in the heart, spin-kicking their skulls in, and even jumping on the chest of one, flipping off of him, grabbing another one by the back of the head and slamming him into the ground as she landed. She then trashed the catapults and accidentally ignited the ammo with a torch then ran out of the blast radius just before the catapults blew up.

A small detachment of soldiers then broke off from the next wave of the army that went to engage Water Town's defense again...and Fighter picked herself up to prepare for an engagement. The troops all stood there looking at the destroyed catapults as Fighter stared them down as the fire raged behind her, and eventually died down. When it did, she took a step toward them, then another, and another, and another until she broke into a full sprint as the troops yelled and charged at her. Just before she engaged them, she activated her force enchantment and blew several dozen troops out of the way as the rest broke formation and looked on in horror as their friends were disemboweled, dismembered, or slammed, or kicked into each other.

One of them even got rapidly punched all over his body and every troop hat tried to spear Fighter to save their comrade was countered with heavy yet lightning-fast strikes that sent the attacked flying in the opposite direction into more of their comrades. Fighter eventually redirected a spear thrust into the ground, ran up the spear, jumped off the user's head hard enough to break his neck and send her soaring through the air, and when she landed she uppercuted a troop hard enough to tear open his throat, ducked an axe swing, grabbed the attacker's leg, swung him around and threw him into another then ran through several more troops dodging, shredding and kicking her way through the crowd. At one point, she even caught a thrown spear, skewered another troop with it, then threw it back at the troop who first threw it at her.

Fighter then blocked several sword users' attackers who attacked her all at once before gutting three of them, then grabbed the last two spun around until she threw them into the others around them. She then jumped over another who charged at her from behind and slashed his back open before landing then dashing through another part of the crowd, jumping over some of them and kicking and shredding more of them in the process until she tackled another into the ground, used his body as a human shield to protect her from several crossbow bolts then threw the body at them before deflecting another barrage of bolts while launching several blades at them until they were all dead. She then used the portal gem to get back to her teammates.

"Well?" Wizard asked as Fighter removed her mask.

"It's done." She said.

"And I'll bet you made alot of those sons of bitches shit themselves in the process." D.R. said.

"Quiet possibly. Most of them wanted nothing to do with me until I made ground steak out of their friends." Fighter said and got weird looks from her teammates.

"Vivid...so, what now?" Wizard asked.

"Well, we're' not out of the woods yet. I made short work of a good chunk of them, but the rest are heading this way, and there's hundreds leftover." Fighter said and Warrior got up from his healing session and went to fetch his reserve troops.

"Listen up! I want the spears and shields in wall formation in front of the gate! The rest of you, take the walls with the archers and riflemen! The rest of the army is on their way, but they're about to learn what happens when you threaten Water Town. Am I right?" Warrior yelled and the troops all drew their weapons and rushed to their places while letting out their war cries. Warrior and Rhea Fighter went up to the gatehouse roof to observe the battle as their troops braced for the enemy troops to slam into them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Goblin Slayer led Wizard's brother, H.E. Druid, and Cherub, the latter of which used Holy Light as they went through a series of underground tunnels.

"And I thought the sewers were disgusting..." H.E. Druid said.

"Oh, quit complaining. You have an angel with you right now...literally." Cherub said.

"Easy for you to say..." H.E. Druid said.

"Anyway...those vats we passed, are those the same ones the Evil Sect kept prisoners in?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Yes." GS said.

"I thought you said you freed a whole slew of people?" H.E. Druid asked.

"We did, but that Sword Mage must have reunited them with the rest of the people." GS said.

"Goblin Slayer saves the day again..." Cherub said with a smirk.

"Nothing new there." H.E. Druid said.

"I still can't believe Priestess helped you kill the goblins directly. Nice to see she's moving up in the world." Wizard's brother said.

"No kidding..." Cherub said, and they spent the next half an hour or so wandering through the tunnels until they stumbled across a closed-off room...with the unmistakable smell of dead bodies coming from behind it. Wizard's brother and H.E. Druid recoiled right away, and Cherub put them in a Heaven Seal so they could breathe more easily.

"Thanks..." Wizard's brother whispered before GS opened the door...and the room was full of dead women and goblin babies...and the women all looked exactly the same. "What the fuck...?!"

"The goblins had cloned women here to use for breeding. It's the same as they used in the swamps." GS said.

"I can't believe I'm asking this, but why kill them if they're good for breeding purposes?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Maybe they just got sick of them, or maybe the goblins didn't kill them afterall." Wizard's brother said.

"It's still unforgivable, even by goblin standards! Cloning like this is one thing, but putting them through this kind of hell without regard for it, is nothing but a mockery to whomever these women were cloned from!" Cherub said.

"None of that matters. Let's just kill the goblins who used them..." GS said.

"But what about the dead babies?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Maybe they were dumped here along with their mothers. Maybe whoever did this had a twisted view of sentimentality." H.E. Druid said.

"Uhh...I just used Vision to see who did this: It was the Sword Mage..." Cherub said.

"What? Well, I'm not surprised he killed the babies, but these women too? What the hell?" Wizard's brother asked.

"None of that matters...!" GS said with annoyance.

"Alright, alright...we'll follow you and give those goblins what for. Sheesh..." Wizard's brother said.

"I also saw some traps ahead, some of which involves gateway traps." Cherub said.

"Gateway _traps_?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Yes, fall for them, and you're transported who knows where. Into the sky, into the same space as an object, which believe me is as gruesome as can be, and even into Hell itself, which...speaks for itself." Cherub said.

"So, what do we do?" H.E. Druid asked.

"You, put your Druid senses to use. Mage kid, keep your magical wits about you. Goblin Slayer...you just be the Goblin Slayer..." Cherub said.

"Right..." GS said and the group made their way through the tunnels, and lo and behold, H.E. Druid found scrolls on the walls every now and then, every one of them with a gateway rune on it. Wizard's brother kept the scrolls for later use, but didn't get his hopes up. Eventually, H.E. Druid got to pick off some hobs who were guarding doorways with pinpoint shots to the undersides of their skulls, serving their brainstems and giving her teammates a a chance to progress. GS then severed the heads of a trio of goblins who got he drop on him...for all the good it did them. Wizard's brother continued to disarm traps H.E. Druid discovered and even found a mana gem or two which Wizard's brother immediately got his hands on.

"I wonder if Fighter is putting her bow to use?" H.E. Druid asked before loosing a trio of arrows into a group of goblins, then watching GS rush in and chop down the last seven.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her use it since you were with us last." Wizard's brother said before spotting a group of goblins rushing at them then smashing their heads in with his mace. He then activated his mace's force enchantment, and threw it at a hob, which hit it in the chest hard enough to cave in it's ribcage and send it flying back into another dozen goblins and he called it back to his hand in time to splatter several more goblin heads. GS then rushed through another tunnel, butchering, clobbering, and shooting every goblin in sight.

Wizard's brother then summoned a dozen wolf familiars to maul the goblins that GS isn't on top of. Next thing they knew,a rift opened behind them, and dozens of goblins rushed out, and Cherub used Holy Light to cripple them, and H.E. Druid unloads all of her arrows, except one to give to Wizard's brother so he could make more with his alchemy. She then drew her daggers and rushed into the crowd and rapidly slashed their throats, kicked their skulls in, or jammed her daggers into the top of their heads, and taking her arrows back if she could.

Cherub then closed the rift...when the goblins all died no less, then they went to join GS who was continuing to slaughter the hell goblins in droves, with the phantom wolves continuing to make a meal out of the rest of the goblins. H.E. Druid then got her arrows back and opened fire at the last few goblins.

"That makes 157..." GS said as he walked through the mass of dead goblins.

"Alright, now let's go see what they're cooking inside that spire." Cherub said as they marched onward, and eventually, they got to an underground prison block. They opened every one of them, but found no one, not even a dead body, or booby trap.

"That's strange..." H.E. Druid said, then they got to another cell...and still found no one there...until.

"About time, what took you so long?" Bard asked as they opened his door.

* * *

"Priestess? You might want to use Empower. They're probably going to need it..." Fighter said, and Priestess nodded, drank some holy water...that she blessed herself, then used empower on the entire guard, and Warrior yelled out to the men...and they yelled in return as the enemy troops crashed into their wall formation, and held the line as the troops yelled taunts and weapons clashed against armor, shields, and other weapons. Warrior then noticed that these troops were enhanced just like the guards were, only they didn't have miracle: they were empowered by demonic magic...for all the good it was doing them. The guards shoved the invaders back and jammed their pikes into the invaders...through their armor, and shields, in inhumanly rapid succession. Warrior meanwhile shot down the ones in the back with his crossbow, and Cow Girl and Dwarf Rifleman used their guns to do the same.

Eventually...the invaders retreated...only to get shot down, and a while later...Wizard was seen on the side wall, and unleashed a Firestorm volley on a group of ships that were getting ready to shell the wall from the side. All but two of the ships were blown apart and the two survivors had an Evil Sect Priest putting up a Reflect spell that weakened the spell, and sent it back. Wizard wasn't letting her own spell be used against her allies again; she put up her own Reflect spell that negated the fireballs entirely. Warrior then turned back to the troops and saw them stay on alert.

"Stay alert men! We may be attacked again." Warrior yelled, before he rejoined his teammates. "How are you holding up?"

"The Sword Maiden restored a good chunk of my miracles. I should be able to do that Empower miracle at least four or five more times, but...Restoration really is out of the question, so we should be careful." Priestess said.

"Well, if things get too bad, we'll just wait until tomorrow. Good thing you could return so many people to life." Fighter said.

"I think it's the Temple of Law itself that enabled that. I've always noticed my miracles were stronger within it's walls when I did my training with the Sword Maiden." Priestess said...then a loud splash was heard as a ship was launched into the air.

"INCOMING!" A guard yelled, and Priestess threw up Protection to keep the thrown ship from crashing into a bunch of houses...that happened to have people inside them.

"What was that?" Fighter asked before they rushed to check it out...then saw a tentacle wrap around one of the towers and yank it down...Wizard then used Light Sight...and saw an all-too-familiar shape in the water.

"What the-? Son of a bitch! How many leviathans are there?!" Wizard exclaimed.

"At least this one is smaller." Fighter said as Warrior walked off. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"Fishing..." Warrior said before running off, and Wizard followed.

"His thick ass isn't saving itself." She said and Fighter smirked and shook her head...before she heard a whoosh, then a scream, then D.R.'s voice.

"Get off her you pint-sized prick!" He yelled...before he was seen throwing a goblin out of the tower, which made Fighter and Priestess look at each other, before several rifts opened around them and Priestess drew her sword, and Fighter popped her blades before Priestess shined Holy Light on them as Fighter climbed up the buildings, and shredded every goblin she didn't kick off the roof; it was a miracle Priestess could tell what was going on.

She herself impaled one goblin after another from within a Protection bubble she put around herself as the goblins tried in vain to break through it. The silver in her blade let her burn through the goblin like they weren't even there, as if the alchemical enhancements made by the wizard siblings weren't enough. Eventually, Fighter reached her and crushed the rest of the goblins who were circling the bubble, and Priestess dropped it to help her teammate after downing a life potion...which gave her the physical boost she needed to keep up with Fighter, albeit barely as they sliced apart one goblin after another...then a swarm of Prides whooshed out of the rifts and Fighter had to open her chakras and unleash bursts of force from her fists to deal with them until Priestess unleash Purge on them, and sealed the rifts in the process.

Rhea Fighter meanwhile helped deal with the rifts on the sides of the bridge and the goblins that spawned from them as the troops tried to keep the goblins out of their formation...only to find the little lady jumping between their shields and slicing the goblins apart in various ways, while dashing through their ranks, jumping over them and bisecting them, spinning to avoid an attack and counter by severing multiple heads with one swing, while also closing the rifts with her sword. She even booted some of the goblins into the water and watched them struggle to stay above water, then get bitten by a crocodile familiar and dragged under water as it turned red.

"Brings a crocodile tear to the eye doesn't it...?" Rhea Fighter said coldly...before she spots a small group of invaders casually walk across the bridge, all wearing lighter armor. "I'll handle this." She then went to engage the troops, who all popped blades out of their forearms and shins like Fighter's...which got her attention right away. "Go inside and help with the goblins!" The guards went inside to follow their orders as she charged at the troops...who weren't even pretending to be worried about her, which was justified when Rhea Fighter dashed from side to side, then leaped at one to sever his head...only for him to lean back with lightning-speed. She then slashed at another two, but still missed. She then continued to slash, stab, and kick at them, but still never landed any hits as her foes leaned back, side-stepped, jumped over her, and rolled away from her as she continued to attack them until she back up and caught her breath.

"Are you done wasting your energy little girl?" One of the troops asked.

"Just who are you people?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"What? We're specialists! Can't you tell from this armor? Sheesh, your brain's smaller than your body..." A specialist said.

"Oh shut it..." Rhea Fighter said before throwing her sword at one, who predictably ducked it and she charged at them as her sword returned to her. She then rolled away as a few of the specialists tried to shred her. She then stood there trying to ease herself; these guys were about as good as she was...and she was by herself; until she got past that fear, her chakras were out of the question. Then...Cow Girl and D.R. opened fire at them, and they each got staggered by their bullets, until the two shooters ran out of ammo, then grappled down the wall and Cow Girl morphed her sword and shield and D.R. put his axeblade on his rifle and they both joined the fray.

Rhea Fighter then watched as Cow Girl blocked one specialist's blades and countered with her sword, while D.R. deflected their blades, and the two of course covered each other as Rhea Fighter stayed back to open her chakras, and when she did...she jumped over the specialists, and sliced two of them in half with her enhanced speed, and the ones in front were so stunned that Cow Girl could impale one of them and disembowel another as D.R. chopped off his head and plunging his axeblade into the chest of another as Rhea Fighter sliced off the last one's legs as Cow Girl impaled him, and D.R. chopped into his back.

"That...was satisfying..." D.R. said as he reloaded his rifle and put the axeblade away.

"That's not the word I'd use for it." Cow Girl said seriously.

"Hey, if Goblin Slayer saw you like this...he'd be all over you." D.R. said.

"I sure came a long way didn't I...?" Cow Girl said and D.R. held her hand.

"I'm sure you have." He said, and Cow Girl actually smiled before they went inside...and saw demons running rampant. Priestess and Fighter were running around tearing apart one imp after another as the guards held off the ones who went for them. "Ah, if it's not one thing it's another...up to the towers!" He and Cow Girl rushed up the stairs, with her chopping down any demons that get in the way, and D.R. opened fire on the ones at a distance.

Rhea Fighter went around to seal the rifts, and funnel them into the place were Fighter and Priestess were, then joined the fray as some more hell goblins popped out of the leftover rifts...only for Fighter to tear them to shreds, sometimes without her blades. She even had a last stand where she slammed two into each other head-first, threw them into a group of them, a hob then charged her, only to get picked up and hurled into the same group to finish them off by crushing them under it's weight. Another hob gets jumped onto, then kicked into another one.

She then saw Priestess behead two goblins at once, then side-step a hob's axe before stabbing it in the throat, then using Holy Smith to blast it across the street into a group of hobs. She then saw a swarm of imps charging at her...then Priestess took a stance were her sword was next to her head pointing at the imps, then she yelled and slashed down several imps each second. Her movements blew Fighter away: she used the same brutality Ranger used, in addition to gracefulness that you'd expect from a dancer. Priestess continued the massacre without losing an inch of ground, until a Wrather appeared, then took an arrow through it's leg from Fighter, then Priestess side-stepped it's tumbling body, then stabbed it through the head just as it was about to stand up. She then looked at Fighter, gave her a brief smile, then the two ladies got charged at by a group of Wrathers that Priestess used Holy Smite on, as Fighter pelted them with arrows.

The two then charged at the crippled Wrathers with Fighter jumping up and putting an arrow through one's brain, Priestess stabbing one through the heart, Fighter landing on one and snapping it's neck, Priestess beheading one, and Fighter flipping over the last one as it tried to grab her, then Priestess stabbed it through it's chest from behind, before Fighter lifted it up and slammed it into the ground, and threw it into a group of goblins, smashing them all to a paste.

"I never thought I'd see you slice apart an entire horde of imps like that." Fighter said as she put her hand on Priestess' shoulder.

"The Sword Maiden wasn't much different years ago." Priestess said.

"Oh yeah, that's right, she gave you her skills that one time..." Fighter said.

"Right, and spending all this time watching you, your husband, and even Warrior and Wizard didn't hunt either." Priestess said before Fighter kissed the top of her head.

"I love you so much..." Fighter said.

"And I love you sister." Priestess said...and their moment was interrupted by a bomb rolling along the ground, then Fighter grabbed Priestess, jumped away, and had Priestess land on top of her, then rolled over her to protect her as she morphed her heavier armor, then saw a trio of specialists on the roofs and jumped down to engage her. "They...they have.."

"Blades like mine..." Fighter said with her mask echoing her voice like GS' helmet. She then got up and Rhea Fighter showed up and unleashed a wave of energy from her charged-up blade that craved up the ground, but missed the specialists since they backed up just in time.

"More specialists?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Wait, you know them?" Fighter asked.

"I took down a group earlier, and these guys are called specialist's for a reason." Rhea Fighter said seriously.

"That's right, and we've been trained specifically to deal with little bitches like you." One of them said.

"_You_..are calling _us_ bitches? That's hilarious..." Fighter said, and the one who first taunted her growled and threw a bomb at her...only for Rhea Fighter to activate her gauntlet's enchantment and blow it back to them, and they jumped away from it, then scattered to the alleyways.

"How'd you do that?" Fighter asked.

"Oh, Wizard's brother swapped out my gauntlet's force enchantments, for wind enchantments." Rhea Fighter said.

"When?" Priestess asked.

"While we were doing our own thing, just before we came here. Now, let's go show those specialists why they're not so special." Rhea Fighter said, and Fighter took off to go after one of them while the others went after the other ones. Eventually, Fighter finds one of them, moving through some alleys, dashed off to hide from him, then when he approaches her hiding spot, he looks around for guards, turns around to leave...then got her fist to the face.

"Fuck you!" Fighter exclaimed before watching the specialist fall down with his mask, and his face, caved int...then she get jumped by another one, blocks, counters, and dodges several blades strikes, kicks, and then takes a headbash from him, then she gets kicked by him in the gut...and he falls down with a sprained ankle, before she finishes him off with a stomp to the head. She then spots more rifts in the distance...and then copies of Warrior taking them down. She then shook her head before she took off to find Rhea Fighter and Priestess engaged with the last specialist who was backed into a corner by the other two ladies as they lunged, parried, and slashed at their foe. Rhea Fighter then launched him into a wall before throwing her sword at him, but he rolls to the side, then Priestess impales him in the heart.

"Nice going..." Rhea Fighter said and Priestess sighed.

"I'm really not fond of killing other people. Goblins and demons are one thing, but...he's human, just like me." She said.

"Hey, they're trying to take over this city, the Temple of Law. They even destroyed a statue of the Sword Maiden, your godmother." Rhea Fighter said.

"I know..." Priestess whispered harshly.

"Then...well, what would Ranger say...?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"That we should focus on why we're fighting, instead of what's going wrong. Otherwise...we'll lose before we can win the war." Fighter said as she joins the ladies, then Priestess smiles at her before hugging her pseudosister. "I'm sure my husband will be thrilled to see how far you came, both of you."

"Thank you..." Priestess whispered as she snuggled into Fighter's chest. Next thing they knew, more rifts open, then a group of Gluttons comes out of them, then Priestess stuns them with Holy Light, as Rhea Fighter threw her sword to cut two in half as Fighter grabbed the tongue of another as it tried to latch onto her, then she allowed it to yank her towards it so it could eat her...big mistake. She kicked it in the face hard enough to send it flying as soon as she got close enough.

Priestess then got engaged by another specialist, then Rhea Fighter knocks him to the ground with a burst of wind, then Priestess lunged to stab him, then got both his feet in her gut, which knocks her down. Rhea Fighter then unleashed a small burst of air that caves in the specialist's breastplate, then Priestess used Purge to seal the rifts and kill all the demons as Fighter was about to be overwhelmed. Rhea Fighter then blocked several attacks from the specialist, before Fighter charged him, and jump-kicked him away from her teammates.

The specialist then threw a bomb at Fighter, which unleashed a cloud of gas that made her push Priestess and Rhea Fighter away; she knew the gas was poisonous, and only she had a mask, and she could breath underwater with it; gas was nothing. The specialist then charged her, then punched her to the ground, she then kicked him in the chest hard enough to stagger him, then she morphed a blade on her shin, and jammed it into his gut with her knee before snapping his neck. Rhea Fight then unleashed a burst of wind to disperse the gas...then a rift opened in he middle of the street, and another specialist appeared...with heavier armor.

"What the-? Another specialist?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Probably...but there's something different about him, and now just the armor." Fighter said.

"I think we're going to need some help..." Priestess said as the trio of ladies braced for combat...then the new specialist morphed a pair of swords that looked like Ranger's greatsword...only smaller.

* * *

Ranger himself, was having another dream where...he was in Purgatory again, seeing the goblins he slaughtered drowning in tar, trying to get out from underneath large rocks, hanging from hooks...that were piercing their feet, and even being slowly ripped apart with metal cables that were interwoven through the inside of their bodies, and sewed back together, only for their bodies to be ripped apart again. They even had their mouths covered with cloth, so they could not scream. Ranger almost felt sorry for them; the horrid sight made even him cringe, but then...he had a vision of the men the goblins butchered while still alive, the women they forcibly mated with...and even the children they kept in cages as their parents were taken from them, with the dying screams, pained crying, and even sadistic laughter echoing throughout the experience. The vision immediately turned Ranger's physically-crippling sympathy...into complete, and utter apathy...

* * *

He then woke up, still in the same bed he was in when his loving wife left him. He then held the bunched-up covers close and remembered her warm body being pressed against his as they slept. Eventually...he noticed Sword Maiden sitting by the door, casually watching him.

"How long have you been there?" Ranger asked.

"Long enough to tell you had another vision of Purgatory." Sword Maiden said.

"Right...I haven't had one in weeks, and unlike that one...I don't know why I had this one." Ranger said.

"Most likely because deep down, regardless of how much you don't want to admit it, you do want revenge." Sword Maiden said seriously, and Ranger looked away sighing. She then walked over to him, and waited for him to look back at her before siting up.

"How do you feel?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Much better, although..." Ranger trailed off.

"What is it?" Sword Maiden asked as she sat down.

"I have so much on my mind I don't even know where to begin." Ranger said.

"Well, there's no one here but us, so please...talk to me." Sword Maiden said as softly as ever.

"First off...I never realized how much I personally relied on this city itself; all my money was in that manor." Ranger said.

"It's money you earned several times over...as are the assets you seized for Goblin Slayer's new home." Sword Maiden said, and Ranger hummed in agreement.

"The thing is, I'm never going to forget why I have it, or what I use it for, but in that moment...all of that got chucked to the side. Apparently Storm Mage isn't the only one with a touch of avarice in their heart." Ranger said seriously.

"There is nothing wrong with protecting what's yours Ranger." Sword Maiden said.

"I'm aware, but I also know that greed isn't just about wanting more than you need, it's also about how vigorously you pursue that end." Ranger said.

"Nevertheless, you, and your team defeated evil men when you could've left the city to it's fate. You have nothing to be ashamed off. Before...or now." Sword Maiden said and Ranger sighed before laying back down. "May I lay next to you?"

"Alright..." Ranger whispered before she laid lay next to him, and even snuggled into his side as he wrapped an arm around her. She then looked over his exposed torso, and ran her hand over his healthy muscles. "You have gotten stronger..."

"Alot can change in a year Sword Maiden." Ranger said as he held her delicate hand against his chest. "Besides, I'm sure Storm Mage has no less growth than myself."

"Actually, you have more. In fact, you might be larger than Goblin Slayer. Fighter is a fortunate woman indeed." Sword Maiden said before snuggling into him some more...then Ranger snuggled into her in return. "Storm Mage was in this same room, when he recovered from the beating he took after he saved me from the goblins...when we had our first kiss."

"He's a blessed man, even in death- no...especially in death. As are you..." Ranger said before Sword Maiden looked up at him, and they stared at each other for a while. "Sword Maiden...about what I said about fear..."

"You mean the wrong kind?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Yes...from the moment I found out, every fight against the goblins was done with their crimes against you in the back of my mind. I even said "for the Sword Maiden" before we faced down a paladin at that farm a year ago." Ranger said.

"I noticed. I'm surprised you remember that..." Sword Maiden said.

"I just now remembered...anyway, like I said before, I do enjoy making those abominations shake like leaves...but not the people I care about, or those who care about me." Ranger said and Sword Maiden put her hand on his face.

"We were all worried about you at some point or another, but you've proven that you can be trusted no matter what. As if you didn't deserve Fighter's heart enough already." She said and Ranger sighed and looked out the window.

"I have her heart, but she _is_ mine." He whispered.

"The amount of pain you, she, and the rest of you have prevented, and avenged, is immeasurable." Sword Maiden said and Ranger got up right away and looked out the window, clearly not caring that he was in his underpants.

"So is my desire to be out there with them, but I'm stuck here...like this." He said, before Sword Maiden levitated over to his side.

"You know you cannot be out there like this. Your body may be healed, but your heart clearly isn't." She said.

"I know...but I have hope that I once I do recover, I'll be that much harder to break again, like I said to Fighter at that blessed pond." Ranger said before taking a moment to get a grip. "Once I do, I'm going to put every waking moment into getting ready to put that Cambion down, and repair the damage he's done." The moment he finished talking...he felt Sword Maiden's inhumanly voluptuous chest press into his back, her head rest on his shoulder, and her arms lock together around his abdomen.

"You're a great man Ranger..." She said before he held her hands. A while later, he turned around in her arms, to wrap his own around her. The two stood there, occasionally shifting and pressing into each other while she felt and heard Ranger's slow and deep breaths.

"You know...you're pretty warm for a dead girl." Ranger said casually, and Sword Maiden let out an amused huff at this.

"I'm immortal now, remember?" She asked.

"How can I not?" Ranger asked before Sword Maiden pulled away and looked at him...before running her hand over his face.

"You are so handsome..." She whispered, and he smiled in amusement. "I actually told Storm Mage that his beauty rivals your own."

"Well...we do look similar. What does he think of the way you look?" Ranger asked.

"He never fails to tell me how beautiful I am, let alone show me why he thinks that." Sword Maiden said.

"He couldn't be more right; there's a reason people questioned whether or not you were a human being. Even though Fighter hopelessly enthralls me, I cannot deny how lovely you are to save my life." Ranger said softly as he caressed her face and put an elongated kiss on her forehead, much to her delight.

"Lay down with me..." Sword Maiden whispered and she laid down, with him snuggling into her side and she sighed in contentment as she curled up in his embrace. "Storm Mage holds me like this..."

"And I hold Fighter like this. Although for the record...I love her in a different way." Ranger said.

"Of course, love isn't always romantic, but nevertheless...I can tell how much you two love each other, and my love for both of you is equal. Now...deep down though...a small part of me envies her place in your bed. Yes I know how this sounds but please hear me out... I have never taken my place at Storm Mage's side for granted, nor will I ever, and even though I'm a Nephilim, I am still a human being like yourself. I've lusted after Goblin Slayer for some time, but also yourself." Sword Maiden said honestly yet harshly.

"I see...well, I know from experience that lust is a hard thing to work past, just like wrath. Although...truth-be-told, if you were anyone else, I would probably question your entire sentiment." Ranger said.

"Thank you for being so understanding, I don't take this lightly at all. All that being said though, I'm very proud to have blessed your marriage, and always will be." Sword Maiden said before shifting into Ranger, who held her even tighter.

"Do you remember when I slaughtered that army of goblins up north to protect you?" He asked.

"Yes...it was like when Storm Mage protected me, only...you were apparently more capable." Sword Maiden said.

"Even if I wasn't, I would've still done the same as he did." Ranger said and Sword Maiden smiled.

"I felt no less protected too..." She said as she shifted against him again."I remember when we first met, and you asked if I could take down the goblins on my own...thanks to all of you, I actually could."

"And _you're_ proud of _me_..." Ranger said before she looked up at him.

"I have you and the rest to thank..." Sword Maiden said softly before Ranger laid down flat and Sword Maiden kissed his forehead and caressed his cheek as he sucked in a breath.

"I remember when me and my team first met, especially when we talked about our abilities...I actually ripped on Fighter for not having any weapons on her, and now she can tear through a small army of vampires like they were nothing..." Ranger said with amusement, before sighing. "That strength of hers is one of many reason I love her dearly...

"Your strength rubbed off on each other didn't it?" Sword Maiden asked and Ranger nodded before looking away. "Are you tired?"

"How can I sleep? My team is out there, while I'm stuck in here..." Ranger said seriously.

"Ranger..." Sword Maiden said softly and he sighed.

"Sorry...I love having these talks with you, but words cannot express how much I hate being stuck here..." Ranger said.

"You should know why." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"Right...with my emotions being so chaotic, I'm legitimately not trustworthy on a battlefield." Ranger said.

"Then allow me to give you what I came in here to give you." Sword Maiden said, and Ranger looked right at her, before she opened a portal to the bathhouse. The two then went there...before Sword Maiden de-materialized her gown, rending her completely naked except for her knee-length hair covering her anatomy. She then knelt at the baths edge, and placed her hands in the water as streams of holy light flowed throughout the water and made it even more clear than it already was. "Now...take off your cloths and enter the water."

"What's this about?" Ranger asked seriously.

"Just trust me..." Sword Maiden said, and Ranger continued to look at her funny before removing his underwear and entering the water...he then immediately get sleepy and even though he tried to fight it...he lost consciousness a few seconds after sitting down...then heard a voice...

_"_Do not be alarmed..." the voice said.

"Who...who is this?" Ranger whispered.

"The one you address your wife as..." The voice said.

"The Love Goddess..." Ranger whispered.

"Yes. I am here to give you what you are missing. What you heart is missing. You fell into despair over not being able to see your wife...but through no fault of your own, you fail to acknowledge the rest of your senses, more importantly, how she affected the rest of your senses." The Love Goddess said.

"But...I already-" The Love Goddess cuts him off.

"You lie poorly. How can you love completely, when your despair so easily grips you? You know my words to be true...now, sit there and let your other senses replace your vision." She said, and next thing Ranger knew...he heard the water swishing, then felt hands on his chest and shoulders... "Remember who's hands those are..." The feeling of the hands gave way to an entire body being pressed into him, one he remembered all too well. "Feel her...her heartbeat...her muscles designed and braced for war...her breasts that are just large enough for you to put your entire hand around, and twice as soft. Smell her fragrance...taste her thick, silky skin...her enticing lips...hear her breath, her voice that you always adored, remember the sounds she uses it to make...as you enter her womb, and satisfy her hunger..."

As the Love Goddess spoke, the sensations she mentioned became nearly intoxicating; it seemed like an impossibly strong illusion...but soon it did not matter. The memories of the times he and Fighter made love were overpowering. Every caress, every gasp, every lick...every coupling, it all rushed forward and devoured the despair in his mind. The Love Goddess was said to be the one behind not only sexual rapture...but also the personal connection between lovers, and any doubts that Ranger might've had were reduced to nothing in that moment; she deserved every second he spent idolizing and paying tribute to her, and more.

"Now...compare all this pleasure, to the pain you have felt over the course of your campaign..." The moment he heard that...he instantly recalled the time he was lit on fire by Wizard's fireball when she tried to kill the Champion and cringed..._hard_. Next thing he knew, he felt a hand on his face, then slowly opened his eyes...and Fighter was right in front of him, with nothing but love on her divine face. It must have been part of the dream...but he didn't care; the kiss placed on his lips felt as real as the rest of the ones she gifted him with.

"Yes. Let the bliss in this one moment be the hammer that breaks the dam that fear and sorrow made in your heart. The water behind it shall wash away the damage, and lead you to an even greater strength." The Love Goddess' voice somehow made his already blissful kiss, even more blissful, as did the metaphor she was using. As he melded his lips with Fighter's, the grip that the idea of never being able to look at her again, lost most of it's power; the idea of it being a permanent ailment, became as unthinkable as never being able to adventure again.

The feeling of his wife's powerful muscles combined with her thick, creamy skin further enhanced the dream as she ran her hands through his hair, over his shoulders, and his face while he simply wrapped his arms around her and felt the rest of the strength in her legs as she rubbed them against his waist, not to mention her generously-sized breasts that pressed into his chest, and her butt that pressed into his lap. Eventually...she even joined their bodies at the waist...and stayed put while they simply held each other as tightly as they could. Despite that, the memory of her gasps and moans played in his mind as he remembered thrusting in and out of her body with slow but powerful movements, and how warm, moist, and narrow she was. The euphoria that normally came with such a union, was replaced with simple peacefulness...which could not be more appropriate.

"How fitting...you both refer to your relationship as if it were that of my own, and my husband. You follow him, and Fighter holds a larger place in your heart than anyone's, and although you believe the Sword Maiden's beauty surpasses hers...you do not care for it anywhere near as much as Fighter's beauty. The beauty I bestowed upon her for the sole purpose of pleasing the man she falls in love with...and I blessed her as well as my husband blessed you. Not only are your fighting skills second to few, but you prepared others for war. You...Ranger, might as well be war itself, and she, love itself. Just like I keep my own husband's desire in check, so she keeps yours in check. Her place at your side...is secured, before, now, and forever. Now go...go finish the fight here, and let your family finish the fight where they are." With that...Ranger woke up, and smiled while wiping the tears from his face.

"Thank you...my lady..." He whispered.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Answer me first: Where were you? I've been stuck in here for days on-end!" Bard asked.

"We were dealing with our own fair share of bullshit thank you very much." Wizard's brother said.

"That includes an invasion of my homeland." H.E. Druid said and Bard stared at her.

"Wait...are you-? You look...different..." Bard said.

"Long story, but I got a body upgrade, and keep your comments to yourself." H.E. Druid said.

"Enough. How did this occupation happen?" GS asked.

"I don't know why it happened exactly but...when it did, it was complete chaos. The guards told everyone to stay in their homes, and put all hands on deck to man the defenses. In the end, the Evil Sect overran the entire city...and took how knows how many people prisoner." Bard said.

"That Sword Mage helped us free an entire group of them a while ago." Priestess said and got Bard's attention right away.

"Sword Mage?" He asked.

"You know him?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Yep, he's the new demon hunter in town." Bard said.

"Are there more prisoners around?" GS asked.

"Goblin Slayer...please stick to the point" Priestess said with annoyance.

"Right..." GS said.

"Wait...Goblin Slayer? I though I recognized your voice..." Bard said.

"I was given a new suit of armor." GS said simply.

"Anything else I should know?" Bard asked.

"I gave Sword Mage a new weapon, one he said used the light of the stars to make a blade with, and Ranger and his team gave me and...my most special friend a new home." GS said.

"Well...good for you...now can we please get the others?" Bard asked.

"Follow us, and don't fall behind." GS said as he walked off, and the others went after him until they eventually, got to a new cell, and opened all the cells.

"Nothing here...maybe they moved them." Wizard's brother said thoughtfully.

"Not likely." Bard said.

"How would you know?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I heard some guards talking in this area a while before you found me, and the place was empty when I was being dragged in here." Bard said.

"Right...well let's get a move- Wait, I hear footsteps..." H.E. Druid said and Wizard's brother used Life Sight.

"I see some invaders, and a row of prisoners." He said...then GS took off after them, and when the rest caught up with him, they watched him surprise the two enemy troops, blow their heads off, and then H.E. Druid tore the prisoner's shackles off with her bare hands, much to their surprise.

"Where are the rest?" GS asked.

"Down that path we were going, and please hurry, we heard them talking about a ritual...involving the Demon Lord..." A prisoner said.

"It won't work." Sword Mage said and the whole group snapped their heads to him.

"Where did you come from?" Wizard's brother asked.

"I was going to help with the invasion uptop, but the rest of your team had it well in hand, so I came back down here to free as many people as I could. I also used the Demon Lord's own language to put a series of...obstacles in the way. That should buy some time to save the rest." Sword Mage said.

"The Demon Lord's tongue?" A prisoner asked.

"It's a common practice for demon hunters. What better way is there to fight him than with his own weapons? But more importantly, there isn't just a ritual happening; the goblins are involved...and they're using cloned women to increase their numbers-" Sword Mage stopped talking the moment H.E. Druid notched an arrow and aimed at him _just_ slowly enough for him to notice. "You are aware that you're threatening me with an arrow, are you not?"

"We saw a room full of dead women and goblin babies. Did you kill those women?!" She asked.

"Of course I did. They were nothing but breeding stock for the goblins, and no had place in society, especially since the original is likely out there somewhere. Even if their minds weren't broken behind repair...what point was there in keeping them?" Sword Mage asked.

"The original being out there somewhere is the only part of that I agree with...luckily for you." H.E. Druid said before standing down.

"Well...that was eye-opening..." Cherub said...and Sword Mage's eyes widened at the sight of the angel.

"You have a cherub with you?" He asked.

"They had me for the better part of a month or so, now can we please quit wasting time and get the rest of the people?" Cherub asked, then GS led the team down the series of halls, until they got to a room with guards watching over more cells and vats. They then watched as Sword Mage engaged them alone...and his burrowed starlight sword burned through them with enough ease to make each swing kill at least one of them. GS held his team back to watch what he could do...and boy was it worth it. Sword Mage vertically bisected one before severing two heads, then dodged a spear thrust before impaling his attacker...through his shield, and then unleashed a mana bolt on the last four with enough power to vaporize them inside their armor. He then got to work cutting open the cells and vats.

"So Orcbolg, having second thoughts on whether or not that sword is worth having?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I always thought it was useful, I just don't like using it in tight spaces." GS said simply.

"Right..."" H.E. Druid said as they continued to watch Sword Mage free the people...and Songstress was one of them. Sword Mage then embraced her right away. "They know each other?"

"He's her son, and my future stepson." Bard said.

"What?" Wizard's brother asked.

"I proposed to Songstress after you left, and...we were going to leave for her homeland, but then this invasion happened." Bard said.

"One more reason to see this occupation removed." GS said.

"That's awfully sweet coming from you Orcbolg." H.E. Druid said.

"The goblins are closer to extinction than ever, and...I've given alot of thought to what I'll do after we've dealt with them." GS said.

"I see..." H.E. Druid said, then gave GS a knowing smirk...before a series of hell rifts open, and hobs poured out of them. Sword Mage immediately sliced the ones closest with him and his mother in half, as GS rushed to distract the hobs so the prisoners could get behind H.E. Druid and Wizard's brother as they unleashed arrows, and fireballs at the hobs. Cherub empowered the group, and the projectiles went from being simple annoyances, to being able to stagger the hobs, as GS threw bombs at the ones in the distance, which staggered, and partially froze them as he cut open the throats of the hobs that fell down, and shot the ones still standing with his shotguns. He even tackled one down, and Sword Mage impaled it through the heart.

H.E. Druid meanwhile slid under the legs of one, tripped it by pulling it's legs out from under it before Wizard's brother caved it's skull with his mace. H.E. Druid then threw a knife at another hob, hitting it in the throat, the ran up it's body, grabbed the knife back, and then jumped onto the ceiling as another hob tried to grab her, she then shot an arrow into the top of it's head before falling down and falling on it's back, and taking her arrow back...then using it to shoot a hob's knee out and GS impales the back of it's neck.

"Well...that was fun." Wizard's brother said as the rifts closed...then another opened in the middle of the room and a lone specialist appeared.

"What's that?" H.E. Druid asked.

"A specialist! Get ready!" Sword Mage said as the team re-grouped by the entrance as the specialist slowly walked out of the rift...then he materialized an auto crossbow and opened fire at the group, only for Cherub to throw up Protection as H.E. Druid fired arrows in return, but they just bounce off his armor. Even Wizard's brother's fireballs did nothing. The Protection dropped after the specialist ran out of bolts, then GS and Sword Mage charged him and the specialist materialized a pair of longswords, and ducked and jumped over Sword Mage's sword while blocking GS' sword, and the occasional shield bash.

The specialist eventually kicked GS into Sword Mage, knocking them both down, and Wizard's brother summoned a pack of wolves to attack him, and some birds to shoot at him from above, but the specialist rapidly impaled each wolf, and deflected the energy bolts the flock overhead shot at him. The specialist then fired knives out of his bracers until the birds were also vaporized, and just as he dashed towards Wizard's brother...H.E. Druid rushed him and the specialist jumped over her to continue his charge. Cherub then used Holy Smite to blast the specialist back, then Sword Mage impaled him as he was launched into his light sword. The group then took a moment to catch their breath.

"Whew! That was rough..." H.E. Druid said exasperated.

"And that was just one...I really hope we don't run into too many more of those." Wizard's brother said, before Sword Mage went back to the prisoners and spoke to his mother back and forth in elvish. "What are they saying?"

"He's asking her to wait in this room until we come back her-" Sword Mage cuts H.E. Druid off.

"I want everyone to wait here until we come back here, and we're not going anywhere without you." He said.

"Told you..." H.E. Druid said.

"Alright, let's go." Sword Mage said and they followed him up several rooms, with nothing but various supplies, from weapons, to occult objects, they wanted nothing to do with, to a kitchen. Wizard's brother disarmed every magic trap that H.E. Druid found and kept the mana gems and scrolls for later use. Eventually, they got to a library...full of arcane objects and books.

"Sheesh...look at this place. You could equip a small army of mages with all these goodies." Wizard's brother said as the group looked the entire place over, and immediately grabbed everything they could find...including...

"My sword!" Sword Mage exclaimed as he rushed to a case and just as he was about to reach for it, he stopped cold. "Wait a minute...anyone sense any traps?"

"Let me see." Cherub said as he flew over to it, and used Vision...then pushed Sword Mage to the side. "Get back!" The rest moved to the said as well as Cherub opened the case...then a wave of force sliced apart everything behind Cherub who also got out of the way.

"What was that?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Spatial cut trap. If you got hit with it, it doesn't matter how strong your armor is, it _will_ shred it." Cherub said.

"It's my sword's own power." Sword Mage said.

"What?" Wizard's brother asked.

"My sword can slice through practically anything by cutting through space itself. Although, that's all it can do; space magic can be used to cut down on travel time, for obvious reasons, but it's a bit above my paygrade; I'd take an infinitely sharp sword over one that opens portals anytime." Sword Mage said.

"We have a portal gem. An item that doesn't just that." GS said.

"Do you now?" Sword Mage asked and Cherub pointed to himself with his thumb. "Huh...now I've seen everything..." With that, the team went back to looting the place.

"Alright...what are you hiding?" GS asked as he looked over a book that had the predictable topic of goblins...then he stopped turning the pages when he got to something that piqued his interest. "A goblin overlord?"

"What?" Sword Mage asked as they went to see what GS was taking about...and there was a goblin, just as tall as a Champion, but half as bulky.

"Ah shit...that cannot be good..." Wizard's brother said.

"We can look into this later, but now we have to bring this place down." Sword Mage said.

"How?" H.E. Druid said.

"Ranger..." GS said simply.

"What?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Ranger is the 11th Platinum Rank for a reason, and your sister can help you blast this place off the face of the earth with your fire magic, as well as Ranger's fire powers." Cherub said.

"Well, then let's go get the rest of the people, and you teleport us out of this hellhole." Wizard's brother said.

"My pleasure..." Cherub said before the group went back down to get the others, then he opened a portal to the catacombs of the Temple of Law.

* * *

Meanwhile, Warrior was jumping from one leviathan to another, narrowly avoiding their snapping jaws, and tentacles as he severed the tentacles of one of them sliced halfway through it's midsection. Afterwards, he fell into the water, another leviathan jumped out and tried to eat him, but he pried it's jaw open, then stabbed it in the top of the head with enough power to cause a small explosion before running down it's back and vertically bisect yet another leviathan. He then fell into the water yet again...and a leviathan succeeded in swallowing him before diving into the water again.

Wizard meanwhile was slicing up one tentacle after another before another leviathan jumped out of the water right at her...then she used Levitation to stop it, then launch it away from the water, onto one of the few Evil Sect ships left, and it got impaled on the ship's main mast.. She then saw a leviathan's dead beach on the other side of the lake...before Warrior sliced his way out of it's abdomen and land fist-first into the sand on the shore of the lake. She then went back to helping Warrior's clones deal with the demonic soldiers infesting the city.

Warrior himself struggled to get up before noticing that Hero's team was coming down the road...

"Well look who decided to show up..." Warrior said.

"What's going on here?" Hero asked seriously.

"Water Town's under siege! What do you _think_ is going on?!" Warrior snapped.

"I know that! I meant how did it start?" Hero asked.

"We don't know, but we'll find out later. Wait, what are you even doing here?" Warrior asked.

"I sensed a major demonic presence coming down this way, do you need any help?" Sage asked.

"Don't need it, but we'll take it. There's rifts aplenty popping up all over the city, we could use a hand with the demons spawning from them." Warrior said.

"Not a problem. And these leviathans?" Sword Saint asked.

"I think I got all of them, but now...I'm going to stay here and take a bath..." Warrior said before going into the lake and washing off the blood covering him.

"Right. Well, I can deal with the demons inside the rifts..." Hero said.

"You mean we can deal with them." Sword Saint said.

"Right..." Hero groaned.

"Ladies?" Warrior asked with raised eyebrow and pointed at the city with his thumb.

"Alright alright..." Hero said

"Wait...why aren't you going out there?" Sword Saint asked.

"First off, my clones are doing a chunk of the brawling over there, and secondly...I just slaughtered a school of giant fish! I need a moment to rest, especially with over a dozen clones doing their thing." Warrior said

"You know that clone spell was dangerous, but...you always had more balls than brains." Sword Saint said.

"You know me so well." Warrior said.

"Unfortunately..." Hero said.

"Oh shut it..." Warrior said and she laughed at him.

Fighter meanwhile was clashing with the new specialist...and he wasn't pulling any punches. The two clashed blades over and over with dizzying speed, but kept pace with each other with almost no trouble. At first, it was quite straightforward: he tries to sever her head, impale her, upward-slash her, all while she ducks and side-steps, if she doesn't outright block the swords with her blades. Overtime, they try to use outside-the-box moves, like jumping over each other and slashing at their backs. At one point, the special tries to slash her one side several times over and over with both blades going back and forth, then fakes one, and goes for her head with a spinning slash, but Fighter blocks it...only for the specialist to push her arm down then spin kicks her to the ground.

Just when he brings his sword up to behead her...Priestess attacks him from behind and he goes for her instead. She then tries to stab him over and over, but each thrust misses, until eventually the specialist swats her sword away, and goes for her legs, which she narrowly avoids...before the specialist kicks her into a wall, and she falls to her knees as Fighter engages him from behind and continues to clash blades with him...until both his swords break, then engages her up-close...and that's where things got downright scary. He grabbed one of her fists, tried to dislocate it, but she cartwheeled in mid-air to avoid it, then when she raised his arm up to create an opening...he used his other arms to punch her in the gut, then the face, then used his other arm to punch her a second time in the face. Fighter then got her barrings, and sweep-kicked his legs, which he jumped over before she blocked a punch from him...then he spun around to elbow her in the back, then kicked her down. She then sprung back up, then flip-kicked him the moment he got close, but he leaned back to avoid it. The specialist then jumped at her, throwing a barrage of kicks at her, but she side-stepped it, then he swept at her legs, missed, then used to momentum to throw two more spin kicks at her...which is one of _her_ moves!

Fighter narrowly avoided the pair of kicks despite her shock, then the special threw an uppercut at her, which she dodged, then blocked an elbow to the face...before the specialist spun around, jammed his elbow into her side, then grabbed her waist, picked up her, slammed her into the ground, then punted her into a building...leaving her stunned, but otherwise unharmed thanks to her armor.

"There's only one person I know who fights like that..." Fighter whispered before looking at the specialist and studied his armor and mask: aside from the color scheme...it was the same as the one Ranger used, but his body shape, size, and especially the black hair threw her off. Just as the specialist started walking towards her...Warrior's clones arrived, and the specialist looked around while panicking...

* * *

Sword Maiden walked through the gardens of the Temple of Law, hoping that Ranger's treatment would do as much healing as was needed. She then used Vision to keep a watch for the fear demon that wounded his mind; she knew firsthand that demons were easily beaten under the right conditions, but the price for victory is often too high to pay, and they tend to be determined beyond words to finish what they start. Just as she predicted...the fear demon was stalking the Temple, waiting for another chance to strike. Next thing she knew...rifts opened all around her...and goblins poured out of them. At first, she was back in the main chamber with Storm Mage's broken body laying down next to a wall as the goblins closed in on her...then she remembered how Storm Mage got up and finished them off, and especially how they were now weak against holy arts.

She then threw up a Protection barrier around herself and closed her eyes before the goblins could slam into the barrier and try to break through it. She then took a moment to compose herself, and when it was over...she slowly raised her hands, and clapped once. The sounded echoed throughout the garden and lingered in the air and the goblins' frenzied snarling was replaced with pained yells as they covered their ears and rolled along the ground trying to get the pain to stop...and only the Protection dropping and being replaced with Purge ended their pain as Sword Maiden smiled with pride for having demonstrated how little power fear had over her.

Even more goblins appeared, and she glanced before them and metallic footsteps were heard and the goblins all turned to see Ranger...in his medium armor, and eventually stopped on the opposite end of the garden Sword Maiden was on, and she actually vanished into thin air, the moment the last goblin stopped looking at her...and the entire horde looked over the armored monster casually standing there with a blank stare on his face as he looked over the little invaders. The most well-equipped charged at him, only for him to morph a pair of swords, cut the tips of their spears off, and kick the goblins themselves into the crowd, if he didn't just plain cut them down.

The rest rushed at him in one group, and he stabbed, severed, and bashed several goblins every second until the rest of the goblins backed down. Eventually, more rifts opened on the roofs, and a barrage of arrows came down at Ranger, and he morphed his helmet as he took the volley directly, much to the goblins' relief. A second volley came and Ranger held his swords in a reverse grip and twirled them around which stopped most arrows, and he avoided the rest...before morphing his swords into pistols and blowing all the archer's brains out. The rest looked Ranger over, and the looks on their faces said it all: they wanted nothing to do with him, but they still had a mission to didn't stop them from backing up as Ranger casually walked through the crowd.

"You know what's going to happen if you attack me..." Ranger said coldly, and the goblins reacted by clutching their weapons and snarling. "You also know I slaughtered about as many of your number as the infamous Goblin Slayer. I must wonder how the joy I felt in doing so compares to the joy you feel when you break your captives? Quite similar I'll bet?" The goblins got even more worked up as he spoke to them with utter apathy. "Oh don't get so huffy; you all should have learned what goes around comes around several times over by now. You were in Hell for the Supreme's sake. But then...you imps never were very smart..." The goblins flinched at the memory of Storm Mage saying that, then charged him all at once when he reached the other side of the crowd...only for Ranger to morph heated blades on each finger as he turned around and several goblins were disemboweled...and dozens more followed as he rushed through the crowd swiping, spinning, and flipping as his new claws tore the goblins' flesh to ribbons, and his kicks crushed their chest, skulls, or goblins themselves tried to keep up with him, but he was not only too fast to keep track of, but the sight of their brothers being torn asunder like they had no substance crushed their hopes of victory without effort.

Ranger stopped cold after wiping out over half the goblins' numbers and stood there, and watched the survivors mull over the dead and dying goblins as their pained groans echoed through the garden, and some of the goblins collapsed from the fear instilled in them. Some even looked Ranger over as the blood and flesh covering him was absorbed into his armor, and even though he slaughtered more than a hundred...he looked as though he woke up from a nap. Eventually...a chain popped out of his side with a spike on the end, extended, and one goblin was impaled through the heart and lifted up. The rest of the goblins were so stunned by the speed of the attack, they couldn't even move, and when they finally turned their heads...they actually wept as their lifeless comrade that was pulling slowly pulled towards Ranger as the chain moved like a living organism.

"Take a good look..." Ranger said as coldly as ever before the chain casually flicked the goblin across the garden much to the goblins' horror. "Anyone feeling brave enough to avenge this indignity?" The goblins stayed put the entire time as Ranger looked them over. "No one? How disappointing..." The goblins eventually yelled and charged at him in a fit of blind rage, only for Ranger to morph his guns, and shoot the furthest ones in the chest or stomach...after he bashed in the faces of the goblins closest to him. Eventually, only one goblin remained, then Ranger snatched it with another chain before grabbing it by the throat as it bawled it's eyes out and gripped the armored fist holding it up. "How many tears were shed because of you and your..."brothers"? And how much joy did you reap in shedding them...?" Ranger then puts a gun at the goblin's cheek, and it just gives up the struggle and accepts it's fate as it closes it's eyes...before Ranger fires a round next to it's head and the sound makes it's ear bleed. Ranger then moved his lips to it's other ear. "Take this message to the Demon Lord for me: His business here is done. As long as I'm here, and I'm not leaving anytime soon...Water Town will never fall, especially not to a horde of worthless goblins, no matter how large." Ranger then threw the goblin into a nearby rift. Sword Maiden then re-appeared behind him and he looked back to see her...and one look was enough for him to know that she did not take the massacre lightly.

"Tell me...that bath I took, you turned it into holy water didn't you?" Ranger asked.

"Yes. I had a sense the Love Goddess would grant you her boon through my power, and from the look of it...I was not wrong." Sword Maiden said.

"No...you were not." Ranger said with a smile...before Sword Maiden sighed.

"Ranger...the most recent goblins you slaughtered...they were the first ones you fought; the same as the ones in the cave on your first quest." She said seriously, and Ranger sighed. "The one you just threatened...is one that would've doomed at least one of your teammates had you not been there."

"Why are you telling me this?!" Ranger snapped.

"To let you know that the trauma you inflicted on it was warranted in another reality." Sword Maiden said honestly.

"I don't care about any reality other than this one..." Ranger said harshly...then they heard a deep, chilling voice...

"Such cruelty...but do you have the will to keep it from taking you over completely? Let alone carry out such a threat?" The voice asked...and Ranger immediately got chills all over his body at the voice he recognized as that of a demon. Sword Maiden herself became especially alarmed.

"Who is that?" Ranger whispered.

"The Demon Lord..." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"Sword Maiden...you're looking quite well for being dead. Although...we also have the Storm Mage to thank for that, don't we?" The Demon Lord said.

"So you're the Demon Lord, the same one the Hero made a training dummy out of?" Ranger said.

"You've got alot of nerve bringing that up worm, considering what position you're in-" Ranger cuts the Demon Lord off.

"Did you catch what I said to that goblin you sent to this place?" He asked.

"Of course I did, and you are in no position to make demands, or threats." The Demon Lord said.

"Looks to me like I'm in the perfect position. Even without he Hero's team helping me, I laid waste to an entire legion of your forces, and even the vampire queen was no match for me...and the time you show your face, I will be the one who puts you down." Ranger said and the Demon Lord laughed at him.

"I doubt that very much...but none of this matters now." The Demon Lord said before the rift closes.

"What...?" Ranger asked before more rifts open, and a swarm of goblins, and armored hobs appeared...and the fear demon from earlier walked through the crowd and smiled. Then...just as Ranger was about to engage them with a pair of swords...a stream of lightning from the roof blasted every one of them and they eventually fell down paralyzed...then Storm Mage himself jumped off the roof throwing a volley of lightning balls at them to finish off the ones who somehow survived. "Storm Mage?"

"The one and only..." Storm Mage said dramatically.

"You sure know how to make an entrance." Ranger said.

"You know it brother." Storm Mage said with the usual causality.

"Wait, what are you even doing here?" Ranger asked and Storm Mage scoffed at him.

"You really think I'd let the good Sword Maiden come here by herself?" He asked.

"No...I guess not." Ranger said.

"Alright then..." Storm Mage said before looking at the dear fear demon and crossing his arms.

"Well, look who we have here...a selfish vagabond pretending to be a demon hunter." The fear demon said.

"That Storm Mage is _so_ last decade..." Storm Mage said seriously.

Although, this would be alot easier with my sword-whips..." Storm Mage said before Ranger morphed a pair, tossed them over, and Storm Mage sent sparks between each blade and smirked as he finished. "Oh...yeah..." More rifts opened, and with it came more goblins as the fear demon retreated and so did the Sword Maiden...who had a determined look on her face. Ranger and Storm Mage stood in the middle back-to-back as the goblins surrounded them. "You still have enough metal on you?"

"More than a whole arsenal." Ranger said.

"Then let's kill these bastards..." Storm Mage said as the goblins charged at them...only to be lashed down.

* * *

The specialist was fighting off the clones of Warrior to a standstill; the clones worked as a team quite well, but the specialist was smart enough to work through them one at a time...with a pair of swords he snatched from two of the dead clones. Eventually, the original showed up, helped Fighter up, and Priestess healed her as the clones kept the specialist busy. The fight ended with Warrior, Priestess, and Fighter all rushing the specialist at once while it was busy with the clones...that Warrior re-absorbed, much to the specialist's surprise before he took a thrown hammer to his masked face, then Fighter and Priestess took turns slashing at him while he frantically tried to stay back from the two ladies assaulting him without mercy. Eventually... the specialist launched a harpoon out of it's arm and grappled up to a building, with the other three following him.

The two opposing sides stared each other down from opposite sides of the street on the rooftops for the better part of a minute before...to the team's surprise, the specialist morphed a pair of swords like Ranger's. Fighter then jumped over to him, popped her blades in mid-air, then engaged him from the front as Warrior engaged him from the back...and the specialist still kept fighting like their leader as Priestess observed. The specialist not only kept mobile throughout the clash, but used each sword separately, and also at the same time when the situation called for it. Fighter and Warrior were no less competent though. One went high, the other went low, one hit one side, the other hit another side. Sometimes they hit the same side, then one changed their attack and hit another side at the last moment. The specialist was able to keep pace with them the entire time, but it was _really_ apparent that he was struggling.

Eventually, the specialist jumped over them both, nearly making them hit each other...then morphed a pair of guns, like Ranger's, then Warrior unfolded his shield and pulled Fighter behind him as he blocked the shots. Priestess meanwhile took cover, lest any bullets hit her. She then watched Warrior charge at him, bash the guns to the side, then ram the edge of his shield into he specialist hard enough to launch him across the street, and tear it up as he tried to get his footing back. His two opponents then jumped down to the ground, as Priestess did the same. Warrior then took the guns for himself and shot two bullets at the specialist, before running out of ammo...and both shots missed. He then put them away and resolved to have his wife and brother-in-law look at them.

The specialist then morphed his swords again and broke them into whips that he extended towards Warrior...then Fighter caught it instead, only for the specialist to yank himself towards her, and ram into her feet-first, and she tore up the ground herself as the specialist rode her like a board, and just as he was about to stomp her skull in, Warrior hits him with a discharge of lightning strong and precise enough to launch the specialist across the entire city, through several buildings...and without hitting Fighter.

"Was that necessary?" She asked as Warrior helped her up.

"You're welcome..." He said dryly before they went after the specialist who was picking himself up, and the wall had a crack in it behind him. "Damn...I used more power than I thought."

"Yeah, unfortunately..." Fighter said before the specialist stood up and clenched his fists before letting out an echoing yell.

"Oh boy...he doesn't look too happy." Warrior groaned before the specialist morphed his swords again and charged at the two, lashed at them with he got close enough, and the two jumped away in opposite directions. The specialist then lashed Warrior's legs out from under him and whipped him hard enough to knock himself into the ground before going for Fighter. "That didn't hurt!"

Fighter blocked one lash from the specialist after another before Priestess arrived and lunged at the specialist from the side, and barely graved the specialist as he leaned back. The specialist swung as her head, but she ducked it...then got spin-kicked to the side, Fighter then threw a barrage of punches at him, which all landed before she jumped up and kicked him away with both legs before backflipping, which only staggered the specialist as Priestess lunged against at the specialist...and her sword nicked his underarm before he wrapped both legs around her, threw her into the air by flipping. He then latched onto her, and slammed her into the ground hard enough to knock her out. Warrior then charged up his sword and unleashed a wave of power at the specialist, who narrowly dodged it, then watched it crave up the ground behind him, then frantically dodged Warrior's rapid swings as Fighter checked on Priestess...and watched her necklace revitalize her before she opened her eyes and looked at Fighter.

"Thank the Supreme you still have your necklace..." Fighter said softly before helping Priestess up, and held her up as they watched Warrior slash at the specialist, then get kicked away the moment Warrior left himself open. The specialist then stood there complete winded at his three opponents looked him over...then blood exploded out of his chest as Wizard became visible, and her glaive's blade was sticking out of his chest from behind.

"Surprise asshole." Wizard said sharply before removing the blade and watching the specialist collapse to his knees, look at his blood-drenched hands and fall down dead. "No one slams _my_ sister into the ground and gets away with it."

"Great timing baby." Warrior said and Wizard smiled before Fighter helped Priestess walk over to the dead specialist as Warrior flipped him over. "Alright...who is this joker?" Warrior then removed the mask...and recoiled.

"What the hell...?" Fighter whispered as she looked over the specialist's face...especially the still-open eyes.

"He...he looks like you sis, only of course, male." Warrior said.

"You don't think he's an artificial offspring of theirs do you?" Wizard asked.

"Maybe he's just someone who happens to look that way." Priestess said.

"Well, we should save his body for analysis later, but now, we have a city to-" Wizard shut up the moment Rhea Fighter showed up.

"Where were you?" Warrior asked.

"I had rift-closing duty, remember? Slaughtered more Gluttons than I should ever have to see as well. Also, there's more invaders on the way, although...from what I've seen, if we can take this, they'll have nothing left to send." Rhea Fighter said.

"In that case..." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"What?" Warrior asked.

"Wizard, do you have any life potions?" Fighter asked.

"Just two, why?" Wizard asked.

"I have an idea, but I need a power boost." Fighter said.

"You're going to take them out alone?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Technically clones of me are. Now, potion please?" Fighter said before Wizard hand one over, then Fighter let Priestess have a sip, before downing the rest and throwing the bottle away. "Alright...Priestess...empower me." Priestess wasted no time giving Fighter an empowerment as she downed more holy water, put her hand on Fighter's back, pressed her forehead in-between her shoulder blades, and prayed without a word. Next thing they knew, Fighter was glowing with the empowerment, before opening her chakras, making no less than ten clones, and they rushed up the wall...ran across the surface of the lake and rapidly, ruthlessly, and relentlessly slaughtered the final wave of invaders as the rest of the team, and the guards watched in awe as the invaders were beaten down, launched into the air in droves, or into each other, if they were sliced apart by the clones' blades. The team and especially the guards watched the massacre with wide eyes. Less than a minute later, the clones returned to the original, and were re-absorbed as Fighter sucked in a breath.

"Are you alright?" Priestess asked.

"Other than a minor case of vertigo, I'm fine, although...I seriously need to rest." Fighter said.

"Well, if anything else comes up, we'll take over." Warrior said seriously before Fighter looked at the Tempe of Law.

"Let's get back to my husband..." She said seriously.

* * *

Ranger and Storm Mage were lashing down scores of goblins while practically dancing around in a circle. They extended their sword-whips to impale distant goblins, vertically slashed and slammed their whips into some as direct attacks, or just swept from side-to-side to shred, shock, and/or burn through their numbers. Meanwhile, the ones that managed to get close were, shocked with enough force to send the goblins flying into each other, and the leftover electricity shocked other goblins as well, either stunning them, or making them clutch their hearts and lay there terrified. Ranger for his part, just severed the goblin's heads, or bashed them into the walls, the ground, or each other. when the two were done several minutes later, the dozens of goblins that attacked them, were dead or dying.

The next wave, was nothing but hobs that fell just as easily. Ranger morphed a greatsword and blocked every attack, before he bisected every one of them that got close, even the armored ones. Storm Mage hurled lightning orbs at the ones Ranger wasn't close to, and they were stunned and sliced apart at best, and spasmed out and laid there for about a minute watching their comrades get butchered at worst. Storm Mage got involved when his power ran low and extended his sword whips to stab the hobs like a scorpion with a long tail. He stuck them in their guts over and over, he severed tendons in their limbs, he blinded them by gouging their eyes, he punctured their throats and watched them drown in their own blood. Some of the lucky ones were bisected by Ranger's massive sword, or got their brains blown out by his guns. In the end, the two regrouped and looked over their fallen foes and waited for more foes...but none came.

"I have to say...I missed watching you work." Ranger said as he de-morphed his weapons.

"I can't say the same; I was watching your work more times than I can count." Storm Mage said.

"I'll bet..." Ranger said before looking the place over. "The Sword Maiden told me about how you saved her from these things."

"I'm not surprised...that poor woman's been through too much as it is. Letting it happen again is out of the question on a _bad_ day. Well, now she's able to give these little assholes what for on her own so...fuck yeah." Storm Mage said.

"She still needs her protector though." Ranger said seriously.

"Oh I'm not just her protector." Storm Mage said with a smirk.

"What?" Ranger asked before another rift opened...a larger one.

"I'll tell you later." Storm Mage said as he looked the rift over...and another horde of goblins appeared. Ranger then morphed a greatsword, and Storm Mage backed up before watching Ranger raise it up as the goblins charged him, and the ground shattered underneath the sword as he brought it down, and then splattered the rest of the charging goblins across the garden with an equally-strong horizontal swing. He then jumped back and shot down the rest of the goblins with his guns. Storm Mage covered his ears from the noise the guns made before uncovering them in time to see yet another horde approaching...with a champion leading them, and Storm Mage looked a bit surprised. "You..."

"What?" Ranger asked.

"The same one that bashed me before...when I protected the Sword Maiden." Storm Mage said seriously, before unleashing a concentrated discharge of lightning at the goblins that bounced around and hit each of them, and they all fell down dead. Ranger then walked up to Storm Mage's side...and got his partner's arm extended to stop his advance. "This is between him and me..." Ranger then looked Storm Mage in the eye and knew right away he wasn't kidding.

"Alright..." Ranger said seriously before Storm Mage walked forward to challenge the champion who simply looked at the man. The two stood there staring at each other for the better part of a minute waiting to see who'd go first, or run away. The champion flinched a bit when Storm Mage sparked suddenly, then growled and tightened it's hold on it's weapon before getting a grip. Storm Mage then extend a sword whip to the side, and lashed the ground in front of the champion...before the champion tried to kick Storm Mage who jumped over it's leg, and grabbed onto it's club as it was swung.

He then held on as the champion waved the club all over the place before Sword Mage jumped off and threw several lightning balls at it's face, which the champion blocked with it's club before smashing the wall he was perched on after Sword Mage grappled to another wall, then shocked it's leg, making the champion kneel before Storm Mage dropped to the ground, latched onto the champion itself, unleashed a stream of lightning into it's back, making it spasm uncontrollably and scream in pain. It then tried to grab him, but Storm Mage jumped off, blasted the club, which interrupted a swing, then charged up his swords, and unleashed stream of lightning from them that stunned the champion for the better part of a minute as Ranger watched Storm Mage unleash his fury.

The champion sat there kneeling and licking it's wounds while Storm Mage stood there out-of-power. Eventually, the champion stood back up, and Storm Mage got his second wind. The champion then picked himself up and Storm Mage had a flashback to when the champion bashed him into a wall...and the laughter of the goblins as they approached Sword Maiden as she whimpered in terror. He then growled at the memory and yelled before unleashing an intense bolt of lightning from his mouth that burned through the champion's armor and scorched it's lower chest and watched it struggle to breath; it's diaphragm was partially paralyzed, and who knows what happened to it's muscles themselves.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that..." Storm Mage said coldly as he looked over the champion that was writhing in agony. "I hear you goblins have been returning to life...well I must ask: how many times I'll have to kill you before you stay dead?"

"Please...spare me...I'll leave this country; never set foot here again..." The champion said and Storm Mage just laughed at it.

"Last time we fought you bashed me into a wall and made my lady shed tears! You _really_ think I'm going to let that slide?" He asked before unleashing another torrent of lightning into the champion and made it spasm and scream in pain until it started smoking then Storm Mage stopped to watch it struggle to move...before finally going limp. "Lightning's a bitch..." Ranger then walked up to the champion and looked it's dead body over.

"You want me to tear it's heart out?" Ranger asked.

"Might as well...but I want to do the tearing; you just cut it open." Storm Mage said.

"Alright." Ranger said before climbing up the champion's body, morphing a greatsword, jamming it into the champion's chest, and prying open it's ribcage and tearing out several ribs. Storm Mage then took his place and craved out it's out it's heart and removed it...before Storm Mage vaporized it with a discharge of lightning that made Ranger cover his ears and shut his eyes. "Alittle _warning_ next time please!"

"Sorry..." Storm Mage said before looking over the champion's body. "This piece of shit must've thought I'm a special kind of stupid; every time someone falls for that, it never ends well."

"Goblin Slayer said they were cowards by nature." Ranger said.

"He couldn't be more right..." Storm Mage said before they both took a moment to swallow their disgust, and when they did, Storm Mage looked over his sword whips. "You know, these are better than my old ones. They're tougher, sharper, _and_ better-balanced."

"You can keep them if you want." Ranger said and Storm Mage deadpanned at him.

"Thanks for the permission..." He said and Ranger chuckled at him before a Heaven Seal appeared over the Temple, and Sword Maiden appeared.

"That fear demon is still at large; I can contain it with this seal, but he'll still have to be dealt with directly." She said.

"I guess that's my job...I'm going after that fear demon, think you'll be o.k. on your own?"

"I should ask you that." Ranger said with a smirk.

"Really...you're only one rank ahead of me." Storm Mage said.

"And don't you forget it..." Ranger said as Sword Maiden stood their giggling at their antics.

"Just don't get your ass kicked while I'm gone..." Storm Mage said before entering a rift he opened with the Demon Lord's tongue, then Sword Maiden shared a look with Ranger.

"Don't get too reckless Ranger. I can still heal and empower you if need-be, but not too often." She said.

"Don't worry, I'm much better than I was before." Ranger said.

"Supreme be with you..." Sword Maiden said before vanishing. He then looked over the carnage, and used his chains to absorb the dead goblins, and even the bloodstains into his armor. He then took a minute to collect himself, and looked over the place, comparing how it used to look, compared to how it is now.

"We will have alot to work on after we win this, but then again, the hardest part of warfare, is cleaning up afterwards. Here's hoping Restoration can be used again tomorrow." Ranger said, and then looks over the small bottle of holy water he got from the bathhouse, and took a swig...he immediately felt the effects, especially since this wasn't even ordinary holy water; Sword Maiden was clearly a master of holy arts, but now that she was a Nephilim...there's no telling how much more potent Ranger's miracles would be.

Eventually, he got a chill in the air, then stood up and looked around...and lo and behold, a rift opened behind him, to reveal the figure from before. Ranger then thought back..."I remember you now...I was attacked by the fear demon, but not physically. There was you, and...another figure- The fear demon didn't cut my eyes..._you_ did! _You_ are the objects of my vengeance, not that fear demon!" Just like that, the heartbreak Ranger felt before was replaced with hatred. A second figure came out from behind the first and they both pulled their swords, as Ranger morphed his greatswords. "I don't know why you work with that fear demon, but you idiots made the biggest mistake of your lives...as well as the last."

What happened next was utter chaos...Ranger heated his greatswords and charged at the figures, who charged at him in return. They slashed and stabbed at him over and over while dashing around the garden as Ranger rushed to keep up, and clashed with them both with enough speed and force to make the ground shake and the wind approach levels that rival storms. In total, they used four swords, but Ranger's were larger, heavier, and he wasn't pulling any punches. The two figures did land a few hits, but they couldn't even slow him down, let alone penetrate his armor. Their endeavor eventually took to the sky as they ran up and along the walls, all while Ranger recalled the War God's training, and morphed several guns that opened fire on the figures, but they were moving too fast for him to get a bead on them, so he waited in the middle for them to show up. When they didn't, he de-morphed the guns, and waited.

He occasionally noticed quick movements on the outskirts of the garden, then slowly turned in various directions, before moving to the outskirts himself, and then narrowly a kick to the face. The chaos continued as Ranger morphed a greatsword into a harpoon, threw it at one figure who side-stepped it before Ranger morphed a gauntlet and punched him into the wall hard enough to crack the wall and stun the figure, before rapidly swinging at the other figure, and eventually knocked his swords away. The figure then grabbed Ranger's leg, and gets countered with a knee to the side of the head that was hard enough to stun him, then Ranger followed up with a bash with the wide part of his greatsword and he tore up the ground as he joined the other figure. He then took a moment to catch his breath, and the figures both woke up and sprung up...without difficulty. Ranger then recovered from the surprise, morphed his guns, and opened fires on them, as they dashed and jumped around to avoid his bullets. He then morphed a greatsword and put it in front of him as thy charged him at the same time, and they engaged him from multiple sides...and hit the thinnest parts of his armor which stunned him for a second before he tried to counter, but it was no use.

The two tag-teamed him for the better part of a minute, and while they still couldn't break his armor...he did tax his stamina, and make him even angrier...which made him waste even more stamina. He then desperately tried to even the odds by morphing his light armor and it worked by letting him jump away. The two then watched him as he caught his breath and calmed down. He then morphed his greatsword again and charged at them again, and when he tried to impale one of them...he jumped up, landed on top of the sword as it stuck into the wall...and kicked Ranger in the face hard enough to break several of his teeth as the other tripped him and then kicked him into the wall.

"My teef...!" Ranger exclaimed with his missing and broken teeth making speaking harder as he looked at his blood-drenched hand as he processed the damage done. The knowledge that Sword Maiden was there to heal him again helped, but these figures were clearly nothing to laugh at. They then walked up to him to finish the job, and he desperately threw Immolation between him and them...which made them move back in surprise from the intense fire but not much else. Ranger himself marveled at how much more fire he unleashed; that holy water was more serious than these figures were. Eventually...Sword Maiden appeared before kneeling by Ranger and held out her hand as he opened his nearly toothless mount and she restored his teeth and stopped the bleeding. "How do I stop these guys!?"

"By yourself? You can't. I can give you an empowerment, but this is the last thing I can do for you...so use it wisely." Sword Maiden said before she used the miracle on him...and he felt his stamina not only return, but increase dramatically, as he stood up and let out an intense yell as the figures went on alert, and Sword Maiden vanished to let Ranger engage the figures...and the holy water did it's thing perfectly. He moved so fast the figures had no time to react, let alone defend themselves as Ranger plowed into the one who didn't break his teeth hard enough to send him flying, duck under a sword from the other before Ranger uppercuts his jaw, breaking _his_ teeth in the process, before sweeping his legs and kicking _him_ into a wall.

He then rushed to engage the other, and savagely punched him dozens of times a seconds all over his torso, before grabbing him by the throat jumping at least 20 feet and then kicking him into the ground as hard as he could, then felt and heard several ribs just from the kick itself before the figure was shot into the ground hard enough to make a small but deep crater and Ranger landed right on top of him before charging at the other figure, grabbed his waist, flipped him over his head and kicked him to where the other figure was, then rushed to finish him off with his newly morphed claws as he tore through the figure's armor and eventually got past it to tear his abdomen to bits.

The other figure barely dug his way out of the crater and watched the other figure get mauled to death, before Ranger noticed him, and jumped at him, delivering a knee right to his forehead. Ranger then grabbed him, and slammed him into the ground over and over, before throwing him into the air, jumping up, grabbing him, and spinning like a wheel before slamming him into the ground again, then finished him off with a kick to the jaw that was hard enough to tear his throat open. Ranger then looked at the two dead figures and yelled to the sky in victory as the empowerment wore off. He then removed their masks, to see their faces...and they each had the same one: they were male versions of Fighter.

"What the fuck...!?" Ranger whispered harshly before going to one of the nearly support pillars that weren't damaged and sitting by it as he mulled over what happened. Eventually...the rest of his team appeared and looked the place over.

"What happened here?" Wizard asked.

"Those two figures happened..." Ranger said as he pointed to what was left off the figures he slaughtered, and the team looked at them in awe.

"Holy shit boss!" Warrior exclaimed.

"It wasn't the fear demon who took my eyes...it was _them_. My heart...was shattered...because of them...!" Ranger said harshly before Fighter slowly approached her fuming husband and knelt next to him to see the wrath he was barely containing.

"Ranger..." Fighter whispered and Ranger looked right at her.

"They looked like you." He said sharply.

"Specialists...we've been fighting these assholes for hours." Warrior said.

"But why are they are strong, and why are they with the Evil Sect...and where did they come from?" Wizard asked.

"And how were they trained?" Fighter asked.

"We can look into that later. But...what about that spire out there?" Priestess asked.

"I will deal with." Ranger said before standing up...then collapsing as Fighter caught him, and set him down gently. "Lord of the Sword...Master of the Mace...bring your fist down from the Heavens, to crush them who mean to do us ill. Meteor..."

"Meteor?!" Everyone in his team said all at once...before looking up to see a massive burning rock falling down from the sky and heading towards the spire in the distance. They all simply watched it fall and destroy the spire in the distance with a faint poof then a whoosh as the spire came down and the ground rumbled.

"Oh...the Cambion is _so_ dead..." Rhea Fighter said as she shook her head.

"No kidding. That's _one_ way to deal with a nuisance." Warrior said.

"Did you get the fear demon?" Priestess asked before Storm Mage appeared.

"He escaped unfortunately...but don't worry, if he shows his face again, I'll tear it off and mount if on your wall for you." He said.

"Storm Mage!" Priestess exclaimed before bowing to him and getting an amused huff as a reaction.

"It's quite respectful to bow to a fellow Gold Rank, but how about a hug for your new surrogate father?" Storm Mage asked and Priestess' eyes widened.

"That's amazing!" She exclaimed as she rushed to hug the demon hunter.

"I gave Sword Maiden a wedding ring and everything; I'll show you with the recaller if you'd like." Storm Mage said.

"Yes please." Priestess said while smiling.

"The others are not going to believe this..." Warrior said.

* * *

"You two got married?" H.E. Druid asked in awe as Sword Maiden showed her wedding ring.

"We have indeed..." She said with a smile before Storm Mage wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a quick but sweet kiss.

"I am so happy for you mother...father." Priestess said as Storm Mage opened one arm to let her into a group hug.

"It's nice to have a daughter...especially one who looks like the spitting image of my new wife." Storm Mage said softly.

"Not to mention having a sister that can launch a leviathan across a lake." Wizard's brother said and Wizard herself smirked.

"I cannot remember the last time I used it like that, oh wait...I haven't." She said.

"You should use it more often; if you can do that to a leviathan, imagine how something smaller would handle it." Warrior said.

"Maybe I will." Wizard said.

"Anyway, we're happy for you both Sword Maiden, and Storm Mage." Fighter said.

"You honor us Fighter." Sword Maiden said.

"So what now?" G.S. asked.

"With the invasion defeated, you may now reorganize and refit for your clash with the Cambion, or simply stay and enjoy yourselves when the city returns to it's former glory." Sword Maiden said.

"We'll be all over that tomorrow." Wizard said.

"I'm sure you will. Now, good night to you all. You' have certainly earned your rest, especially you Ranger." Sword Maiden said as she and Storm Mage disappeared. The team all side their good nights, and went to bed...with Ranger sleeping in-between Fighter, and a clone.

"Are you feeling better now?" Fighter asked.

"Mostly..." Ranger said before they looked at the clock and he sighed.

"Well...Happy Father's Day." Fighter said somberly.

"If only..."Ranger whispered, before his mood picked up when the clone turned his head to her and kissed him deeply and repeatedly as the original watched her husband exercise his usual passion with her clone as they slowly mashed lips and tongues together, and caressed each other's muscles and hair. Ranger then broke the kiss and looked at her funny. "You're seriously watching us? And you call _me_ a perv..."

"Oh stop it..." Fighter said playfully as she patted his chest and Ranger chuckled at her before kissing her as well and then the two snuggled into him, and sighed in contentment.

"Good night..." The clone said.

"Good night my loves." Ranger said.

"Uh, you know there's only one true me right?" Fighter asked.

"I don't care; your clones are as dear to me as you are. You might say I have more to love when you clone yourself." Ranger said.

"Good to know..." The clone said before licking his ear and giving him a toothy grin.

"I thought we were supposed to go to sleep...?" Ranger said before the two ladies laughed adorably and they finally went to sleep.

* * *

The entire day was spent with the team helping re-distribute the stolen goods to the people, with the team making sure everyone gets their stuff back, and no one tries to pull any stunts on each other. Warrior even threatened to get Ranger if things got too heated...and just that made the people more cooperative, even the good ones. Priestess even went back to get Summoner, so he could use his elementals to help rebuild the walls in case of another attack, and to show off his powers. Wizard even pitched in herself by drawing power from one of his stone elementals and honored Dwarf Shaman by using some abilities she saw him use, like using concrete to fill in cracks, or enlarging rocks to use as materials...as well as summoning elementals herself to show him how far she went.

Of course, the team also spent their time feasting, drinking, and sharing stories with the people, as well as various recreation, which included going on a massive spending spree to get the city's economic heart pumping again. They bought and sold countless things that were stored in their various homes across the country, especially the jewels found being sold, and various raw materials being bought. Wizard's brother of course kept the magical items, including the useless ones; just because they were useless, didn't mean they would stay that way. Keeping the most powerful items was a no-brainer...

Cow Girl even took GS for a swim in the lake with their underwater-breathing masks on...and he agreed without any hesitation, much to her delight, but not surprise; his growth over the last few weeks was as staggering as it was welcome. They swam around, chasing each other, just looking around, and occasionally touching each other. Their swim ended with them heading to the shallows, and Cow Girl once again made the first move by caressing his face and hair, and pressing her already-parted lips against those of her lover, and deepened it as much as she could. GS in return accepted the kiss and caressed her from head to toe, and extracted a moan from her as her kneaded her barely-covered butt like it was dough.

Wizard and her brother eventually set up some alchemical devices to hurl fireworks into the air as a display to celebrate the city's Restoration, that came up when Priestess went to the Temple of Law, and she activated it at mid-afternoon, and all the city's not-stonework assets were fully-repaired and the following celebration took place until the moment the sun was about to go down...and then kept going. Ranger's parents arrived with their grandchild, and watched the festivities. Eventually, even Hero's team showed up and boasted about how they crushed the army of demons that were going to appear alongside the forces that already came. Summoner even went to get Guild Girl and Inspector to share in the festivities.

* * *

Rhea Fighter climbed one of the buildings to get a good view of the fireworks...then Wizard's brother found her...

"Hey! Look who I found." He said as he levitated up to meet her.

"I thought you were going to do the fireworks." Rhea Fighter said.

"Eh, it's already set up. It's all up to my sister now." Wizard's brother said.

"I see...find anything good in that spire?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Oh yes, lots of stuff. Scrolls, both blank, and filled, mana gems, some raw materials, Sword Mage's sword, and a buttload of demonic relics, and don't get me started on the prisoners we freed." Wizard's brother said.

"You're a real hero..." Rhea Fighter said with a smile, which was returned.

"Hey, Sword Mage and Goblin Slayer did most of the work." He said.

"Still." Rhea Fighter said as they kept staring at each other...until the fireworks started and Rhea fighter glued her eyes to the display.

"Oh, I forgot to mention: these are not ordinary fireworks." Wizard's brother said.

"What do you mean?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"You'll see..." Wizard's brother said before then the fireworks went from simply bursts of colors, and light...to bursts of color and light, that moved like living beings as Rhea Fighter gasped. Some moved like snakes around each other before spreading out and vanishing, others went back and forth between locking limbs together, some even looked like they were swimming.

"How did-" Wizard's brother shuts her up with a finger on her fingers.

"It's not over..." He said...before a volley of fireworks lit up the whole sky and resembled the light from the sky that Restoration resembled, only it was an organized display of blue, green, purple, and red...all colors of the night sky in Heaven. He was blown away by his own work...then hearing Rhea Fighter sniffling broke his hypnosis...and she saw Rhea Fighter weeping with her hands on her face and shaking like a leaf. "I...think I overdid it..."

"No...! It's flawless..." Rhea Fighter said with a cracked voice as her face split with a smile, and then pounced on Wizard's brother and embraced him as tightly as she could, and he returned the embrace. They then sat there before she pulled back and dried her face. She then looked up at her human companion who looked at her with concern on his face...and she pressed her lips against his, much to his surprise, but he relented and let her kiss him to her heart's content as the display continued.

* * *

**FINALLY! I've been putting this on hold for too damn long, and I wasn't going to put in on hold for a minute longer. I sincerely hope you all found it to be worth the wait, and had as much fun reading it, as I did writing it. Anyway, I know Father's Day was yesterday, but who cares...besides, I MUST do something for Ranger like I did with Fighter. Heaven knows he deserves it after having his heart ripped into a million pieces, and I've got plenty in mind for the next chapter, and I swear, that one will not be over 24,000 words like this one was...I swear I'm breaking that record more and more often...anyway, that last bit with Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother was also planned, but Sword Maiden and Storm Mage being married was on-the-fly to be honest. Also...I've been wanting to have Storm Mage and Ranger fight side-by-side for ages, so...fuck yeah. So...what's up for Ranger's Father's Day? Who's this goblin overlord? Why were those specialists so damn powerful? Well, be sure to Rate, Review, and Share until then...stay tuned...**

**P.S. this is for Ranger mauling those specialists... ULTRA COMBOOOOOO!  
**


	42. Chapter 22 Part I

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Whew...after an exhausting day of saving Water Town, I say the Team deserves a break. So let's get down to celebrations, and boy is one in order.**

**Review Response: Cambion's a resourceful bastard ain't he? The Goblin Overlord's title should tell you everything you need to know as well. As for the specialists? Well...see for yourself.**

**I'm not sure if Rhea Fighter and Wizard's bro are a thing in the official version of GS, but frankly, I wouldn't put it past them. The Love Goddess contacting Ranger was a complete shoo-in...although I'm a bit surprised Cow girl swimming with GS, which she said she was going to the last time they went swimming, not including the beach, wasn't mentioned. By the way, I just now thought of this, but Wizard's bro has a bit of a Harry Potter vibe to him...oddly enough.  
**

* * *

"You've been improving..." Summoner said.

"Of course I did. I'm Gold Ranked just like you are." Wizard said.

"That I can understand, but your summoning is what got me." Summoner said.

"Yeah no kidding." Wizard said as they walked back to the festival.

"What else did you work on?" Summoner asked.

"I got some more scrolls, which I'll look at later, some mana gems-" He cuts Wizard off.

"Can I have some?" He asked and Wizard stops walking.

"I suppose..." She said before handing one over, and Summoner looks it over.

"This should do wonders for my summons..." He said thoughtfully.

"Speaking of which, how many do you have?" Wizard asked.

"By my count, hundreds." Summoner said and Wizard's eyes widened.

"Yikes..." She said.

"Yeah, I actually joked that I was the general of an army because of that." Summoner boasted.

"Right..." Wizard said.

"Did you make a World Spawn yet?" Summoner asked.

"No I haven't." Wizard said.

"Well...now's a good time." Summoner said and Wizard's eyebrow raised. "Come on, summoning the strongest elemental in the book during a festival? That has "wow" written all over it."

"Good point. But what should I do with it afterwards?" Wizard asked.

"Can I have it?" Summoner asked.

"O.k...what would you even do with it?" Wizard asked.

"Send it into Limbo, or better yet...you could." Summoner said.

"Huh?" Wizard said.

"You didn't study the demon lord's tongue have you?" Summoner asked.

"Now to be fair, there was...alot of bullshit going on. Although I did look into it in my spare time." Wizard said before Summoner sighed. "Hey, you get a free World Spawn out of this, and I'm Gold Ranked already, not to mention summoning is your specialty."

"Right...and now that I think about it, two World Spawns are better than one, especially at the same time, and who knows, we might use the one you summon, in combination with my own." Summoner said...then Wizard started rolling her eyes. "What?"

"I just thought of something...World Spawns can only be summoned one at a time because it takes all the stones one has to summon it. But what if the stones were shrunk with alchemy?" Wizard asked and Summoner's eyes widened.

"Then you can store as many summon stones as you want, unshrink them when you need them...and make as many World Spawns as you want!" He said excitedly and then hugged Wizard and picked her up. "You're a damn genius!"

"O.k. o.k...that I am." Wizard said as Summoner put her down and smiled proudly.

"I cannot wait to see how you pull that off." He said.

"Me?" Wizard asked.

"I'm not an alchemist lady. I tried it with the alchemist back at the fort...haven't tried it since." Summoner said bluntly.

"Oh well...you can still summon elementals to your heart's content for all the damns I give." Wizard said.

"Permission acknowledged..." Summoner said dryly.

"Well, in any case, I'll get on the summoning later on. I want the people to really get involved in this event." Wizard said.

"Can't argue with that..." Summoner said before they kept going back to the festival to join the rest of the people and he was immediately called over by a barely-audible voice...and they saw Guild Girl waving at them, and Summoner waved back. "I'll see you later."

"Alright..." Wizard said with a knowing smile, and shook her head while walking off to do her own thing.

"Hey honey." Guild Girl said as Summoner approached her in an alley she went down for privacy.

"Hey..." He said before giving her a quick, but sweet kiss while holding her. "Enjoying yourself so far?"

"Yes I am...especially now." Guild Girl said sweetly as she caressed his smiling face and he gave her a deeper and longer kiss while continuing to hold her, then noticed her silver brooch. "You still have it..."

"I wear it every time I get a chance." Guild Girl said.

"I ever tell you I love you?" Summoner asked and Guild Girl giggled.

"I do not recall." She teased.

"Let me remind you..." Summoner said before pulling her into another kiss that was deep as first, but then turned more passionate as she clung onto him, before pulling away.

"I love you too." Guild Girl said softly as Summoner pressed his forehead into hers.

"Where's Inspector?" He asked.

"She's with Noble Fencer, discussing what's been happening during the occupation. Poor woman's been through quite a bit actually." Guild Girl said somberly.

"Well...leave it to a priestess of the Supreme to brighten people's days." Summoner said.

"Right...she certainly brightens your day doesn't she?" Guild Girl asked seriously.

"Baby...I love you both just as much." Summoner said and Guild Girl sighed. "What?"

"It's just...nevermind. I know you have room for us both in your heart, and like she said: we're hardly strangers." Guild Girl said.

"Well, if you have an issue, I'll do what I can, especially since...well...I'm thinking about taking a page out of my brother's book and following the Love Goddess." Summoner said and Guild Girl backed up.

"Seriously?" She asked in awe.

"My older brother did it, why can't I?" Summoner asked.

"I know but...isn't that a big decision?" Guild Girl asked.

"Normally, very much so. But in my case? Not really." Summoner said and Guild Girl looked at him funny. "Think about it, I'm honoring my dead sibling, I have not one, but two women in my heart, both of whom were clearly blessed by the Love Goddess...and I'm pretty well-versed on what love is about."

"But...I thought you served the War God?" Guild Girl asked.

"_Ranger_ serves the War God; I just advocate for him, and I follow his teachings, especially the idea of showing valor and fighting the right kind of fight." Summoner said.

"Well...if you think it's for the best, go right ahead." Guild Girl said.

"Alright. Now let's go find the other two ladies." Summoner said and she led him to where Inspector and Noble Fencer were: her manor. Guild Girl knocked and Noble Fencer herself answered.

"Guild Girl and Summoner I presume?" She asked.

"Yes we are." Guild Girl said.

"Come in." Noble Fencer said before her two guests joined her third, and the three took turns hugging, before Summoner gave Inspector a quick kiss.

"So, what's this about?" Summoner asked.

"Well, our dear host has a...bit of a personal dilemma." Inspector said.

"Inspector!" Noble Fencer exclaimed.

"Relax, I can vouch for them; they can keep secrets as well as I can." Inspector said before Noble Fencer sighed.

"I sure hope so." She said before sitting down.

"Dare I ask?" Guild Girl asked.

"Well...you know we have a new demon hunter in town?" Noble Fencer asked.

"That Sword Mage fellow? We never met him, but we know of him." Guild Girl said.

"What's he look like?" Summoner asked.

"Decently tall, purple hair, wears armor and has slightly pointed ears thanks to his elven heritage." Noble Fencer said.

"Well, I saw a guy that looks like that earlier, but never talked to him...nice-looking guy too..." Guild Girl trailed off.

"Yes, well, it's just...I...sort of...like him..." Noble Fencer said with difficulty.

"Ahhhh, well, have you talked to him before?" Summoner asked.

"Not directly, but I saw him fight the invaders during the occupation, and boy is he a powerhouse..." Noble Fencer said seriously yet dreamily.

"You want us to introduce you?" Inspector asked.

"No, at least not yet. I want to do this naturally, like how Ranger and Fighter got together..." Noble Fencer said.

"It always comes back to them doesn't it?" Summoner asked.

"Well, the Sword Maiden wished their love to be a beacon for others. Wow...even in death, she's as legendary as ever." Inspector said dreamily.

"No kidding..." Guild Girl said before Noble Fencer yawned.

"Well, thanks for giving me a vote of confidence...but I'm going to get some sleep, unless the festival picks up again." She said.

"Not likely; those fireworks were off-the-charts." Summoner said seriously.

"Well...good night all of you." Noble Fencer said.

"Good night." Guild Girl said as Noble Fencer went upstairs, and the trio went outside...and saw Ranger talking to his parents.

* * *

"Welcome back to Water Town." He quipped...before his daughter whined and reached for her father. Ranger then took his baby without pause and held her close. "Welcome home daughter..."

"She really missed you apparently." Ranger's mom said.

"And I missed her..." Ranger said softly before looking his daughter's face over, and let her touch his face...before getting choked up.

"Son?" Ranger's mom asked before Ranger slowly handed her over.

"Son...seriously. What's the matter?" Ranger's dad asked.

"Just...I had a nasty encounter a while ago, and I don't want to get too worked up in front of my infant daughter." Ranger said.

"Alright." Ranger's dad said concerned.

"She was crying up a storm when we first got here, but she calmed down when we went somewhere quiet. Luckily, she got used to it eventually, and we could enjoy a good chunk of the festival. Some people even recognized her as yours." Ranger's mom said and her son smiled.

"I'm not surprised." He said.

"She's not much different from when you were a baby. She's a chip off the old block this one." Ranger's mom said as she stroked her granddaughter's cheek with the back of her finger, and letting the baby grip her finger.

"Wish I knew how Fighter was as a baby..." Ranger said.

"That's one of the oddest things you've ever said." Ranger's mom said.

"Very funny...anyway, other than seeing the sights, and bringing my daughter back, what brings you here?" Ranger asked.

"Well, for starters, a good chunk of the recruits were so good at the quests they trained for, they each became Obsidian Ranked after at the most, three quests. They were just escort, mining, or goblin-killing quests strangely enou-" Ranger cuts his dad off.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa...they went after goblins?" He asked seriously.

"Relax, they were all trained for it, which includes being told how vicious they were, and they were trained to control their anger. It paid off too; no one died...although, they were pretty shaken." Ranger's dad said.

"Well, at least that can be dealt with." Ranger said.

"Easier said than done; some said they found a dead woman that was sliced up so badly she wasn't recognizable." His dad said and Ranger clenched his fists...before calming down.

"May the Supreme receive her like the Sword Maiden was received." Ranger whispered.

"On a more pleasant note: we also came to see what use we could be to the town, especially since the town could use it at this point and time." Ranger's mom said.

"I see..." Ranger said.

"How did Father's Day itself treat you?" Ranger's dad asked and Ranger lowered his head. "Son?"

"Abhorrent..." Ranger said harshly and his parents both sobered up.

"Son..." His mom whispered.

"Nevermind this invasion...I was beaten by a demon, and then by a pair of specialists, called so for obvious reasons." Ranger said seriously.

"Son..." Ranger's mom whispered.

"This demon tried playing on my fears and...the specialists came in and nearly finished the job." Ranger said.

"What do you mean?" Ranger's mom asked.

"The demon...it tried to break me by having me listen to my team be tormented in ways...I really don't want to think about. I'm just glad I didn't see it happen." Ranger said.

"It didn't show it to you?" Ranger's dad asked.

"It couldn't...my eyes were slashed." Ranger said and his parents gasped in horror. "I didn't give in to my fears but...my sight being lost really got to me; I'm happy beyond words my eyes were healed, by the Sword Maiden's ghost nonetheless...but the thought of never being able to see my wife, let alone my _child_...?" Ranger didn't dare continue as his parents continued to stare at him.

"That is so cruel..." Ranger's mom said harshly.

"I got my revenge though; you could probably bury what was left of the specialists who attacked me with a fork and spoon. On top of that..." Ranger shut up and looked around to see they were alone before continuing. "The Love Goddess granted me a vision...one where I could relive all the times me and Fighter were together, and she could tell I needed it."

"She lives up to her title well." Ranger's mom said.

"Well...I hope the rest of this festival makes up for your crappy Father's Day son. From the looks of things, the people are no where near done." Ranger's dad said as he looked around at the still-up decorations, the streets that used to be full of people that are now in bed at this point, and the treasures that were under lock-and-key until the morning.

"Like we established, we'll stay until it's over." Ranger's mom said.

"Good...I love you both." Ranger said as he took his daughter back. "I mean...you three." His daughter cooed and touched his face in response, which earned her a smile.

* * *

Meanwhile, Summoner and the ladies went to the Guild Hall to see what work could be done there in the morning...and both Ranger and GS' teams were there looking at the adventurers themselves...and the place was swelling with recruits who were clearly inspired by the feats of heroism demonstrated by the two teams. Summoner broke away from the trio and went outside to get some air...and apparently Cow Girl had the same idea. She was standing the edge of the lake, looking out as the wind blew through her hair, and the twin moons reflected off the water. She didn't even bother looking in his direction as he approached.

"Long time no see." Summoner said seriously.

"Hey..." Cow Girl said somberly as he reached her side.

"Are you alright?" Summoner asked.

"I never thought I'd become an adventurer a year ago, let alone get my life uprooted...only to then be part of a force that saves a holy city." Cow Girl said thoughtfully.

"I can imagine that's pretty heavy..." Summoner said...before Cow Girl hugged him, and he hesitated before returning it.

"Thanks again for looking after me after the farm was ruined." She said softly.

"Outside of your career as an adventurer...how are you now?" Summoner asked before Cow Girl pulled away just enough to look up at his face.

"You've seen my new outfit, but I've also gotten the same weapon-morphing powers the rest of the team has, as well as my new rifle." She said.

"I can tell you put it to good use too..." Summoner said with a smile, which she returned before snuggling into him again.

"When the farm was destroyed, I felt I had no where to go, but you took me in and gave me a temporary home, when you could've just left me to fend for myself. It means alot..." Cow Girl said softly.

"Would you have done anything less for me?" Summoner asked and Cow Girl actually giggled.

"I have to admit...I felt quite safe being in a fortress full of demon hunters." She said.

"I see what you mean. Some people I encountered took refuge in demon hunter bases and said they were so crazy no one would mess with them, and ironically felt safe as a result." Summoner said.

"I felt the same way...but still...a simple farm girl in a fortress full of demon hunters, after she lost her home was...the worst position I was ever in." Cow Girl said before weeping and tightening her hold on Summoner. "I once told Goblin Slayer, I didn't want to leave that farm because of how much I didn't want to lose my home to the goblins again, and then I became homeless again...and I lost my one remaining family member..."

"But look at you now. You're part of a force that saved a holy city, like you said yourself. You're Sapphire Ranked after only a handful of quests, your first quest was protecting a child that barely began to live during an invasion on a fortress of demon hunters, you were saved by the Sword Maiden's ghost...and you train with a Platinum Rank, work with Gold and Silver Ranks as well, and who knows what else. A lesser person would've given up before even thinking about becoming an adventurer...but you didn't. You were knocked down, got back up and jammed your feet up the goblins' asses...and then some." Summoner said and Cow Girl started laughing.

"You sounded just like Ranger just now." She said while drying her eyes.

"I guess he's rubbing off on me...but back to the point. Your uncle would be proud of you, and I'd be shocked if Goblin Slayer wasn't." Summoner said.

"I hope so..." Cow Girl said somberly before Summoner held her closer.

"All things considered...you are quite possibly the bravest woman I've ever met." He said seriously.

"I'm not as brave as that Fighter girl. She's unstoppable..." Cow Girl said.

"She has a whole team to back her up, and there's no way she started off as strong as she is now." Summoner said.

"I guess...I do sort of wish we were there when the farm was destroyed." Cow Girl said.

"If you were, you'd probably be dead to-" Cow Girl cuts him off.

"I meant when I'm as tough as I am now!" She snapped before getting a grip. "I'm almost as strong as Goblin Slayer nowadays...if I had been there...my uncle would probably still be alive."

"Bullshit." Summoner said simply and Cow Girl looked right at his stern face. "You're not even Silver Ranked, let alone Platinum. If you went up against as many goblins and demons as me, my brother, and everyone else fought...you'd probably wind up like the Sword Maiden, or worse." Cow Girl sobered up at the memory of when she was dogpiled and nearly violated by goblins before the Sword Maiden showed up, and helped her get revenge. "Blaming yourself for a loss is one thing...but this is just pure insanity."

"Right...what was I thinking." Cow Girl said softly before getting a grip and Summoner tightened his hold on her.

"Either way, don't compare yourself to Fighter, and don't blame yourself for your uncle's death. No good will come out of it." He said, and Cow Girl smiled brighter than ever.

"Thank you..." She whispered before weeping again.

"Actually...I was wrong about something. You and Fighter _can_ be compared: you're both beauties, and you're both beasts." Summoner said and Cow Girl laughed again.

"You sounded like Ranger again." She said.

"If I do that again, slap me..." Summoner said dryly.

"I don't want to slap you, not after all you did for me." Cow Girl said.

"Right...you know what? I can see you becoming Emerald Rank just for being involved in this." Summoner said.

"Well...I did help clear the walls, when we first stormed this place, and when it was invaded again." Cow Girl said.

"What else?" Summoner asked.

"I kept some people away from the battle while the rest of the team fought...someone strong enough strong enough to fight them all at once..." Cow Girl said and Summoner let go of her.

"The Cambion?" He asked.

"No, they called him a specialist." Cow Girl said.

"A specialist...what did they say about them?" Summoner asked.

"Only that his skill and weaponry were enough to give even Ranger a hard time. Two of them nearly killed him." Cow Girl said.

"This just gets better and better..." Summoner trailed off as Guild Girl and Inspector came out.

"I'll rejoin my team." Cow Girl said as she went back inside and the other two ladies joined Summoner.

"Well?" He asked.

"We think we should be transferred here from the frontier." Guild Girl said.

"You sure? I mean, you two are pretty popular around the frontier." Summoner said.

"Not really, at least...not anymore." Guild Girl said.

"Huh?" Summoner asked.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but ever since you showed up, people were less...friendly towards us, if you get my drift." Inspector said.

"Right..." Summoner said.

"On top of that, this place is much nicer than the frontier, there's more work available here, and the place looks much nicer." Guild Girl said.

"And it's not like we'll be irreplaceable; there's plenty of guild workers who can replace us, especially since there's not too much going on in the frontier. Some of them are probably eager to get some more work." Inspector said.

"Well...in that case, I might as well show you my old home." Summoner said and he lead the two women to a house just small enough to not be called a manor, and they went inside. "Welcome to the house me and my old team used to live in." The group toured the house, from the kitchen, to the small library, to the room he used to make his summon stones in, and the ladies went upstairs to check out the bedrooms as Summoner recalled the old times with his team, from when he caught Werewolf sleeping in the corner in his wolf form, and having to get Assassin to calm him down with a steak before leading him out, to when he counted his coin he made from a job, and Werewolf asking how he didn't lose count, to when he had to leave a mark in a book because Assassin wouldn't keep the noise down when training. The ridiculousness of those times would his face split with a smile as he got back to reality and went to his stone-making room, and tried to shrink one stone with his alchemical prowess...if he had any. He recalled some things the alchemist said about alchemy...and tried to shrink a stone, but nothing happened except that the stone was lightened. A step in the right direction, but not enough. He then heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Summoner?" Inspector asked.

"Yes sweetheart?" He asked and Inspector smiled in response.

"This...this is quite a home you had." She said.

"It looked different before actually; they must've refurbished it since I was last here." Summoner said.

"For the better or worse?" Inspector asked.

"If you ask me, the better." Summoner said, then Inspector took his hand.

"Come upstairs." "She said as she gently pulled his arms, and then he stopped her and reached out to hug her.

"I almost feel like I went back in time. I remembered the time with my original teammates just now...I never thought I'd miss them." Summoner said and Inspector returned the hug.

"Summoner..." She whispered softly before Summoner tightened the embrace.

"How do you like the place?" He asked.

"We both like it. Guild Girl probably can't off the bed to save her life." Inspector said.

"Good thing you didn't get on the bed eh?" Summoner asked with a smile.

"I actually drummed up the will to get up." Inspector boasted.

"Good for you..." Summoner said before giving her a quick kiss.

"Also...my birthday is in a few days." Inspector said.

"Really? How old?" Summoner asked.

"21 actually." Inspector said.

"Any wishes?" Summoner asked.

"Just that you stay with me...mighty general." Inspector teased and Summoner smirked.

"That I guarantee...my sexy priestess..." He said sensually before they mashed their lips together and repeatedly kissed as deeply as they could, and lashed tongues while listening to each other exhale. She even felt his manhood stiffen and did him a favor by breaking the kiss and adjusting it so it was pressed up against his lower abdomen. "So...anything else you'd like.?"

"Whatever you can think of." Inspector said.

"I can do that, and other things. I might even become a priest of the Love Goddess on that day." Summoner said.

"That...would be something else." Inspector said.

"You're not surprised?" Summoner asked.

"Guild Girl told me a while ago." Inspector said.

"What else did she tell you?" Summoner asked.

"What else do you and her discuss?" Inspector asked.

"Right..." Summoner said.

"How old are you?" Inspector asked.

"24...two years behind my brother...and the Sword Maiden." Summoner said.

"They were the same age..." Inspector trailed off.

"Apparently so." Summoner said.

"Well...think you can put some of that loving you have in store for us on-hold until my birthday?" Inspector asked while shifting against him.

"You're quite naughty for a priestess of the Supreme God you know that?" Summoner asked.

"And you are quite sweet for a demon hunter. Besides, we both know Guild Girl's the sweet one between her and me, so you...my sexy Summoner, get the whole package." Inspector teased before kissing him deeply against the wall...and stroked the underside of his manhood through his pants and then he pushed her off.

"Alright alright...that will do." Summoner breathed out.

"Right...let's get some sleep." Inspector said as they went to bed, and found Guild Girl buck-naked in bed under the covers, and she opened her eyes, and watched her two bedmates strip nude...and briefly stared at Summoner's arousal, before the two join her in bed, and the girls snuggled into Summoner's sides, draping their soft, shapely thighs over his own, and pressing their breasts into his shoulders and chest.

"That farm girl, what were you talking about?" Guild Girl asked.

"Mostly, how far she's come, not only as an adventurer, but as a person. She also thanked me for looking after her...while she was homeless." Summoner said.

"He's telling the truth." Inspector said...before Summoner pinched her butt and made her tense up in surprise.

"Did you have to use Sense Lie to tell that?" Summoner asked.

"I was just kidding you hound." Inspector said before kissing him again and moaning as her butt was continuous fondled... and Guild Girl cleared her throat. "Sorry..."

"Well, we're both in bed with an aspiring priest of the Love Goddess, but that's past...anyway, I just didn't want to be left out." She said honestly.

"How can I leave you out? My sweet Guild Girl..." Summoner said before pulling her into a kiss that tugged her heartstrings; he kissed her with no force, and simply placed his lips on hers as they let the feeling of each other's lips speak for itself, before he broke it and looked at her still-parted lips, and resisted the urge to kiss her again, but caressed her hair. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Guild Girl whispered.

"And me?" Inspector asked.

"I'm pretty sure I made my feelings for you pretty clear." Summoner said seriously.

"Yes..you have." Inspector said as Summoner kept holding Guild Girl and Inspector gave him a quick but deep kiss.

"I'm a bit concerned about that fear demon still being out there..." Guild Girl said.

"Hey, I protected you both against that rhea didn't I? And my elementals are patrolling Limbo all the time, and I have a World Spawn on the loose." Summoner said.

"Right..." Guild Girl said before groaning.

"What's wrong baby?" Summoner asked.

"Well...the day that rhea left his exam, he said I'd regret kicking him out, and I said it wasn't likely, but honestly...he was right." Guild Girl said and Summoner put his hand on her pouting face.

"Hey, that rhea tried to kill all three of us and failed, if he comes back from Hell again, I'll send him back again." He said.

"That is _very_ likely...general." Inspector teased before kissing him again, and even turned around to rub her butt against his side as he groped her breast...and made her moan into their kiss as he pinched and twisted her nipple. Guild Girl then kissed his neck while he used his spare hand to squeeze her butt and rub her milky thighs. Eventually, Inspector stopped moving and turned again as Guild Girl stopped eventually and Inspector caressed his face.

"Would you like to try anything new with us? You know...any new tricks?" Guild Girl asked.

"Now's not the time...I want to have as much in store for my sexy priestess' birthday." Summoner said as he caressed Inspector's smiling face.

"You really are a gentleman..." She said sweetly yet sensually.

"Who's in bed with a pair of gorgeous women who are total sweethearts...especially you." Summoner said before kissing Guild Girl's forehead, then looked them both in their smiling faces, especially Guild Girl's, before Inspector turned his head to give him a deep and sweet kiss as Guild Girl watched in anticipation before the two snuggled into him again.

"You know...if other guys saw your situation, they'd probably sign up to become demon hunters themselves." Guild Girl said.

"Heaven forbid they find out then; being a demon hunter is not all it's cracked up to be...like when I lost most of my people at the fort..." Summoner said with a sigh.

"Well...let the Supreme see them through." Inspector said and Summoner turned to her and held her close as Guild Girl pressed her breasts into his back while hugging him from behind.

"I love you both..." Summoner breathed out.

"And we love you." Guild Girl said before he turned over, and kissed him, then Inspector gave her own kiss and they snuggled into him even more deeply before going to sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranger was swarmed by some of the aspiring adventurers for pointers, and he spent several moments lecturing them on warfare tactics, from using intimidation to end fights before they start, either by causing damage, or even suffering, or by proving you mean business with reputation, or actions, to hitting foes directly which he promised to demonstrate after getting some sleep. He even told them a bit about ranger tactics...and how similar they were to what the goblins did. Some adventurers actually said they wanted to become rangers themselves, but Ranger said that was easier said than done, and some had second thoughts, while a handful quite true to their request.

Cow Girl walked inside, and joined Fighter who was holding her sleeping daughter and Cow Girl couldn't help but smile at the little angel, and looked ahead just in time to see Ranger split the adventurers into groups, and used a single Smith miracle to create weapons for each group, one getting swords, others getting spears, others getting hammers, maces, or clubs, and the last one getting bows and crossbows made of flexible metal; holy water boosting the power of miracles was never going to get old. The whole crowd marveled at the power of the War God being demonstrated before their eyes, but Ranger made it clear that there was a reason so few followed the War God...although acolytes like he used to be at first wasn't out of the question. Some of the adventurers asked for Ranger to put in a word for them as a group of War God followers, and Ranger agreed, but told them not to expect anything beyond making simple weapons, or causing a small blaze.

Ranger even mentioned how each weapon was made dull for safety reasons, but promised to sharpen them in the morning when they started their training. He even mentioned that two of his teammates were good at enchanting, but the Wizard siblings made it clear that it wasn't going to happen until they got better with their weapons, and Warrior mentioned that they should all learn different styles to mix things up enough. Some adventurers also wanted to learn magic themselves, in addition to their weapons skills. Ranger also mentioned that Fighter was keen on unarmed fighting, which plenty of people also wanted to get involved in, and as always, they were encouraged to be more diverse. At this rate, they would become Silver Ranks in no time. They all left to get their rooms to rest for the morning...then Ranger heard a voice he'd know anywhere.

"Enjoy your time basking in their love?" Hero asked.

"Very funny..." Ranger said.

"Hey, that what happens when you save the holy city for the umpteenth time." Hero said with a smirk.

"Right..." Ranger groaned.

"Yeah, sometimes you just want the day to _stay_ saved right?" Hero asked with a chuckle as Ranger shook his head.

"Tell me about it..." He groaned.

"Oh well, leave it to a fellow classmate of mine to inspire people." Hero said and Ranger scoffed in amusement.

"Classmate..." He muttered.

"What's she talking about?" Cow Girl asked.

"She once told him "welcome to the top of the class"..." Fighter said.

"Right..." Cow Girl said.

"Why exactly did you tell them about possibly getting the War God's favor?" Sage asked.

"And how did you get so far with the War God anyway?" Sword Saint asked.

"In order: they asked and I answered, not to mention it doesn't hurt to give people a chance...if they're qualified. As for my progress...well, think about it: even as a kid, I was devoted to warfare; even my recreation was based on warfare." Ranger said.

"Oh?" Sword Saint asked.

"Growing up, my toys weren't baskets and balls; my toys were sticks that I pretended were the real thing, and eventually, when I progressed onto the actual real thing...turns out that training with sticks was harder. On the flip-side, my father taught me that fighting just...because, is a hollow victory no matter how much pleasure you get from beating your foes. What's the point of defeating someone if nothing good on the whole comes out of it?" Ranger said.

"Can't argue with that." Sage said.

"No wonder you came so far with the War God." Hero said thoughtfully.

"It also helps that unlike an uncomfortably large amount of people...I actually care about how I use my weapons, even in the middle of an intense battle." Ranger said.

"O...k... So what do you say we show them how the biggest of the big dogs play tomorrow?" Hero asked.

"That was part of the plan in case you didn't hear-" Hero cuts Ranger off.

"I meant I want to fight you." Hero said and Ranger lowered his head and raised his eyebrows.

"Not full force, and not here. We just finished repairing the place." He said.

"Then we use other weapons then." Hero said simply.

"Why do you even want to fight me? You saw what I did to the vampire queen; you know you don't stand a chance against me at full strength, and even if you did...your skills don't hold a candle to mine." Ranger said honestly and Hero huffed.

"And they call _me_ confident..." She said.

"I've seen how you fight, and you've seen how I fight; it's a night and day difference." Ranger said.

"What do you mean?" Hero asked and Ranger lowered his head and raised his eyebrows. "Do you have an issue with how I use my sword?"

"From what I've seen...seeing you swing your sword is like eating ice cream and finding it has no sugar." Ranger said bluntly and Hero's two companions exclaimed in shock.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Hero asked.

"It means you're probably the luckiest person I know. You got your hands on one of the greatest weapons in the world, became a Platinum Rank on that basis alone, minus your fight with a weakened Demon Lord, and you're how old?" Ranger asked and Hero stared at him.

"At the time...15." Sword Saint said and Hero growled at her as she shrugged.

"O.k. this is getting out-of-hand..." H.E. Druid said.

"I couldn't agree more." Sage said as she got between Ranger and Hero who kept staring each other down. "You're both Platinum Ranks, there's no sense fighting like kids over something that's easy to fix."

"Well...now I definitely want to fight him later on." Hero said seriously.

"And I still think it's a lost cause." Ranger said.

"But I...would love to get some advanced practice in." Warrior said and the three ladies raised their eyebrows.

"Say what now?" Sword Saint asked.

"_That_ would actually be fair." Ranger said.

"You can't be serious..." Hero said.

"If you didn't have that sword there's no way you'd be where you are, face it. I wasn't just training since childhood, but kept going up since. I highly doubt you can say the same thing." Ranger said.

"The man has a point." Sage said.

"You too?" Hero asked.

"Hey, do you accept my challenge or not?" Warrior asked and Hero sighed.

"I guess so...I can't turn away from a challenger now can I?" She said with her confidence restored.

"Alright!" Warrior said.

"Now, fair's fair. Both of you are using regular swords, not your blessed ones." Ranger said firmly.

"You have a holy sword too?" Hero asked.

"I doubt it holds a candle to your own, but it's still up there." Warrior said.

"Wait...just for reference, can I see yours for a moment?" Ranger asked, and Hero looked at her companions, and both shrugged.

"Why not...?" Hero said as she tossed her sword over to him, and he exclaimed, turned, and waved it around trying to get a feel of it. He then morphed a copy of it, held the real one in a reverse grip and tossed it back to Hero. "Are you sure this is the real-" Ranger shut her up by slamming the fake one on the ground and it bent, which surprised the trio. "-one..."

"The real one isn't this flimsy, remember?" Ranger asked.

"Alright alright point taken..." Hero said.

"Why make it in the first place?" Sword Saint asked.

"Don't know yet. Maybe keep it as a wall-hanger, infuse it with his sword, maybe keep it to give it to my daughter when she's old enough...?" Ranger said.

"Well, either way, it's pretty flattering." Sage said.

"Right." Ranger said.

"Well, we better get some sleep..." Sword Saint said and Hero yawned.

"As if on-cue." Sage said dryly.

"Oh shut it." Hero said and Sage snickered at her. "Good night all of you."

"Good night." Warrior said as the ladies went up to their rooms and Ranger joined the rest of the team were were just watching the conversation.

"Well...that was entertaining." Rhea Fighter said.

"You excepted less?" Wizard asked.

"I didn't expect more." Rhea Fighter said and Wizard deadpanned at her.

"Anyways...we should head home ourselves." Ranger said.

"Alright." Warrior said and they went straight to Ranger and Fighter's manor with Cow Girl holding their baby.

"Sir? I actually went to the Temple to check in with the acolytes there, and you're not going to believe this..." Priestess said.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"It's the Sword Maiden and Storm Mage's bodies...they were both cremated, and their ashes were put in the same jar..._together_." Priestess said softly and the team stopped cold.

"Dear Supreme that's wonderful..." Wizard whispered as her eyes watered and Warrior held her.

"They were close in life, and now inseparable in death." Fighter said.

"In this life, and the next." Ranger said.

"Did they know the two were involved or something?" Cow Girl asked.

"I wouldn't put it past them..." Priestess said.

"Well...like they said, the two are now inseparable." GS said.

"What about Sword Mage?" Ranger asked.

"He has his own place, and it's actually not far from where Noble Fencer lives. They don't live next door or anything, but still." Priestess said.

"Eh, we can talk to him later." Ranger said as they kept going to the manor, and when they went inside, he put the replica of Hero's sword on the top of a cabinet. "I wish my horse was here..."

"You know you can summon her right?" Fighter asked and Ranger paused.

"No I did not remember..." He said before going outside and summoning his horse in a burst of blue fire and she neighed as soon as she showed up. "Be still...it's me." The sound of her rider's voice calmed her down right away. "I'd harm myself before I harm you..." She then let her rider pet her before neighing less nosily and welcomed his hand. "Let's go..." Ranger then led his horse to a shed and then cleared out the items them...by absorbing them, and walking his horse in before going back to the others.

"So, any ideas for how we deal with the Cambion?" Warrior asked.

"Well, we went over the scrolls Goblin Slayer's team took from the spire, and unfortunately...most of it is in the demon's tongue..." Wizard said.

"But some parts that weren't mentioned a Goblin Overlord." Wizard's brother said...and the whole team sobered up and GS stepped forward.

"Overlord?!" He asked.

"Apparently that's what he's called, you know him?" Wizard's brother asked.

"No...but I doubt he'll be easy to take down." GS said and Cherub poofed in.

"You don't know the half of it. He lives in a citadel in the middle of the deadlands, and few people go there and come back; that place is practically a paradise for goblins, and who knows what else." He said.

"Great..." Rhea Fighter said.

"We will likely need an invasion force like we did with the vampire queen." GS said.

"I'm on top of that Goblin Slayer." Wizard said proudly.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"Me and Summoner talked about shrinking summon stones so we can make a literal army of them if we need to." Wizard said and the team exclaimed...then looked at the baby who was luckily still sleeping.

"If you do that, you'll get a Platinum Rank for sure..." Fighter said quieter.

"Here's hoping." Wizard said.

"That's not likely to be enough though. We'll need to be through." GS said.

"For the record...we can think of all this later..." Cow Girl said.

"Alright...would you like to sleep here or at your new fort?" Ranger asked.

"Our fort...the one you gave to us." Cow Girl said with a smile.

"Priestess?" Ranger asked and she opened a portal to the fort...before Cow Girl went to hug Ranger.

"Thanks for giving us such a lovely place, even though it's technically an asset of your team's." She said.

"So? It's still your home. Heaven knows you deserve it too." Ranger said before Cow Girl let go.

"And what a home it is...I haven't even counted how many rooms there are, there's a king's treasury in the vaults, and there's farmland as far as the eye can see." She said dreamily.

"Well, introduce yourself to the farmers and they may even see you as their landlady eventually...if you pull the right strings." Ranger said.

"I don't know about that.." Cow Girl said.

"Just get some sleep. You'll need it for tomorrow; it's time to resume your training." Ranger said seriously.

"Alright...good night all of you." Cow Girl said and followed GS.

"Wait...take this." Priestess said as she gave the portal gem to Cow Girl.

"Oh right...we're going to portal here not vice versa...right." She said awkwardly before the portal closed.

"You know I haven't put any enchantments on our stuff in ages." Wizard said.

"Probably because it's rarely necessary. I still have that circlet, although...I infused it into my armor, and of course my mask uses the enchantment itself, as for my weapons...I still have the bow with the power and multi-shot enchantments ah dammit..." Fighter said as she facepalmed.

"Well, to be fair, the bow has always been a back-up weapon since the beginning, and shooting blades at foes does fit your style better, especially since I used to use throwing knives myself." Ranger said.

"Still...I could've done so much more." Fighter said.

"Fighter...sis, quit being so hard on yourself. You can use it against the Cambion and who knows what other assholes show up." Warrior said.

"That's true..." Fighter said.

"Actually...hand it over." Wizard said and Fighter morphed her bow, and handed it over. "Maybe I can combine the power and multi-shot enchantments into one, and even make the enchantments stronger with my mana gems."

"I like the sound of that." Fighter said.

"I might even do things to the rifles when I get the chance tomorrow." Wizard said.

"Don't forget that." Ranger said.

"Alright...now good night for real." Wizard said as she went to a room set up for her and Warrior, and Wizard's brother when to a room with Rhea Fighter for the night...but they just slept together. Ranger and Fighter put their baby in her crib, and Bard was alone since Songstress apparently went to stay with her son Sword Mage. Ranger and Fighter washed each other off with a bucket and towel as a minor cleaning job. It was still no replacement for a bath, but at least they didn't smell like sweat. She even made two clones instead of one and Fighter watched them lay down with her husband...and then squeezed in with them with a clone on each of his sides, and the original on top of him.

"How's this?" Fighter asked.

"We'll need a larger bed baby." Ranger said dryly and Fighter giggled.

"I'll get one tomorrow." She said before kissing him as the clones watched and shifted against him before they went to sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cow Girl and GS bathed with a bucket and towel themselves...and giving each other a hand as well, with his occasional hand on her breasts making her let off a horny chuckle as she briefly stroked his manhood before they dried off and he got in bed first, then felt his buxom lover snuggle into him with a dreamy sigh.

"Thanks for swimming with me earlier." Cow Girl said.

"You're welcome." GS said softly.

"Are you going to help with my training tomorrow?" Cow Girl asked.

"If you want." GS said simply.

"I do want." Cow Girl teased and GS gave her a small smile.

"Then I'll help you..." He said before she kissed him deeply and sweetly while her wrapped his powerful arms around her, as if her breasts weren't pressed into his chest hard enough already, not that she minded.

"Good night baby." Cow Girl said.

"Good night...baby." GS said and Cow Girl giggled at him before snuggling into him again and draping her thigh over his lap.

* * *

In the morning, true to his word, Ranger resumed Cow Girl's training, starting with her rifle getting a power and even a multi-shot enchantment like Fighter's bow...that she never used. One shot from her new rifle tore an earth dummy in half rather than just punch a hole in it; a goblin hit by that kind of force would probably have it's entire abdomen implode. Making the multi-shot work was tricky, but Wizard figured out that making the bullets work in-flight, wasn't going to work, but what did work was making the bullet multiply just as it left the barrel, and Cow Girl took down no less than five dummies with one shot...and was immediately in love with her new toy.

Fighter, after putting on the outfit she wore as a Porcelain rank, including the high-ponytail, put Cow Girl's unarmed skills to more use, from stretching, to her techniques, or even taking her to the garden behind her home to work on opening her chakras. At first, Cow Girl was hesitant about it, but when Fight told her about how she defeated an archdemon with the power of her chakras...Cow Girl was all for it, and it was obviously a doozy. Overcoming her fears was pretty nasty, considering that she always had a distaste for goblins, and was even on the brink of becoming breeding stock for them, but when she remembered that Sword Maiden saved her from them, and how vicious her retribution was afterwards, her fears melted like snow in a furnace. Her guilt was even worse...she already talked to Summoner about how guilty she felt about not being there for her uncle, but finally accepted that she wouldn't have made a difference in the least, and the goblins would've absolutely made her a mother against her will. Shame was easier to deal with since...she wasn't really ashamed of anything in particular, quite the opposite; she was proud of being able to pick herself up after such a loss. Speaking of which...

Dealing with her grief was just cruelty; Goblin Slayer, her uncle and the farm were everything to her...and two of them were gone for good, so Goblin Slayer and their new fort had to take their place, but recalling her uncle's carcass...what was left of it, crushed her. She spent the better part of a minute bawling her eyes out over the memory along as Fighter held her like the sister she saw her as. Cow Girl eventually got ahold of herself and they got right back to the chakras...even Fighter was blown away by how much willpower she had; how many people go from being torn apart to staunchly determined to keep up going that quickly? Sure Ranger was like that but...he's Ranger. Dealing with any self-deception Cow Girl had for the next chakra to be opened was pretty easy; she never was a very self-deceiving person. Like alot of people, she didn't want to deal with something, but that was no where near as bad as believing something you're part of to be perfect, so she passed that without trouble. Dealing with illusions, especially where separation was concerned. Yes everything is different, but in the end, they're just different pieces of one whole, simple as that.

Letting go of what attached Cow Girl to the world however was as tricky for her as it was for Fighter at first, but when Fighter made it clear that letting go of her connections to the world for good wasn't just difficult, but a bad idea in general...Cow Girl put her feelings for Goblin Slayer to the side, and the moment she did...her eyes turned cyan, and she felt a rush of energy, and her senses were all magnified well beyond the norm. It was actually overwhelming so she closed her chakras again but simply willing them closed...which is fairly normal.

She even trained with the Wizard siblings, and even though she was still pretty rusty with magic on the whole, she was still interested in the ability for obvious reasons. She eventually picked up on the Repair and Paralyze spells since she saw them to be the most useful. She also studied the fire spell since lighting a fire can be useful outside of combat, but saw little point in using it for combat since there was already two mages with fire magic, and Ranger had Immolation which was...a fire spell to the power of ten. She even had her emerald necklace's life-boosting enchantment amplified by a mana gem...which was easy for even her to use, and the scrolls were mostly useless since they didn't even have a basic spell on them, and the others were gateway scrolls, which didn't have much thought put into their use...one scroll however was downright startling. It was one that could put any enchantment placed on it onto an item directly. Considering how many enchantments there were, the goblins getting their hands on enchanted gear was frightening...but now it was in their hands, and could be used against them...and it will be.

Cow Girl knew a thing or two about horses already, and Ranger's horse did recognize her, so getting a handle on how to ride one was pretty easy. Granted, Ranger had little need for a horse nowadays, but she was still useful for other people, and could be summoned to carry goods, or especially pull a cart if need-be...and that was excluding how much Ranger owed his horse for her services, and how much general love he had for her. Most people saw horses as a means to an end, but with others, like Ranger, there was personal connection, like a kinship. When they done with the horse...Cow Girl tried picking up Ranger's greatsword again, and even without opening her chakras...she actually swung it around comfortably, but like Goblin Slayer, she preferred to use her shield and a smaller version of his greatsword for close quarters. Now she had a reason to be proud: that part of her training was complete! Ranger even treated her by showing his Smith miracle to make dozens of large weapons...and then absorbing them into his armor via his chains...much to her surprise.

When noon struck, Guild Girl's first act as a resident of Water Town was to give Cow Girl a promotion exam, and she was a complete shoo-in for an Emerald Rank, and was an inch away from getting a Ruby Rank; she may have helped clear the walls and chopped apart her fair share of goblins, and a few lesser specialists, not to mention keeping the civilians out of the fighting...but that was pretty much it. Her training however earned her a place just under Ruby Rank, so if she does much more, she'll be Silver Rank in no time.

* * *

After their business was concluded, Fighter commissioned a larger bed like she said she would, and the team joined together for a feast, with Ranger cooking some fish, potatoes, and other veggies, while Cow Girl scrambled eggs, and toasted some bread and grilled a few pork chops. Eventually, Dward Rifleman and H.E. Druid showed up to the party and sat down.

"So...what were you up to?" Wizard asked.

"Mostly just taking in the sights of the city I haven't been to in ages after saving it no less than two times." D.R. said dryly.

"Right..." Wizard said.

"Also, Noble Fencer wants to talk to you Ranger." H.E. Druid said.

"What? Why?" Ranger asked.

"Something about the adventurer-training system." H.E. Druid said and Ranger sighed.

"Alright I'll check in with her later." He said as he and Cow Girl finished up the food and everyone got their food one by one and then sat down to dig in...and GS even took his helmet off to relax, and Cow Girl didn't even have to goad him into doing so.

"You know Goblin Slayer...you really need to go around without your armor more often and get some sun." D.R. said.

"I get plenty of sun nowadays." GS said simply.

"Yeah, and I'm a hog's nephew..." D.R. said.

"Knock it off kids." Wizard said dryly and D.R. deadpanned at her, much to her amusement after getting back to her food.

"Oh, guess what? The two of us went to get some coconuts from that beach we went to, made a ton of coconut oil from them, and even made some more with our alchemy. Sold some for some copper too." Her brother said.

"I could use some myself..." H.E. Druid said.

"Me too." Cow Girl said.

"What?" GS asked.

"Hey, there's a reason that stuff is popular among those who know about it: it does the body wonders, especially the skin and hair." D.R. said.

"Right." Wizard's brother said.

"Then hand me some." Rhea Fighter said.

"Once we finish I'll fix you up." Wizard's brother said.

"Give me some too..." Fighter said.

"Sheesh, we might as well give all of you some..." Wizard said dryly.

"What about ice cream?" Fighter asked.

"I suppose we could pick some up, especially since we that farm is almost up and running again." Wizard said...and Cow Girl sobered up.

"What?" She asked in awe.

"We stopped by that place just to see what was what, and some adventurers scouted the place big time. They not only found no goblins, but also helped clear out the forest with some workers and mages. We even left some stone elementals, who reinforced the place with stone walls and small towers. That place gave us some milk that we can use to make ice cream later on." Wizard said.

"I'll use my ice axe and get right on that when we're done." Cow Girl said firmly.

"Really?" Priestess asked.

"Why not? All I have to do is freeze something, take off the ice, store it in a metal box, and bam, there's the ice. Then throw in sugar, vanilla, maybe some chocolate as well, and the milk, and bam. Ice cream for everyone." Cow Girl said.

"Not a bad way to do it..." Ranger said with a smile.

"You need help, don't hesitate to let use know." Wizard said.

"You kidding? We'll probably owe her an enhancement to that ice axe." Her brother said.

* * *

Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric arrived to see a crowd of people gathering in the main square.

"What's going on?" The latter asked.

"The Hero's going to fight someone, and the Ranger's going to watch." A civilian said excitedly.

"Two Platinum Ranks in the same place...this we've got to see." R.W. said as the two weaved through the crowd and saw Hero with a regular sword...and Ranger was holding her holy sword for keeps, and Warrior was on the opposite side of the arena.

"It really is them..." A.C. said harshly.

"Quiet, they're about to start..." A civilian said, and just as the speaking died down the two opponents took their places in the middle with Ranger sitting on the sidelines.

"You know the rules: five hits marks a win, I will keep a close eye on your movements, and how much damage you do. Remember this is a duel, not a fight; you're not trying to harm each other, let alone kill each other. When I fire my gun, you may begin." Ranger said before the two retreated to the sides of the space the crowd made and they each took their stances. Ranger noticed that Hero's was relatively plain, but not unsteady, and Warrior was more determined and he could tell that Warrior wasn't easy to knock over if someone pushed him. "You two ready?"

"Yeah!" Hero exclaimed.

"Ready boss!" Warrior said.

"Three...two...one..." Ranger said before firing his gun and the two charged right at each other, and Hero lunged at Warrior's upper body...and he moved to the side and rolled along the ground, before she changed direction, swung at him over and over, which Warrior simply standing there and deflecting her swings as he watched them come at him. Ranger noticed the people gluing their eyes to the duel, and some even exchanging coins as bets. Eventually, she got fed up with her opponent's apathy, and put more force into her swings, and Warrior got serious. He leaned into his blocks, and even side-stepped some of them...and got the first point by spinning around her and tapping her back. "That's one to nothing." She copied his move and he defended himself by switching hands and blocking her swing with a reverse-grip block, then deflected her swing before she kicked him in the gut. "That's counts as a point. One to one..."

"It damn-well better..." Hero breathed out, before Warrior recovered and he waved his sword around while swinging at her with both fake, and real swings, and even used the momentum generated from her deflecting his attacks to lead into new swings until he pushed her back far enough that the crowd backed up, and he retreated to the center as Hero pursued him, and then jumped over him to hit his back.

"That's one to two." Ranger said, then Warrior swung at her head, she blocked it, then he forced her sword into the ground before snapping his sword up to her throat...which completely surprised her. "That's two to two." Hero then yelled as she ducked and tackled his mid-section, then he got his footing again, and threw her to the side. "That's three to two..."

"Good enough for the Hero, good enough for the rest of us..." Warrior said smugly.

"Don't get cocky!" Hero exclaimed before charging at him, and bringing down a heavy swing which, he blocked with both hands, then swirled her sword out of her hand before half-swording her collarbone...but stopped at the last moment.

"That's _four_ to two..." Ranger said and the crowd started murmuring among themselves. Hero then gave Warrior a quick punch to the lower chest, making his double over before rolling to get her sword, before she ducked under a sword swing and put her sword at his lower gut. "That's...four to three..."

"Good one..." Warrior groaned before stabbing at Hero, only to have his thrust deflected, then threw one swing after another at Hero, who furiously blocked each barely-visible swing, as Warrior danced circles around her, then eventually locked blades with her, and held that position while staring each other down; the pressure was clearly getting to them. Eventually, Warrior shoved her sword to the side...and she shoved in the same direction before hitting his leg.

"Four to four..." Ranger said seriously, then all bets were off...Hero and Warrior rapidly slashed and stabbed at each other as the crowd ate up the display. The two dashed around, clashing blades every now and then, jumped over and ducked under each other, and the match ended with Warrior knocking Hero off-balance and putting his sword's tip at her neck like he was about to deliver a coup de grace...and Ranger stood up. "Five to four..." The crowd erupted in applause as Warrior helped Hero stand up and she took a moment to compose herself.

"I can't say I'm fond of being beaten in front of all these people, but at least I gave them a good show." Hero said.

"Hey, how many people get to fight the Hero, win or lose?" Warrior asked.

"True..." Hero said after looking at her fellow Platinum Rank who was just sitting there watching as casually as ever. "So...?"

"That was one hell of a show." Ranger said.

"You don't say..." Hero said proudly and Ranger sighed.

"I must confess...I underestimated you. I saw the way you fought before, and...you did things that someone should _never_ do with a sword, especially overextend your swings, but just now? No, your adaptability was subtle enough to escape even _my_ attention; I actually thought you were doomed when Warrior was blazing ahead of you." He said honestly.

"I take it you're having second thoughts about fighting me now?" Hero asked and Ranger smirked.

"Yes...I am..." He said.

"Well...glad to see that's cleared up, but for the record, I have used normal swords before." Hero said.

"My good ma'am...it shows..." Ranger said and then spotted R.W. and A.C. slowly approached them.

"Wow...both Platinum Ranks in one place..." The former said excitedly.

"Quite an occasion isn't it?" Hero asked proudly.

"Very much so..." R.W. said.

"We actually made Emerald Rank a few days ago." A.C. said as the duo showed their tags.

"Sweet..." Hero said.

"We actually came here because, well things are pretty low-key in the frontier, so we figured there'd be more to do here in Water Town." A.C. said.

"Well, there's plenty of things to do to celebrate the city's salvation." Warrior said.

"That reminds me...Noble Fencer wanted to see me, probably about business of some sort. I'll see you all later." Ranger said as he stood up and walked off.

"Alright, later boss." Warrior said as Ranger kept going. Eventually, he reached Noble Fencer's home and knocked, before he eventually opened up for him.

"Just the man I wanted to see." She said before motioning to come in.

"So I've heard. Now what's this all about?" Ranger asked as he sat down with her in front of him.

"Well...I'm just going to come out with it: I'd like to know your input on how this region is run." Noble Fencer said.

"Say what now?" Ranger asked.

"You've been around the entire country right? Surely you've seen how things were being run, and then there's the adventurer training system going on throughout the country. With you, and maybe your team on it as well, we could get things running even smoother than before." Noble Fencer said and Ranger just sat there staring at her.

"I'm an adventurer, not a politician. I don't plan to make decisions, I put them into action." He said seriously.

"You're an adventurer that's done more in one day than most do in their whole lives, that kind of experience would make you a complete shoo-in for a political game; you know half the game flawless on that basis alone." Noble Fencer said honestly.

"Ask Priestess as soon as she becomes archbishop." Ranger said simply.

"Don't take this the wrong way but...she's too young to be archbish-" Ranger cuts Noble Fencer off.

"She was chosen by the Sword Maiden specifically, and good luck finding someone who would disagree with her." He said.

"I'm not saying it's a bad decision; Priestess' power is unquestionable. What I'm trying to say is that people outside of Water Town might not have enough faith in her. I hope that's not the case, but it needs to be addressed by at least someone. On top of that...what does Priestess even know about being in a serious position within the church?" Noble Fencer asked.

"That much I can agree with, but like I said: good luck finding someone who'd disagree with the Sword Maiden." Ranger said.

"Well...I hope you're right. But back to the original point: why not get involved in politics? Wouldn't that suit your campaign at least somewhat?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Maybe, but most of my campaign requires me to be on the front lines, not behind a desk making others fight for me." Ranger said.

"Surely you can do both to at least _some_ degree?" Noble Fencer asked and Ranger sighed.

"I do admit, the idea of having power in the government is appealing, but...on the off-chance I become willing or able to get involved, I have no idea if it's even a good idea as of yet, especially with that damn Cambion running around causing Supreme knows what mischief." Ranger said.

"I get it...and who knows how many people want his head on a spike for the Sword Maiden's murder..." Noble Fencer said somberly.

"Make no mistake...the Cambion _will_ pay for this." Ranger said firmly before sighing.

"Sorry for piling onto this...I know you and her were close." Noble Fencer said.

"We still are; she even helped save my daughter." Ranger said.

"But...she's dead." Noble Fencer said and Ranger looked around with Life Sight to see no one was close-by.

"What I'm about to tell you, must _never_ leave this room." He said and Noble Fencer looked at him funny.

"O...k..." She said.

"After we discovered the Sword Maiden was assassinated...me and my team were devastated, but a while later, we were asked to head to the monastery not far from the frontier, and there she was...alive and well, as a Nephilim." Ranger said and Noble Fencer's eyes widened.

"A what?" She asked.

"You heard right. I don't know how it happened exactly, but her devotion to he Supreme not only immortalized her, but gave her...immeasurable power. The miracles she's pulled are like absolutely nothing I've seen before." Ranger said.

"I'm alittle afraid to ask..." Noble Fencer said.

"Well, let's just say that I will bet every coin I have that she helped defeat the Demon Lord 11 years ago by weakening him with her holy arts, and letting her teammates do the actual fighting, but nowadays...she could probably kick the Demon Lord's ass all by herself." Ranger said.

"Dear Supreme almighty! And that kind of power is on our side...!" Noble Fencer exclaimed.

"The bad news is that Cambion...somehow, is immune to holy arts, just like the vampire queen was; even the Hero's sword couldn't hurt her. Chances are, even Sword Maiden's new power won't do much good here. Cambion even snapped my greatsword in half between his fingers like it was a toothpick. The good news however is that I'm much stronger, and better-equipped than I was at the time, and so is my team, and they've actually fought him, so they know what we're up against." Ranger said.

"Well...I wish you the best of luck against the Cambion." Noble Fencer said seriously.

"Thanks. But to wrap up the original point for good...me and my team aren't above training the adventurers in our spare time; we actually promised some training last night, and I could see some of them watching the duel between Warrior and Hero." Ranger said.

"I saw that myself from the porch...you Gold and Platinum Ranks really know how to make a scene." Noble Fencer said.

"You don't know the half of it..." Ranger said and Noble Fencer sighed.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that you don't want in on this deal, but I get it. Besides, there's too few people on the front lines as it is." she said.

"I could throw some of my funds into the mix if you need it. I have more than I can possibly use by myself anyway." Ranger said.

"I'm sure the other people involved in the system will be thankful for this." Noble Fencer said as they stood up and shook hands. "If Priestess _does_ become archbishop, I strongly recommend you at least give her some input."

"That will not be a problem. She might actually serve as a walking pool for our input should we have to throw it into the political game so to speak." Ranger said and Noble Fencer chuckled.

"I ever tell you I like the way you think?" She asked.

"Once or twice." Ranger said.

"Make it twice or thrice then." Noble Fencer said and Ranger got a laugh out of it before he turned to leave.

"I'll be at the guild hall if you need anything." He said.

"Alright, see you later." Noble Fencer said as Ranger left.

* * *

When Ranger got to the guild hall, he saw Cow Girl standing there holding his daughter while Summoner and the rest of the team watched Fighter take on some guys, all at once. Cow Girl was further from the action since she logically didn't want the baby to be disturbed. Turns out some demon hunters showed up awhile ago looking for Summoner to lead them, and now Fighter was asked to give them a pounding that Summoner feels they could use. On top of that, they were all Sapphire Rank and below...so she was in her original clothing, and going up against aspiring demon hunters, and if history was anything to go by...the lady had it in the bag.

And the assumption was correct; Fighter wiped the floor with every single one of them without effort. She simply swatted away a kick before lunging forward and backfisting her opponent in the face before sweep-kicking his feet out from under him, and he landed on his back which knocked the wind out of him, and he side-kicked another in the gut before jumping off his back, which shoved him into the ground and gave her an opening to knock another guy down with a single round kick. When she landed, she stopped a hook punch from another, kneed him in the gut, and shoved him into another before jamming her elbow into the diaphragm of another guy and then picking him up and throwing him into another guy who caught the thrown guy, and set him down before looking at the other guys Fighter floored, then at his still-energetic opponent...and put his hands up in surrender.

"Smart man..." Fighter said honestly before looking at her smiling...and most-likely excited husband who saw the whole thing, like the rest of the team, which including Dwarf Rifleman sitting in-between H.E. Druid's legs.

"Nice going people, in a few months, you might be ready to fight a handful of imps...if you're lucky." Summoner said dryly.

"Hey, give them a break. They tried their best." D.R. said.

"That they lost isn't the problem; it's why they lost. They didn't think as a team, fight as a team, or even _lose_ as a team. In other words: each of you fought by yourselves instead of together, and even Silver, Gold, or even Platinum Ranks have a hard time by themselves. None of you are even middle-ranked, so do the math. Work on your cooperation, then we'll talk..." Summoner said as he left the arena and the guys who were floored picked themselves up and left, with the one guy who wisely gave up helping some along...much to Fighter's enjoyment.

"Hey honey? How about you get in the arena and show them how it's done?" She asked.

"Alright...Goblin Slayer?" Ranger asked and GS stood up and went into the arena without a word, before Ranger watched Fighter go take her baby from Cow Girl...and watched her join GS in the arena.

"A handycap match? Oh this will be good..." D.R. said, then Ranger entered the arena, and he de-morphed his torso armor to reveal his skin-tight underarmor but kept his leg armor. He then morphed a hand-and-a-half sword like Warrior's, minus the blessing of course, as Cow Girl morphed her sword and shield, and GS unfolded his own, and drew his sword. Ranger's two opponents moved to the sides but kept in front of Ranger. The three then spent the better part of a minute staring each other down, with GS and Ranger observing each other, and Cow Girl trying to keep calm; she saw Ranger in actions who-knows-how often in the flesh, and thanks to the recallers, and even though she trusted his discipline...going up against someone strong enough to become Platinum Ranked, even with someone helping her was pretty scary.

GS eventually charged at Ranger, who deflected a series of slashes from him, and Cow Girl charged at Ranger afterwards...and nothing changed. Ranger soundly deflected and dodged every swing of their swords until they eventually backed off and circled him from both sides as Ranger casually stood there perfectly calm. The two then charged at Ranger, who morphed a second sword in his spare hand, and held it in a reverse-grip as he deflected both their attacks, then shoved their blades to the sides, spun around, and poked them both in their breastplates, upwardly slashing at both of them, and then downwardly stabbing both of them with both blades at once with each motion, and they barely had time to defend themselves. Ranger then rolled away before fusing his two swords back into one, as the crowd got even more pumped up by Ranger dodging and dashing away as his opponent pressed their assaults with increased vigor...which included Ranger kicking GS back as Cow Girl jumped over him and brought down her heavy shortsword from above, which made Ranger roll away again.

Ranger then charged at them for a change, then rapidly swung at GS who struggled to block his attacks with his shield, as Ranger blocked and deflected not only GS' swings, but Cow Girl's as well as he waved his sword around quickly, precisely, and powerfully. He couldn't help but notice how similarly they all fought. GS' prowess in combat spoke for itself; years of killing goblins tends to make one pretty rapid, and fluid in their movements, and Cow Girl adapted quite well, and throwing in Ranger's precision, and raw brutality into the mix helped quite a bit. She even threw her ice axe a Ranger, who narrowly dodged it, and Cow Girl jumped up to catch it as it came back to her hand while she came down on him again...which he had to admit looked pretty awesome, and he side-stepped just in time, and saw her switch to her heavy sword.

GS and Cow Girl eventually locked blades with Ranger at the same time, and pushed him back in unison, before Ranger rolled back using the momentum, and then GS pressed the assault as Cow Girl stayed back, got her barrings, and then moved to the side and charged at Ranger who was still defending himself against GS's relentless sword swings and shield bashes, and Ranger actually grabbed GS with his spare hand and swung around him, and then threw GS behind him as Cow Girl was about to thrust at him.

The two then fought with him protecting himself against her own relentless assault, with her throwing quick, heavy, and combo attacks from head to toe, as they waved their swords around and eventually they locked blades together and stared each other down.

"Impressive..." Ranger breathed out, before he heard GS attack him from behind, then pushed Cow Girl off him and ducked under GS's thrust before upwardly slashing with his swatted GS' sword away and rolled away towards it to catch his breath. He then kicked GS' sword back to him for good measure.

"How are you handling this?" GS asked softly and Cow Girl actually smirked and closed her eyes.

"As a matter of fact...I'd like to do this alone." She said.

"What...?" GS asked as Cow Girl stood there sucking in one deep breath after another...before opening her now-cyan eyes, which Ranger was visibly impressed by, before huffing.

"You opened your chakras? You're going to need them..." He said seriously.

"I've noticed..." Cow Girl said before charging at Ranger...who barely had time to put his sword up in time to deflect her thrust, then she clashed blades with him over and over, with him barely keeping up with her as she soundly kept up the attack. The crowd backed up some more as she kept attacking her Platinum Ranked opponent, and eventually waved her sword around to throw a fake swing to his head, before changing it to a thrust at the last moment which he was _just_ fast enough to avoid.

He then morphed a second sword and then it became a fair fight as they two clashed blades, and she ducked a swing to the head, then backed up to avoid a knee to the face...but then he jumped up to put his other foot right on her armored chest, which knocked her down, and then he caught his breath before morphing his light armor and then relentlessly attacking her, and even with her chakras open she had to put everything she had into keeping up with him, and eventually...she had to back up to catch her breath. When she did, she charged at Ranger again...and he reacted by morphing a greatsword over his head, much to the crowd's awe, and slammed it into the ground, with enough force to shatter the ground and cause a brief earthquake, which stopped Cow Girl dead in her tracks by knocking her back with the force of the slam.

"I...think that's quite enough for one afternoon..." H.E. Druid said.

"Me too..." Cow Girl said and she laid there shaking like a leaf as the crowd kept dead silent as Ranger extracted his sword from the ground and de-morphed it.

"Good news boss, I used my Silence spell to keep your baby from waking." Warrior said.

"Thank you very much...I cannot believe that slipped my mind." Ranger said.

"But my progress didn't slip mine." Cow Girl said softly and GS put his hand on her shoulder.

"You've come a long way..." He said softly and got a smile out of her.

"I had plenty of good teachers." She said proudly.

"I remember when you and everyone else came to save the farm a year ago...how you put that clapping trick to use, despite not drawing any goblin blood directly." Ranger said.

"Something even the Sword Maiden got use out of..." Cow Girl said thoughtfully.

"On our first quest, we used it to lure the goblins to us, and Goblin Slayer here said it was risky." Ranger said.

"It was, but...it also makes a good distraction if anyone who isn't armed is in the area." GS said.

"As yours truly demonstrated." Cow Girl said.

"Right..." Ranger said.

"That reminds me: how about I give both your rifles some upgrades? Like the ones Ranger's guns have?" Wizard asked.

"Alright, have at it." Cow Girl said.

"No way, no how. This rifle is my baby." D.R. said.

"Dwarf...it needs to grow up someday." Summoner said and D.R. sighed.

"Alright boss..." He then tossed his rifle over to Wizard who caught it. "Treat her right."

"That's the plan." Wizard said.

"Well, first things first, we should get on with our day. There's still plenty of celebrating to do." Rhea Fighter said.

* * *

When the night just got started, the fireworks continued, and so did the people's feasting, drinking, and socializing. Fighter was in her daughter's room watching the fireworks through the window in her brown and grey outfit, with her hair down, as her daughter drank from her partially-naked breast. Eventually, she turned to see her husband...in his original outfit!

"What? How-?" Fighter asked.

"I used the recalled to help me make a model of the armor I wore when we first met. It's a shame I got rid of my original outfit but...what are you going to do...?" Ranger said.

"Still...I never thought I'd miss those colors." Fighter said softly as she looked over his leather and scale armor, green cloak, and even the belts with throwing knives and his dual short swords.

"Well, you wore your old outfit, I might as well wear mine. I'm even thinking of making an outfit like this for when our daughter grows up." Ranger said.

"As if you weren't good enough of a father." Fighter said with a smile.

"Says the woman sharing her milk with our daughter..." Ranger said as he looked at the baby drinking from Fighter's breast as she looked at the baby as well, and even re-positioned so the baby could have a better angle. Eventually, the baby let go and yawned much to her parents' delight. Fighter then put the baby in her crib and rejoined Ranger as they watched the fireworks, with her snuggling into his side and getting his powerful arm wrapped around her. Eventually...she embraced him fully.

"I'm sorry..." Fighter whispered.

"For what?" Ranger asked.

"For having you check out the temple alone..." Fighter said.

"I wasn't alone; the Sword Maiden was with me." Ranger said.

"Ranger...you were subdued not once, but _twice_, and...I kept my mouth shut over it, but I cannot shake the feeling that it's my fault..." Fighter said.

"Fighter..." Ranger breathed out as the goddess in his arms tightened her hold.

"I'm amazed I didn't weep alongside you." She whispered.

"Fighter...it wasn't all pain, quite the opposite in fact." Ranger said and Fighter backed up with a confused look in the face.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"When I was...out-of-commission, the Sword Maiden sent me to the bathhouse...and I was contacted by the Love Goddess herself. Fighter...she gave me a vision of all the times we made love, and it swept every ounce of pain I had aside. Even in my dreams you smother the flames burning my world..." Ranger said.

"Oh Ranger..." Fighter breathed out before kissing him just as softly as he spoke to her. When she pulled back, she snuggled into him and looked back at their daughter.

"Seeing her after going through all that hell never stops being worth it..." Ranger whispered.

"We should continue this conversation in our room. Can't have her waking can we?" Fighter said and Ranger walked her to their room...and marveled at their new bed which was twice as big as their old one. He then broke away from her, she helped him remove his armor...and briefly ran her hands over his bulk before he went over to the bed and laid down, much to her amusement. "Good?"

"Very..." Ranger breathed out before looking at his smiling wife. "It's too bad all the staff went to the festival; maybe we should go see if our daughter can handle it after she eventually wakes up."

"Actually..._I_ will take her. _You_...have a date." Fighter said as Ranger looked at her funny.

"What?" He asked.

"Wait here..." Fighter teased before heading to the closet...and stripping her torso naked as she walked before going inside. When she came out not five seconds later...she wore the thin gown she wore at the beach. "Remember this?"

"How can I not? You're still as sexy as before." Ranger said as Fighter giggled and sensually walked towards him until she was right on top of him. "Now...who do I have a date with?" Fighter answered him by making three clones of herself.

"Them..." She said as she motioned to them...and saw her husband's breath hitch. "Ladies? Show my strong and loving husband a good time for me...if you please." With that, the original took off her gown, giving Ranger a preview of what was to come before grabbing her belt and morphing a hybrid between her armor, and a dress as the clones helped Ranger stand up, and removed the rest of his clothing for him. "By the way...if you're a really good boy, I might make even more of me..." Ranger couldn't help but chuckle at the idea, especially with three copies of her working on his tired and beaten body with their strong yet soft and gentle hands.

"Any ideas ladies?" Ranger asked.

"Well, first things first...I think a bath is in order." A clone said and the other two nodded and giggled as they led him to the bathroom...but Ranger grabbed a sterility potion out of a drawer and downed a swig before they left.

"We can't get pregnant remember?" Another cloned asked.

"All the same; I'm not taking any chances." Ranger said seriously.

"If you insist." The clone said before gripping his arousal and leading him to the bathroom as the other two hung on his shoulders. When they got there, they all shed their gowns, and while one of them went to draw the bath...the other two massaged his shoulders and arms, squeezed his chest, and, with one handling his front, and the other handling his back with the front clone gave him a deep, noisy kiss. The whole time however, he watched the clone drawing the bath as she was bent over and showing off her watermelon-sized and half-circle-shaped ass and incredibly enticing womanhood...as if he wasn't aroused enough.

The clone in front of him stopped massaging his abs and reminded him of what was happening to him by pulling his head towards her to give him a smirk before licking her lips, and making sure he saw as much of her tongue as possible before he gave her an equally-passionate kiss as she rubbed a leg against his own. Ranger then pulled her into his embrace and gripped her supremely muscular, yet thick-skinned thigh, and her softened butt cheek while they lashed tongues with their lips no longer connecting and she gave his stiff manhood several slow but determined strokes.

"You like these legs of ours?" The clone asked and Ranger groaned in acknowledgement. "Legs made for stomping, with asses made for grabbing, and they're _all_ yours..." The clone behind him sucked on his neck while pressing her full breasts into his back and rubbed him up and down his back while rubbing his sides and shifting against him as the other clone spoke.

"Remember...the original gets all the memories we do, so..." The clone behind him trailed off and Ranger broke the kiss with the clone in front of him and smirked in acknowledgement before turning his head to the other clone who immediately lashed tongues with him while the clone in front pressed her breasts into his front and rubbed against him as well. The clone that drew the bath walked over to Ranger and the clone in front moved over so her fellow clone pressed her breasts into his lower abdomen while massaging his powerful legs. The clone Ranger was kissing then broke the kiss and the trio all kept rubbing their soft, ample breasts into him as they listened to him let out one deep breath after another while closing his eyes and just focusing on them work their magic. "How does it feel? Having this many breasts pressing into you?" Ranger turned to the clone behind him again and listened to her let out a horny chuckle while smiling brightly and pressing her breasts into his back before giving him a quick kiss before sucking on his neck. The clone rubbing his legs gripped his manhood and looked it over before standing up.

"Would you like to get a taste of what's to come?" She asked sensually.

"Oh yes..." Ranger groaned then the clone approached his ear.

"Then take me now..." She said with even more lust in her voice before the two clones backed off as their fellow clone got directly in front of Ranger, turned around, and bent over in front of the mirror, and then Ranger got behind her, tapped the sides of her feet with his own, signalling her to spread her legs even more. He then grabbed her hips, and slipped into her warm, moist opening as the clones next to him held onto him to feel his large, smooth, and dense muscles flex while mating with the lucky one in front of him. Ranger then watched the clone's face twist in pleasure and her wonderful breasts bounce in the mirror while driving into her tightening entrance, and even smooshed her butt cheeks together to increase the friction as he listened to her moan in bliss.

"Yeah,_ get in there._..." A clone said while her heart and lungs worked harder in anticipation as they watched his swollen manhood slip in and out of their fellow clone's narrowing entrance and pressed their legs into his own, and feeling his ass flex to get an idea of the strength he used to mate with the clone so rapidly and forcefully, yet passionately until the clone, and then he groaned from their orgasms. A while later, he rubbed the clones back and sides for good measure, before removing his now-limp manhood from her body.

"Don't forget, you have three bodies to work with." The other clone said sensually.

"Three _sexy_ bodies..." Ranger groaned, before the clone he looked at let out a horny moan and licked her lips before Ranger smashed his lips against hers, and she and the second one at his side led him to sit down in the bath and leaned into his sides and continued to caress him while the third one recovered from the grogginess caused by the euphoria she just went through. She then turned to see Ranger lashing tongues with one of them as she leaned back into him while he barely fit one of her delectable breasts into his hand and alternated between them while the other stroked his manhood until he became aroused again and dragged her tongue up his chest and neck until she got to his cheek, and Ranger turned to see her giving her a toothy grin that demanded that he kiss her, and he gave her one that was as deep and passionate as the other ones while she leaned into him.

The clone to his other side continued to press her breasts into him and he repaid her by rubbing and pressing his hand into her thigh, noting how moist and smooth her skin was and how muscly her leg was; they really _were_ made for stomping...and more. The third clone eventually got her barrings and walked over to the bath tub while Ranger changed positions and got one clone in his lap and sucked on her breasts while she threw her head back and held his head while he sucked on her nipple like a starving infant while the other simply watched. Eventually, Ranger noticed the last clone approach...and she turned around to present her perfectly fleshy buttocks to him.

"_Spank_ her..." The idle clone said excitedly before Ranger gave the clone's butt a hard but loving slap and watched it jiggle as she let off a horny chuckle.

"You already fucked her. _I'm_ next." The clone in his lap said before gently pushing him down against the wall.

"That you are..." Ranger said as the clone put her hands on his shoulders to stabilize herself as the other clone positioned his manhood to slip into the clone's opening as she came down on it, and she took in as much as she could before moving up and down as the other two clones got next to Ranger and watched his manhood slip in and out of their fellow clone as she moved up and down, and the room was filled with the sounds of the water swishing and her gaping mouth letting out pleasured moans as she vigorously bounced up and down on his lap and eventually sat up straight and bounced on his lap even more as her butt slammed into his thighs.

Ranger watched the clone's ample breasts bounce up and down and her hair flailed about ass she threw her head back and let out higher-pitched moans. He then gripped her waist firmly but not enough to slow down her mission to extract an orgasm from the man beneath her, which she eventually received...but not before Ranger thrusted up into her to get his own, and her own was dragged out enough to get her to actually scream in pleasure before gasping loudly until he burst himself and let out a groan before the two went slack.

"Please tell me you're not spent yet." The last clone said.

"Not at all..." Ranger groaned.

"But we'll finish up later on. First we clean up here." The other clone said.

"Right..." The clone on Ranger's lap breathed out before the other two got their hands on some soap and waited for the last clone to get off of Ranger, who sat up and let the others lather up the soap in their hands before Ranger soaked his head in the water and then let the others de-tangle his hair as they smeared the soap over it, and used a small nearby bucket to help wash the soap out when it did it's job. When he brushed his hair out of his eyes and opened him...one clone surprised him with a kiss. The other two used another soap for his body as they smeared the soap over him while throwing in a massage and even some nerve point stimulation for good measure...and he became aroused a third time as a result.

"Alright...now let's go test that mattress...the _fun_ way." Another clone said as lecherously as ever, after they washed the soap off, and before they all got up, and each grabbed a towel, dried each other off and eventually the clones led him to the bedroom with two of them holding his sides while his hands dug into the warm, moistened flesh of their butts, alternating between each softened cheek as they walked on. When they got to the bedroom, they all surrounded Ranger, and took turns kissing his lips or neck on both sides, as they continued to rub him down with their breasts, and even lined up in front of the bed so he could playfully pound on their butts with his fists and he extracted laughter from them. Eventually, the three had enough, and pushed Ranger onto the bed before they crawled onto it to start kissing his lips while others licked and sucked on his neck, his chest, and even his abs, if they didn't rub him down with their hands or put their breasts in his face so he could stuff as much of their flesh into his mouth and lick their nipples or get their hips rubbed.

"Wait...I have an idea." A clone said before walking over to a drawer full of bottles with melted ice cream in them, then went over to Ranger, and slowly poured some on his torso and he shivered a bit from the cold, but then the clones got to work licking it off of him, much to his delight as they tickled him with their tongues. "Too bad we just washed up, but we can fix that with a cloth and bucket right ladies?"

"Right, plus we just washed so...like the saying goes: clean enough to eat off of." Another clone said.

"Clever..." Ranger said dryly before the three clones all deadpanned at him.

"Like you're not having the time of your life right now." A clone said.

"Are you kidding? _One_ beautiful woman is enough to brighten my day..._three_ of them...?" Ranger trailed off before one of them crawled over to him and caressed his face as the other two simply laid down on top of him.

"You saving the Temple of Law no less than two times against impossible odds alone warrants this. Throwing everything else on top is just overkill." The clone touching his face said.

"Right...so let's get back to business shall we?" Another clone asked and the others nodded and one went to get the water bucket and used a cloth to clean Ranger's torso again, and another to dry him off while another grabbed a bottle of coconut oil.

"Flip over." She said and Ranger flipped over and felt the oil get slathered all over his shoulders, arms, legs, ass, feet, and even some in his hair.

"You might also need this." Another clone said as she handed over the life-boosting pendant the original Fighter wore and Ranger put it on right away to feel his vitality get boosted and his muscles all flexed at the same time to get the blood flowing again before the clones made way to let him get up and stretch out a bit.

"So...who wants to go next?" Ranger asked.

"Me!" A clone exclaimed as the other two backed up as she spread her legs, and Ranger got between them.

"Since you're going last...you get the most now..." He said before he pushed into her and she gasped as she took his solid organ into her body and he even bent down to kiss her as sweetly and deeply as before while pushing in and pulling out of her as the clones watched. Eventually, Ranger extracted such a loud moan from the woman beneath him that he had to break the kiss and focus on driving her to orgasm like the others.

Eventually...he took it up a notch by picking her up with his forearms supporting her legs from behind her knees as she laugh at the unexpected action while he continued to mate with her. She then took control and wrapped her legs around his sides, and slid down them until his manhood was once again perfectly aligned with her entrance and their playful yet passionate mating session continued. After the better part of a minute of him doing nothing but thrust into her warm, wet, and narrow womanhood, and the occasion kiss, she screamed out an orgasm and then was placed back on the bed and allowed the pleasure sink in as she went limp...but he remained as strong as ever.

"I really did get the best didn't I...?" She asked as she kept laying there trying to catch her breathe with a toothy smile on her face and her eyes remaining closed.

"From the look of it? _Absolutely_." Ranger said proudly.

"You up for more honey?" Another clone asked.

"Yes..._much_ more." Ranger said.

"Any ideas?" The last clone asked and Ranger smirked.

"Surprise me..." He said before the two got up and pulled him onto the bed with them, and the clone that just got her brains fucked out watched the man who did it kiss one of the clones who got on top of him and get her ass fondled while the other one watched and waited for her turn to kiss him which came when the first one broke the kiss, but while Ranger was kissing the other sideways, he still kept his thorough yet gentle grip on the first one's butt as he dug into her priceless flesh as his arousal returned at last.

Ranger then signaled the other two to stand up with his fingers and the clone who was just shagged watched them press their plump breasts into his chest and rubbed him with them, and Ranger singled one out to suck on her neck while holding up one of her legs, and the other one actually rubbed her butt against him. "One of you get on the bed, and the other lay down straight." They both chuckled before one bends over and the other simply lays down before the one bent over takes Ranger's manhood again and he wastes no time pounding into her as rapidly as he could right off the bat as she let off blissful, throaty moans as the fleshy slapping sounds filled the ears of the four people on the bed...especially as the clone getting fucked shook her ass in tandem with Ranger's thrusts to increase the pleasure, until Ranger pulled out not even half a minute later, much to her confusion and displeasure. Ranger then finished her off with his fingers as he stroked her opening which made her snap awhile later...and then continued moaning while he continued to finger her.

"Ranger...Ranger! That's enough...! Please stop!" The clone exclaimed between gasps and Ranger stopped right away and cleaned his hand in the bucket before pulling the other clone up, raised her leg up and rested her ankles on his shoulders; her flexibility came in handy in more ways than one. She then rested her entire upper body on the bed as he plunged his still-erect organ into her, and listened to her moan herself as he mated with her until he had his own orgasm and it was capped off with the clone letting out an elongated moan that signaled an orgasm, and even more moans that followed as he finished her off with his fingers...and spanked her for good measure which drew a laugh from her. He then finally laid down next to the third and final clone who watched him catch his breath.

"Had enough yet?" She teased.

"For now yes..." Ranger groaned.

"You were...quite a sight to behold, fucking me and them this frequently and forcefully." The clone said.

"You've seen me fight, even without this pendant." Ranger said.

"But you were supported by your armor, but this? This was all you: raw, natural...and passionate." The clone said.

"Oh?" Ranger asked.

"Yep." The clone said and they shared a smile. "How about you finish off that ice cream?"

"Please..." Ranger groaned.

"You even ask me nicely...you're earned every ounce of bliss you're in right now." The clone said before kissing Ranger sweetly before heading over to get the rest of the ice cream poured on him earlier...then turned to see that Ranger's eyes were glued to her flawless lower body, and his manhood was slowly erecting again which she reacted to by giving him a teasing smirk before turning to go back to him and when she got close enough, he took it, downed the melted ice cream and put it on the nightstand.

"Ice cream and sex...perfect combination..." Ranger said and the clone smiled at him, along with the other two clones who scooched over to the other side of the bed to recover from the pleasure they were drowned in.

"Can you give me another round?" The clone asked.

"You have any ideas?" Ranger asked.

"I'll ride you..._backwards_." The clone said firmly as she mounted his lap, turned around, and came down on his manhood and he watched her perfect ass tighten and flop around as she rapidly bucked her hips. The other two came over to get a better angle of their man's organ appear and disappear into their fellow clone's opening, and listened to her moan in the process. The clone on top of him didn't even bounce in his lap for ten seconds before he spoke up.

"Wait...wait. I have an idea for how to finish this." He said as the clone stopped moving.

"And?" She asked.

"The same way we started...all three of you get up and bend over the bed." Ranger said and the three followed his instructions, with the clone that was riding him in the middle, and he plunged into her body, and pressed his hands into the other clone's butts to stabilize himself and he listened to her laugh at his forcefulness as well as moan in bliss. He then pulled out of her...grabbed her feet, and surprised her by holding her legs out straight, and the other two clones held her legs up as Ranger gripped the clone's now-soft buttocks as he continued fucking her, and her moaning continued, especially when she had her own second orgasm. Ranger then pulled out and laid down on the bed with the clones surrounding him and simply snuggling into him.

"What do you think? Does this make up for all that bullshit you went through?" A clone asked.

"Oh yes..." Ranger groaned.

"Based on what you did with each of us, your wife is going to be one..._happy_ lady." Another clone said emphatically.

"I hope so..." Ranger said.

"I'll bet you're not going to forget this anytime soon." Another clone said.

"Are you kidding? The memory itself is going to get me by for a _while_." Ranger said.

"Glad to hear it, and I cannot wait to be reunited with the original so we can all see what each other experienced." The clone said and the others all hummed in agreement.

"Chances are, the next time we make love...it'll be to have our second child." Ranger said.

"Good...you still owe her as many as you can give her." Another clone said.

"I haven't broken any promise worth keeping yet have I?" Ranger asked and the clones shook their heads. "Didn't think so..."

"Also..you never answered my question: how does it feel, to have this many naked breasts pressing into you?" A clone asked while pressing her breasts into him, and the others followed suit.

"Probably the best way you've ever used your breasts, aside from feeding my daughter..." Ranger groaned out and then saw the three clones all apparently were inspired by what he said; they al held up their breasts from underneath, and he started sucking their nipples, alternating between the six of them as his vitality suddenly spiked, and each clone that had their breasts worked on held his head in place and rubbed his neck and shoulders while breathing deeply...which incited him to squeeze, suck, and chew on their breasts with even more passion.

* * *

Meanwhile, Fighter took the baby and went out to see the festivities up close, and even when the baby woke up, she didn't take it too badly...so far. She was greeted by several people who were and weren't her neighbors, and even some local children greeted her and looked the baby over, and were stared at by the infant. When they were done getting their fingers gripped by the baby, Fighter kept going, until...

"Fighter! How's the little angel?" Hero asked as she approached, and Fighter showed the baby who was eyeballing Hero.

"Just as you see here." Fighter said and Hero reached out to take her, and the moment Hero took her from Fighter...the baby started screaming and actually tried pushing away from Hero, much to her surprise, and Fighter took her back, which calmed her down right away.

"Apparently this baby doesn't like strangers." Sage said simply.

"But...babies love me." Hero said.

"Apparently this one doesn't..." Sage said dryly.

"You're hardly the only person with this problem; even that farm girl Goblin Slayer is involved with has issues with her...every now and then." Fighter said.

"What's her deal anyhow?" Sword Saint asked.

"She's actually part of our team now, and she's made...quite an impact." Fighter said.

"Speaking of whom, here she comes now." Sage said as the ladies turned to see Cow Girl in a dress moving towards them and some people who were either congratulating her for her work with Ranger, asking about how long she was adventuring, or simply commenting on her looks, all of which she was both flattered and overwhelmed by.

"Hey." Cow Girl said cheerily.

"We were just talking about you." Sword Saint said.

"How so?" Cow Girl asked before the baby cooed and reached out to her, and she couldn't help but smile and take the baby.

"Hello..." The baby said.

"Hello." Cow Girl said sweetly as she let the baby touch her face.

"What does she have that I don't?" Hero asked.

"Besides the fact that they know each other, she actually saved her, and frankly, she's much sweeter?" Fighter asked.

"Hey! I'm sweet...when I want to be..." Hero said.

"Not as sweet as her, or anywhere near as often for that matter." Sage said.

"She also has a more developed body." Sword Saint said.

"Alright, I get the point..." Hero groaned.

"Where's everyone else?" Fighter asked.

"At Noble Fencer's house actually, and so is that Sword Mage guy." Cow Girl said.

"Oh, we've met him before...strange man." Sword Saint said.

"Demon hunters are notoriously strange." Sage said.

"Well, let's go meet him." Fighter said.

"See you later." Hero said as she watched Fighter follow Cow Girl, and eventually reach Noble Fencer's place and went inside to meet the rest of the team.

"Fighter!" Priestess exclaimed as she went to hug her psuedo-older sister.

"Where were you?" Fighter asked.

"Getting back in-touch with the Earth Mother. Luckily, the two deities aren't that different, in both power and personality, but...I cannot help but feel like I neglected the Earth Mother." Priestess said.

"Didn't most of your miracles come from the Earth Mother and not the Supreme God?" Fighter asked.

"Oh...how did I forget that?" Priestess asked and Fighter ran her hand through Priestess' hair.

"Who knows?" She said before Priestess' smile turned upside down, and Fighter turned to D.R. and H.E. Druid. "Where were you two?"

"You mean other than looking over the city I haven't been to in years and spinning more yarns about my travels?" D.R. asked.

"Which you never said to any of us for that matter..." Wizard said.

"Well, you'll have to wait your turn missy." D.R. said and Wizard deadpanned at him.

"I was also at the Temple of Law helping for the Sword Maiden and Storm Mage's funeral." Priestess said.

"What? I thought they already had it?" Fighter asked.

"They were going to, but...things didn't work out." Sword Mage said as he came back.

"Who are you?" Fighter asked.

"The Sword Mage, the same one who helped me and Goblin Slayer." Priestess said.

"That's right, and they've told me quite a bit about you...and your Platinum Ranked husband." Sword Mage said.

"Alright...well, if my little sister vouches for you, I trust-" Sword Mage cuts Fighter off.

"You look nothing alike. Unless you mean a friendship that deep?" He said and got a nod from the two ladies. "I suppose that makes sense..."

"Anywho, why did you want to see me as well as everyone else?" Fighter asked while taking a seat.

"A better question is where's Ranger?" Dwarf Rifleman asked.

"I'll...tell you later." Fighter said.

"O...k..." D.R. said.

"To answer your original question: I wanted the two of you here because...well, your mage friends have something to tell you." Sword Mage said grimly.

"We've got bad news: Summoner helped us translate some of the scrolls and tomes we took from the spire...we got answers to alot of questions about the goblins we wish we never got." Wizard's brother said.

"Such as...?" Fighter asked.

"Why the God of Wisdom blessed them, and why the Demon Lord is using them as weapons again: they _are_ weapons!" Wizard said and Fighter's heart sank.

"What...?" She breathed out.

"The goblins used to be the same as the rest of the world's peoples, albeit more primitive and still more hostile, they even had two genders once, and reproduced as such...until the God of Wisdom stepped in and changed all of that." Wizard said.

"Now they're little more than walking weapons, and just like all weapons...they're a threat to everyone and everything they encounter, arguably as much as the demons. Granted all the God of Wisdom did was give us a reason to cut their throats, but even that's part of his plan." Warrior said.

"I don't believe this..." Fighter said somberly.

"The Demon Lord is now using the souls and essence of those dead goblins to not only take revenge on those who got in his way, but also to soften the world up for his return." Sword Mage said.

"But he's not due to appear for another nine years!" Fighter exclaimed.

"Well...things are speeding his return immensely. The fight with the vampire queen, the damage done by the hell goblins, the Cambion's actions, even the attacks on Hell itself. It's all working in his favor." Sword Mage said seriously.

"So we go around keeping the world safe, and by doing so we're making way for the Demon Lord's return? How do we fight that? Stop fighting? Stop saving people?" Fighter asked.

"No...there has to be a way to stop all of this." Priestess said firmly.

"Besides, if the Demon Lord does show up, we can kick his sorry ass." Warrior said.

"I sincerely hope you can back that claim. There's a reason why beating the Demon Lord is an automatic promotion to Platinum Rank." Sword Mage said seriously.

"We have a Platinum Rank leading us, someone probably as strong as the Sword Maiden was, and several blessed weapons on our side, plus we're getting stronger every day. On top of that...I can think of several ways to make us stronger with enchantments and alchemy." Wizard said.

"If you say so." Sword Mage said.

"Also, you never told us why the Sword Maiden and Storm Mage never had their funeral. Why wouldn't they just get it over with?" Fighter asked and Sword Mage sighed.

"I actually spent quite a bit of time with my mother today, and she told me that...after the late archbishop died, the whole city was devastated. Several days were spent mourning, and who knows how many people locked themselves in their homes. She even said that she could hear people wailing in sorrow or yelling in rage from the manor." Sword Mage said.

"Manor?" Fighter asked.

"The manor she lives in with you and Ranger." Sword Mage said.

"Songstress is your mother?" Fighter asked.

"Yes, and she was here when a representative of the Evil Sect appeared and demanded we submit to them, and he was sent away. My mother knew this wouldn't go well, and tried to send letters to all of you. A day later...this siege..." Sword Mage said.

"We...never got any letters." Fighter said.

"I figured as much..." Sword Mage said.

"Why exactly did you come to Water Town?" H.E. Druid asked.

"To find my mother of course." Sword Mage said.

"But why, after all this time?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Because...she's now the only family I have left." Sword Mage said somberly.

"May I ask?" H.E. Druid asked.

"It's my father. I've lived in the same neighborhood as him for about 45 years, but after...an incident, I came here to find my mother. Took alot of searching, but I found her eventually." Sword Mage said.

"Is that the only reason you're here? I mean, I'm a demon hunter by trade myself, and I'd like to know who I might work with later on." D.R. said.

"You're a demon hunter too?" Sword Mage asked.

"Yes...I am." D.R. said proudly.

"Well, to answer your question: I won't say no to the chance to work here, even if things didn't need me..." Sword Mage said.

"May I ask about that incident?" Wizard asked.

"Well...I left the town to look into strange occurrences that required a demon hunter's touch. Turns out, some Evil Sect bastards were stirring up trouble, and one in town apparently couldn't pick his mouth shut about dealing with some old man who lived with a demon hunter they were looking for. That same old man cost him the structure of one of his legs, and cracked his skull with a cane." Sword Mage said.

"You had one tough dad." Warrior said.

"I could not have said that better myself." Sword Mage said proudly before sighing. "Since that thug couldn't do his job, the Evil Sect resorted to...other means, namely a pack of goblins, and they loosed them all into our home...which turned out as well as it could have. They kicked him senseless, tore his face off, broke who-knows-how-many bones, eviscerated him...when they were done they didn't leave much for anyone to find..."

"Dead Supreme..." Priestess whispered in horror as she covered her face with her hands and tried catching her breath.

"I took care of the goblins to avenge him, so don't feel too bad." Sword Mage said.

"How can you say that so _casually_?" Cow Girl asked in awe.

"That's hardly the worst thing I encountered...I actually saw one of the local girls after some goblins used her for...you know..." Sword Mage trailed off.

"Is she alri-" Sword Mage cuts Priestess off.

"No...she was far from alright. I overheard a goblin shaman call her a goblin mother..." He said grimly and Wizard shuddered.

"Could any two words go together to make a more disgusting term...?" She trailed off.

"Not likely, but what's even more disgusting is her reaction to me killing off the goblins, and even the children. She asked me why I killed her family." Sword Mage said and the whole team sobered up.

"They weren't her family..." GS growled.

"No, but she was so mentally broken that she talked about how much she loved the goblins she gave birth to, and how much their fathers loved her; I dare says she saw what they did to her as natural, pleasurable, or both...and don't get me started on how unsteady her speech pattern was, or how primitive her vocabulary was." Sword Mage said.

"I...think that's quite enough." H.E. Druid said.

"No kidding. I hate to think how normal that is by their standards." Sword Mage said seriously.

"You know I said that's enough right?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Right..." Sword Mage said.

"What about the Evil Sect's troops? How did they recruit so many?" Fighter asked.

"That much we haven't discovered anything in the scrolls or books, but something is quite clear: they didn't." Wizard said.

"What do you mean?" Fighter asked.

"Don't know, but there's no way they just went around saying "come join the army of the Demon Lord and reap the rewards of a hundred battles" or whatever other bullshit they could come up with." Wizard said dryly and D.R. started laughing, long with Warrior, Wizard's brother, H.E. Druid, and eventually even Cow Girl and Priestess started laughing...after Priestess used the miracle of Silence to keep the baby from waking up.

"Oh that was rich..." Warrior said.

"Well, it would make sense for them to get more troops with cloning, like how they cloned more women for breeding." GS said.

"And those specialists could've been clones as well." H.E. Druid said and Fighter cringed.

"What?" D.R. asked.

"It's the ones we were attacked by. Not only did the one we fought in the city look like...well, a male version of me, but the two that Ranger fought in the Temple of Law looked the same way." Fighter said.

"Well, that confirms they're clones." D.R. said.

"But why do they look like that?" Fighter asked.

"Maybe it's just someone they picked and they happened to look like that." Cow Girl said.

"Or maybe they were made to look like that." Sword Mage said.

"Now that makes even less sense; why would they-" Sword Mage cuts Warrior off.

"To cause a disturbance. He looked like your Fighter friend right? Well, having the clone look like her tends to make one...pretty uneasy, and that's likely what the intention was." He said.

"I for one wouldn't put it past them..." Wizard said.

"All this means is that they just cut their own throats." Rhea Fighter said.

"True, but that also means they know a thing or two about getting in people's heads." Sword Mage said.

"Well, let's run this by the boss and see what he thinks." Warrior said.

"Wait, before we go...where's Noble Fencer?" Cow Girl asked.

"Probably out socializing. Can't say I blame her." Fighter said.

"Well, be sure to get Ranger in the know. Chances are, we'll need him." Sword Mage said as they all got up and went out one by one.

"So...why is Ranger not here?" D.R. asked and Fighter sighed.

"I...left him at home to recover." She said.

"Without _you_?" Warrior asked.

"I left some clones behind..." Fighter trailed off.

"So...you left your husband, who's in pretty bad shape, with more than one clone of you?" D.R. asked and Fighter nodded. "_Lucky bastard_..."

"Hey..." H.E. Druid snapped.

"Oh relax Your Highness." D.R. teased.

"Quit calling me that." H.E. Druid said dryly.

"Alright princess." D.R. said and H.E. Druid tapped his shoulder and D.R. laughed at her.

"Well...I'm going to check on my husband." Fighter said.

"I'm going to help set up the funeral." Priestess said and hugged Fighter before they separated.

"What about all of you?" Fighter asked and the rest of the team looked at each other.

"We'll think of something." Cow Girl said.

"Alright, see you later..." Fighter said.

"Bye." Warrior said before Fighter took her baby from Cow Girl and went home, when the first thing she hears...is her clones moaning in pleasure as she nears her daughter's room. She then puts her in her crib and leaves to let her sleep before heading to her own room...

"What have we here?" Fighter said dramatically as Ranger stopped sucking on one of her clone's nipples and all four of them looked at her, and she could see the bright expressions on all their faces. "You all enjoy yourselves?"

"Oh yes, you're going to get quite a bit of mana out of this." A clone said.

"You know...I never thought of that when I thought of this." Fighter said.

"We made absolutely certain our good man here had as much fun as we could." Another clone said as she held Ranger's head against her cleavage.

"And wait until you see what he did to us..." Another clone said.

"I can hardly wait." Fighter said before walking up to Ranger...who was barely conscious. "Did you enjoy yourself honey?"

"Oh yes..." Ranger groaned and Fighter smiled at him, and got one in return.

"Did that pendant help you out?" She asked.

"Very much so." Ranger said.

"Did you...you know...burst?" Fighter asked.

"At least six times." Ranger said and Fighter let off a whistle.

"I'll bet you got quite a bit of mana yourself. If we keep this up and you learn to open your chakras properly...the Cambion is _so_ dead..." She said.

"Comforting." Ranger said and Fighter touched his coconut-oiled up chest...and felt his neck. "Sheesh your heart is racing like a horse."

"It's no wonder why." Ranger said and Fighter giggled.

"I think someone's earned some more bodies to work with..." She teased.

"Fighter...I've had enough sex for a _while_." Ranger said.

"Believe me, when you absorb us...so will you." A clone said.

"But...you might want to absorb them one by one. I can barely think straight as it is." Ranger said seriously.

"Alright..." Fighter said before she absorbed one who stepped forward...and Fighter immediately moaned and trembled until she collapsed to her knees. "Oh _yes_...!"

"Wait until you get the rest of us." A clone teased.

"Let me...process this first..." Fighter breathed out and the clones gave her space until she went to one, absorbed her and had another burst of euphoria...and then absorbed the last and collapsed on top of Ranger who held her close as she caught her breath, looks up at him with her eyes half-closed and her tempting lips parted, before pressing them against her husband's as they simply laid there mashing their still-hungry mouths together, lashed tongues, and took their sweet time doing it.

"You know...that time I fucked one of your clones while she leaned on the bed? I haven't done that to you in far too long..." Ranger breathed out.

"Shut up and _kiss_ me..." Fighter groaned before she pressed her lips against his again.

* * *

About and hour later, the sun went down completely, and Ranger came out with Fighter after they sobered up enough from all the euphoria their minds were drenched in. They then saw a crowd of people gathered around the main square and lining the channels as Priestess led a group of acolytes from the Temple of Law to the statue of Sword Maiden for her long-overdue funeral...which completely sobered them up as they rushed to join the rest of their team who had their eyes glued to a convoy...

Priestess had the honor of carrying the urn with her and Storm Mage's ashes to be placed into a compartment installed in the statue's base, so the two can rest beneath the statue itself as the acolytes circles the statue and knelt before it. When Priestess fulfilled her task, she turned to the crowd.

"Good people? I remember when I first met the Sword Maiden. I was so thrilled to meet her I could barely contain myself, and later I had...the gigantic honor of having her take me under her wing. Some of you have even seen me as the one she sent to save you; she was great before all of this, but who could've known that the archbishop of the Supreme God, would turn into the Matron Saint of Water Town? She has been the greatest figure in my life, and an honorary member of my team. She not only helped defeat the Demon Lord over a deacde ago, but aided in the vampire queen's defeat, and helped Ranger, my leader, and brother become the 11th Platinum Rank, and when the Cambion came to ask for her aid against the world...she gave her life to keep her power out of the wrong hands. I myself have done everything I can to honor her memory, including altering my appearance to reflect her own. For those of you who aren't aware, she wore the same outfit I wear now before she became the archbishop. I even wield a sword like she did back then, and it was made from an dwarven dagger that was altered to become a sword that even contains silver in the core. I am certain all of you treasure her memory as much as I do, the statue behind me is proof of that. May it, and the people themselves continue to honor her legacy..." Priestess said softly before silently shedding a few tears, especially when Bard stepped forward and started to play a tune which tickled Ranger's memory...it was the same tune played at Noble Fencer's birthday that addressed the personification of pain and asked it to leave the hearts of everyone who heard it, for all the good it did. The people bawled even harder at the sound of the somber tone of the song, and the soft voice Bard used to deliver it.

"This song was that of my truest friend Storm Mage, the Sword Maiden's loyal and loving guardian. The man who faced the vile Cambion and stood by his lady until he drew his final breath. The man once consumed by avarice in his olden days and regurgitated by the hope instilled in him by the Lord of Heaven, only to be cast into the soft, warm, and benevolent arms of the archbishop. From vagabond to protector, from reaver to lover, from man to angel...that is the friend I had, that is the friend I still have. Now he may protect her even when his body is in cinders. No fire shall burn hotter than that of the love he shared with Her Grace, even the fire who rended their bodies." Bard said dramatically yet passionately, and just as he was about to join the crowd...a flash happened behind him, and when it died down, lo and behold, the Sword Maiden appeared.

"The Sword Maiden! She lives!" A man yelled.

"She has returned to us from Heaven! Even the Death God cannot hold her!" A woman yelled.

"She lives!" Another man yelled.

"I knew you would never leave us!" Another man yelled.

"She lives!" A woman yelled and the and the crowd continued cheering as the Sword Maiden watched them shower her with their love.

"People. People please! Calm yourselves!" Sword Maiden said as she held her hands out and the crowd eventually settled down. "I have not returned; I am here to say good-bye properly." With that, the crowd went back to being somber. "I have watched over all of you yes, and I have even directly interfered with Ranger and Goblin Slayer's teams directly when they were in danger...but I cannot remain here on Earth; my place is in Heaven, now and forever, at the Supreme God's side, and with Storm Mage at my own. I will offer my services to the teams that oppose the Cambion until he is defeated, but after that, I will only return when the Supreme sends me here. Priestess? Embrace me..." Sword Maiden said as she held out her arms, and Priestess approached her and Sword Maiden pulled her into a hug befitting of a mother. "I have...never been more proud of anyone than I am of you, my daughter. People? The young Priestess you see is my heir, and from this moment forward...the new archbishop. She will oversee Water Town in my place, as the Supreme God wills it." Priestess was instantly filled with both excitement and nervousness...and the crowd murmurs to themselves, making their disbelief known, but eventually they all show their acceptance by bowing one by one.

"Hail the new archbishop." The crowd murmurs one by one.

"Me...the archbishop..." Priestess trailed off.

"You've earned it Priestess; remember the knowledge I gave you, and you will have nothing to fear, especially with a man as wise as Ranger aiding you." Sword Maiden said before letting go of her. "Before I depart...there is more I wish to tell you, about my protector. The good Bard is more correct than he knows: the Storm Mage was my lover...but it was not a distant romance; he shared my bed, a decision I have never regretted." The crowd exclaimed in disbelief at this.

"Please understand...he did more than just protect me, and my home from demons, he purged me of a crippling fear...a fear, of _goblins_. You have heard of the nightmarish fates that befall those ensnared by them, I can tell you: they are all _true_. The reason I wore a blindfold for so long, is because I fell victim to the little terrors myself before I faced the Demon Lord. Were I a lesser person, I would condemn all of you for adding to my fear of not being accepted for being able to face the mightiest of the demons, but not a race of monsters seen as pitiful...but how can a servant of the Supreme ever hold a grudge, let alone one who willingly took up the mantle of archbishop? Ranger and Goblin Slayer's teams have kept my agony in their hearts whenever they battled them, and they even took the liberty of healing my eyes for me, which was yet another horror wrought upon me. Storm Mage has taken every opportunity to show his love for me, a love that ran as deep as the ocean and twice as far as the wind. He saved me in my hour of most _desperate_ need when the Demon Lord sent the same goblins who tortured and violated me all those years ago; even the strength of a goblin champion was no match for the love that drove him to fulfill his duty, and I have been grateful to him ever since. I even accepted his hand in marriage under the eyes of the Supreme God..." Sword Maiden then looked at the statue of hers and smiled as brightly as she could before looking back at the crowd.

"Now his ashes and my own are intertwined within the urn in that statue...just like our hearts were, just like our hearts are still. I feel I have cheapened the purpose of this funeral by appearing before you all, but nevertheless, I am deeply touched that all of this was done to honor my passing, and I will keep of you in my heart, as you have kept me in yours. Farewell my dearest family and friends, and do not forget: through her actions, or through my own wishes, your archbishop is with you." With that...the Sword Maiden vanished as if she wasn't even real...then Priestess' outfit was turned into the archbishop outfit Sword Maiden used to wear...and her staff turned into the same as Sword Maiden's, but her sword remained on her back.

The crowd was so blown away by the revelations that they didn't say a word as the rest of the team approached Priestess one by one, and gave her approving smiles.

"The new outfit suits you...Your Grace." Fighter teased with a bow and Priestess actually laughed at her before Fighter hugged her as tightly as she could and Priestess returned it.

"I love you all..." Priestess said softly and eventually broke the hug and approached Ranger who couldn't stop looking at her.

"I cannot believe we joked about this a year ago, and now you even look like the new Sword Maiden." He said, and Priestess smiled before hugging him. "Congratulations Your Grace..."

"Thank you..." Priestess whispered as the rest of the team continued to look at her. Then footsteps were heard...and Sword Mage approached.

"The previous archbishop had a protector; it is only fitting that the new one have one as well, if you will have me?" He asked and Priestess looked at her teammates, especially Fighter who side-glanced at the demon hunter.

"You have shown how strong you were before, and you are clearly devoted to your craft..." Priestess trailed off as Sword Mage drew his sword and put it on the ground as he knelt before her.

"By the sword and armor I use to fight your foes...I pledge my services." Sword Mage said seriously.

"Um, Your Grace...? I have the perfect way to wrap this little festival up, if I may?" Wizard asked somewhat playfully, which Priestess picked up on.

"Go ahead." She said, and Wizard formed up several summon stones...and to the crowd's umpteenth surprise...a World Spawn was formed with it's feet submerged in the channels as it flexed itself out. As the crowd eyeballed the elemental behemort, Wizard slowly chanted in the Demon Lord's tongue, along with Summoner...and it vanished into thin air. The team even laughed among themselves as some people actually passed out from the mental exhaustion put on them.

* * *

**Outfit and scepter? Check. Absurdly strong holy arts? Check. Sword skills? Check. Bodyguard? Check...although for the record: Priestess is not getting a love interest...period. But on a serious note: all that build-up finally paid off, and now Priestess is now the new archbishop; that was even built-up since Year One, Ranger even said so himself. Anyways, I told myself this wasn't going to be a long chapter, and look how well that worked out. Anyways...Cow Girl got in some good work didn't she? Well, she's no where near done so she'd better watch it. Now, for the record, you know how I was going on about the different Lantern Corps? Well, considering what she went through, and how she picked herself up from it, I think Cow Girl is Green Lantern material, because let's face it: her accomplishments and what she pushed through have "I'm strong-willed" written all over them. Also...I did some more things in this chapter I've wanted to do for ages: Ranger talks to Noble Fencer about politics, Sword Mage's...disturbing background story, Summoner reuniting with Cow Girl and glorifying her,**** the duel with Hero, although considering that she and Ranger are probably rivals at this point in time, we should probably expect them to duke it out sooner or later. Another is...to be honest, that 4-way with Ranger and the clones...but enough of that. How will the team's training pick up from here? Well, you'll just have to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait, won't you? So...stay tuned...**

**P.S. For those of you who are tired of me just mentioning that a song was sung...well, I'm not a songwriter by any means; I tried to a few times just for the heck of it but...it's not as simple as putting down words, and I certainly can't show how a song is supposed to be sung, especially since I don't know how to write music, I doubt most of you people know how to read music let alone execute it, and on top of that...I cannot write musical notes on my keyboard so...there you go.  
**


	43. Chapter 22 Part II

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Priestess has replaced Sword Maiden in earnest now, now let's see how well she does, and what the team themselves do next in light of what's going down on the streets and in the world.**

**Review Response: I figured a good slice of life chapter didn't happen in way too long, so that was a shoo-in. Priestess should do fine as archbishop all-things-considered; Noble Fencer and Ranger discussed that fact for a reason. As for Cow Girl being Green Lantern material...well, Summoner glorified her for picking herself up from being knocked down as hard as she was enough so I won't go further into it but...lesser people wouldn't even think of becoming adventurers, let alone go as far as she did. Some would even give up on life itself, i.e. commit suicide...but Cow Girl didn't. She basically said "I'm not going to take this; if these goblins want a war, they've got a war"...and frankly, seeing her get some stuff done instead of just be a pillar for Goblin Slayer, with all due respect to that element, is something I cannot ignore.**

**To be fair, she was never completely incompetent, but...having a long way to go isn't very good for your image if the expectations are high enough.**

**Honestly...none of those disturbing things are new, but it's still noteworthy nonetheless.**

**Also, it's pretty funny that I had fireworks happen in Water Town...several days before the 4th of July happened in real life...  
**

* * *

After the funeral, Priestess led the team to the Temple of Law as Bard and Songstress went home to look after Ranger and Fighter's baby; Priestess needed her whole team with her afterall. When hey reached the main chamber...Storm Mage was waiting for her smiling like a proud father. He even bowed to her.

"Your Grace..." He said before straightening up, and Priestess approached and embraced him.

"Father..." She whispered.

"I can tell you're going to make a wonderful archbishop, just like you're a wonderful Sword Maiden." Storm Mage said softly.

"Fighter once asked me if I can be her daughter's Sword Maiden." Priestess said.

"Lucky baby." Storm Mage said before Priestess backed up to look at him as he ran his hand through her hair. "Lucky me too..."

"What will you and the Sword Maiden do now?" Priestess asked.

"She'll tell you herself, as for me? Well...I'm still as bound to this place by my wife is, so you may have your own protector, but I've been promoted to the city's protector, so those demons better watch their asses." Storm Mage said casually.

"That hardly seems fair; you're supposed to be dead." Fighter said.

"Oh relax, I'm not going to be here forever; I have the previous Sword Maiden to care for. Even now, she could use my love." Storm Mage said and Priestess held his hand.

"You always were a good man, even when you forgot it." She said.

"That's why she redeemed me." Storm Mage said.

"Well...this has been one insane night, so can we please go to bed? With your leave of course Your Grace." Dwarf Rifleman said.

"By all means, but I would like to speak with my team- no...my family some more." Priestess said.

"Don't stay up too late now...that means you too Orcbolg." H.E. Druid said as she led D.R. to bed.

"Right..." GS said as Priestess approached her teammates.

"If it wasn't for all of you, I would never have been able to get to where I am, let alone survive my first quest. Ever since then we've' gone nowhere but closer to each other, and I want nothing more than to stay like this even as archbishop...which is why I'm staying on this team until the Cambion is dealt with." She said firmly.

"We wouldn't want it any other way." Wizard said.

"It's pretty gutsy of you to stay with us since the Cambion apparently scared you witless, but then...you _did_ keep us from dying." Her brother said.

"On a more serious note...archbishop or not, Supreme God's power or not...you're still our little sister, and we all love you as such." Warrior said.

"And like you said before: You're my daughter's Sword Maiden." Fighter said and Priestess smiled before the two embraced.

"I love you." She said softly before Fighter kissed her forehead and put her hands on her face.

"I love you too." Fighter said.

"And so do we." Warrior said as he and Wizard approached and had a group hug as the rest looked at each other as they watched their moment, with Ranger simply watching. When it was done, Priestess looked right at GS.

"Goblin Slayer?" Priestess asked.

"Yes?" He asked and Priestess sighed.

"You were...you were downright _insufferable_ at times, but it is still comforting to know you're willing to live a normal life, and hopefully, a good one." She said honestly.

"Thank you." GS said and Cow Girl hung on his arm.

"As for you...don't stop taking care of him, for me...and for the rest of us." Priestess said.

"I've done nothing but my best for him Your Grace." Cow Girl said before Priestess looked at Wizard's brother and Rhea Fighter.

"The two of you...I wasn't excepting more members of this family, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't welcome." She said.

"What kind of brother would I be if I didn't stand by my dear sister?" Wizard's brother asked.

"And I was not going to say no to a chance to make a difference, and maybe a name for myself in the process." Rhea Fighter said, and Wizard's brother held her hand.

"Wait...what's that about?" Wizard asked.

"We...kind of kissed under the fireworks." Her brother said and the team exclaimed.

"Say what now?" Fighter asked.

"Yeah..." Wizard's brother said and his sister put her hand on his shoulder with a genuine smile.

"Good for you." She said as her brother returned the smile.

"Well, as much as I like the attention, I believe Her Grace had the floor?" He asked.

"I believe that will be all." Priestess said with amusement as Storm Mage cleared his throat.

"Before you go, I have a gift, for _you_..." Storm Mage said as he approached Warrior. "Give me your hammer."

"Alright..." Warrior said as he handed over his hammer...and Storm Mage actually conjured a pair of sparking clouds that were absorbed into the hammer itself, much to the team's amazement.

"There we go, now you have the full power of the Sky, Sea, and Fertility gods that gave me my power." Storm Mage said as Warrior looked over his new hammer.

"At this right, you're going to be the next Storm Mage." Wizard said and Warrior chuckled.

"Alright, let's not get ahead of ourselves now..." Storm Mage deadpanned and several people laughed at him.

"By your leave Your Grace?" Wizard said as she curtsied before she walked her husband out.

"So my good Ranger...putting the power I introduced you to to good use?" Storm Mage asked and Ranger smirked.

"Yes...and I'll never forget to glorify you for it oh great and wise protector to the Sword Maiden." He said dramatically.

"You mean protector of Wat- actually, I'm always the Sword Maiden's protector; Water Town has a new protector. _Two_ apparently..." Storm Mage said.

"Right. You're little brother is here as well." Warrior said.

"Ranger? I... I need to speak to you in private." Priestess said.

"Alright." Ranger said as Priestess led him and Fighter to a bedroom...and leaving Storm Mage there to stew in the fact he was just swept aside before vanishing. When they got to the bedroom, Fighter waited outside as Ranger and Priestess went inside, and Ranger de-morphed his outfit and got in bed as Priestess looked over his bulk...which made her remember Goblin Slayer's when she was used to perform Resurrection on him. Ranger even wore the same black underwear. She then walked over to the bed, sat next to him and sucked in a breath as Ranger looked her over.

"You were my first teammate..." Priestess said softly.

"Who could possibly forget?" Ranger asked.

"No fewer people than could forget how far we've come..." Priestess said before tensing up.

"Priestess?" Ranger asked.

"I'm sorry...I have too many bad memories of what you went through..." Priestess said and Ranger took her hand.

"I'm fine now. My wife saw to that herself." He said honestly before Priestess sucked in a breathe.

"It's not just that fear demon...it's about what you became. I'm stupid; I know being the War God's champion is not a clean endeavor, especially since...well, I can tell you learned alot from Goblin Slayer a long time ago, and it's only gotten more serious from there, especially with that ungodly desire for revenge-" Ranger cuts Priestess off.

"Priestess...we've talked about this." He said firmly.

"Please...hear me out..." Priestess said and Ranger eased up. "I spoke to the Sword Maiden while the rest of you were training, and she told me how much you enjoy instilling fear in your enemies, especially the goblins; how focused your wrath was during battle, and how much discipline you demonstrate in the process."

"That's what she said to me before I fought the fear demon..." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"She cares about you, just like the rest of us do." Priestess said with concern.

"Normally I would say that it wasn't necessary but...who am I kidding? I just hope none of you underestimate my resolve, especially you." Ranger said seriously.

"How could I forget, my fearless leader?" Priestess asked and Ranger smiled at her.

"You know, as archbishop, you outrank me." He said and she returned the smile.

"I suppose I do..." Priestess said before she leaned into him, and sat there letting him hold her and focusing on each other's warmth, and the lack of tension. She then sat on his lap and shifted against him as they continued to breathe deeply while bathing in the love stemming from their family bond. "I love you...brother."

"And I love you sister." Ranger whispered before kissing her cheek and lingering for a moment before backing up and letting her return the favor. "Storm Mage was right: you're going to make a wonderful archbishop..."

"And hopefully a wonderful Sword Maiden for your daughter, whom I'd like to see when I can." Priestess said as softly as ever and Ranger smiled before hugging her again.

"Of course..." He whispered and Priestess smiled before snuggling into him again.

"I'd also like to go on a quest with just you, no one else." Priestess said seriously and Ranger looked at her funny. "For as long as I've known you, I've never been able to quest with only you; I spent plenty with Goblin Slayer, and even Warrior, Wizard, or both, but...never just you."

"What about Fighter?" Ranger asked.

"She's...well, she sticks with me more often than anyone else, and I her. But you? Not nearly as much, despite the fact we've known each other the longest." Priestess said.

"You know what you might see me do..." Ranger trailed off.

"I used the miracle of Vision to see the horrors you've inflicted on the goblins...I can't say I pity them; I also saw what they do to those they capture...including Sword Maiden and Goblin Slayer's sister..." Priestess said and Ranger turned pale.

"You saw wha- Have you lost your mind!?" He exclaimed.

"I asked myself the same question...but I had to know, and believe me... I don't think I've ever cried...or thrown up that much before. Even knowing how traumatized you were by that fear demon's tricks didn't hurt this badly. I even briefly considering consulting with the War God to help avenge their pain, until I remembered your mandate is to do just that." Priestess said and Ranger sighed.

"Now you know how I felt when I first saw those traumatized girls on our first quest..." He said somberly and Priestess held his face.

"You never answered me though: go on a quest with me, and no one else...please." She said and Ranger held her hand.

"Alright...Your Grace." He said and they shared a smile before Priestess put her hand over his heart.

"I remember when I healed you here after a goblin stabbed you..." She said softly.

"And now there's not even a scratch there to remember it by." Ranger said.

"Fighter's heart almost gave out after fighting all those vampires...so I guess you two have another thing in common." Priestess said.

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Also...you are probably the only other person I don't mind sharing her breasts with...pardon my bluntness." Ranger said.

"Ranger...just like with Warrior, Fighter is the sister I never had, so you and I grew even closer than I thought after you two married." Priestess said before she got up and left...and Fighter came in a while later. "How much did you hear?"

"Not much; I wanted to give you space...but I heard you ask her if she lost her mind." Fighter said while casually stripping herself naked, and for once...Ranger didn't ogle her, but just simply watched her.

"She wants to go on a quest with only me." He said as Fighter removed her hairband and shook her head, making her silky hair flail about as majestically as ever

"Did she say why?" She asked as she ran her hands through her hair and made it bounce and spread out.

"She says she wants to do something with me since...if you think about it, we haven't done anything major together, me and her." Ranger said as Fighter removed her underwear and approached the bed.

"From what I've seen, she's not wrong, and it would be a nice change of pace...especially since tomorrow is her first day as archbishop." Fighter said as Ranger let her join him on the bed and snuggle into his side.

"Right...well, that can wait until tomorrow." He said softly before Fighter smiled, and looked away thoughtfully.

"What else did you and the Sword Maiden do?" She asked.

"Well...we talked about old times for one thing, but also about my progress, especially with my hatred for those I deem enemies." Ranger said.

"Is that all?" Fighter asked.

"Fighter...I didn't sleep with her; even if she wasn't married to Storm Mage, I'm not interested in her." Ranger said firmly.

"The reason I'm asking is because I just now recalled the time when you told me you wee tempted to kiss her." Fighter said.

"Oh...that..." Ranger said.

"I know it's strange to ask but...could you kiss me the way you would kiss her?" Fighter asked and Ranger looked right at her.

"That _is_ strange to ask..." He said, before looking away thoughtfully, sucking in a breath, then looked at his wife who never looked away, and channeled the way he felt about the Sword Maiden...the difference was night and day; he did care about the Sword Maiden of course, but there was a reason fighter had his heart...and there was no chance of her being replaced. He then thought about why Storm Mage loved the Sword Maiden, and things changed. He then pressed his lips against hers, pretending she was the Sword Maiden, and he was back at the time she used Resurrection on him...his compassion went into overtime. He was reminded of the time Fighter told him about Sword Maiden's encounter with goblins, what Sword Maiden herself said...and even the broken faces on the girls he mercy-killed. Fighter then broke the kiss when she felt her hard-shelled, yet still soft-hearted man tremble with sobs. "Now I know why Storm Mage loved her..."

"He was devoted beyond words...which makes you my Storm Mage." Fighter whispered while caressing his face, then they pressed their lips together again...properly this time.

"Does...that make you my Sword Maiden?" Ranger asked and Fighter actually laughed at him before climbing on top of him to kiss him deeply and sweetly before backing up and smiling down at him while her hair cascaded downwards, emphasizing her unearthly beauty.

"You could say that...although Priestess took that position already." She said before licking her lips and then kissing her husband as deeply as you could, while smacking their lips together over and over and lashing tongues. "You know...I couldn't help but notice my clones actually watched you fuck the other ones...including when you plunged into their wombs."

"Hey, not my fault they enjoyed the show." Ranger teased.

"You are such a perv..." Fighter said while shaking her head.

"And you still love me, and I know you enjoyed taking all that pleasure at once." Ranger said and Fighter smirked.

"You know me so well...I also couldn't help but notice just how often you gripped my clones' asses..." She teased.

"Hey, they teased me about them, and I did note how pressing these lovely breasts into me is one of the best things done with them." Ranger said honestly as he played with her mounds of squishy flesh.

"Touche...but you know I want a second child when this is over." Fighter said.

"Love...I am not going to want sex in a..._long_ time." Ranger said firmly.

"I can imagine, considering how much _fun_ we had." Fighter teased.

"Careful...I might get over it sooner than you're ready for..." Ranger said.

"That...would be a feat." Fighter said before Ranger stuffed both of her perfect butt cheeks into his hands, which made her tense up right away.

"I can get about as much of you as you can get enough of me." He said seriously.

"In other words: you could probably fuck me all day." Fighter teased as the man beneath her continued to play with her flesh.

"And you, by extension, could let me fuck you all day." Ranger said before Fighter came down to kiss him deeply...but then her mood changed. Her hungry motions became slower and softer, and he quickly got the message and let go of her buttocks and ran his hand through her hair while she held his face, before they separated and they looked at each other through their half-opened eyes. "Do you still feel guilty for letting me watch over this temple alone?"

"Not anymore..." Fighter whispered and Ranger touched her cheek.

"On a serious note: thanks for giving me those clones to play with. I never take the gifts you give me for granted, but definitely not that." He said softly.

"You're quite welcome. But for the record: I didn't just do that because of my guilt, or my own pleasure...I did that because I love you." Fighter said.

"I love you too...my sweet Fighter." Ranger whispered before pulling her into another passionate kiss.

"Would you mind...you know, making a rubber?" Fighter asked and Ranger smiled.

"Alright...I've had my fill of sex, but..." He trailed off.

"I know. I actually want us to take our time, just to let the contrast sink in." Fighter said honestly.

"Look at us...practicing radically different types of sex, and being so open about it." Ranger said.

"Well, we're husband and wife aren't we? Not to mention we've figuratively, and literally been through Hell and Heaven together." Fighter said.

"Right..." Ranger said before Fighter softly caressed his face and looked at him with lust in her eyes.

"Please...make love to me." She said sensually before Ranger called his belt over to him, morphed a rubber sheath for his manhood, slipped it on, and Fighter flipped over, and spread her legs before Ranger got between them, then slowly and steadily entered his wife's body as she closed her eyes to focus on his swollen manhood fill the sacred space between her divine legs. Her breathing became more labored as Ranger took his time moving in and out of her womanhood, and Ranger occasionally planted a kiss on her face, which made her smile brightly before pulling him into a kiss as he continued to slowly mate with the strong, loving, and voluptuous woman beneath him. He eventually broke the kiss and continued looking at her face soften in bliss and eventually let out quiet moans as he felt her steady heartrate through the back of his fingers as they lightly pressed into her neck. "I...really am a fortunate woman..."

"How so...?" Ranger whispered as he continued to mate with her.

"I have... the most benevolent, noble, handsome...and_ vigorous_ man...I've ever met...having _amazing_ sex with me...and I want this...when we have our second child." Fighter said softly between gasps as her husband faithfully plunged into her warm, moist, and narrowing entrance without changing pace.

"Yes...the second child I give to the world, thanks to the affectionate, and powerful woman I married...who happens to be all seven shades of _sexy_." Ranger groaned as he kept listening to her let out one deep breath after another, then all of a sudden laughed . "What?"

"Nothing...you're just so good at this..." Fighter breathed out before Ranger smiled and started sucking on her neck as he continued to give her slow but powerful thrusts while she held his head in place...he then kissed her cheek then smirked at her. "You feel as proud of yourself as ever, seeing me like this?"

"Oh yes...but this is about you. I love having sex with you as much as I just plain love you, but none of this is for me." He said honestly as Fighter gasped in both awe at his declaration, and the raw sexual pleasure she was being given. She then reached up to grab his shoulders as she pulled him down into another kiss, and the two moaned as he finally picked up some speed and power. Their single kiss, turned into a series of kisses as she moaned deliciously into his mouth as he felt her thick legs wrap around his hips, and eventually, she flipped them over, and her raven locks spilled down over her shoulders as she started bucking her hips as she placed her hands on Ranger's shoulders to hold up her weight. He then laid there watching her lovely breasts bounce around near his face as her open mouth continued to fill his ears with her vocalizations while he dug his fingers into the soft, supple flesh of her hips and buttocks, as she gave him a toothy grin in response. Eventually, he played with her breasts and she lowered her upper body so he could suck her nipples which encouraged her to buck her hips faster, which by default made her ass flex and jiggle with even more vigor as she bounced up and down on his lap, and her entrance swallowed his manhood over and over, much to Ranger's pleasure as he groaned into the breast he was squeezing and sucking on, and the vibrations made her stack laughter on top of her moans before he stopped sucking them and just squeezed them heartily. "Couldn't help giving me some pleasure eh?"

"Shut...up...!" Fighter groaned as her female passage continued to envelop her husband's thick, stone-hard manhood, as he returned the favor by using his powerful abdomen in conjunction with the recoil from the bed bouncing to thrust up into her womanhood, which never ceased to grip him like his metal-coated hand would grip a goblin's throat as her womanhood tightened, and greedily sucked out every last drop of sexual rapture out of him as the two finally climaxed with Fighter letting out an elongated moan to signal her orgasm...but Ranger wasn't done; he continued to pound into her, and despite her own orgasm...Fighter's resolve in battle translated to her bedroom prowess flawlessly as she continued bucking her hips letting out one gasp or moan after another until her husband finally reached his own peak. She then collapsed onto Ranger's brawny chest as his equally-brawny arms enveloped her as she tried to catch her breath as if she barely avoided drowning. "I think...that's quite enough sex...don't you think...?"

"You haven't told me to shut up while you were getting fucked since the beach..." Ranger teased and Fighter giggled and kissed his neck before approaching his ear.

"That was the first real time you fucked me since I gave birth to our lovely daughter." She said sensually while caressing his side, and her magic worked wonders as he trembled under her influence. She then moved up to kiss his lips while groping his pec while her butt was getting groped in return.

"You know I'm still inside you right?." Ranger asked.

"You're point?" Fighter asked simply.

"Just saying...feels pretty natural doesn't it?" Ranger asked and Fighter smirked. "Although, you know those times you do a full split?"

"Yes?" Fighter said.

"Well...that moment I fucked your clone while her legs were raised straight up just now gave me the idea of fucking you while putting that flexibility to use..." Ranger said.

"Can we stop calling it that please? We make love like the affectionate married couple we are, not go at it like animals." Fighter said seriously.

"Sorry..." Ranger said.

"But...that's not a bad idea, but I don't want any more sex myself actually, not yet at least." Fighter said.

"Right...although, it's a good thing I drank that potion before I played with your clones." Ranger said.

"That...is very true..." Fighter said seriously.

"Fighter...during that orgy you gave me..." Ranger trailed off.

"That orgy was a gift, and even then it was driven by passion rather than purified lust. Last I checked, you were going at it with copies of me, that shared my feelings for you; they weren't strangers, lets alone prostitutes." Fighter said.

"Very funny..." Ranger deadpanned and Fighter giggled before snuggling into his chest. "As I was going to say...it's pretty ironic that I said we would have our second child when we next have sex, but look how that worked out..."

"We're only human love..." Fighter said seriously.

"Right...until the Cambion's dealt with, we just use these beds to mate, and sleep on." Ranger said and Fighter giggled as she shifted against Ranger's bulk.

"A chance to sleep next to my _insanely_ sexy husband is a chance I'll never let slip." She said sensually while continuing to squish her breasts into him. "FYI, my clones thought about opening their chakras to enhance their pleasure...but they probably wouldn't have survived that kind of stimulation. I...should probably warn that farm girl not to do so when she beds Goblin Slayer..." She said.

"Wise decision." Ranger said before the two sucked in a breath.

"What did you mean all seven shades of sexy?" She asked.

"First off, I meant it figuratively, but...if I absolutely _had_ to assign a type I'd...probably pick the ways it shows." Ranger said before Fighter sat up and looked at him with a smirk and raised eyebrows.

"Tell me how my sexiness shows." She said sensually before Ranger groped her breasts.

"There's these for one...what you say and how you say it is two, your face and the way you're using it right now is three. Your creamy skin is four, five is...well, you think _I'm_ good at this? Watching you bounce up and down like that is a show I'd pay half our savings for, and I get it for free." Ranger said and Fighter let off an adorable giggle.

"Then I should have done that to you more often. Now...what are the last two?" She said as sensually as ever.

"Well...there's you're raw strength, and the muscles you dish it out...and I'm pretty sure I made my feelings about _this_ pretty clear..." Ranger said as he roughly groped her butt loud enough to make a fleshy slapping sound which made Fighter gasp, and tense up before chuckling.

"Yes you have." She said before coming down to kiss him deeply and noisy as she kept getting her butt squeezed.

"And don't think I forgot how you can't get enough of my hands on you." Ranger teased.

"You make it impossible to think that. Although..." Fighter trailed off before Ranger let her butt go.

"Yeah yeah, you have limits. Say no more." He said casually.

"You know me so well..." Fighter said before snuggling into him, as he wrapped his arms around her, and she shifted against him while sighing. "My love and life..." Ranger reacted by holding her closer and running his hand through her hair.

"Remember that time at your father's grave?" He asked and Fighter reflexively snuggled into him some more.

"How could I forget...? You held me just like this." She whispered.

"I'll hold you like this as often, and as long as you want..." Ranger said softly as Fighter looked up at him with a warm smile that he returned.

"Would you like some clones to sleep with?" She asked.

"Why not? I'm completely intoxicated on all the sex we had...but there's more to this than that." Ranger said and with that...Fighter made two clones that took their place at either of his sides, with one on his left, the other at his right, and the original moving on top of him, pressing their soft, bra-filling breasts into his bulk.

"This feel good?" A clone asked.

"Oh yes...six, or 6,000, these breasts are as enchanting as your assess." Ranger said.

"You're not getting 6,000 breasts pressed into you, let alone 3,000 asses." Fighter herself said and Ranger deadpanned.

"Smartass." He said and all three ladies raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't even..."

"You know that's an easy one..." A clone teased before Ranger made her butt jiggle with a quick spank, making her gasp and the others laughed at her before Fighter removed his manhood from her still-tight entrance and laid down straight.

"It's too easy for it's own good." Ranger said seriously before Fighter looked down at him before kissing him deeply and the clones simply watched. Ranger then moved his hands from her butt to the back of her head to play with her hair as they ended their mating session on a high-note by turning their hunger into passion.

"Remembering the time you had with the rest of me?" Fighter teased as she laid down her husband's newly-aroused organ against his..and her abdomens through his underwear.

"It was a _hell_ of a time..." Ranger groaned and Fighter sat up as one clone giggled and removed the rubber, which absorbed his seed, and Fighter's fluids flawlessly, while the other caressed his chest and approached his ear while gripping his hardened manhood.

"We can repeat the moment whenever you want..." She said sensually as Ranger trembled as the tip of his organ was played with, much to the original's pride.

"That would be...lovely..." He whispered before the clone molded their parted lips together and moaned into their kiss as they lashed tongues, and the other clone sucked on his neck and rubbed his sculpted abdomen...and Ranger groped their butts again.

"Alright ladies, that's enough. Let's get some sleep...for real this time." Fighter said with amusement, and hey all went to sleep with the four all sighing and moaning in bliss and they shifted against each other.

* * *

In the morning, Ranger went straight to fetch Priestess for their quest together, and even though plenty of people, especially Sword Mage wanted her to stay in Water Town to fulfill her tasks as archbishop...the city was well in hand, and she was traveling with her deadliest teammate, and her team's leader for that matter, most people dropped it, but she could still see their disapproval on their faces. Before they left however, Wizard wanted to try something with her sword and outfit, more precisely: giving her the ability to morph her reinforced dress and archbishop outfit into each other, as well as morph her sword when she needed it. It was mostly a gift for Priestess' appointment as archbishop, but also hindsight...which was a running gag that was starting to get old...anyway, she then morphed her sword into an alloy of the silver, dwarven metal, and common steel version of her original blade, and Cherub even appeared to give it the same blessing as Warrior's sword. Priestess then tested it against one of Ranger's longswords just for giggles in a brief sparring match so she could get a feel for it's new form, and loved it as much as she loved the man she sparred with, who even gave her an approving nod.

The two went to the guild hall to see what caught her eye...in her dress, and she choose an investigation quest. The two recalled how those were the least predictable quests, and chances are, things would go quite well like the first time...or horrendously bad; chances are, the Evil Sect was still out there looking for revenge, but she wasn't worried; with Ranger with her, and her new sword and powers on her side, they could handle anything. She even used Vision to see Ranger's fight with the two specialists, and even though him getting his ass kicked was disheartening...she knew Ranger was nothing if not adaptable, plus she could heal or empower him if she needed to, and there's no way he didn't have her back. All in all...in her eyes, they would be unbeatable.

Before they left, they stopped by Ranger's manor to pay his daughter a visit, and the baby reached for Priestess and cooed the moment she appeared. She first reached through the bars of the baby's crib so she could get her hands played with, before she stood up and picked the baby up.

"Hello." Priestess said with a smile.

"Hello." The baby said before Priestess kissed her forehead and caressed her face.

"Your Sword Maiden is here...and so is your father." She said as softly as ever before Ranger walked up to them and took his daughter.

"Hello daughter." Ranger said.

"Hello..." The baby said before touching her father's face.

"Guess what? Your father and Sword Maiden are going on an adventure, just like you're probably going to when you grow up." Ranger said.

"And you'll make a fine adventurer...and a fine woman." Priestess said as Ranger put his daughter back in her crib.

"We'll be back before too much longer...don't cause too much trouble for your caretakers o.k.?" He asked before getting up and leaving...and noticing Songstress right there; she was most likely watching.

"Hello." She said.

"Hello...can you still look after her?" Ranger asked and Songstress looked them both over, then the baby and nodded. "Thanks." He and Priestess then walked past her as she went to take the baby again. "Language barriers suck..."

"At least we don't have to say too much between us." Priestess said as they walked outside.

"True...hey, how about you take my horse?" Ranger asked and Priestess' face lit up.

"That would be lovely!" She exclaimed and Ranger went to get his horse, take her out of the make-shift stable and helped Priestess get on. She then rode the horse around to get a feeling for how a horse feels when ridden, and while she did that...Cow Girl showed up.

"I heard you two were going on a mission together...why didn't you include me? I need the experience." She said firmly.

"You need training more than experience, besides, this is a special occasion." Ranger said.

"What kind?" Cow Girl asked and Ranger looked at Priestess. "Oh...she asked you didn't she?"

"Right." Ranger said.

"But what abou-" He cuts Cow Girl off.

"Just get your equipment upgraded, train with the others, help them uncover new things, do things around town for fun, whatever, just make use of your free time while we're gone." Ranger said.

"But-" He cuts Cow Girl off again.

"It's not debatable. Check in." Ranger said sharply before getting a grip. "Sorry, but this is a very personal matter, and I do care about your progress, but coming with us is not the way to do it.

"I get it..." Cow Girl said.

"But at least you can see my little girl before you leave." Ranger said and Cow Girl smiled.

"It would be motivating to let her see one of her other mommies wouldn't it? She might even grow up faster." She said and Ranger actually laughed.

"You probably _could_ inspire her to do that." He said before Priestess rode over to them.

"Good Ranger, I'm ready to depart now." Priestess said dramatically and Ranger smirked.

"Very well Your Grace." He said as dramatically.

"And she wasn't even archbishop for one day..." Cow Girl quipped and all three laughed.

"Good Supreme, when did we get so immature?" Ranger asked.

"We could use a good laugh after everything that's happened." Priestess said and Ranger sighed.

"That is more true than it has any right to be..." He said seriously before the mood picked up again.

"Well, I'm going to check in with the rest like you said, so...have fun you two." Cow Girl said.

"Bye." Priestess said as Cow Girl walked off, then Ranger morphed the horse's enchanted armor onto it's body, and Priestess used the portal gem to open a portal to the other side of the lake and led her Platinum Rank leader-turned-companion led her through it as she took his horse through it.

"So...what are we investigating?" Ranger asked.

"Well, there was a reason why it wasn't take by anyone: no one dared to look into the Evil Sect's activities, if they didn't think they were dealt with." Priestess said.

"I don't know whether to call that faith, or complacency..." Ranger said as they kept walking along the beach...and eventually spotting one of the dead leviathans Warrior killed, what was left of it anyway. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, several leviathans patrolled the waters, and Warrior took care of them. Apparently he also killed one from the inside." Priestess said and Ranger raised an eyebrow.

"He always did have more guts than sense..." He said casually before they continued onward.

"You know when I was with Goblin Slayer...I counter the dead just like he did?" Priestess asked and Ranger looked at her funny.

"Are you feeling alright? First that, then you look at his sister's trauma...then the Sword Maiden's? What next?" He asked with serious concern.

"I don't know...but I like to think of it as a way to help fill the shoes I now wear." Priestess said.

"For all our sakes, I hope so. But on a more pleasant note: how's my horse treating you?" Ranger asked.

"I never thought I'd miss her this much, especially since I haven't ridden her in a while." Priestess said as she petted the horse on the side of the neck.

"What? I thought for sure you rode her _plenty_ of times in the months we spent apart." Ranger said.

"I did, but ever since this business with the Cambion started...I never got to spend any time with her, and I'm sure she missed me as well." Priestess said.

"Most likely; she's as close to all of you as I am." Ranger said and Priestess smiled in response.

"I remember how much trouble she saved us, like when we were able to get not only ourselves from one place to another, but also our supplies." She said.

"Not to mention the time I used her to go after some Porcelain Ranks who turned out to not need my help when I was Steel Rank. I still can't believe that gesture alone helped net me a rank-up." Ranger said.

"That gesture was a display of the same love you had for the rest of us. Your rank increase wasn't just given to you." Priestess said as she held her hand out for Ranger to hold, which he did.

"And I love you all dearly..." He said.

"And we love you...especially me and Fighter." Priestess said.

"If you keep this up you're going to make me cry again." Ranger said casually...and it apparently hit a nerve because Priestess pulled her hand away and she herself deflated. "Sorry, bad choice of words..."

"It's alright...I know you're strong enough to handle what happened." Priestess said.

"The most vivid memory I have of the time I rode to get those Porcelain Ranks...is what could've happened if you went on your first quest without me. Don't get me wrong, I'm long over the idea, and I'm proud to have conquered my inner demons, but still...the idea of the three of you becoming goblin pets and Warrior getting torn apart wasn't the easiest thing to swallow, even though at the time I was more than smart enough to know dwelling on thoughts like that was a bad idea." Ranger said.

"That's _certainly_ not happening nowadays; we were a nightmare for the goblins before..." Priestess trailed off.

"But now? Well, I took down the same legion we faced at the farm a year ago while they were strengthened by Hell itself...with all of us combined, especially with your holy arts weakening them, and empowering us...I've never been happier to not be a goblin." Ranger said and Priestess giggled.

"I remember when you asked Wizard what she can do, and when she mentioned her fire magic, you said the same thing..." She said.

"And months later a goblin uses _her_ spell to burn me...fate is a bitch sometimes...pardon my language." Ranger said.

"No...you're right. The force of will you've been demonstrated for as long as I've known you is enviable at worst." Priestess said.

"I have all of you to thank...which I say entirely too often." Ranger said and Priestess smirked.

"Sorry about that." She said.

"Eh, I've been more annoyed before..." Ranger said casually and they kept moving on without a word, and she noticed him take out a small sandwich, and offered her one, but she declined; she's already eaten. Eventually they got to a part of the forest around the lake that Priestess recognized right away...

"This must be where Fighter took down those catapults." Priestess said as she surveyed the wrecked catapults...and the hundreds of decaying and shredded bodies left there by the Evil Sect that were clearly feasted on by vultures, and some were still being eaten. Ranger morphed his mask to protect himself from the rancid smell, and Priestess used Purify to clear the smell away, as the vultures were spooked and flew off.

"Purify? Haven't seen that miracle in a while." Ranger said with his mask echoing his voice.

"I haven't needed it in a while." Priestess said somberly as Ranger de-morphed his mask.

"Are you alright?" He asked and Priestess sighed.

"I also communed with the Earth Mother while you were training that farm girl. I feel I've completely neglected her and I wanted to make amends...but to my amazement, there weren't any amends to make; she understood my devotion to he Supreme, and my reasons for it completely. She even let me keep the miracles I got from her." She said.

"Very good. Nevermind how useful they are; that speaks for itself, but being able to remain in a deity's favor is something no sane person says no to." Ranger said seriously before looking over the remains of the catapults, and absorbing them into his armor via his chains as Priestess watched the remains turn to dust and get sucked into his armor.

"Do you do that often?" Priestess asked.

"Whenever I get the chance; we have a fight with the Cambion approaching and I need to be as ready as possible, not to mention the Goblin Overlord that the farm girl is most likely going to take part in...Heaven knows she'll need as much training as she can get for that." Ranger said as he finished absorbing the catapults.

"That shouldn't come at the price of her ability to enjoy life." Priestess said.

"Of course not, but if you think about it, retaining her ability to enjoy life is part of her training, or at the very least it qualifies." Ranger said.

"I suppose so..." Priestess said before Ranger extended more chains to absorb the weapons and armor of the dead troops across the battlefield. "How much are you going to absorb?"

"As much as I can, and I already told you why." Ranger said.

"But there has to be a limit on how much material you can handle!" Priestess said.

"Maybe, but that just means I have that much more to manage. If Goblin Slayer can manage his sanity after observing whatever nightmare his sister went through, and I can manage my own after the nightmares I went through...then this is nothing." Ranger said as he focused on his chains' actions while Priestess recalled her Visions of what Ranger described and felt her heart sink at each memory. "There we go...let's contin-" Ranger shut up the moment they spotted a team of outlaws...and a specialist appear. "Oh great..."

"At least this specialist is one of the weaker variety." Priestess said before the outlaws spotted them.

"The one they call the Ranger and the new archbishop in one place? The captain will be pleased when we bring their heads..." The specialist said with glee.

"What captain?" Ranger asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know..." An outlaw said as the ones who didn't have spears all drew their weapons, which included sword, axes, and a few maces.

"You'll talk...eventually." Ranger said before pulling his guns and opening fire...as the specialist hardened his armor to deflect his bullets. "Nice trick, let's see how far it gets you." Ranger then morphed his longswords and rushed at them with the specialist keeping him busy with his arm and leg blades clashing with Ranger as several outlaws tried to hit him in a blind spot...only for Ranger to cut halfway through them in various ways.

Priestess meanwhile used her sword to deflect one spear thrust after another as she rode the horse around, and even tackled one outlaw down as an enchantment on the horse's armor turned it into essentially a running meteor that ran down anything in it's way; it was the same enchantment put on it at the farm a year ago. It was rarely used, but it was better safe than sorry. Priestess then continued to defend herself from the outlaws as Ranger kept the specialist busy, until eventually, he morphed a small gauntlet to stop the specialist from driving his feet blade through his brain, and dislocated the specialist' leg at the knee before kicking the specialist in the gut hard enough to send him flying into a tree before watching Priestess ride around keeping the outlaws at bay. Eventually, she used Holy Light to blind them as Ranger's mask protected him, then he morphed his guns and shot down the outlaws...and left the same one who taunted him earlier alive enough to talk as the light faded, only for his relief to turn to horror as he looked around at what was left of his comrades, and fell down trembling in fear as Ranger approached.

"Get away from me!" The outlaw yelled as he tried running only to trip and fall, and Ranger kicked him onto his back.

"Who's this captain you mentioned?" He asked.

"Go to hell!" The outlaw yelled before pulling a knife, getting up, and trying to stab Ranger...only to get his arm stopped cold, then Ranger sighed in disappointment before absorbing the knife into his armor, as the outlaw looked on in terror, then knocking the outlaw back down and putting his foot on the outlaw's collarbone.

"Let's try that again..." Ranger said.

"He's a bounty hunter! He was hired by the Evil Sect and...he- he sent us to collect it!" The outlaw said.

"Oh did he? Where is he now?" Ranger asked.

"I don't know." The outlaw said and Ranger pressed down on his collarbone. "I don't know! Honest!"

"Then how do you get your orders form him? Letter?" Ranger asked.

"No; he _did_ tell us personally, but he never stays in one place too long, and...given what you just did to us, I can see why..." The outlaw said.

"What's the bounty, dare I ask?" Ranger asked.

"10,000 gold coins for you, and each of your team." The outlaw said and Ranger let off a whistle.

"That's quite a bit of money, but tell me..._why_ did you think a bounty that high would be easy to get!? They don't hand out that kind of money for just any thug on the streets. On top of that...why do you trust the Evil Sect?" He asked seriously.

"He's not part of the Evil Sect, he was just hired by them." The outlaw said.

"That's not what I asked..." Ranger said and the outlaw just stammered. "The Evil Sect does nothing but terrorize people, take their property, and who-knows-what-else. Trusting them is like cutting your own throat and watching other people bleed on your behalf."

"Please...I can tell you where he usually goes to." The outlaw said.

"No need; we have our own way to find what or who we need." Ranger said.

"What?" The outlaw asked.

"I'm the one asking questions here, now...all that being said, I want you to take a message back to your captain: it will take more than a band of reprobates to put me, or anyone in my team for that matter, in their graves..." Ranger said before he let the outlaw go, and he slowly shook off his terror and wandered off as Priestess watched.

"Ranger..." She said softly.

"Can you use Vision again?" Ranger asked.

"Y-yes, but..." Priestess trailed off.

"What's wrong?" Ranger asked.

"It's just...I don't know if I'll even get used to you treating people so callously." Priestess said.

"They just tried to kill us for money, despite the services we do for the country, and you know how I can be, and how I remain stable." Ranger said and Priestess smiled.

"Right..." She said.

"Well, at least the quest was completed; we know what' been going on here-" Ranger shut up the moment some specialists appeared, and one even gave a _life potion_ to the one Ranger incapacitated! He then morphed his heavy armor and greatsword as he engaged the specialists, and some tried to jump over him...only for Ranger to jump as well and bisected the three who jumped in one swing before several more specialists tried to stab through his armor, but their attacks bounced off his armor. Ranger countered by swinging his massive sword at them over and over as they frantically tried to avoid his swings, but the force of the wind made by his swings where making things harder for them...as if the speed and raw force of the swings weren't making things scary enough for them.

The half of the specialists that wisely didn't attack Ranger, went for Priestess instead, but fared no better. She blinded them with Holy Light, but they shielded their eyes and retreated to the woods until the light faded. When they returned, Priestess put up Protection and charged through the barrier at full speed, sending a couple of them flying, impaled another with her sword, and the few survivors threw several blades at her, which bounced off the horse's armor and her dress, and she charged at them again...then the ones Ranger were fighting charged to help their comrades, only for Ranger for gun them down, and saw the few specialists trip the horse and Priestess was sent to the ground, and the specialists stabbed the horse from underneath several times until it stopped moving.

Ranger then yelled in rage before latching onto the ground with his chains, and slingshot himself at the specialists, hitting one, and rode it along the ground as the specialist beneath him dug through the earth as they went, then Ranger turned to the others and harpooned one, slammed him into the others, and the ground over and over until he was nothing but paste. The last specialist tried to run, only for Ranger to shoot his feet out from under him, then jumped up and slammed down with his gauntlets morphed and super-heated, splattering the specialist all over the place. He then stood there huffing as he tried to get control over his wrath. Once he finally did, he turned to his horse, and saw Priestess healing her and slowly walked over. "Is she...?"

"She's alive, but just barely..." Priestess said with her own grief barely contained and Ranger sighed in relief.

"At least she's still alive..." He whispered.

"She's not going to be able to be ridden for some time though." Priestess said honestly.

"Nevertheless, she's still alive, and can be helped. If the rest of you can help victims of the goblins, you can certainly help my horse." Ranger said.

"True." Priestess said.

"Let's just report back..." Ranger said and Priestess opened a portal back to Water Town with Ranger carrying the unconscious horse on his shoulders as he put her in the shed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cow Girl went straight to working with the team, starting with her and Dwarf Rifleman getting upgrades to their rifles from the Wizard siblings, with both of them getting their weight reduced, their self-maintenance enchantments being put on the most critical parts, and D.R. insisted on his rifle's type remaining the same, despite the advantages of Cow Girl's type, since his rifle was special to him. Using alchemy on enchanted weapons was tricky, but once the enchantment was removed and then put back on, it was cake. The Wizards would've done both earlier, but they had alot of research to do, and Cow Girl didn't have time to wait for them, plus she thought the enchantments were enough at the time. Cow Girl even tried using the same detachable axeblade that D.R. used, and saw why he liked it so much right away.

Her armor already had the absorption and morphing ability that came standard with their armor, but a magic-defense enchantment, and the instillation of an alchemical property that disguised her scent and muffled her movements were a shoo-in for goblin-slaying quests, for obvious reasons; they didn't go on any goblin slaying quests directly, but that didn't mean they were never going to, and she was still the least-prepared for it. Granted that was saying much but still...although, those enhancements weren't a bad idea for the rest of the team's armors, especially GS'; even though his armor let him overpower even hell goblins with ease, and crushed a whole slew of them in the Lizard people's homeland, his stealth was still a factor that needed to be thought of.

She went with Wizard to test her new rifle in a maze full of different types of dummies: the stone ones were her targets, and the rubber ones were innocent bystanders which obviously should be spared. She then went with D.R. who joined her, and the two went from one room to another, taking turns leading the way through the maze. For extra measure, D.R. yelled at the rubber dummies to get on the ground, then simulated them following his orders by putting them on the ground himself. When they reached the final room, Cow Girl unloaded a burst of bullets into the last group of stone dummies and that was it. She then went to Wizard and asked for a way to make her rifle extend or retract for long-range shooting, or close-quarters...and for the chance to do that again because of how much fun the maze was. Even Summoner took a break from translating the pieces of demonic text to watch her with a proud smile on his face, which she returned.

Cow Girl even went to the guards' training grounds to see the spearmen train with their testudo formations, and on her own time, morphed a spear and shield of her own, and copied their formations, as well as get a feel for how to thrust with a spear properly. She wasn't likely to use that tactic against goblins very often, but it was still better to have it and not need it...but then again, she could get use out of it to kill a hob or something; they don't often come in numbers. She tried moving from side-to-side, and back and forth over and over, using the same footwork she practiced with Fighter, and even tried killing some imaginary goblins with her spear and shield, but imaginary fighting was no substitute for the real thing.

When she was done there, she went straight to the rest of the team for training, and ran into Fighter who finished up her teachings with the final and most secretive method of unarmed fighting: hitting the body's weak points. At first, Cow Girl was pretty uneasy about the idea, but when Fighter mentioned that she incapacitated several innocent people before her fight with the archdemon without serious harming or killing them, Cow Girl was hooked on it right away...especially since she figured out how useful it would be against a hob or something, like jamming her sword into it's knees to set it up for a finishing blow...like how Fighter involuntarily did on her first quest with Ranger. Cow Girl even worked on magic traps, and summoning elementals, but only the trap that lets you launch anyone caught in them was simple enough, and summoning water elementals was appealing to her...she even figured out that the trap that launched anyone caught could be used by her to jump higher than normal; Ranger would be so proud...

The two then fetched Fighter's baby, and left to find the official training grounds, to see Ranger's dad training more of the recruits, then had Cow Girl try an obstacle course similar to the one Ranger had the rookies try a year ago, and Cow Girl was pretty daunted at first since she wasn't that used to going up and down and side to side so much all at once, but when Ranger's dad mentioned that Ranger went through similar training since he was six, Cow Girl bucked up right away; she always prided herself on being tougher than she looked...and she did not disappoint. Even the rookies, who predictably were feasting on her image with their eyes, were snapped back to reality when she swung from one bar to another, jumped from one panel to another, or walk along a thin plank to get to the other side. Although...apparently she got heavier overtime since the plank wasn't very stable as she walked across it. Even though she was still pretty thick-skinned, it was clear-as-day that her extra weight came from how much strength-training she did; muscle weighs more than fat does afterall. Plus...working on a farm for years on end would do that to a girl's body. Fighter meanwhile just sat there watching the girl show her stuff.

Afterwards, the ladies sat down to watch the rest of the team do their own things with the rookies, and observed Rhea Fighter sparring with Warrior...and using her smaller size against her larger opponent by weaving around his assaults with jumps, flips, ducks, and by spinning around him as Warrior basically chased after her the whole time. Granted, Warrior's movements individually covered more ground, which evened the odds decently well. H.E. Druid even got involved and used her bow as a flail by breaking the shaft apart at the center and the string was used to swing the ends around as she lashed at both of them as they teamed up against her. Cow Girl and Fighter just sat there and watched her keep up with the two without even wearing any super armor herself.

"You want to hold my daughter?" Fighter asked.

"O.k." Cow Girl said while smiling at the baby. "Hello."

"Hello." The baby said as Cow Girl kissed her forehead and let the baby play with her fingers.

"How's your training going?" Fighter asked.

"I wish I had my new rifle when we were retaking this place, but the next time I face the goblins...well, I almost feel sorry for them. _Almost_..." Cow Girl said.

"With what I've seen, they won't stand a chance, especially since I can tell you're not done." Fighter said.

"Oh I'm nowhere near done, and when I am, I'm going with Goblin Slayer to the Goblin Overlord's place, and kick every little green ass in sight, right sweetheart?" Cow Girl asked as she ran her finger over the baby's cheek, which made her coo, and Cow Girl couldn't help but giggle at her before kissing her forehead.

"You're probably sick of hearing this but, seriously...you're going to make a great mother." Fighter said as she put her hand on Cow Girl's shoulder and shared a smile with her.

"Thanks." She said softly before looking back at the baby. "I remember being there when she was born...how you looked after seeing her despite all the pain giving birth to her made you suffer."

"Believe me, the pain doesn't hold a drop of water compared to seeing my little girl." Fighter said seriously.

"I might ask Goblin Slayer to give me a baby when this is over." Cow Girl said thoughtfully.

"Well...he'd be a damn fool not to. You've known each other who knows how long, your looks speak for themselves, you obviously care about him, and he cares about you, you even became an adventurer just to fight by his side..." Fighter said and Cow Girl smiled.

"I suppose you're right..." She said softly.

"Seriously. From where I'm standing, you have as much of a chance of being the mother of Goblin Slayer's child as I did with being the mother of that cherub you're holding right now." Fighter said.

"How does her father handle her?" Cow Girl asked and Fighter sighed dreamily.

"Every time we come home form a serious mission...the look on his face alone makes everything worth it." She said.

"In that case, I regret doubting him..." Cow Girl said, before the two ladies looked back at the match to see what was going on, and H.E. Druid was still flailing at her two opponents until she tried up Rhea Fighter and Warrior's arms, jumped over them, and won the match by tying the two of them together.

"Pop quiz: what has two thumbs and just mopped the floor with a Gold Rank and a Bronze Rank at the same time?" H.E. Druid asked.

"All hail the Silver Ranked princess..." Warrior groaned before H.E. Druid untied them.

"You're not mad because I floored you are you?" She asked.

"Lady, I beat the Hero fair and square; it'll take more than this to sour my mood." Warrior said.

"You beat her, but not a Silver Rank...I don't know if that makes you, or her more dubious." H.E. Druid said.

"What does that dwarf see in you...?" Warrior deadpanned.

"Probably that I'm charming, clever, and radiant enough to be my own star." H.E. Druid said casually.

"You also clearly don't favor the taste of humble pie..." Rhea Fighter said.

"I'm just pulling your chains you two. I know this isn't that serious. Honestly..." H.E. Druid said as she left the arena and joined the two ladies with the baby.

"Good show." Fighter said.

"Think you can do the same thing with your chakras opened?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Her or me?" Fighter asked and H.E. Druid looked right at her.

"You taught her?" She asked.

"Of course I did; it's a useful power, and since anyone can use it...well, do the math." Fighter said.

"Yeah, I could take on Ranger with it remember?" Cow Girl asked.

"Hard not to..." H.E. Druid deadpanned.

"Anyway, either of us could probably do the same. Want to try it out?" Fighter asked.

"No thanks, I did plenty of training already. Now I just want to stay here and hold this little cherub here." Cow Girl said as she held the baby closer.

"Careful, that's my niece your smothering." Warrior said as he and Rhea Fighter approached.

"Oh stop, she'll be fine." Cow Girl said.

"Maybe with this she might be." Rhea Fighter said as she pointed to the strength-boosting necklace Fighter gave her.

"You know, I completely forgot I gave that to you..." Fighter said.

"Says the lady that wore it for months on end." Warrior said.

"The lady that wore it for months on end a year ago, and did all kinds of mind-occupying bullshit for ages since giving it away." Fighter said bluntly and everyone stared at her.

"Good point..." Warrior said.

"Anyway...I'd like to take her back home, and yes you can come with us and hold her as well." Fighter said as she stood up with Cow Girl following her lead.

"See you later." H.E. Druid said as she watched the two human ladies leave, and when they got to the manor...Fighter's heart sank when she witnessed Ranger carrying his horse and putting her in the shed, and took rushed to see him, with Cow Girl of course taking her time since...she was holding precious cargo.

"What happened?!" Fighter asked and Ranger threw down a piece of what she recognized as a specialist's outfit.

"We got jumped by a squad of specialists, after we dealt with some bounty hunters. Those assholes even tried to kill my horse and were _this_ close to doing so!" He exclaimed.

"No..." Fighter whispered as she watched her husband pace back and forth trying to get a grip, and when he finally did, he looked up to see Cow Girl holding his child, then turned to Priestess.

"Where's the captain that thug spoke of?" He asked as Priestess used Vision.

"Right now he's moving towards an Evil Sect camp several miles from here." She said before Ranger thought for a moment.

"Details of their numbers?" He asked.

"Plenty of troops, a handful of acolytes led by a priest, and...a plethora of goblins...!" Priestess said.

"I was afraid you'd say that." Fighter said.

"Are they together, and are there any hostages in either case?" Ranger asked.

"They're in different places, and there are a few hostages with the Evil Sect, and I can't tell if there's any with the outlaws...although there's plenty of cloned women with the goblins." Priestess said somberly and Ranger sighed.

"Should I get the Hero's team involved Your Grace?" Cow Girl asked.

"Definitely." Priestess said as Cow Girl gave Fighter her daughter back.

"Wait...have Goblin Slayer go with you to deal with the goblins. Tell him to observe your progress, and only get involved as a last resort, and I don't think I need to tell you why." Ranger said.

"No you don't." Cow Girl said as she ran off.

"I'll check in with the Hero myself as well." Ranger said.

"Are you sure you can handle whatever you may see given what happened to your horse?" Priestess asked and Ranger sighed.

"I already got my revenge; whatever the Evil Sect is doing now, is just them cutting their own throats, nothing more." He said simply.

"Alright." Priestess said.

"What about the rest of us?" Fighter asked.

"You should stay ready, and get in as much more practice and research as possible; I have a sense we will need every last ounce we can get our hands on. Besides, who knows how many more goblins nests are out there." Ranger said.

"Right, well before I do anything, I'm going inside to spend some time with our daughter." Fighter said.

"Alright..." Ranger whispered as he watched his two favorite girls go inside before sitting down with his still-unconscious horse.

"The Earth Mother is with her; she'll pull through." Priestess said softly.

"Well, until she does...I'm going to give the Evil Sect what's coming to them." Ranger said as he turned to leave.

* * *

When he got to where the Hero's team was...he saw Wizard using Mana Bolt, just like Sage did, and they each blew up a group of rock dummies with Wizard laughing at the damage she said...and her brother tried his own Mana Bolt, and got the same result.

"Hey, the other Platinum Rank has arrived." Hero said dramatically as Ranger approached.

"How would you like to give the rest of the Evil Sect a taste of their own medicine?" He asked.

"Say what?" Hero asked.

"Me and Her Grace got ambushed by their lackeys, and they nearly killed my horse." Ranger said.

"Are you all o.k.?" Sword Saint asked.

"Yes, but now Her Grace found the leader of some thugs who tried to collect a giant bounty on our heads, and the remnants of the Evil Sect who attacked this city were behind it, and Goblin Slayer is taking the farm girl I've been training to deal with the goblins they're harboring. Meanwhile, I'm going after the Evil Sect. You with me?" Ranger asked.

"A chance to knock some Evil Sect heads? Hell yeah we're in!" Hero said.

"Alright...good luck boss, and company." Wizard said and Hero pouted at her, and Wizard smirked in response. When the four-person team went back to the manor, they actually witnessed Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric helping some workers sort out some supplies...and not just with their hands, but their brains as well.

"...and make sure that the lighter ones are on top of the heavier ones; we don't need anything getting crushed. You there, don't take more than one at a time; stability takes priority over amount." R.W. said as the workers carried out his orders.

"The rest of you, focus on your own piece of the pie." A.C. said as some workers stopped watching the others and got back to their own tasks.

"Nice to see them moving up. You three go ahead, I'll catch up." Ranger said as he went into the warehouse...and the workers were more motivated as soon as they saw him.

"Ranger! Didn't know you were coming." R.W. said.

"Neither did I; I just noticed that you two were moving up." Ranger said.

"Believe it or not, this is hardly the first time we did this. Well, it's our first time leading a project, but we've gotten involved in several over the last several months." R.W. said.

"You know, I never asked you what the two of you were doing did it?" Ranger asked.

"Well, for starters, we've been training just like you and your team showed us, and we mostly put those skills to use on bounty-hunting quests. You know, putting the bad guys behind bars, that sort of thing." R.W. said.

"That's cute; my wife kicked the shit out of a crime lord." Ranger said dryly.

"She's Gold Ranked; of course she did." R.W. said.

"I also took his fortress as now Goblin Slayer lives in it." Ranger said.

"_Anyway_...I also put that greatsword you gave me to goo use, but I'm not comfortable using something that prevents me from using a shield, so I almost never use it, unless it's for training, then I use it _alot_." R.W. said.

"Well, I'm glad I could give you a hand in at least one way. I'm sure the War God was pleased with me for it as well." Ranger said.

"Speaking of which-" Ranger cuts R.W. off.

"I'm not vouching for you; go through the trials like everyone else." He said.

"Actually I was just going to ask how far along you are in the amount of power you can get from him." R.W. said.

"There's...really no limit, aside from the amount you can handle, and since discipline is a requirement for getting on the War God's good side...that's saying quite a bit." Ranger said before looking around.

"You really know how to get people moving..." R.W. said.

"They're mostly likely trying to impress the only other Platinum Rank in the country." Ranger said.

"Or they're worried you might kick their asses if they slip up." R.W. said.

"If they pull any stunts, I'll _definitely_ kick their asses." Ranger said as he eyeballed some of the workers who got back to work vigorously, much to his amusement. "Supreme help me...I'm beginning to think instilling fear is starting to go to my head..."

"As long as you don't start chopping people heads off until you're blue in the face, you shouldn't have too much to worry about." A.C. said and Ranger chuckled.

"Thick chance of that happening." He said.

"Alright then. Now get back out there and crack some more goblin heads. As for you..." A.C. trailed off as she took R.W.'s arm and got a smile out of him.

"I'll...leave you two quartermasters alone..." Ranger said as he turned to leave but stopped.

"Wait, what do you mean "quartermasters"?" R.W. asked.

"I was joking, but that means an officer who overlooks logistics." Ranger said.

"I know that much, but...it wasn't really expected." R.W. said.

"A mystery that effortlessly escapes my attention... also, yes I know you two are a thing, and I can guess how far you went; I'm married myself afterall." Ranger said before he left to leave the two with their supervision, and when he reached his home, his three female teammates were waiting with Priestess.

"Ready ladies...and gentleman?" Hero asked.

"Of course we are." Sage said.

"Your Grace?" Ranger asked before Priestess opened a portal, then tossed the gem over to Ranger.

"We've got to get one of those ourselves." Hero said.

"What about Elder Revenant's scythes? They can open portals-" Hero cuts Sword Saint off.

"Not the same thing!" She snapped before Cherub showed up.

"Did someone say portal gem?" He asked before spawning one and tossing it over to Hero and poofing away.

"Easiest request ever..." Hero said before they went through the portal.

* * *

The four-person team went through, and saw a fortress built into the side of a mountain across a plain, as well as a convoy of horses and carts heading towards a palisade wall in the woods, and they took cover in some bushes, and behind some trees.

"I don't believe it...they set up a small fort right under our noses." Sword Saint said.

"Either that, or that's just a checkpoint. Either way, we'll most likely find the person we're after in there." Sage said.

"You sure?" Hero asked.

"Vision is never wrong. At worst, it shows you only some of the picture, but never falsehoods." Sage said.

"Then let's bust in and grab this captain of theirs." Hero said.

"No...stealth is the watch word." Ranger said simply.

"We actually discussed that on multiple occasions." Sage said.

"And?" Ranger asked.

"Making noise tends to draw attention towards us, but away from any hostages." Sword Saint said.

"Do you know any hostages are in there? Did you check?" Ranger asked.

"No." Sword Saint said.

"Then stealth is the watch word." Ranger said seriously.

"Alright Mister I-was-trained-from-birth-to-be-a-ranger, tell us what to do!" Hero snapped.

"Technically I was trained since early childhood." Ranger said.

"Whatever!" Hero said and Ranger looked down at the convoy, which stopped at the entrance.

* * *

"The captain's going to have our nuts being being late..." a terrorist said as he approached a group of them.

"Who gives a fuck? As long as we get our full day's pay." Another said as Ranger scaled up the wall with his morphed claws, snapped a guard's neck...and hid the body.

"Well, if he gets on us for anything, it's your hide he's getting, not mine." Another terrorist said as Ranger absorbed the weapons off the dead guards looked around the two towers on the sides, but found nothing noteworthy.

"Wait, did you secure the gates?" Another asked.

"Against what? We're the only people out here." The first said.

"Just keep an eye peeled for anything suspicious." Another said...before Ranger morphed his auto crossbow and riddled them with bolts until they all dropped dead several times over.

"Like that...?" He asked before opening the gates for the ladies.

"Nice line..." Sword Saint said dryly.

"Hey, humor is a hell of a medicine." Ranger said.

"Man's got a point." Sage said as Ranger looked over his crossbow.

"I cannot remember the last time I used bad I didn't leave any alive; good luck getting info out of a dead person." Ranger said as he eyeballed the dead guards and took the bolts back.

"Did you have to make such a mess though?" Hero asked as he absorbed them into his armor.

"I did that on purpose, because I want any of their fellow guards that show up see what happened to their comrades. Think about it: if you're a regular grunt and you're going after someone, and they leave a trail of bodies that look...less than pristine, chances are you're going to think twice before messing with them." Ranger said.

"True as that may be, it also does a number on the minds of your own comrades; terror tactics tend to not care about who sees them." Sage said.

"Not to mention this isn't what heroes do." Hero said seriously.

"Lady...I'm a servant of the War God; traditional heroism means almost nothing to me." Ranger said as he walked off.

"Well...that's one deity I don't want to follow..." Hero said and Ranger stopped cold.

"I don't follow the War God to wage wars, but to end them; if I have to fight unfairly, then so be it. Besides...this is hardly the worst thing I've done." He said.

"Wait...you said that before. What are you not telling us?" Sword Saint asked and got no answer. "Ranger...?"

"Let's just get through this first..." Ranger said.

"Fine...but you're not off the hook yet mister." Hero said as they followed Ranger down the road...and stuck to the forest on the sides of the road until they got to another palisade, and just like before, Ranger climbed the wall with his claws, then picked off the guards with his crossbow...and one actually spotted him only to get a bolt through his face. He then of course absorbed their weapons and the heaviest pieces of armor he could before breaking open the door for the ladies. "Why not just break dow-"

"What part of "stealth" do you not understand?" Ranger asked.

"Well, it's starting to get old...fast." Hero said.

"Heaven forbid you hunt goblins then." Ranger said.

"Let's just keep going. I can sense at least two more checkpoints ahead." Sage said, before the group walked on...and they saw she was right; there were two more checkpoints...and they fell just like the last ones. After dealing with the first one, and Ranger was about to open the last gate...Hero blasted down the gate with her sword and knocked Ranger down.

"What the hell?!" He exclaimed.

"I'm sick of leaving you to do everything while we stand around like nitwits!" Hero said.

"You could've killed or at least injured me." Ranger said seriously as he stood up.

"You'll be fine; you always are." Hero said simply.

"This also means that those bandits will likely be alerted to-" Sword Saint shut up the moment a barrage of arrows came at them, and Ranger morphed a greatsword to block them with the flat of the blade as Sword Saint deflected them.

"Well, stealth is officially dead in the ground." Hero said dryly.

"Wait...this is perfect. You three create a distraction, while I sneak in and look for their boss." Ranger said.

"As long as you don't leave enough life in him to talk." Hero said.

"Oh ye of little faith..." Sword Saint said.

"Just get going." Sage said as Ranger ran into the woods, and skirted around the back, and climbed up the wall as he watched the three ladies hold their ground as the outlaws surrounded them. He then continued to climb up the wall as he eventually heard gunshots...and what he recognized were Mana Bolts explosions; the former coming before the latter signaled that the Hero's group was still alive.

He then continued to sneak through the fortress and saw outlaws rush through the hallways in droves as they went to man their defenses...before Ranger jumped out and used his longswords to rapidly butcher the ones who gets close and even fling their pieces across the room, and break the blades into whips to take down the ones at a longer distance. He severed limbs, and heads, cut throats, abdomens, and chests open, and even tied legs up and tripped them before stomping their brains in.

Eventually, he switched to arm and leg blades, as Fighter would use before he heard more footsteps, and hid in a wardrobe...before another group of outlaws showed up and the sight of their torn-apart comrades horrified them to the point where some couldn't move, and others actually threw up. Their fears were short-lived as Ranger burst out of the wardrobe, and their panicked screams were replaced with the sounds of their own bodies being rent and their bones being shattered as he rushed through the room with enough speed that the outlaws who had a legitimate chance to do something couldn't tell what was going on.

After the massacre, Ranger took off down a hallway, and peeked around the wall when he heard a discussion...

"What's going on out there? Sounds like a fucking war is going on..." An outlaw said.

"There might very well be; I heard the boss going apeshit a while ago over how how something strange was going on and needed to be looked into." Another outlaw said.

"Shit...hope it's not the Hero and her two groupies." The first outlaw said before a third sitting in a chair sighed.

"Always wanted to fuck her...and now, she's here to fuck us." He said...then Ranger launched a blade at him, which tore into the side of his head, then did the same to the other two before looking the place over: it was a small kitchen. He then gathered as much of the food as he could, stored them in bags he found around the place, used the portal gem to take the food to his manor's kitchen, then absorbed the kitchenware before moving then got to a door with chatter on the other side...

"...wonder why haven't those assholes come here yet?!" A man asked.

"I don't know boss." An outlaw said.

"Then go find out!" The boss exclaimed.

"Right. Men! Come with me!" The outlaw said and Ranger heard their rapid footsteps approach and Ranger hid, and followed them as they went down the hallway he just came down...and they found the three dead guards. "What the-?!"

"Behind us!" An outlaw yelled...just in time for Ranger to put a crossbow bolt through his neck, then the other outlaws charged at him, only for Ranger to kick some down the stairs they went up, and bowled over several outlaws behind them, and got a few laughs out of it, then jumped to the roof, and pushed off of it, to land behind two more outlaws with crossbows, then jammed a blade on the tip of his elbows out their chests, through their backs. He then punched one in the chest hard enough to cave in his ribcage, spin-kicked two more in the face hard enough to break their necks and cave in their skulls.

He then morphed a greatsword and bisected no less than five outlaws with one swing, before impaling another through the gut and flinging him across the room into the wall. He then grabbed a charging outlaw by the face and slammed him into the ground once to stun him, then another time to cave in the back of his head. Eventually, only one terrified survivor armed with a crossbow remained and eyeballed Ranger who stood up straight and looked right at him as if daring him to shoot him...only for the outlaw to drop his weapon and put his open hands out to the sides.

"I surrender..." He said nervously.

"Smart move." Ranger said dryly as the outlaw, then Ranger himself looked over the carnage.

"How...? How did..." The outlaw trailed off.

"My armor let's me keep pace with vampires, and I've done nothing but upgrade it since I encountered them." Ranger said as the outlaw gulped. "Where can I find some decent weapons?"

"W-what do you need them for?" The outlaw asked.

"A purpose I believe in, now...I'm not going to ask you again." Ranger said.

"R-right this way..." The outlaw said as he reached for this crossbow, then stopped cold before looking at Ranger again, who just glanced at him, then the outlaw simply led him down a hallway, with Ranger holding his crossbow. Eventually, they reached a room full of weapons of every type.

"See? Just like I said..." The outlaw said...before Ranger sprouted chains out of his armor as he absorbed the weapons into his armor.

"Alright..." Ranger said as the outlaw stood there with his jaw dropped. "Now you know how I upgrade my armor."

"You're...going to let me go now, right?" The outlaw asked.

"Sure. Let's go find your boss, and you can be on your way." Ranger said calmly as the outlaw eased up and led him to the door to he room he heard their leader talk to the others in...only to find Hero and company there taking a breather. "Where did you come from? You're supposed-" Hero cuts him off.

"We took care of every half-wit who attacked us, and we're fine thanks for asking. And what's he doing here?" She asked.

"We made a deal: he leads me around, and I spare his life." Ranger said.

"O...k..." Sword Saint said.

"Now, where's your boss now?" Ranger asked.

"Just through those doors, but there's alot of things to worry about in there." The outlaw said.

"Like traps? Not a problem..." Sage said.

"Yes, there's even some gold in it for you in the cabinet in the room over there." The outlaw said.

"Really? Let's go see." Ranger said as they went down through another door...and there were no less than four chest full of gold coins there. "How did you get all of this?"

"I don't know for sure; maybe the boss knows?" The outlaw said.

"Maybe..." Ranger said.

"Please...please let me go now..." The outlaw said but Ranger gripped his shoulder.

"Not so fast...murder, torture, sexual violence, abduction...are you guilty of _any_ of those four crimes?" He asked seriously.

"No- no..." The outlaw said...before Ranger jammed a morphed knife into the back of his head and tossed the body away.

"Liar..." He said coldly.

"You promised you'd spare him!" Hero snapped.

"First off, I promised nothing; our deal was he leads me around, and I spare him, and that was done. Secondly and more importantly...he was lying; it was written all over his face, and his voice was too unsteady. Lastly, he knows too much about my abilities." Ranger said.

"Still..." Hero said.

"Still nothing. He was a foe, and needed to be dealt with, simple as that." Ranger said.

"How can you be so heartless? What would Fighter say-" Ranger cuts Hero off.

"Leave my wife out of this!." He snapped before getting a grip. "She knows how heartless I can be; she even expressed concern for the darkness in my heart consuming me, but I promised I would never be worse than I was when she married me, and Hell will freeze over and I will ice-skate with the Demon Lord before I break a promise to her. Do not forget that..."

"That doesn't change the fact you're playing a dangerous game, with your own heart!" Sword Saint exclaimed and Ranger sighed.

"O.k...all three of you listen to me, and listen good, because I'm _sick_ of telling this story. Wrath is not a positive thing no, but if it's controlled, and the person with that control is skilled enough to let it out in precise, and powerful ways, especially in the middle of intense combat, then there's nothing to worry about, especially since I have friends that are so closely-knit with me that there's practically zero chance of that darkness I mentioned taking me over. On that note...do you really think I'm smart enough to think of the plan that crippled the vampire queen's power, before we ourselves finished her off, yet I'm not smart enough to abandon the War God's path...before I get this far?" Ranger asked and the ladies just stared at him, or looked around. "That's what I thought..."

"Just how much does your team know about this?" Sage asked.

"They've seen my rampages first-hand...and never once expressed concern for their safety, only for my mental state, which I cleared up with them, at least for the most part. Hell, even the fucking Sword Maiden expressed her concern for me, and how proud she was of my discipline!" Ranger said before getting a grip. "Sorry for snapping, but I really am sick of talking about this..."

"Well, just promise us the same thing you promised them." Hero said and Ranger stared at her.

"You heard me mention the Sword Maiden right? If she believes in me, why won't you?" He asked.

"Right..." Hero whispered before Ranger opened a portal to the manor. "What are you doing?"

"Taking the spoils of war." Ranger said before grabbing a chest and shoving it through the portal, then went for the others.

"First we overtake this place, now you're robbing it?" Sage asked as Ranger shoved another chest through.

"Not the first time...won't be the last..." He said as he pushed the last one through and closed the portal.

"Why do you even need all that coin?" Hero asked.

"I don't; I'm going to give it to some people who could use it more." Ranger said seriously.

"Well, good on you then." Sword Saint said honestly.

"I may have a greedy streak, but I completely disagree with the notion of acquiring things for the sake of it..." Ranger said.

"Let's just get the outlaw's leader and get out of here..." Hero said as she led the way to the door he went through...then sliced it down and rushed in...and found no one, then Ranger used Life Sight.

"The outlaws are in their defensive positions outside." He said.

"Maybe they think we're surrounding the place and are too scared to make a break for it." Sage said.

"Most likely...the boss is a few floors beneath us." Ranger said.

"Lead the way." Sage said as Ranger took off...and after about a minute of rapidly and pointlessly searching multiple rooms, he eventually got to a room with an iron door on the floor. He then ripped it open and then dropped down the ladder, making every outlaw in the area flinch.

"What the hell-!" The boss exclaimed then shut up the moment Ranger morphed his guns and bashed one outlaw's skull in...before grabbing his corpse and using it as a human shield as he gunned down the rest of the outlaws who shot arrows at him, and then threw the corpse at the boss' feet. "Who are you!?"

"I'm your mark..." Ranger said as the boss scrambled back.

"The Rang-" The boss shut up as Ranger grabbed him and threw him into the wall. "I know your M.O. I haven't done anything you haven't."

"You did _plenty_ of things I haven't!" Ranger growled before throwing the boss into a bunch of crates, then pinning him to the ground with his boot. "I don't recall having recruited a band of sadists and murderers, and the Evil Sect put a bounty on my head, as well as the heads of my friends and family, that _you_ were trying to collect, despite all the people who rely and cherish us! Now who's the dead piece of shit who placed that bounty on us in the first place, and where is he?"

"I don't keep an eye on those creeps, and it's hardly my fault they aren't fond of you." The boss said before Ranger grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall.

"You're testing my patience..." Ranger said coldly.

"L-look...all I know is that...there's an outpost...in the mountain nearby...the Evil Sect have...well, ever since you're band of merry fellows kicked their asses...they've been growing desperate..." The boss said before Ranger dropped him and let him catch his breath, and Ranger himself stood there thinking. "They have some going-ons there most like...and before you ask...no, I don't know any details. I guess we weren't important enough to be in the know."

"For once...I agree with them." Ranger said before the boss chuckled.

"We're still more useful than that little wench who can only _hope_ to replace the Sword Maiden..." He spat out...before Ranger shoots him in the head as the ladies approached.

"We're done here." Ranger said.

"We could've gotten more out of him." Sword Saint said.

"Don't tell me you condone-" Ranger cuts Hero off.

"He said there's an outpost not far from here, and I believe him." He said as he climbed the ladder back out of the cave they were in.

"Well, that's all well and good, but we still have the rest of those bandits to deal with." Sword Saint said before she noticed a dark green cloud swirling around his hand.

"Not for long..." Ranger said.

"Wait...you're not going to use Pestilence are you?" Hero asked.

"Not while we're in here; in case you forgot, that miracle can't tell friend from foe." Ranger said seriously.

"Actually, that was never established." Sword Saint said.

"Nevermind then..." Ranger deadpanned as they climbed up a ladder that got up to the top of a tower...and they all saw the outlaws pointing rifles, crossbows, and bows over the edges of the walls, while others searched the place with their melee weapons...and like the boss said, there was a building in the distance next to the mountain...with a man-made pit not far from it. "Well, looks like the intel was solid..."

"Alright...just gas this place and let's go save some people." Hero said and Ranger sucked in a breathed and steeled himself.

"Pestilence..." He whispered before unleashing a plume of dark green smoke all over the grounds below, and the outlaws all screamed in fear, before they started coughing, sneezing, puking, and groaning.

"Sheez..." Sword Saint groaned as they all looked at the horrors inflicted on the outlaws below.

"Why did the War God give you a power this nasty?" Hero asked.

"No idea...but there's a reason disease is nothing to laugh at." Ranger said before Sage opened a portal.

"Just make sure you keep it on a leash." She said.

"Of course...but for the record, I was going to use my new Meteor power to flatten this place, but I want to come back and continue looting the place." Ranger said.

"Whatever floats your boat you sick bastard..." Hero said as they went through the portal.

* * *

Meanwhile, Guild Girl was at Water Town's guild hall going through some paperwork for...a _ton_ of people, and got halfway through before groaning and putting her head down...until she heard footsteps, looked up, and her face lit up like a torch.

"Summoner!" She exclaimed.

"Hey baby." He said softly.

"What are you doing here?" Guild Girl asked.

"I just came to see you." Summoner said.

"Well...I'm working." Guild Girl said seriously.

"Which is why I waited until you had a moment...and apparently I'm in time for a quest involving a headache removal." Summoner said and Guild Girl smiled at his quip before turning somber again.

"You're actually right. Even with over a dozen co-workers, I'm _still_ swamped; just getting _started_ was a pain in the neck. Things may have been tense in the frontier, but at least the workload was manageable." She said.

"I feel your pain; I just came here from translating no less than 20 pieces of not-that-small texts and it was all in the demon's language, some of which involved words I've never seen before, and don't get me started on how...twisted the text itself was." Summoner said.

"I'm alittle afraid to ask..." Guild Girl said.

"All I'm going to say is that I had to step back from it because of how queasy I got, and I work with this kind of thing for a living. To make matters worse...I'm not even close to done." Summoner said and Guild Girl leaned back in a chair behind her. "So...is that headache-removal quest open?"

"Yes..." Guild Girl whispered before Summoner went behind the desk, got on his knees, and hugged her. She immediately eased up, and eventually returned the embrace, and the two simply sat there holding and occasionally shifting against each other.

"I can feel your tension fading..." Summoner whispered.

"Like I said before...I feel safe with you, from that rhea, goblins, even my personal demons." Guild Girl said softly.

"Fitting..." Summoner said and Guild Girl chuckled before snuggling into him.

"I love you..." She said.

"I love you too." Summoner said before pulling back, looking her in the face, then pressing his lips against hers without an ounce of force. She then held his face before breaking the kiss and the two shared a bright smile. "Dress or uniform, you're _still_ as beautiful as ever."

"Thanks..." Guild Girl whispered as the two continued staring and smiling at each other.

"So...quest complete?" Summoner asked.

"Quest complete." Guild Girl said and Summoner's smile widened in amusement.

"Where's my reward?" He asked.

"Well...what else did the Sword Maiden share with you about-" Guild Girl shut up when Summoner put a finger on her lips.

"She doesn't need to tell me anything else, even if she paid me more than one visit." He said and Guild Girl looked at him funny. "I was also communing with the Love Goddess...and something occurred to me: I could probably take you, or Inspector into Limbo for a quick round of love-making."

"What?" Guild Girl asked.

"Just hear me out: in Limbo, no one can see, hear, feel, or even smell or taste us, and there's different levels of Limbo, some used by the demons, others by the angels...take a wild guess which one is safe and which isn't. I take us to the safe one? We can have as much sex as we went and no one will notice." Summoner said and Guild Girl looked around. "Relax, do you think I'm thoughtless enough to talk about something this personal in public? I knew there was no one else here before I showed up. Anyway, I actually discovered some things about why people do it in the first place, aside from having children."

"And?" Guild Girl asked and Summoner raised his eyebrows.

"Are you aware sex is...a painkiller and a half?" He asked.

"I can imagine." Guild Girl said.

"Yes, there were cases where people got rid of a headache, by doing the deed. I cannot make this up..." Summoner said and Guild Girl sighed.

"O.k...this all sounds very tempting, but I can't just leave." She said.

"You don't have to, and like I said: I'm just here to see you; everything else is a bonus...unless you want to try something in Limbo now?" Summoner asked seriously.

"While, I do appreciate the sentiment, and especially you stopping by, why not go see Inspector? She'll probably be glad to give you a round or two?" Guild Girl asked.

"She's with Her Grace about moving up in the church, and for the last time: I'm here to see _you_. No one else...besides, you're the one with a headache." Summoner said and Guild Girl smiled.

"I guess I could spare a minute..." She said sensually before Summoner looked around, then started quietly chanting and the place started warpping before becoming a bit brighter as she watched.

"Welcome to Limbo." Summoner said dramatically.

"So...what do you have in mind?" Guild Girl asked.

"The same thing I did with Inspector." Summoner said.

"Which is?" Guild Girl asked.

"Turn around, drop your skirt, and bend over..." Summoner said and Guild Girl did just that, and chuckled as her lover rubbed her hips, thighs, especially between them, and eventually her bottom. "I should pay tribute to the Love Goddess for blessing me with your hearts."

"Oh?" Guild Girl asked as her lover continued to rub her lovely buttocks.

"Yes...you and Inspector have absolutely _gorgeous_ bodies..." Summoner said.

"I thought you had another thing in mind...?" Guild Girl asked as she turned to looked at him...and saw him get directly behind her, and plunge into her warm, swollen opening as she gasped in response as Summoner took his time mating with her. "Are you sure...no one can see or hear us...?"

"Completely...now, you have pleasure to focus on, and I have a headache to eliminate." Summoner breathed out as he continued moving in and out of her body while her deep breathes and faint gasps purred him on. He eventually reached into her blouse from underneath and squeezed her lovely breasts as she chuckled in response to her chest being played with. Her gasps turned into lustful moans as Summoner picked up enough speed and force to make ripples in the flesh of her buttocks and made delicious slapping sounds as he continued to please the full-figured, and adorable woman in front of him until she was brought to an orgasm...which was followed by his own when he pulled out of her then had a water elemental clean and stroke his manhood as he looked to see that he didn't burst inside her womb; he didn't drink any sterility potion and wasn't ready to be a father yet.

Guild Girl eventually recovered from the delirium her orgasm brought her and pulled her skirt up before Summoner helped her do it, and she smiled at his gesture before he helped her sit down, and brought hem back to the real world.

"Why thank you very much general..." She said sweetly while Summoner ran his hand over her braided hair.

"How's your head baby?" He asked.

"Much better now...thanks." Guild Girl said.

"You know..._my_ head feels better too..." Summoner said before Guild Girl giggled and looked at him with bright eyes.

"Kiss me again..." She said softly before Summoner claimed her mouth with his own, not once, but twice while holding her close.

"Some people think that sex makes you less intelligent, but let me tell you right now: That's a _myth_; yes the idea can drain your focus, but in the long run, those are two different things. Sex before a fight is...well, that depends." He said.

"Good to know...I just hope you don't have to fight any demons after...this, and get hurt because of it." Guild Girl said somberly and Summoner smiled.

"You are so considerate...but that's why I love you." He said before caressing her face and kissing her again. "I'll be fine...just like you are now."

"Alright...now, other than see me, do you have any plans for what to do here?" Guild Girl asked

"Not really...but I have something for you." Summoner said before giving her a fish scale.

"That is one big scale..." Guild Girl said.

"It's from one of the leviathans Warrior killed." Summoner said and Guild Girl's eyes widened.

"Say what?" She asked.

"The scale taken from a denizen of the abyss, sanctified by Priestess, modified by me." Summoner said as Guild Girl put the scale in her pocket.

"You come up with some pretty interesting gifts." She said.

"First that silver brooch, now this; even Inspector has one of her own." Summoner said.

"I'll bet..." Guild Girl said.

"You know... I could probably give you a hand?" Summoner asked.

"You mean with work?" Guild Girl asked.

"I don't see why not?" Summoner said and Guild Girl sighed.

"As good as that sounds, I don't think this is your cup of tea." She said.

"Maybe not, but I could still stay here be here to make it less painful." Summoner said and Guild Girl giggled.

"You are so sweet..." She breathed out, and eventually she let go of her beloved demon hunter, who couldn't stop staring at her...until she looked back at her papers. "I should...probably get back to work."

"Alright, I'll go check on Inspector and come back later." Summoner said softly.

"Bye sweetheart..." Guild Girl said before Summoner gave her a quick but heart-melting kiss.

"Bye sweetheart..." He whispered before getting up to leave, and when he did...Guild Girl sucked in a breath, as the last bit of her headache vanished and she got back to work. Even the part that missed him was satisfied by the memory of their moment...then the door opened. "Goblin Slayer!"

"Hi." GS said as he approached the desk.

"What's new?" Guild Girl asked.

"Any news?" GS asked.

"Nothing about goblins luckily, but other than that, it seems those Evil Sect thugs took quite a bit of money from the city after all; paying the adventurers has been next to impossible as a result. Here's hoping Ranger, and the Hero's team get it back..." Guild Girl said.

"Right." GS said before pausing. "How are you?"

"Well...Summoner just left, and...o.k I'm just going to come out with it: you know I used to have feelings for you?" Guild Girl asked.

"Yes." GS said.

"Well now Summoner is with me, and I'm glad he is." Guild Girl said seriously.

"I see..." GS said and.

"I actually suffered from a headache awhile ago, and he just showed up and did what he could to get rid of it...and told me some things I think could be helpful later on." Guild Girl said.

"I see..." GS said.

"I'm not giving details though; that's private." Guild Girl said.

"I see..." GS said and Guild Girl facepalmed.

"So how are you and your farm girl friend getting along?" She asked.

"Quite well." GS said.

"So...what did you do during the festival?" Guild Girl asked.

"She took me swimming in the lake for one thing." GS said.

"You mean the same one those leviathans swam around in?" Guild Girl asked.

"They're all dead; we had nothing to be afraid of." GS said simply.

"Even still...so what else did you do?" Guild Girl asked.

"She leaned on me under the fireworks, and bought some things for the fort Ranger gave us, if we weren't training that is." GS said.

"Lucky you." Guild Girl said.

"She also brought up the idea of us having our own child." GS said and Guild Girl's eyes widened again.

"All this time, I never thought of you as a father." She said.

"Me neither..but until the goblins are dealt with, I will not be a father." GS said before turning to leave.

* * *

"Hey, it's my niece!" Warrior said as Fighter showed up with her baby.

"And her mommy." Fighter said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah whatever, just show me the little squirt." Warrior said.

"Wait until you have your own little squirt." Fighter said.

"Bring the Cambion here so I can kick his sorry ass." Warrior said,

"You'd need to be Platinum Rank just to have a chance remember?" Wizard asked.

"And we will be once we're done training." Warrior said seriously.

"How right you are." Fighter said...before GS showed up.

"Hey Goblin Slayer." Wizard said.

"Hey..." GS said.

"Where's your friend-?" Fighter shut up the moment Cow Girl showed up running towards GS.

"Goblin Slayer! I've been looking everywhere for you." She said.

"Why?" GS said.

"Goblins...Her Grace found a whole slew of them, in the same place Ranger and Hero are going." Cow Girl said.

"Let them deal with-" She cuts GS off.

"No, he specifically told me to get you so _we_ can do it; they have their own missions." Cow Girl said.

"She has a point." Wizard said.

"Alright...let's go see Priestess and be on our way." GS said and Cow Girl looked at her teammates, who either shrugged, or encouraged her to follow him.

* * *

Eventually, they reached the Temple of Law's main chamber, where Priestess and Sword Mage were.

"...but those two Platinum Ranks who left the city should return with the lost funds sometime soon." Sword Mage said.

"I hope so. Far too many adventurers are driven by money instead of duty." Priestess said.

"Unlike yourself Your Grace." Sword Mage said with a bow.

"Yes...and the rest of my family." Priestess said softly, before noticing GS and Cow Girl approach. "Welcome back Goblin Slayer."

"I'm here for the goblins." GS said and Priestess facepalmed and laughed as him.

"I'm sorry but...that was the first time we met the Sword Maiden all over again, only this time..._I'm_ was the archbishop instead of the one scrambling to keep her from being offended!" She said.

"Yeah...that is pretty funny." Cow Girl said with her own snicker.

"The goblins...?" GS asked as the two ladies continued laughing, and even Sword Mage's normal stoicism crumbled under the ridiculousness. Eventually Priestess finally got a grip and dried her eyes.

"Alright...Ranger and the Hero's team are dealing with the Evil Sect, but there's a series of underground tunnels that are being used to breed goblins." She said.

"And that's where we come in." Cow Girl said.

"Right..." Priestess said.

"How many goblins are there, and what types are there?" GS asked.

"From what I've counted, 73 goblins, ten hobs, five shamans, and a single champion." Priestess said and Cow Girl gulped.

"That's quite a bit for two people..." She said.

"Two people who are perfectly equipped to handle them; we've dealt with worse." GS said before Cow Girl got a grip.

"Right..." She said firmly, and Priestess gave her a sympathetic glance before Cow Girl sucked in a breath.

"Goblin Slayer...this is mostly for me to do. When we get to the goblins' home, let me handle them." She said firmly.

"Alright..." GS said before Priestess opened a portal to the inside of a cave, just inside the entrance and the two ladies looked at each other until Cow Girl morphed her mask and Priestess finally tossed the portal gem to her, as the portal closed behind the two goblin slayers.

"Let's go..." GS said as he took out a pair of torches, that use the same power as Holy Light, and gave one to Cow Girl as she pulled her rifle, and turned on the shotgun mod.

"Alright." She breathed out before taking her own torch in her spare hand and following GS down the cave. "Look at the size of these tunnels..."

"There's definitely a champion in here; only they're big enough for tunnels like this to be necessary." GS said as he led her down the tunnels, and the whole time she followed him, she recalled a discussion she and Ranger had at Summoner's fortress...

* * *

"...goblins may be small and flimsy by themselves, but that's why they don't fight fair, and don't fight alone; they always gang up on you. However, their bloodlust makes them reckless, and makes their defenses pitiful, not to mention like Goblin Slayer said, they're cowards by nature; if they see that their opponents are too damn powerful, especially if they see a champion die or at least get the shit kicked out of it, they'll turn tail and run full-speed out of the area, which gives you a golden opportunity to shoot them in he ass." Ranger said and Cow Girl giggled. "Anyway, there's another flaw in their strategy: it's not a strategy. I mean think about it, if you just headlessly charge across the battlefield and throw yourself at an enemy who...actually uses teamwork and a sensible degree of tactics...you would just be cut down."

* * *

Cow Girl's recall was interrupted when GS put his shield arm out in front of her...

"Use Life Sight to see what's ahead of us." He said and Cow Girl sucked in a breath before using Life Sight...

"There's multiple chambers, most have a few goblins, while others have lots of them...they also have women with them...and they're getting worked on." She said while shaking.

"How many are close by?" GS asked.

"At least a dozen. Why?" Cow Girl asked.

"Get ready..." GS said before he banged his torch against his shield several times then threw it into the middle of a four-way intersection and retreated.

"What are you doing?" Cow Girl asked.

"This is for you to do remember? And you have Life Sight; use it to fight according to where they come from..." GS said as he leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. Cow Girl was about to protest, but sighed instead before thinking over her lessons on unconventional warfare, then she psyched herself up and started clapping slowly at first, but more rapidly overtime, and she used Life Sight to see the goblins were on their way, and the moment she heard snarling coming from the side entrance, she pointed her shotgun at it...then several goblins jumped out and she unloaded two shells into them, which tore them all to bits. She then looked over her gun and marveled at the power shot enchantment...before more goblins appeared at her side and she shot them down as well, then more showed up to get shredded as well. Even a pair of hobs showed up at a distance, and she switched to her rifle mod and popped a storm of bullets into them, which tears apart their armor. Several goblins got too close so she morphed her rifle's axeblade and one by one, the goblins were chopped down.

The hobs then come at her, which makes her morph her heavy short sword, and jam it into one hob's knee, and then get grabbed by the other one, and thanks to the flexibility training she got with Fighter, she was able to jam the sharpened tip of her foot into it's throat, and then had to roll away as the other hob tried to backhand her, and since her rifle was too far away, she laid a magic trap, as the hob lunged at her...only to get launched into the ceiling, and get it's head caved in before falling down on top of some more goblins. Cow Girl actually got a good laugh out of it...then a shaman appeared and hit her with lightning that didn't harm her thanks to her anti-magic armor...but it did stun her enough for a hob to grab her and throw her across the cave into a wall, and she looked up just in time for goblins to jump on her, and try tearing her armor off.

She then had a flashback to the last time goblins tried to tear her clothes off...she knew what that meant afterall; she then recalled the horror story of when Sword Maiden was captured and violated by goblins one after another, and the goblins around her had the same thing in mind for her. She then recalled that GS was with her, the Sword Maiden saved her last time, and that she trained with Ranger and his team- no...his family, and the moment her fears were extinguished...her charkas opened and she yelled at the top of her voice as she threw every goblin around her off of her just by standing up. She then stomped on the heads of every goblin in sight, kicked them into the walls hard enough to make their bones shatter, punched the goblins who jumped at her with enough force to cave in their ribcages, then threw the dead bodies at other goblins. She even noticed the shaman charge up a lightning spell...then threw a live goblins at it to take the blast instead. She then tore a chunk of rock out of the wall and hurled it right at the shaman, hitting it right in the side of the torso as it tried to jump out of the way; she could hear it's ribs shattering from the other side of the cave.

Another hob barreled down the cave in the back with a couple dozen goblins behind it, but that didn't stop Cow Girl from charging right at it, and tackling it hard enough to make it's abdomen implode as it fell down dead, much to the horror of it's smaller cousins, as Cow Girl round kicked several goblins to death by shattering their heads, and grabbed two pouncing goblins, slammed them into each other before throwing their corpses at other goblins. GS watched the entire thing in awe as his childhood friend-turned-lover crushed the goblins in a berserk frenzy; she didn't even bother going for her discarded rifle or morph her sword, she only used her brute strength and newly-learned skills to tear the goblins apart. Eventually, she looked around to see the goblins were all dead before GS approached her with her rifle in hand as she snapped to look at him while still fuming. He then removed his helmet so she could see his concern, then calmed down right away.

"I'm sorry..." Cow Girl whispered before GS dropped her rifle at her feet and hugged her.

"Don't be..." He said before Cow Girl returned the hug.

"How hard was it to see me like that?" She asked.

"Not very; I knew you would come back to your senses, and your anger was completely justified." GS said as Cow Girl actually started weeping into his armored shoulder. He looked around for more goblins, but none came; he forgot she could sense trouble with her chakras opened, then he tightened the embrace. "I love you..."

"I love you too..." Cow Girl whispered before GS pulled back, looked at her miserable, tear-stained face, and kissed her passionately with neither one caring for the dozens of dead goblins surrounding them. When she broke the kiss she morphed a tissue, dried her eyes, re-absorbed the tissue and got a hold of herself before picking up her gun. "Weep now, fight later...well, later _is_ now."

"Right..." GS said before grabbing her torch and giving it to her as she led them to the next chamber, with GS looking at the dead.

"42 goblins, one shaman, three hobs..." He said before Cow Girl stopped suddenly.

"Goblin Slayer...some of those goblins had blood around their mouths...does that means what I think it means?" She said nervously.

"Most likely; some of them probably had full stomachs, and it's not hard to figure out what they ate..." GS said.

"There's plenty more in the next chamber...and the champion is waiting for us." Cow Girl said while shaking in fury.

"I hope you really are alright now; we will need to work together to kill him." GS said seriously.

"I'll be fine; I've handled worse." Cow Girl said.

"Listen-" She cuts GS off and snapped around to look at him.

"No _you_ listen. I only flipped out like that because I was afraid of winding up like...I was worried that I'd wind up like the rest of the women they capture, but I'm not scared anymore. Besides, if I really couldn't handle that fear, I wouldn't be here now, and my chakras certainly wouldn't have opened and let me cause that horror show. I may not be the brightest torch in the room, but I'm not a complete imbecile. I know my limits, and how to get past them." She said before weeping again.

"I'm sorry..." GS said softly before Cow Girl dried her eyes again.

"It's alright...I'm glad to be here with you..." She said softly before he gave her a quick but sweet kiss. "Let's go..."

"Yeah..." GS said before he put his helmet back on and followed her to the next room...until she stopped at the entrance.

"They're in there...as so are several women, but...they're all in one place." Cow Girl said.

"The goblins are probably setting them up as shields. It's the same tactic they used at the farm a year ago." GS said and Cow Girl sucked in a breathe. "Listen, I'm going to throw in a flash bomb. I suggest you turn your chakras off until the effect wears off, but when it does, shoot every goblin in sight."

"Right...we can't have them swarming us while the champion is on our case." Cow Girl said as GS prepared a flash bomb...then threw it down the tunnel into the chamber...and after the goblins all yelled in surprise as a lingering flash, and a loud poofing sound was heard, Cow Girl used Life Sight again, and shot down the rest of the goblins, shamans, and hobs in the area...then spotted the women...with some still laying down with blank expressions on their faces, while others had evidence of being eaten alive. Some were even on display while attached to wooden boards like at the farm.

"Dear gods..." Cow Girl whispered in horror before looking at the champion who was still reeling from the flash bomb's effect, and growled in rage.

"Do not charge at it. You'll be dead in no-" GS shut up the moment Cow Girl yelled and tried to charge at it, only for GS to pull her back. If it wasn't for the armor he wore giving his body a boost , she would've broken his grip without effort, but now, she was struggling to break free.

"I'll kill you!" Cow Girl screamed as she kept trying to break out of GS' grip.

"Listen to me! If you attack it head on, it will kill _you_. We need to work together!" GS said.

"Let go of me!" "Cow Girl yelled as her struggle didn't let up...then she recalled another of Ranger's lessons...

* * *

_"Anger is a weapon, and like all weapons, it doesn't care who it hurts, so if you use it skillfully, you'll be unstoppable, but if it uses you...you're a threat to everyone, especially yourself...so don't be afraid of getting angry; be mindful of how it's used. Acknowledge the cause of it, and let it drive your skills, but don't let it consume your senses."_

* * *

Cow Girl then finally calmed down and the goblin champion fully recovered in time to see his comrades all blown apart, and noticed the two armored humans in the back standing ready to face him. He then grabbed a massive sword and stepped forward...on top of a woman who was crushed right away.

"I have an idea..." GS said.

"So do I; we could use an elemental helping us." Cow Girl said as she pulled out a summon stone.

"You can summon?" GS asked.

"Yes, not let me focus..." Cow Girl said before putting the stone on the ground, and streams of water swirled around as the elemental appeared. "Attack it!" The elemental then launched itself at the champion as it tried to chop down the elemental...but it's too fast for the lumbering goblin mutant. "So what's your plan?"

"I was going to distract it myself while you stay here while you shoot at it, but now we can both attack it however we want." GS said.

"In that case..." Cow Girl trailed off as she opened fire at the champion, aiming for it's weak points, but even that doesn't do much against it's armor, except for staggering it. GS meanwhile rushed it, pulled one of his shotguns, and popped both shells into it's face, but was too far to cause any serious damage. The elemental meanwhile was flying around the champion's face to distract it as the champion's movements became more erratic, and it slammed it's sword into the walls to make rubble come down on top of them...but none of it hits them. "He's tearing the place apart!"

"Just keep shooting!" GS yelled as he charged from behind a fallen boulder and sliced into the champion's Achilles tendon, making it yell and fall down. Then Cow Girl shoots both of it's eyes out, and then charged at it with her heavy short sword and ducked under the champion's wild swings as it craved up the ground behind her with it's massive sword. GS then rushed to it's sword arm and sliced through the muscles in it's forearm that let it flex it's fingers as Cow Girl climbed up it's body and sliced it's throat open before jamming her sword into the back of it's head which makes it go limp. "That makes 83!" The two then leaned against it's body together as they caught their breathe.

"Do I get a promotion for this...?" Cow Girl asked seriously yet softly as she kept breathing deeply.

"Maybe..." GS said and Cow Girl snuggled into him.

"Do I get a reward for this?" She asked.

"Maybe..." GS said before Cow Girl took out a life potion from her bag.

"To my first successful goblin-slaying quest." She said before downing half the bottle, and gave the other half to GS.

"We should get out of here..." GS said.

"Right..." Cow Girl said a they both got up and once they did...the place started cracking. "That doesn't sound good..." A moment later, a chunk of the roof came down on top of the champion. "Definitely not good!" The two then rushed out through the entrance, back down the tunnel they came down, and just as the exit was in sight... the way was blocked by debris. She then pulled the portal gem and opened a portal to the exit _just_ before rocks came down on their location...

* * *

When Ranger, and Hero's team they got to where they were going, they were just in time to watch an Evil Sect priest approach an unconscious man who was tied to an alter surrounded by demons, and just as the priest reached for the man's face...a bullet tore through the alter in front of the priest, making him fall back as the surrounding demons all turned to see Ranger and the ladies with Ranger unloading one barrage of bullets after another until the demons were all in pieces.

"Where did you come from-!" The priest yelled before Ranger approached and put his boot on the priest's diaphragm.

"Where's the dagger needed to cut these tentacles?" He asked with his mask echoing his voice.

"What dagger?" The priest asked only to get his diaphragm pressed.

"Don't play stupid. Another priest I interrogated told me that only a special dagger can cut these tentacles." Ranger said before the priest pulled it out of his robe.

"Here it is..." He said.

"I'll take that." Ranger said before taking it from him.

"Are there more hostages?" Hero asked.

"Yes..." The priest said.

"Where are they?" Ranger asked.

"One here, two more in the barracks not far from here, and the final one is in the middle of some underground tunnels...with the goblins." The priest said.

"For breeding stock..." Ranger growled.

"No! Wait! They're just holding her for safe-keeping!" The priest said.

"He's telling the truth. These sacrifices need to be virgins or the ritual itself is pointless." Sage said, then Ranger hummed in acknowledgement, and started cutting the tentacles.

"You think this is it? Go ahead and kill me...when the specialists came for me...I'll not only be avenged, but another will take my place. No one will even notice I'm gone..." The priest said as Ranger finished cutting the tentacles, Sage checked the man's vitals, signaled he was still alive, then Ranger looked over the distance fortress, and picked up the priest.

"You're wrong; _everyone_ will notice..." He said sharply...before opening a portal over the fortress and throwing the priest through it as he fell into the fortress itself hundreds of feet below.

"What the hell Ranger!" Hero exclaimed.

"What would you prefer I do?" Ranger asked and Hero rolled her eyes. "That's what I thought..."

"_Specialists_? Well, pardon me for not being scared..." Sword Saint said.

"Specialists are not to be taken lightly. I fought two of them in the Temple of Law, and I only won because the Sword Maiden stepped in to use more than a handful of miracles." Ranger said seriously and the ladies went pale.

"They almost beat you? At full strength?!" Hero asked.

"I didn't use Army of One, but...that's not the point. To my knowledge they come in two types; it's the grey ones that aren't that big a problem. The two that stomped me were the darker ones." Ranger said.

"Good to know." Sage said.

"Regardless, we have some people that need saving-" Sage shut up the moment Ranger pushed her down and morphed a greatsword to block, then sever a cable from the very type of enemy they discussed.

"Who are these clowns?" Hero asked.

"Specialists..." Ranger said as the grey-clothed troops walked up to them...and then several rifts opened to unleashed swarms of Prides that circled the four, and Hero charged up her blade and with a single swing, blew most of the Prides to bits, and sent the rest flying. Sage used a Mana Bolt to vaporize a platoon of demonic troops that came from another set of rifts as Sword Saint engaged the survivors, weaving through their attacks, and slicing through the demons themselves. Ranger rushed to the side while spamming bullets at the specialists, and when they got close enough, Ranger morphed a greatsword to block a jumping kick from one, then swung the massive blade to launch the specialist away as the gun in his spare hand was used to distract the other specialists as Hero charged up one, and her swings were repeatedly dodged, but at least he and another who joined the fray were kept busy.

Ranger stopped another series of blade strikes from the specialist he sent flying, who came back with a vengeance, only to get Ranger's gun, that he now morphed into a longsword in his gut. Ranger than morphed the greatsword into his heavy armor, complete with a large gauntlet, that he used to throw the dying specialist into one Hero was engaging before she charged up her sword again to bisect the two she was fighting, and the third one Ranger threw. He then looked at the last few specialists who stood there observing the entire onslaught. He then looked to see that Sage and Sword Saint were continuing to hold off the demonic troops that were pouring in through the rifts. The specialists formed up in front of the rifts as some Wrathers charged out of them, and the two Platinum Ranks formed up and engaged them with Ranger throwing a massive harpoon through a pair of Wrathers' hearts, and Hero bisecting several in one swing as Ranger continued to throw more harpoons until the raging demons got close enough.

When they did, the pair got their hands dirty. Hero jumped between them, beheading and bisecting them as she went, Ranger impaled one and slammed it into the ground, bisected another before morphing a gauntlet and backhanding the top half into another, then used the flat of his sword to swat another aside, then bisected another from shoulder to hip, and punched one away with his now-super-heated gauntlet hard enough to make it explode, and then morphed his sword into a second gauntlet to punch down the other ones...if he didn't just rip them in half and throw the halves at the others.

Hero continued to whirling her sword around to crave through the charging Wrathers, and even vertically bisected one as it approached her as she caught her second wind. One of the specialists tried to get the drop on Ranger from behind, only for one of the Wrathers to get it's feet sliced off from under it, and fall on top of the specialist, then get his brains stomped in by Ranger, who broke a longsword into it's whip form and lashed a Wrather's throat open before jumping over it, grabbing it's lower legs, spinning it around and bashing two aside before throwing it into another group of Wrathers, that Hero finished off. Ranger then finished off the two he knocked down by shooting them both in the head.

"Who else wants some! There's plenty for everybody!" Hero yelled as she braced herself...only for a larger rift to open behind the last few specialists, and a roar was heard that made Sword Saint and Sage stop their breather and join their teammates, as a massive Wrather appeared and the specialists rushed away from it.

"Is that a Wrather?" Ranger asked as he eyeballed the snarling demonic beast.

"Yeah, but we've never seen one that big before!" Sword Saint exclaimed, before Hero steeled herself and charged at it...only for the Wrather, without any warning, to clap it's hand together, and the force launches her back to where she was as Sage went to heal her. Ranger then threw a a harpoon at it, and hit it's shoulder...only for it to tear the thing out and throw it away as it's shoulder regenerated. He then used Smith to summon dozens of harpoons that were all launched at the now-charging Wrather, and all harpoons hit, even in critical locations like the throat or heart, but all that does is make it angrier. Hero then rushed it again and actually lands a direct hit by slicing it down the middle...but the slice heals so quickly it not only doesn't get sliced in half, but lives. Then more rifts opened in the distance and a swarm of imps rushed through.

"Incoming!" Ranger yelled before Sage launched a Mana Bolt that misses entirely, but the explosion staggers them long enough for Ranger to open a portal right to their location, and before he can unload his guns into them...Sword Saint charges through and slices each of them across the throat, and their heads come off once she puts her sword away. She then rejoins the fray as the Wrather stomps the ground hard enough to upturn it, and send debris flying, and sliced it's hamstrings, which made it try to backhand her, only for her to narrowly dodge it and continue slicing through it's tendons...and each hit's damage was still regenerated.

"How do we stop this thing!?" Hero asked.

"It has to have a weakness somewhere! Find it and hit it hard!" Ranger exclaimed before Sword Saint got bashed aside, and Ranger morphed his guns and opened fire on the Wrather as it charged at him...then Hero sliced it's legs out from under it, and then Ranger used Smith to summon a dozen greatswords that were all impaled into different parts of it's body, including it's chest and face...and it's _still_ not dead; it was still twitching and Hero groaned in irritation.

"For crying out loud!" She exclaimed.

"Maybe there's an external source keeping it alive..." Sage said, before Ranger tore out one of the blades in it's chest, and jammed his hand into the open wound to remove it's heart...before it started glowing brighter and brighter. "Throw it away!" Ranger then threw the heart into the sky and the heart exploded with enough force to knock the entire group to the ground.

"Or there's a massively-powerful demonic force inside it boosting it's power..." Sword Saint deadpanned as the group got up.

"Either way, stealth was dead before, but now it's more dead than a Revenant." Hero said.

"That's...pretty dead." Sage said.

"Let's go." Ranger said as he walked towards the fortress in the distance.

"Wow...even Mr. Stealthy agrees with me..." Hero said as the ladies followed him...and Ranger sighed.

"This would be alot faster if I had my horse..." He said somberly.

"Why not go get it? Surely it was healed by now." Sage said.

"No...she's badly hurt; Priestess told me she'll be out-of-commission for some time..." Ranger said.

"Those specialists really are nothing to laugh at are they?" Sword Saint asked.

"No...but now there's nothing but a bloody stain and a memory where they used to be." Ranger said seriously which made the ladies uneasy.

"Was that necessary?" Sage asked.

"They brought it on themselves; don't waste your sympathy." Ranger said.

"Still...to be that violent without necessity..." Sage said thoughtfully.

"I..._raised_...that horse..from the time it was _born_!" Ranger snapped.

"Well...that at least makes sense, not to mention that rage tends to make someone less-than-civil." Sword Saint said.

"And even more terrifying when their rage is under their control." Ranger said.

"What place does rage have in the heart of a hero?" Hero asked.

"A hero? Not much. An avenger? About as much as love does." Ranger said.

"Avenger?" Hero asked.

"Yes. Why do you think I'm so favored by the War God in the first place? His path involves being as violent towards the wicked as they are towards the world itself." Ranger said simply.

"O.k...well, I know one path I'm not going down." Hero said and Ranger sighed.

"Will you come with me to face the Evil Sect, or not?" He asked.

"Alright, alright. Let's just kick their sorry asses..." Hero said as the ground crumbled several dozen yard from where they were.

"What the hell?" Ranger said as they watched the ground collapse.

"Maybe it's a sinkhole?" Hero asked.

"Sinkholes don't happen on solid rock; that did not happen naturally...there's was a battle underground!" Ranger said.

"Or it happened as a result of our battle." Sage said.

"Maybe that too...but why did it happen so far from where we fought?" Ranger asked.

"Who cares?" Hero asked.

"I do..." Ranger said simply.

"Well, you stand alone..." Hero said as she walked off and Ranger sighed before following the ladies to the fortress...then Cow Girl and GS came out of a cave.

"Where did you come from?" Sword Saint asked.

"We...just killed...a heap of goblins, and almost died as a result of a cave-in. Took a page out of the Hero's book actually." Cow Girl said and Hero smirked.

"I'll bet you did..." She said.

"Ranger...she put your training to good use." GS said seriously.

"I'll bet she did..." Ranger said.

"Copycat." Hero deadpanned and Sword Saint snickered at her.

"Are you done?" GS asked.

"Not yet..." Ranger said before pointing to the fortress.

"Wow..." Cow Girl whispered as she eyeballed the place.

"And this time, forget stealth." Ranger said.

"Yes! Stealth really overstayed it's welcome." Hero said.

"Although...we should hit the barracks just to the side of it first." Ranger said and Hero actually cracked her knuckles.

* * *

When they got to the barracks, the burst in the front gate...

"The Hero has arrived!" Hero yelled...but the place was completely abandoned.

"Well...this is awkward." Sword Saint said and Hero groaned.

"Why do the bad guys happen to not be here when I'm just getting pumped up?" She asked.

"A better question is how did I get stuck with the lady of cringiness...?" Ranger groaned.

"Probably because you _asked_ us to come with you!" Hero snapped.

"Enough, let's search the place. Maybe they left a clue." GS said as he Cow Girl walked in.

"Or at least something useful." Ranger said as he followed them inside.

"Like amateurs, they probably did..." Sage said and the ladies went and all of them searched the place...and Hero saw Ranger walk into a side building...and absorb an array of weapons and armor.

"O.k...who leaves that much stuff behind?" Hero asked.

"Don't know, don't care. It's mine now." Ranger said simply before GS opened a side room that led to a room full of beds, then checked it.

"Find anything?" Cow Girl asked.

"Not yet." GS said as the rest of the group checked some more side rooms, and found a small kitchen.

"More loot?" Hero asked.

"You know me so well..." Ranger said as he stuffed the food and drinks into a bag, absorbed the kitchenware, opened a portal to his manor, and put the stuff there.

"How much did you take from the fort we raided the first time around?" Hero asked.

"As much as I could." Ranger said.

"You loot places?" Cow Girl asked.

"Spoils of war my dear...spoils of war." Ranger said.

"It's theft plain and simple..." Hero groaned.

"Theft is as much at home in warfare as killing is; theft against your neighbors is a crime. Don't get it twisted." Ranger said seriously.

"Whatever..." Hero whispered before leaving the building and heading over to another...then screaming and taking cover before a storm of bolts could hit her. Ranger then rushed to help her, and opened fire on the troops who were still reloading their crossbows until they were all in pieces. He then rampaged through the rest of the building and found even more terrorists there lying in wait with crossbows, rifles, and even throwing axes at the ready, but all their shots bounced off even Ranger's light armor, if he didn't just plain dodge them.

Meanwhile, his shots tore through the bodies of the terrorists without effort. Cow Girl was the first to find him...and she noticed the look on his face as he mowed down the Evil Sect troops: his eyes were sharp with anger, but his movements were still precise and powerful, just like he said anger should be used. The fight ended with Ranger getting jumped from behind by a terrorist wielding an axe, before Ranger pistol-whips the axe out of his hand, then bashes the terrorist across the face, which stuns him long enough for Ranger to morph a gun into a sword and jams it into the terrorist's lower chest, then watches him die.

He then looks around at the carnage he wreaked, and searched the place for anything useful...and found nothing, before sighing, and moving on to the next area without regard for his teammates following him. He then heard someone kick in a door and saw a terrorist in a distinguished uniform, that happened to be a full head taller than him.

"So...you're the one who ran my minions through? I must admire your tenacity, and your audacity. Sorry, allow me to introduce myself, I am acting captain of the Evil Sect's right-hand legion, and you must be the Ranger, slayer of the vampire queen, champion of the War God, and servant of the late Sword Maiden. This is truly a magnanimous confrontation, however...like you, I also serve the War God, and true warriors fight their enemies up close, rather than hid behind cowardly guns. Like I will now to repay the lost lives of my subordinates! Behold the sword I was graced with by the one and only Cambion, our glorious lord and master! Forged in this very volcano, and blessed with the power to rip through space itself, it is not only one-of-a-kind, but also incredibly destructive; I am the only one he deemed worthy enough to wield this terrible sword." The captain said, and Ranger did nothing but look the sword over with interest. "Even you must fear its power! As you should, for the last thing you shall feel is it's-" Ranger shuts him off with a shot to the collar.

"Shut the fuck up...I have my own thoughts as well you know." He said as the captain fell down clutching his injured collar.

"You damn coward-" Ranger cuts him off by shoving him back to the ground with his boot and putting the tip of his own sword at his throat.

"My turn to talk: The truest of warriors can use any weapon they can get their hands on, and since I make my _own_ weapons, I'm ten times the warrior you could ever hope to be, especially since unlike you, I serve the War God's _true_ cause: vengeance against the Supreme God's enemies, and guess what? You qualify...!" Ranger said sharply before jamming the captain's own sword into his throat, out the back of his head, then looked the sword over. It had a wide, leaf-shaped blade, a dark-grey color, was no less than three feet long, and tapered from the center out, giving it a thin edge, and tip for clean slices and thrusting.

He then gave it several test swings, from whirling it around over his head, to spinning it from side to side, to trying upward and downward slashes, to using a reverse-grip to stab to the sides, and back, before finishing with a slash then a stab to the front before impaling an imaginary foe on the ground before holding it in a standard-grip...then tested the spatial-cut enchantment by slicing into the stone wall with almost no force...and going almost all the way through it. He then marveled at the weapon's power and thought about his options...

Eventually, he walked over to his teammates...

"What a sword. What are you going to do with-" Ranger cuts Cow Girl off by giving it to her.

"It's yours now, but I suggest you only use it in emergencies; that is quite possibly the deadliest sword I ever held, and that's including my greatswords." He said seriously.

"O...k..." Cow Girl said as she took her new weapon and looked it over.

"Speaking of which, how do you wield swords bigger than you are?" Sword Saint asked.

"Sheer force of will." Ranger said.

"O.k..." Sword Saint trailed off.

"It's true. I actually trained by picking his greatsword up, and I did so simply by wanting it to be picked up." Cow Girl said.

"That's a...pretty interesting training method." Hero said.

"A priest I interrogated earlier said there were hostages here, and with the goblins..." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"The goblins killed every woman they had with them, and they all looked alike." Cow Girl said seriously.

"Shit...and this place has no women either..." Ranger said.

"Maybe they moved them?" Sage said.

"Here's hoping..." Hero said as she led the group out of the barracks, and walked up the hill to the gap in the mountain's side, and there was the fortress...

"O.k..how much do you want to bet that place is bigger on the inside?" Sword Saint asked.

"Every coin I have, and every coin I took." Ranger said.

"So...what's the plan?" Cow Girl asked.

"Well, this is a golden opportunity to show your new skills; you pick off anyone in the far distance, and stay here to pick off the ones you see, and join us when you're done." Ranger said.

"You won't be disappointed." Cow Girl said firmly as she took out her rifle.

"Let me guess: Pestilence is out of the question?" Sage asked.

"Any idea where the hostages are?" Ranger asked.

"Good point..." Sage said.

"It's too bad that miracle can't tell friend from foe; that would make this alot easier." Sage said.

"We'll make do." GS said as Cow Girl took aim, and fired, hitting a guard under the armpit, into his chest.

"One down..." She said before shooting again several times, and downing more guards.

"You're going for the guards up high right?" Ranger asked.

"Of course." Cow Girl said proudly before downing more guards. "Alright, they're going to have a harder time spotting us now."

"Alright, and since they know we're here, the shock-and-awe approach is a-go." Ranger said simply.

"Alright..." Hero said with a smirk were charging right at the front gate...then a priest appeared on the roof of the gate, and his chanting opened several rifts that spat out a swarm of imps that Hero tore right through with waves of energy from her sword swings, if Sage didn't vaporize them with Mana Bolts, Sword Saint didn't slice them apart, or GS, Cow Girl, and Ranger didn't shoot them down. Hero then jumped over the gate, punched the priest's lights out, then Ranger followed suit by flipping over the gate and popping two rounds in the priest's chest for good measure.

Hero then kicked in a door and Ranger jumped over her, shooting down more terrorists in the process as Hero went straight for the hostages in a cage overhead. While she ran up the wall, sliced the chain and rode the loose part down, using her weight to slow the cage's descent, Ranger rushed around the room blowing apart every terrorist in sight. He ran along the walls, jumped off of them, grappled to the ceiling on a chain while continuing to shoot at them, and whenever one of the terrorists got too close...he bashed their skulls in. Eventually, Ranger opened a portal to Water Town, when Hero freed the hostages and led them through to the Temple of Law.

"So...the priest told part of the truth: there were three hostages.." Ranger said as he de-morphed his guns.

"And the third was likely moved here to keep him or her from getting freed. Bastards..." Hero said.

"Well, Priestess will see to them." Ranger said as the rest of their team came in and looked around.

"Good grief, look at this mess!" Sword Saint exclaimed.

"There's even more of a mess to come; let's finish these bastards off." Ranger said.

"Right." Cow Girl said as she and GS followed Ranger down a hallway, and then when they reached the next room...more hell rifts opened, and Ranger switched to his longswords to face the demonic troops as he deflected and dodged their spears, swords, and axes, before countering with stabs to their necks, hearts, or brainstems, or switched to his greatsword and bisected an entire group of them. He then morphed the greatsword into a harpoon and launched it at a Glutton in the distance _just_ as it whipped it's tongues out at them. He then jumped onto a Wrather's chest, and used his newly-morphed arm and leg blades to rapidly impale it over and over until it died, and then kicked another hard enough to send it stumbling into a group of demonic troops before grabbing the dead Wrather and hurling it into another group.

GS meanwhile fired the four barrels of his shotguns to behead four Wrathers as Cow Girl unloaded her rifled into the heads of the demons at the far distance. The two then switched to their blades and helped Hero and Sword Saint slice the demons apart, and Cow Girl recalled several moments in her matches with GS, Ranger, and everyone else as she took the demons down in just as many way as her teammates did. The group then split up to clear the rest of the fortress as each went on their own rampages...

* * *

GS and Cow Girl barreled through the bridges connecting the fortress towers, and ran down the flights of stairs as more imps engaged them, only to be smashed aside or sliced apart by the charging goblin killers. Hero actually found a shrine to the Demon Lord, and blew it, and the lesser priests and priestesses in front of it apart with a singe energized swing, and joined Sword Saint in the courtyard as they tag-teamed a swarm of demons with Sage flying around overhead supporting them with Mana Bolts.

Ranger cleared out the headquarters, and no one was there, so he gathered as many of the books, scrolls, and other items, put hem in a nearby chest, opened a portal, and sent them to his manor...before hearing a door slam shut to the side, and he grappled towards it, and kicked it down, before rushing after a priest who was apparently hiding in the headquarters, and Ranger, and eventually the rest of the team, reach an underground chamber that looked like a dungeon.

"Where did all of you come from?" Hero asked.

"I was chasing someone..." Ranger said.

"And we were clearing the towers." GS said.

"Well, what do we do now-" Hero shuts up the moment a barrage of arrows came from overhead, and Ranger uses Smith to create a shield bigger than his greatsword, and planted it in the ground, before morphing a sword and carving a hole for Cow Girl to return fire,to grisly effect...as if Ranger morphing his heavy armor, and grappling up to the ledge the shooters were on and shattering their bones with the impact wasn't bad effect. He then morphed his light armor, and stopped one knife strike after another with his hands, before punching them in the gut, chest, or face hard enough to make their bodies implode, or just stabbing them or their friends with their own knives, absorbing the blood getting splashed over him all the while. He even kicked one down the stairs into the comrades who also stumbled down the stairs.

Sage then took a magic-restore potion and unleashed a Mana bolt on the reinforcements that came from one of the doorways, as her other four teammates engaged the terrorists that came from the other entrances up close and personal. Ranger meanwhile, grabbed a dead terrorist's body and used him as a human shield as more arrows came from other his head and he unloaded his gun into them. He then threw the corpse away and ran up the wall until he reached them, and when he did, he morphed his swords and sliced down the shooters

GS meanwhile pulled his shotguns and blew apart an entire group of terrorists as Hero jumped over then and bisected them with one invisible blow, which ended the fight right then and there. Several terrorists engaged them from behind, and after Ranger dropped down from above he finished the massacre of the melee troops by blocking one strike with a reverse-griped sword before impaling him with the other, and then sliced the legs off another and kicking him into the others before breaking his swords into whips and tore the terrorists to shreds; even their limbs had bits of flesh removed and then Ranger finished the dying ones with Immolation before a terrorist tried to choke him from behind in a fit of rage, and then Ranger morphed his guns and shot his guts out.

"You sick piece of shit...!" A terrorist whimpered before Ranger casually shot him as well and he checked the dead.

"A shame we can't get information out of them if they're all dead..." He said simply.

"Not all of them...this one was hurt in he massacre." Sage said as Ranger turned to see her healing a priest...and walked to them.

"Wait! Please don't kill me!" The priest exclaimed before Ranger stopped cold.

"I'm only going to ask you once: There was a bounty put on my head, and the heads of my teammates, are you the one who did it?" He asked.

"N-no! Of course not!" The priest exclaimed.

"Then who did?" Ranger asked.

"The Cambion." The priest said.

"And where the hell could he get 10,000 gold coins?" Ranger asked and the priest groaned in pain.

"Please, tell us." Sage said.

"Alright...I don't know exactly how he got it, but it must've been through pillaging. He's more than strong enough to rob places of great importance." The priest said calmly.

"Thanks..." Ranger said before shooting him in the head as Sage gasped in horror. "We're done here, now let's get back to Water Town." Just as he was about to open a portal...he heard Sage charging up her staff with Mana Bolt. "You _are_ aware that you're threatening me with one of the most powerful spells in existence right?"

"Like you did any better! We could've let that priest abandon the Demon Lord! We've seen people get redeemed before; the Storm Mage-" Ranger cuts Sage off.

"Storm Mage is a completely different story. He had a shady past, and paid for it ten times over before I met him, that outlaw I executed in the other fort was as cowardly as that priest I shot was; he would never have sought redemption, much less acquire it." He said.

"How would you know that?" Sword Saint asked.

"Because I know that priest. I let him go when I was sent to free the elf queen; I told him to pray he never saw me again, and he was dead to me from that point forward...now he's dead to the rest of the world." Ranger said.

"Why did the Sword Maiden care for someone so cold?" Hero asked.

"Because she understood why I'm like this. Because she understood that my wrath extends to everything and everyone that tries to make this world worse!" Ranger snapped.

"And what are _you_ doing!? You claim to be in control, but you're _not_! You said you simply kill your foes because they're your foes, but you love every moment of it don't you!?" Hero exclaimed and Ranger glared at her.

"That's quite an accusation..." He said sharply.

"Looks pretty true to me..." Sage said.

"Fine...the truth is, I _do_ take satisfaction from doing this, but it's more of a method of operation than a personal tick. Our dear Goblin Slayer said himself that he enjoys killing goblins, well so do I, but I also enjoy ending the lives of those who make the world worse. So if Goblin Slayer is a monster to the goblins...what does that make me?" Ranger asked.

"It makes you a walking pile of contradictions, and someone who could use some redemption himself." Sage said and Ranger snickered.

"That's easier to say than it has a right to be..." He said.

"The proof is at my feet!" Sage exclaimed as she pointed to the priest' corpse.

"On top of that...if making a mess of the places you attack isn't the worst thing you've done, what is? What could possibly top ripping your enemies to bloody pieces and letting others see your handiwork!?" Sword Saint asked and Ranger sighed, looked at GS, who nodded, then looked at the floor.

"On my first quest, I killed no less than 20 goblins...and who knows how many since then, and you've seen my recent work with the Evil Sect. So...I've killed many who were deserving...but also some who were not." He said and the ladies sobered up.

"What are you talking about...?" Hero asked seriously before Ranger looked right at her.

"I killed several girls the goblins broke..." He said seriously and the ladies' faces fell.

"What...? You- oh this changes everything..." Sword Saint whispered.

"I'm sorry Ranger..." Hero said somberly.

"The whole reason I'm so cold to my enemies is because I've dealt with despair so intimately, on more than one occasion, that I know that feeling for my foes is a terrible idea. Ironically, my deep compassion for the people drives me to feel no compassion for my foes, and that opens an entire array of possibilities for what I can do to them without any emotional recoil." Ranger said.

"That's a pretty rare mindset, and if that's what is required to serve the War God, no wonder he has so few followers." Sage said.

"Indeed...the Love Goddess herself came to me when I defended the Temple of Law, and she said I might as well be war personified, and my wife fulfills the same role she plays with the War God; she balances me like the two deities balance each other. She really is my Love Goddess..." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"Love and compassion really are two heads of the same beast..." Sage said and Ranger sighed.

"I also owe you an apology Hero. I kept my mouth shut about it, but until now, I believed you were the type of person who makes an excellent savior, but a poor warrior, and I even looked down on you for being weak as a result...but I won't make that mistake again." He said.

"And I thought you were a half-crazed warmonger that I would have to deal with one day, but after hearing _this_? You probably paid a bigger price than anyone of us here. Your teammates should get their own Platinum Ranks just for being at your side and keeping your demons in check. But instead...I guess we'll just have to settle for two Platinum Ranks." Hero said before the two shared a smile and shook hands.

"Well...all's well that ends well." Sage said casually.

"Right, now can we please go home and put this behind us?" Sword Saint asked and Ranger opened a portal to the Temple of Law and they went through it to see Priestess.

* * *

"We have returned!" Hero said dramatically.

"I see that, how did it go?" Priestess asked.

"In a word: Triumphant." Ranger said.

"Good to hear." Priestess said.

"What did we miss?" Cow Girl asked.

"I talked to Inspector about becoming a member of the church, and I wasn't about to say no." Priestess said.

"Well, good for her." Sword Saint said.

"No kidding. But...I'm going home now. I'm going to see my wife and daughter, and distribute my loot, and the rest of the stuff I find the two fortresses we cleared in the morning." Ranger said.

"Alright. Good night all of you." Priestess said.

"Good night." Cow Girl said before opening a portal to her and GS' fortress home and going there.

* * *

When they got through the portal, Cow Girl went straight to the bathroom and de-morphed her armor, and check her body in the mirror, and even used the recaller to compare how her body used to be, to how it is now. The difference was pretty sharp: beforehand, she was pretty muscular despite how much fat she had in all the desirable places, including her skin itself, but now...her training was evident from head to toe. Her arms, abs, and back were more toned, her breasts seemed to be held up with her shoulders acting like an organic bra. Her butt was just as shapely as it was before, but now it was denser, but still as plump as ever, and the muscles in her calves and thighs were more visible, despite how thick her skin was. She even tested her body's density by flexing her muscles and gripping them, as well as twisting and bending over in various ways, or just plain rubbing herself and she couldn't help but nod at her progress. Eventually...she noticed GS watching her check herself out and gave him a smirk.

"Enjoying the show honey?" Cow Girl teased.

"In fact...I am." GS said as Cow Girl grabbed the belt her armor was stored in and went to her and GS' room to store it with his armor in a cabinet.

"Now you put yours away." She said as GS removed his armor and put it with hers...and she eventually traced his scars, which got his attention.

"You really should have Wizard gave you that scar removal potion. It's not easy seeing you like this sometimes." Cow Girl said softly.

"Sorry..." GS said before turning around and hugging her as close as he could. "Your body...I can see why you like the difference."

"Do you like the difference?" Cow Girl asked and GS pulled away and looked at her curious face.

"Yes." GS said and Cow Girl smiled before pulling him into a deep kiss, that was emphasized when they caressed each other's faces, shoulders, arms, and sides. Eventually, she pulled away and they looked at each other with half-opened eyes and mouths.

"I never thought I'd see the day I'd get to kill goblins at your side..." Cow Girl breathed out.

"You did an excellent job; you should be proud...I know I am." GS said as he ran his hand through her hair as she smiled brightly at him.

"Should I get a reward for it?" Cow Girl asked.

"I already ans-" She cuts GS off by putting a finger on his lips.

"I mean, I want sex...with you." She said before GS gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I'll drink some potion, go lay down." He said and Cow Girl turned and took her sweet time walking back towards the bed as her perfect butt bounced and flexed with each step. Meanwhile, GS went over to down a shot of the sterility potion, before joining Cow Girl, who was splayed out over the bed, stretching herself out in various ways and groaning in the process, which was meant to not only relieve the tension like with most people...but also to show off her body. She eventually laid down flat and gave GS a teasing glance and smirk.

"Well...what are you waiting for?" She asked sensually before GS smirked and bent down to kiss her, and she held his head in place as she deepened the kiss, and lashed tongues with him while letting off quiet, pleasured moans before breaking it. "Massage me..."

"Alright..." GS said as he walked over to her feet to start there, and Cow Girl closed her eyes as GS caressed and squeezed her feet, which made her ease up right away as the soreness and tension left her body, and her relaxation turned to bliss as he worked her calves, and eventually the thighs she was more proud of than ever...and she reflexively gasped and closed her legs when he stroked her inner thighs.

"You have to warn a girl before you do that to her..." Cow Girl teased.

"Sorry..." GS said.

"No, I liked it...just keep going." Cow Girl said...and GS continued to rub and squeeze her legs before doing the same to the sides of her hips and butt cheeks, and then her abs, arms...and saved her chest for last as he rubbed the outside of her heavy breasts before squeezing the centers as Cow Girl giggled as she felt her glorious masses of flesh being played with. "Oh Goblin Slayer..." Her deep, pleasured gasps eventually turned into moans as GS latched onto one of her nipples and licked it without mercy. "Yes...! Yes...! Keep that up...! Oh...!" She held his head in place as he went back and forth between squeezing one breast and sucking on the other while continuing to moan in euphoria, as GS continued his vigorous assault on her chest. "Wait...Goblin Slayer, stop...! That's quite enough...you never cease to amaze me..."

"You're the woman I love; I'm supposed to amaze you." GS said with a small smile and Cow Girl giggled while caressing his face.

"Do my other side as well please..."

"Alright." GS said casually as Cow Girl flipped around, and GS worked on her shoulders, and then went up and down her back, pressing and rubbing her muscles through her creamy skin, and went down her hips to massage her thighs, calves, and feet like he did before...and then went straight up her legs and she let off a horny chuckle as she felt his powerful, calloused hands dig into the flesh of her buttocks and knead it like dough from the sides, underneath, the top, and even rapidly fondled it to make it jiggle.

"How does my butt feel?" Cow Girl asked sensually.

"Good..." GS said before Cow Girl flexed her butt cheeks and GS pressed his hands into them to get a better feel. "_Very_ good..."

"Compare it to my breasts." Cow Girl said.

"Your breasts are large, warm, and extremely soft, your butt is the same, only...harder." GS said and Cow Girl giggled.

"Harder...well, that's the training I did with Fighter for you, and this strength isn't just for killing goblins...it's also so I can please you." She said.

"Well...quest complete." GS said before Cow Girl giggles again.

"Stand up...I want to show you how flexible I got." She said and GS gave her some room, so she could stand up...and then slowly did a full split...and even a side-split on both sides, before getting up, and then bending over so far her head nearly touched her shins before straightening up again. "I couldn't do this beforehand."

"I see..." GS said.

"So...what do you think?" Cow Girl asked.

"Impressive..." GS said and Cow Girl sighed.

"You know, I'm pretty sure Ranger wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of Fighter if she twisted herself the way I did; I wouldn't be surprised if he did to be frank." Cow Girl said.

"Sorry..." GS said and Cow Girl sighed again.

"Nevermind...it's not smart of me to compare us to them. Did you at least enjoy yourself while massaging me?" She asked.

"Very much so. Your body really is a wonder." GS said and Cow Girl giggled before walking over and sitting on his laps with her arms around his neck.

"Now that's more like it, my big, sexy Goblin Slayer." She said sensually before kissing him as deeply as she could as he ran one hand through her hair, and rubbed her back with the other. "Now...may I do the honors?"

"Please." GS said as Cow Girl gripped his manhood, and slid herself onto it while continuing to hold his shoulders, and slowly moving up and down on his lap, and he gripped her hips as she moved up and down. "Your legs really have gotten stronger..."

"I'm glad...they have..." Cow Girl said in-between deep breaths as she continued to bounce on his manhood, while her massive breasts rubbed his chest. She then picked up speed as GS watched her throw her head back as she moaned in bliss before looking him right in the face with said bliss written all over her face, even with her hair in her eyes, which she brushed aside before slowing. "Now...pick me up and _impale_ me..." GS then reached under her butt, and picked her up like she weighed nothing and Cow Girl locked her tree-trunk thick legs around his waist as he thrusted into her tightening womanhood as her moans continued. "Oh yes! Yes...! Oh this is completely worth being attacked by goblins!" She then continued moaned until GS placed her on the bed, which made her yelp and then laugh as GS continued to relentlessly mate with her as she wrapped her legs around his waist as tightly as she could, which increased the friction to the point where they both climaxed not ten seconds later before GS took his place on top of her and they both laid there catching their breath. "You know...I'm not done..."

"Just wait a moment..." GS groaned.

"Oh...I'll wait as long as I have to if it means finishing a celebration like _this_..." Cow Girl said sensually before nibbling on his ear and he looked at her face which had a wolfish grin on it before she pulled him into a kiss that turned into a string of noisy kisses. "When you're ready, stand up and let me do a split on the bed...and give it to me from behind."

"Alright..." GS groaned and about a minute of snuggling into her pillow-like breasts later, he stood up, and Cow Girl did a full split, right on the bed like she said, presenting her buttocks to him in all it's round, fleshy glory as he got behind her, and lined up his manhood with her entrance, and pushed into her. She then groaned as she felt him filling her, and then removing himself over and over before he eventually started mating with her with devotion.

"Oh...yes! Yes! I am a _genius_...oh!" Cow Girl groaned as GS pounded her slick entrance and made her flesh ripple even more as the slapping sounds it made, and her throaty moans filled the room for about a minute straight. "Wait...wait! I want to try something else.."

"Alright..." GS groaned before Cow Girl got up...and bent over to her shins like she did earlier, and GS put his hands on her middle back to keep her stable as he pushed into her womanhood again...as if she wasn't tight enough before. GS actually had minor trouble pushing into her and Cow Girl let out longer moans as GS moved in and out of her, and eventually, she straightened up and pressed her breasts into the bed to hold herself up while her arms went slack while keeping her legs together to keep the friction to the max until she let out an elongated moan once she climaxed, and GS not long after. He then pulled his softened manhood out of her, and even did the honors by positioning her lower body on the bed so she laid down straight.

"We should probably sleep _under_ the blankets..." Cow Girl said softly.

"Right..." GS said as he opened the covers on her side, and she picked herself up to get under them, as GS got under the covers on his side before she snuggled into him and gave him a deep kiss.

"That was...unbelievable..." She said.

"Yes...it was." GS said as he ran his hand through her hair as she smiled and looked down as him brightly before she snuggled into him and sighed dreamily.

"Goblin Slayer...when we defeat the Goblin Overlord...I want to have a baby with you." Cow Girl said.

"Alright..." GS whispered and Cow Girl looked up at him in surprise, but smiled at how honest he sounded as he closed his eyes to sleep, and she shifted against him as her breasts and legs rubbed him as his arms tightened around her as they both went to sleep...

"I love you..." Cow Girl breathed out.

* * *

Abbot returned to the monastery to turn in for the night, and then something caught his eye: the secret compartment they kept the Champion's Armor was open...and the armor was missing!

* * *

**Ho...ly...fuck! This chapter was the biggest doozy of them all; just over 30,000 words this time...sorry it took so long to make, but not only was there ALOT to do, what with all the shenanigans Ranger and Hero go through and everything, not to mention Cow Girl's antics and all the throwbacks, like with Rhea Fighter having Fighter's strength-boosting necklace she's had since Year One...but it was just plain HARD to put down. Also...OMG, the Champion's armor is gone! What could that mean? Well, you'll have to Rate, Review, and Share while you faithfully wait for the next chapter, which will not take a century to make, I swear, so please, stay tuned.**

**Spoiler Alert:**

**Next chapter will involved Inspector's birthday, and honestly, I think she's a bit underrated; I don't just have her and Guild Girl in a polyamorous relationship with Summoner for the sake of it. I mean come on, she's cute, she's sweet, and...pretty damn wise too; she's not a priestess of the Supreme for nothing afterall, so..next chapter she's get her own tribute, not as much as Sword Maiden, and definitely not as much as Fighter but still.**


	44. Chapter 22 Part III

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I swear these huge chapters are something I'm getting more used to than I should be. I sincerely hope this doesn't become a trend, because it's taking a toll on my interest in this. Anyway, the Champions armor went missing last chapter...I wonder where that could lead? Well...let's find out.**

**Review Response: Technically, Hero got on Ranger over things she didn't approve of, not to mention her whole damn team had an issue with what he does, and...let's face: Ranger's actions and methodology are going to be pretty controversial to the faint of heart. As for the Champion's armor, well...see for yourself.**

**What? Don't want me to keep up the good work anymore Engineer?  
**

* * *

"I can't believe it! Her Grace made me an official cleric!" Inspector exclaimed excitedly as she and Summoner went into one of the Temple of Law's bedchambers with her giddily bouncing up and down.

"Well, you better believe it, because that's what happened. As if there was any doubt..." Summoner said before Inspector wrapped her arms around his neck and yanked him into a deep kiss and after recovering from the surprise, he held her waist as her lips shifted passionately against his own over and over with the wet smacking sounds doing nothing to discourage their intimacy. He then gave her butt a thorough squeeze through her skirt.

"Thank you..." Inspector said as her lover continued kneading her buttocks like it was dough. He then peeled off his armored robe, exposing his thin, but lean form, as she broke the kiss and pulled down her skirt and removed her blouse, leaving her in her underwear as she then resumed their kiss. She then reached into Summoners pants and rubbed the underside of his aroused manhood, making him groan and tense up from the pleasure before he eventually stops her and removed his pants entirely. The sultry priestess then turned around as her demon hunting lover reached around to squeeze, lift, and fondle her hand-filling breasts as she shifted her buttocks against his groin, and he shifted against her in return while continuing to play with her chest.

Eventually, he picked her up bridal-style as she laughed at the surprise, and held onto him as he approached the bed and gently placed her on it like she was made of glass, and dragged his tongue up her flat abdomen and in-between her luscious breasts as he traveled up her slender yet curvy body. She simply laid there giggling, gasping, and shifting in pleasure until he reached her neck and latched onto it as her heart and lungs worked harder while her lover showed his affection for her through his interaction with her body. He then raised himself up, and looked at her smiling face as he pressed into her as he buried his face into her neck as she tightened her hold on him.

"I love you..." Summoner breathed out.

"I love you too..." Inspector said softly, before Summoner pressed his lips against hers as she held his head in place. Eventually, he broke the kiss before the two continued to look and smile at each other softly while holding each other close and Summoner ran his hand through her hair. Inspector then pulled him into another kiss as she wrapped one leg around his waist and he turned them on their sides as he rubbed her smooth hip and thigh as she caressed his sculpted torso from top to bottom. He then held her close, snuggled into her neck and listened to her giggle. "Someone's in a good mood..."

"I'm in bed sharing sweet kisses with my sexy priestess, and touching the best parts of her body...who wouldn't be?" Summoner asked while groping her supple buttocks.

"Good point...general." Inspector said sensually as she continued shifting against his body while his gentle yet powerful hands worked her own in all the right places while he shared kisses with her.

"You keep using that tone of voice I'm going to start using words and actions one shouldn't use towards a priestess." Summoner said and Inspector simply smirked at him and slowly got on top of him.

"What's _stopping_ you?" Inspector asked.

"You really _are_ a naughty girl..." Summoner teased, and Inspector continued to kiss and lash tongues with him while their deep breaths and slow, gentle motions made their bliss known to each other. All the while he continued to caress her back and brush her hair while she ran her hands along the lines on his torso. Eventually, she broke the kiss and looked down at him as her chocolate-brown hair framed her face and her sapphire eyes seemed to light up the room.

"How do I look?" Inspector asked.

"Like a woman blessed by the Love Goddess...which you are." Summoner said and Inspector purred softly before kissing the fierce demon hunter beneath her. "You'll turn 21 any minute now..."

"I know...and the new archbishop made me an official member of the church on my last day of being 20." Inspector said.

"Did you tell her about your birthday?" Summoner asked.

"No, but I will later on. Can't wait to see the look on her face when she finds out." Inspector said.

"Well, for now...you're mine." Summoner said and Inspector giggled before Summoner gave her a series of deep, sweet kisses as they lashed tongues and smack their lips together as each individual kiss ends. She then rolled back on her side as she kept her leg around his waist, as ran his hand down her thigh as she caressed his hip, chest, and abdomen. "You know...before I entered this temple, I downed some potion."

"Oh?" Inspector asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I... paid Guild Girl a visit earlier today, and nearly got her pregnant, and since that potion lasts 24 hours straight..." Summoner trailed off.

"Right...well, I don't want any kids myself either, at least not yet." Inspector said.

"So like I said: you're mine." Summoner said as Inspector removed her underwear and Summoner unhooked her bra before squeezing one of her breasts and looking at Inspector's blissful face as he vigorously yet lovingly worked on her delectable breasts...then she gasped as he started licking the nipple on her alternate breast as she held his head in place.

"Oh...! Yes...! Please...don't stop...!" Inspector breathed out as Summoner continued to feast on her chest as he went back and forth between her breasts by licking one, and squeezing the other. When her moans got high-pitched, he stopped and let her calm down and looked at her bathe in the pleasure he caused her. Summoner then removed his underwear as the bed shifting got Inspector's attention, and then looked over his arousal and sucked in a trembling breath as she remembered the last time he filled her body with it.

"Not yet; there's plenty of things I haven't done..." Summoner said before Inspector flipped over, and almost right away felt Summoner lightly spank her which made her let off a horny chuckle as Summoner got to work on the creamy flesh of her lower body, from her calves, to her feet, to her thighs, and especially her inner thighs as she gasped and tensed up from the pleasure, and she relaxed the moment he moved up to knead her buttocks from underneath, then the sides, and eventually, the entire area. "Shall I take you like this?"

"Oh yes..." Inspector said as she slowly raised her lower body off the bed, and gasped the moment she felt Summoner insert himself into her moist, swollen entrance and slowly moved in and out of her. "Yes...that's it..."

"Just like when I took you against the wall..." Summoner breathed out.

"No...this is _much_ better..." Inspector said as her general continued to mate with her, and eventually picked up the pace and her moans had fleshy slapping sounds added to them as he slammed into her buttocks. Summoner continued to please her as her head turned sideways and dug into the pillow just enough for him to see her face contort in bliss until she finally climaxed along with him, and he collapsed on top of her as their orgasms sank in.

"How's this for an end to your last day of being 20 baby?" Summoner asked and Inspector giggled.

"I couldn't wish for a better end." She said before Summoner planted a kiss on her cheek, then removed himself from her body and laid down next to her before she kissed him. "I love you so much."

"And I love you..." Summoner said as she snuggled into him while sighing dreamily. "You're not going to sleep are you?"

"I probably could if it meant I get to be like this." Inspector breathed out, and Summoner ran his hand through her hair. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Oh yes, and like I told Guild Girl before...both of you have _really_ nice bodies." Summoner said as he ran his hand along her side.

"How so?" Inspector asked as Summoner moved up and down her back, shoulders, and back down to her buttocks.

"Well...like I basically said when we met, you're both cute as bunnies, but also...I can see why Guild Girl got so much attention from other men; her figure is almost flawless. Yours is practically the same; did no one ever hit on you?" Summoner asked.

"Not as much as her, but please go on." Inspector said sensually before flipping over and Summoner squeezed her breasts again, and listened to her giggle.

"Neither of you are as...developed as Goblin Slayer's farm girl friend but...you don't have to be; bigger isn't always better." He said.

"I'll bet...how is that the case?" Inspector asked as Summoner simply gripped her breasts from the sides and gently moved them around.

"These breasts of yours...they're so soft and creamy, like the rest of your skin...as well as your legs and bottom. If I could, I'd massage you all day." Summoner said as he continued playing with her breasts and went down her sides, hips and she flipped over so he could play with her butt as well.

"You know why I think _you_ have a gorgeous body?" Inspector asked.

"Let me guess: I look like a walking steak, and I have a correctly-shaped face structure?" Summoner asked and Inspector just stared at him.

"Lucky guess...also..." She said before looking at his groin.

"Apparently bigger _is_ better sometimes right?" Summoner teased.

"You're good at this." Inspector said.

"I'm an aspiring priest of the Love Goddess; I know a thing or two about beauty." Summoner said.

"All the more reason for me to be flattered." Inspector said sensually before Summoner spanked her and listened to her yelp as she flexed her butt in response before he gripped her hardened flesh as she slowly relaxed.

"Look who's talking...why no one checked you out is beyond me..." He said.

"Probably because...who would want to try and seduce a priestess of the Supreme?" Inspector asked as Summoner rubbed her back and sides.

"Other than the demon hunter who's elder brother was in bed with the previous archbishop?" Summoner asked serious and Inspector sighed before Summoner stopped cold. "Sorry..."

"It's alright...I just have a hard time believing she's really gone. I know she made a rather public appearance last night but...to know she's here, but also not here is...it's almost too much." Inspector said before Summoner laid down next to her and hugged her.

"My brother isn't much different; everyone loved the Sword Maiden, and I could see it in his face every time I saw his spirit..._no one_ loved her more than me did." He said.

"The Sword Maiden was a beacon of hope for the entire country; I thought he turned from his selfish ways?" Inspector asked.

"No...the people loved her because she was like you said, a beacon of hope; my brother loved her because of what those little green abominations did to her. Storm Mage's love for her was an selfless as it could possibly get. When he was with her...it wasn't at all about him; he even told me that he put his own pleasure _after_ her own. If he was still as greedy as he was years ago...he would not have done that. He was more of a brother to me when he was with her than he was when he was with me." Summoner said thoughtfully.

"Summoner..." Inspector whispered in awe before embracing him tightly as he returned the embrace...and felt his hold slowly tighten as he held her closer and even felt his tears moisten her shoulder and heard him sniffle.

"Thank you so much for being with me..." Summoner whispered.

"Of course..." Inspector said softly as she held the man who saved her and Guild Girl as he let out his anguish until he eventually got a hold of himself and dried his tears.

"I don't know what Ranger and company have in mind for the Cambion, but I hope it's the War God's wrath itself." He said sharply.

"Summoner..." Inspector said seriously before Summoner got a grip.

"Sorry...now's not the time for anger. We're here to make love, not war." He said.

"Right..." Inspector said before kissing his pain and rage away as she got on top of him, and when they broke the kiss, she gave him a heart-melting smile, which he returned. "Better?"

"Much..." Summoner whispered before snuggling into her. "I also cleansed Guild Girl of her headache with the same lightning round of love-making I gave you after you got your new powers."

"You can do that?" Inspector asked.

"Apparently, we even did the deed in Limbo...it was pretty kinky actually..." Summoner said with a smirk.

"Oh?" Inspector teased.

"Yeah...her bent over the desk, both of us invisible to the world as I took her from behind? Hoo boy..." Summoner said before Inspector let off a horny chuckle and snuggled into her general.

"Lucky girl..." She said sensually.

"Granted I did so to ease her pain, and it worked wonders for myself as well..." Summoner said.

"Sure you did..." Inspector teased.

"Hey, sex is a serious painkiller, of both physical pain...and emotional." Summoner said somberly before Inspector put both hands on his cheeks and gave him a deep, sweet kiss that lasted longer than all the others combined as he simply held her close.

"You really are a gentleman..." She said while caressing his cheeks before snugging into his chest as Summoner continued holding her.

"A gentleman that gets to make _sweet_ love with two of the most beautiful women he's ever met..." He said before kissing her cheek.

"A gentleman who also, as he said looks like a walking steak. But to use more refined words: I can see why you lifted me with such ease..." Inspector said while tracing the lines of his sculpted arms and torso.

"Right...although...I've seen Ranger in his lighter armor; his muscles must be twice as large as mine." Summoner said.

"Like you said: bigger isn't always better, and Guild Girl doesn't seem to mind...especially not when you replace her headache with a head that's swimming in _pleasure_." Inspector with a sultry smirk and tone.

"Like yours wasn't when we were on that beach." Summoner teased before groping her butt.

"You know it was...but seriously, good on you for curing her poor head." Inspector said

"There's no justice in letting her suffer while I have the means and will to make it go away." Summoner said seriously.

"Just like when you gave that farm girl a place to stay." Inspector said.

"Only...I wasn't in love with her." Summoner said and Inspector lifted herself up to look at him directly and he ran his hand through her hair. "Then again...love comes in many different forms."

"It was still a just thing to do. That act alone doesn't just make you a gentleman...it makes you a hero." Inspector said.

"Does that mean I should serve the Supreme directly instead?" Summoner asked and Inspector shook her head.

"Justice is not about striking down evil, but about making people aware that evil exists." She said.

"Sounds like the difference between vengeance and compassion to me." Summoner said and Inspector's eyes widened.

"You're right...I can't believe I didn't think of that before" She said thoughtfully.

"Hey...is there any justice in beating yourself up over it?" Summoner asked and Inspector giggled.

"I guess not...but there's plenty of compassion in what you've done." She said softly.

"Just like with you and Guild Girl...I said it to Ranger, now I'll say it again: she's a rose." Summoner said before running his hand over Inspector cheek. "You both are..."

"And you've earned all the love you got from us both." Inspector said before embracing Summoner again and sighing dreamily.

"Should I use a gateway to fetch Guild Girl?" Summoner asked and Inspector thought for a moment.

"You can go get her later, for now...can you please stay with me?" She asked.

"Alright..." Summoner said...then the clock chimed.

"Midnight..." Inspector whispered.

"Happy birthday..." Summoner said softly before giving her a series of deep, passionate, and noisy kisses that made her cling onto him and shift her body against his own, until she broke the kiss and gave him the brightest smile she could. "You are so cute when you smile..."

"I'm smiling like this because I'm so in _love_." Inspector said.

"And I love you just as much." Summoner said before Inspector snuggled into him and sighed dreamily as they laid together.

"I'm so happy..." Inspector said softly.

"And I'm happy for you..." Summoner said before she looked up at him.

"Are you still in pain over your brother?" Inspector asked and Summoner nodded. "Then take me again..."

"How would the birthday girl like me to take her?" Summoner asked.

"Like this..." Inspector whispered before she flipped them over with him on top of her. Then she spread her legs, which invited him to push into her entrance as she closed her eyes and groaned as his thick, solid manhood filled her body, and even more when he slowly moved further in, and then back out over and over.

"So _good_..." Summoner groaned as he moved in and out of her warm, moist womanhood, and when her groans became more blissful, he picked up speed and power until the bed started creaking under the force of their love-making, and her moans filled his ears as he continued to relentlessly mate with the priestess beneath him with her heels wrapped around his calves. Eventually her moans were replaced with high-pitched gasps as Summoner rapidly pounded into her, until her orgasm washed over her as her womanhood tightened around Summoner's rock-solid organ with his own orgasm just behind it, before he collapsed onto her swollen breasts and welcoming arms.

"Best birthday present ever..." Inspector whispered before Summoner sobered up and planted a kiss on her parted lips with one hand on her lovely face.

* * *

True to his word, Ranger used his portal gem to go to the fortresses he and his teammate cleared out the previous day the moment the sun came up, and he was don gathering the treasures, absorbing the weapons, armor, and bits of scrap he could. He even took the rest of their food as his house workers organized them in their pantry, and even started cooking a feast to celebrate the victory, and it was enough for the entire team, and themselves. Granted it was going to take hours, but that was well beyond the amount of time needed for Ranger to finish what he had in mind...

His to-do list started with giving all the coin, jewels and other trinkets directly to the Temple of Law's treasury, for obvious reasons. The moment he left he treasury to pay Priestess a visit, he was greeted with a surprise...Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric were there, holding each other's sides with Priestess talking to them and Sword Mage on the side observing...

"Marriage?" Priestess asked.

"Yes, if you please." A.C. said and Priestess smiled at them.

"I would be honored...and Ranger there can be a witness." She said as the couple turned to see them.

"Ranger! How long have you been there?" R.W. asked.

"Long enough to hear about your proposal, but what I don't know is when you popped the question?" Ranger asked.

"Just last night actually..." R.W. said.

"Can we see?" Ranger asked and the engaged pair looked at each other, smiled, then Priestess took out a recaller and the scene played before them.

* * *

As the sun went down, A.C. and R.W. went to the pier of the docks to watch it while she leaned into him side while he held her into his side as they sat down.

"We must've straightened those warehouses in record time." R.W. said.

"That's what happens when you have a priestess of the Supreme God boosting you." A.C. said proudly as R.W. looked at her with a smile.

"That is very true..." R.W. said before kissing her. "It helps even more when you're in love with that priestess."

"And even more than that when that priestess loves you back." A.C. said.

"O.k. let's just stop right there..." R.W. deadpanned and A.C. laughed at their antics before they went back to looking at the sunset.

"I'm think about going to the archbishop and asking me to make me a member of the church, officially." A.C. said.

"And I guess that'll make me an aspiring crusader, because I want to stay at your side." R.W. said seriously.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." A.C. said softly as she snuggled into his side some more.

"How long would you like to stay here?" He asked.

"Not much longer; I just want to spent some quality time with my partner in crime..." A.C. said with a smile as R.W. held her closer as they continued looking at the sunset...before he looked down to the side and sucked in a breath. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah I just...well, remember the last sunset we watched?" R.W. asked.

"Yeah...we just came from freeing a rhea girl from slavers, and she frolicked through the grass, without a care in the world. Poor girl must've been away from grass for weeks." A.C. said.

"And thanks to us, she can do as much as she wants." R.W. said.

"And what better way to celebrate than watch the sun go down?" A.C. asked.

"And have our first kiss..." R.W. whispered before helping her up.

"O.k...what's this about? You're not usually this sentiment-" A.C. shut up the moment R.W. got on one knee and showed a golden ring with an emerald on it and just stood there staring at him.

"Will you marry me?" R.W. asked and A.C. slowly got a hold of herself and smiled brighter and brighter.

"Yes...yes I will...!" A.C. said before R.W. put the ring on and stood up to kiss her as the recaller cut off.

* * *

"Wow...that's an even better proposal than the one I made to Fighter..." Ranger said honestly.

"Really?" A.C. asked.

"Yes. I just asked her to marry me in front of a tree. Granted the moons were beaming down on us and she looked as divine as ever, but still." Ranger said.

"Well, nonetheless, your wedding was even to this day, the loveliest event I've ever been to, and as archbishop, I get to set up a similar occasion myself." Priestess said proudly.

"That won't be necessary Your Grace; we couldn't possibly have a wedding that grand." A.C. said.

"She has a point Priestess; things are too turbulent to ask too many people to come here." Ranger said.

"On top of that...we don't really have that many connections outside of the guild, and our bosses moved on to Gold Rank business. They even officially left us to form our own team." R.W. said.

"In that case, we can start your wedding whenever you please." Priestess said and they heard a voice...

"So we get to see a wedding? This day just got even brighter than it already was." Summoner said as he leaned against the entrance then pushed off of it.

"Really? How did it get bright in the first place?" Ranger asked.

"Didn't you hear? We have a birthday to celebrate." Summoner said and everyone beamed.

"Really? Who's?" A.C. asked and Summoner moved to the side to see Inspector who was right behind him, then leaned into him. "Her?"

"Yep." Inspector said casually.

"Well happy birthday." Ranger said warmly.

"Thank you very much..." Inspector said before letting go of Summoner and going up to Ranger and embraced him.

"Should we give you all some space?" R.W. asked.

"If you want. Sword Mage? Please tell the acolytes to brace for a wedding by sundown." Priestess said.

"As you wish Your Grace." Sword Mage said with a bow as he escorted the engaged pair outside.

"Happy birthday..." A.C. said.

"Thanks." Inspector said as they watched the engaged pair leave and turned to look at Priestess, then let go of Ranger to approach her.

"If I knew your birthday was the next day, I would have made you a member of the church with a small festival." Priestess said and Inspector laughed at her as Priestess opened her arms. "Embrace me." Inspector's eyes widened and she looked at the two men behind her, who shot Priestess quick glances to encourage her, and the two women finally hugged. "Happy birthday...cleric."

"Thank you...Your Grace..." Inspector said as Priestess tightened her embrace. Eventually, the two let go. "I should get back to the guild hall; Guild Girl is probably swamped without me..."

"Alright." Priestess saidnas Inspector bowed slightly and backed up.

"Don't let that stop you from celebrating your birthday. Things might be tense right now, but if you ask me, that's an even greater reason to celebrate." Ranger said.

"Good point." Inspector said before hugging him again.

"The servants at my house are preparing a feast, and you're more than welcome to come once it's done." Ranger said as Inspector backed up.

"I'd love that, but what's the occasion? I mean, I just told you about my birthday." She said curiously.

"Just celebrating me and Hero's victory over the Evil Sect, and I just so happen to have gotten a ton of loot from both places we hit, including the food being prepared." Ranger said.

"Spoils of war much?" Summoner asked.

"Precisely. It would be a shame to let that food go to waste wouldn't it?" Ranger asked.

"Well, you have a point there...alright I'll let Guild Girl know, and we'll get as much done as we can." Inspector said before she walked out of the room sharing a side-glance, and a teasing smile with Summoner as he watched her leave.

"Summoner...? I saw how you looked at her..." Ranger said seriously.

"Please don't shoot me for saying this, but I'm involved with both her and Guild Girl at once." Summoner said and Ranger looked at him funny.

"What...?" He deadpanned.

"It's completely consensual, and is not against the Love Goddess' teachings." Summoner said seriously as Ranger and Priestess looked at each otheer then at him.

"Why do you care about her teachings like this?" Ranger asked.

"Because I'm looking to become one of her priests." Summoner said and Ranger let out a whistle.

"That's a pretty serious undertaking, especially for a servant of the War God." He said.

"No, you're a servant of the War God; I just had his favor. Besides, there are so many reasons I'm qualified to follow the Love Goddess I don't know where to start..." Summoner said and Ranger sighed. "I'm not going to preach about how having more than one partner should be normal; there's a reason it's not normal, which speaks for itself, but-" Ranger cuts him off.

"I get it...and if they're o.k. sharing a place in your heart, I suppose that's their choice. As a Platinum Rank, I should respect that more than anyone..." He said.

"Right...although on the off-chance you want to talk about this some more...we should go elsewhere." Summoner said.

"I thought the same thing. But on a more serious note: how were the translations going?" Ranger asked.

"On one hand, it's almost done, but on the other...most of it's useless yadda yadda about how the Demon Lord had issues with various people resisting his "glorious rule"and condemning them for being part of something better than them and some things about his operations that we already know, like how virgin sacrifices happen in his name." Summoner said.

"Is there anything we can use?" Priestess asked.

"Well...there are some things about the Goblin Overlord, but that's not done yet, and before you ask: all I got done so far was something about the Goblin Overlord being the strongest, but...that really should be expected." Summoner said.

"Then waste as little time as you can. Yes I know it's Inspector's birthday, but until we know as much about the Goblin Overlord as we possibly can...we shouldn't go after him." Ranger said.

"No kidding. Anyway, I'm going to set up a gateway here and then go demon-hunting." Summoner said as he turned to leave.

"Alright, see you later." Ranger said, and the moment Summoner left, he turned to Priestess who deflated. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, just...please sit with me for a moment." Priestess said and they sat down on the stairs. "Is something wrong?"

"No...just hold me..." Priestess said as she leaned into Ranger's side and he held her close. A while later, she went from leaning into him, to giving him an actual embrace as she sighed to let out some tension.

"I'll sorry our quest together was so sour." Ranger said.

"It's alright...we can try again later." Priestess said.

"And this time, it'll be for real." Ranger said firmly and Priestess smiled.

"I love you..." She said softly.

"And I love you sister..." Ranger said before Priestess sighed.

"I'm sorry about your horse." Priestess said and Ranger sobered up right away.

"Please tell me she's not dead..." He breathed out.

"No...she's still alive. I actually meant to tell you I checked on her just before that conversation happened. You horse is actually back on her feet." Priestess said and Ranger sucked in a breath, let go of Priestess and stood up right away.

"I have to see her..." He said as Priestess stood up.

"Let's go to the gardens and summon her." She said before opening a portal to the gardens, and then Ranger steeled himself and summoned his horse...and there she was, neighing and shuddering, before noticing Ranger who was looking at her in awe.

"You're alright..." He whispered before slowly approaching his horse, who lowered her head, and Ranger placed his forehead against the horses who neighed quietly as his hands rubbed the sides of her head. "Thank the Earth Mother you're alright..." The horse stood there letting the man she grew up with show his care for her by petting her as Priestess stood there observing with nothing but compassion in her heart, until Ranger turned to see her. "Do you know if she can ride?"

"She should..." Priestess trailed off.

"Well, how about we ride through the plains? I mean, after my horse fully recovers." Ranger said.

"That would be lovely, and then we go on that quest." Priestess said and shared a smile with her pseudo-older brother.

"Well, for now, I'm going to check in with the rest of the team, and my family." Ranger said as he tried mounting his horse...and she didn't protest. "Are you alright girl?" The horse never reacted when Ranger pets her side. "I'll take that as a "yes"." He then opened a portal, to his manor, and went through before taking her to the shed and dismounting. "Alright, stay here and rest up. I'll get you some food- no...make that a feast." Ranger then went inside...

* * *

When he did, the place was bustling with activity. The servants were cooking up a storm in the kitchen, while others moved supplies from one room to another, and even had to move furniture around to make space for the others. He then went upstairs...and saw his wife nursing their daughter, and Cow Girl was there watching her, and when the baby finished and went to sleep, Cow Girl giggled and caressed her face with her finger.

"Hello ladies..." Ranger said as they turned to see him leaning against the doorway and returned his smile.

"Hello handsome." Fighter said as Ranger came in and hugged Cow Girl briefly before looking over his sleeping daughter.

"Not even a minute of breastfeeding and she's out like a light." Cow Girl said.

"Won't be long before she no longer needs my milk..." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"Won't be long before her parents pass on their strength to her." Ranger said and Fighter looked right at him.

"Like I told you before: when this is over, I want a second baby." She said seriously.

"Like _I_ told you before: I'll give you as many as you want." Ranger said and after a pause, the three snickered among themselves.

"You two are just hopeless..." Cow Girl said sweetly before the baby woke up and started crying, then Fighter rocked her until she calmed down as Cow Girl walked over to the baby and knelt in front of Fighter and put her hand near the baby who then played with her fingers. "Sorry sweetheart."

"We all are..." Fighter said and the two ladies looked at Ranger funny.

"What? You said yourself we all are." He said.

"You win this round mister..." Fighter teased.

"I will graciously accept the victory my lady." Ranger said dramatically yet seriously and Cow Girl giggled before turning serious.

"Did you check on your horse before arriving?" She asked.

"Check on her? I summoned her and rode her here through a portal." Ranger said and Cow Girl's eyes widened.

"You can summon her?" She asked.

"Don't you recall me saying that days ago?" Fighter asked.

"No I did not...but I'd like to check on her myself before I get back to my training." Cow Girl said.

"You've done enough training; this is a day for recovery, even if it wasn't Inspector's birthday." Ranger said.

"It's her birthday?" Cow Girl asked excitedly.

"Yep, I even invited her to come here for the feast, and I let her know of course." Ranger said.

"Good idea." Fighter said.

"So...other than spend time with Goblin Slayer, in public or...in bed, I don't know how to relax." Cow Girl said.

"Well, we could head to the docks and you fill me in on how your goblin-slaying quest went?" Ranger asked.

"Alright, but we check on your horse first." Cow Girl said.

"Of course." Ranger said as Cow Girl went to the doorway, then Ranger approached his wife and child.

"See you later love." Fighter said softly.

"See you later...life." Ranger whispered before kissing Fighter's lips, and then his daughter's forehead as Cow Girl simply watched their moment before they went out.

"You know I helped with the preparations shortly after you showed up." Cow Girl said.

"When did you and Goblin Slayer get back?" Ranger asked.

"Not even half an hour before you showed up. Goblin Slayer went to see the rest of your team, probably to get info on this Goblin Overlord." Cow Girl said.

"Surprise surprise..." Ranger said.

"That's our Goblin Slayer; he won't rest until..." Cow Girl trailed off.

"...the last goblin in slain." They both said at once before snickering and Ranger went to his horse...with a bucket of veggies and fruits from he kitchen.

"Eat up girl." He said before the horse went to the bucket and feasted away as Ranger ran his hand through her mane and left her to head to the backyard.

"She's a really nice horse." Cow Girl said softly

"Raised her since she was a foal; yes she had parents, and my father did most of the work with her, but the moment I was old enough, she and I were nearly inseparable." Ranger said.

"How did the rest take to her?" Cow Girl asked and Ranger scoffed.

"She pulled a cart for us and saved us travel, effort, and even money in the process, so...how do you think they took to her?" He asked.

"Good point..." Cow Girl said as they reached the backyard and she sucked in a breath.

"This place was modeled after the pond behind my home. The statues, the plants, and obviously the pond in the middle of it all...that was always my favorite place, and now it's in my new home." Ranger said.

"I can see why you liked it so much. It's a sharp contrast to a battlefield, where any moment could be your last; we weren't even here for 30 seconds and I feel like I've been here for...ever." Cow Girl said as she looked around.

"Speaking of battlefields, how did your goblin-slaying go?" Ranger asked before sitting on the stone bench by the pond.

"Well, for starters, we wiped out no less than 83 goblins...including a champion." Cow Girl said and Ranger sobered up.

"A champion?" He asked.

"Yeah. Good thing I learned a how to summon a water elemental; not only did it distract it, but if we got hurt..." Cow Girl trailed off.

"It would've healed you..." Ranger said.

"And that's just the tip of the spear...speaking of tactics I haven't used." Cow Girl said.

"Oh?" Ranger asked.

"I try to get in some spear and shield practice on my own accord." Cow Girl said.

"Well...way to take some initiative. What's the shaft of the spear?" Ranger asked and Cow Girl giggled at the quip.

"Goblin Slayer of course came with me, and drew quite a bit of blood himself, but as we talked about, I did most of the work." She said honestly.

"What did you do?" Ranger asked.

"I used my rifle to hit them with bullets, and shells, and even used some tricks your wife taught me...with my sword!" Cow Girl said.

"Did you now?" Ranger asked.

"Yep, jammed it right into a hob's knee, and took him and his friend out in one fell swoop." Cow Girl said proudly.

"Anything go wrong?" Ranger asked and Cow Girl sighed.

"I...actually got pinned by goblins..." She said.

"No..." Ranger breathed out.

"I'm alright...at least, in the way you're thinking. But it was the time I was pinned down when I protected your child all over again; my chakras opened and...I snapped..." Cow Girl said while tensing up and sucking in breaths to get a grip and Ranger put his hand on her shoulder which visibly made her relax more. "Goblin Slayer actually had to hold me back when I saw that the goblins nailed the women's bodies to boards, and you were absolutely right about anger; once I remembered that, I got control of myself again."

"Good..." Ranger whispered and Cow Girl sighed again.

"Would you mind holding me?" She asked softly.

"Not at all..." Ranger said before Cow Girl snuggled into him as they wrapped their arms around each other. "You should be proud; you showed even more strength of character than ever by pushing through this..."

"I don't feel very strong..." Cow Girl said honestly and Ranger pulled back...and saw her eyes watering as her head was lowered.

"There are times where I don't feel strong...even as a Platinum Rank. But you? Not only are you not Platinum Rank...but you weren't trained from childhood in the art of war, and you're still doing better than most people." Ranger said.

"I guess so..." Cow Girl trailed off as she dried her eyes.

"Please...give yourself credit. You've been through quite a bit yes, but you've gained as much, if not more. You actually have Goblin Slayer's heart, officially." Ranger said and Cow Girl smiled.

"You even gave us a new home as well..." She said softly.

"It's the least I can do for the girl who saved my daughter, on her first quest." Ranger said and Cow Girl giggled.

"You are never going to let me forget that are you?" She asked.

"Why would I?" Ranger asked and Cow Girl finally looked up at him with the life in her eyes restored, then Ranger put a kiss on her forehead that lingered, even after he broke off. "I loved you ever since you watched over her..."

"Love?" Cow Girl asked.

"Like the Sword Maiden said: love isn't always romantic; even if our hearts belong to other people, there's nothing wrong with caring about each other, no matter how deep it runs."

"I see..." Cow Girl said.

"Is there anything else I should know about your goblin-slaying quest?" Ranger asked.

"Well...I did exactly what you said to do: I drew the goblins to me, instead of going after them right away." Cow Girl said.

"Smart. Like I said to you, and even other people: marching blindly into your enemy's territory is not a good strategy." Ranger said seriously.

"I even used the clapping trick from the farm, as well as a magic trap that sent a hob flying into the ceiling." Cow Girl said and Ranger smiled.

"If you keep this up, you'll be qualified to be a ranger." He said.

"Me a ranger? Never thought of that..." Cow Girl trailed off.

"You fight like one, you think like one, all that's left is stealth." Ranger said.

"I...don't recall practicing stealth." Cow Girl said thoughtfully.

"Well, it not too late to learn...after we celebrate Inspector's birthday and go after more goblins, and this time...I'm going with you." Ranger said.

"Right." Cow Girl said firmly and hugged Ranger again.

"I remember the first time I held you like this...after we met." He said.

"I...don't like to remember that day. No offense but...seeing Goblin Slayer like that is harder than having goblins pile on top of me, and that's saying something." Cow Girl said.

"Sorry...but, it bares mentioning that I'm quite pleased with myself for being there for someone who needs it, like my wife is there for me..." Ranger said.

"You should be a priest of the Love Goddess yourself." Cow Girl said.

"You heard about Summoner?" Ranger asked.

"He told me himself...those two women he's with are lucky." Cow Girl said.

"Right...he mentioned how it was possible for someone to be involved with more than one person, without it being considered cheating." Ranger said.

"Even on a...physical level?" Cow Girl asked.

"Especially on a physical level." Ranger said.

"That's...odd." Cow Girl said thoughtfully.

"Well, if he wants to go for it, and Guild Girl and Inspector are o.k, who are we to get in their way?" Ranger asked.

"I guess..." Cow Girl said.

"Don't know what their marriage or child-baring situation would be like though." Ranger said.

"Speaking of which...me and Goblin Slayer talked about having our own baby when we're done with the Goblin Overlord." Cow Girl said.

"Did you now? Are you sure he can handle it?" Ranger asked.

"I think I can make him ready; I've seen how you and Fighter treat your child,

"So...the feast will probably be done in less than an hour, you have anywhere you want to go?" Ranger asked and Cow Girl sat there thinking before getting an idea.

"How about the docks? I'd like to go for another swim." She said.

"Another? Oh right, you went with Goblin Slayer..." Ranger said.

"Yeah, now I want to do it with just you." Cow Girl said and Ranger stared at her.

"O...k..." He said before opening a portal to the docks and they went through it.

* * *

When they did, Cow Girl sucked in the deepest breath she could as she sat down on a crate.

"I remember the first time we came down here. Goblin Slayer was the only one of us who didn't swim..." She said.

"And now you get him all to yourself after helping liberate this holy city." Ranger said and Cow Girl smiled.

"How debts are repaid." She said and Ranger huffed in amusement. "What?"

"My wife would probably say you're sounding like me." He said.

"Hey, I can be poetic if the mood hits me. Granted it's not always on purpose but...still." Cow Girl said.

"Right..." Ranger said and the two just sat there looking at the water, the horizon and the general scenery for the better part of a minute.

"Well, let's get in the water shall we?" Cow Girl said as she got up and they morphed their form-fitting swimming outfits.

"Too bad we don't have our breathing masks, but we can make due." Ranger said as he looked himself over and morphed pads to protect him from anything that might hit him...and saw how well Cow Girl's two-piece swimsuit hugged her deeply-curved body...and she noticed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to tempt me..."

"Really...?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, the vampire queen couldn't sway me, and she looks like a mix between my wife, and the Sword Maiden." Ranger said.

"Sure she did..." Cow Girl said.

"_And_...even if I wasn't putting effort into it, it's next to impossible not to notice your...possessions; I've let you know how well-put together you are before, and the results of your...recent activities shows marvelously." Ranger said seriously.

"Goblin Slayer sure noticed..." Cow Girl said proudly.

"You slept with him last night didn't you?" Ranger asked.

"Yep..." Cow Girl said simply.

"Lucky him." Ranger said.

"Lucky _me_." Cow Girl said before looking Ranger over. "Your wife is a lucky woman too..."

"So she keeps letting me know; even the Sword Maiden told me about my looks." Ranger said and Cow Girl giggled before jumping into the water, and Ranger followed. The two swam past the dock, and then dived underwater and went in and around the pylons under the docks themselves, and of course looked at each other for hand signs, or just to see where the other was. Eventually, the two came up for air and hang onto the pylons for support. Cow Girl had to catch her breath for a longer period than Ranger...but then she went deeper and swam harder than he did.

"I...should take my wife here...sometime..." Ranger breathed out.

"Why haven't you?" Cow Girl asked.

"Probably because we have a bath at home, not unlike the Temple of Law's...only that one is substantially larger." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: You've made your fair share of sex in that bath?" Cow Girl teased.

"You know us so well...thinking of trying that with Goblin Slayer?" Ranger asked.

"Maybe..." Cow Girl said innocently.

"As if he wasn't lucky enough..." Ranger said and Cow Girl giggled before sucking in a breath before going under again, and Ranger followed her and continued to swim around. For the next half an hour, the two spent every moment they didn't spend above the surface breathing and trending water, swimming as a unit, or separately, simply testing to see how long they could hold their breath, or even diving under as deeply as they could then diving back up, but stopped that once their ears gave them too much trouble. The whole time, they looked for the various fish that inhabit the lake, and even noticed some little fish that weren't on the catch-of-the-day list for the city due to their size. Eventually, Cow Girl swam back to the shore when she had enough, and Ranger swam after her when he noticed.

"Phew...that was a workout..." Cow Girl said as she laid there on her hands and knees catching her breath as Ranger came out behind her and sat on one of the crates. "How come you're not winded...?"

"I am, I'm just not complaining." Ranger said and Cow Girl snickered.

"Right...always the super-alpha Platinum Rank eh?" She teased.

"Yep, even when I was Porcelain Rank." Ranger said proudly as Cow Girl stared at him with a half-smirk. "Sheesh, that look on your face should come with a warning label..."

"What? You're the one being snarky." Cow Girl said seriously.

"Hey, I'm allowed after all the things I did." Ranger said as Cow Girl stood up and sat next to him. She then brushed her hand through his hair.

"You're one of the few men I know who has his hair down to his shoulders..." She said.

"And you are one of the few women I know whose hair does _not_ go down to her shoulders." Ranger said.

"I used to have hair about as long as Priestess', but I was advised to cut my hair, by Witch actually." Cow Girl said, then Ranger brushed his hand through her hair.

"May I ask?" He asked and Cow Girl sighed.

"She...she said shorter hair is more manageable for a farmhand. I should've known that but..." She trailed off.

"You don't have to say it." Ranger said softly.

"Me and Goblin Slayer were the only two survivors when goblins attacked our original hometown. I only survived because I wasn't even there...I was so torn up over it my hair's length became an afterthought, and don't get me started on how long I blamed myself for Goblin Slayer's heartache." Cow Girl said.

"And now here you are, easing his heart in every way you can." Ranger said as Cow Girl looked right at him, and returned his smile.

"Do you ever not know what to say?" She asked.

"Don't know..." Ranger said and Cow Girl snuggled into him.

"I love you..." She said before Ranger kissed the side of her head.

"And I love you..." He said and then ran his hand through her hair. "Do you think you'll ever grow it out again?"

"I don't know, but even if I wanted to, I don't think it would happen anytime soon; hair takes time to grow afterall." Cow Girl said.

"A shame really; I think you'd look lovely with either short or long hair..." Ranger said and Cow Girl thought for a moment.

"Can't Wizard use alchemy to make it grow longer faster?" She asked and Ranger hummed in curiosity.

"I suppose so...next time we see her, we can ask her." He said.

"Well, until then, I'd like to stay here a while longer..." Cow Girl said as she leaned on Ranger's side for a while as he wrapped his arm around her. "You know, I wasn't making fun of you when I mentioned your hair."

"I know." Ranger said honestly.

"It looks pretty hot actually...all of you does." Cow Girl said as Ranger turned to face her.

"Am I hotter than Goblin Slayer?" He asked.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves...and why are you so open about this?" Cow Girl asked.

"First off, if you were anyone else, I wouldn't even consider it. Secondly...you're as much a part of the family as the rest of us; I'm allowed to talk about personal things." Ranger said.

"We're one strange family..." Cow Girl said.

"You don't know the half of it..." Ranger said and then thought for a moment. "You know...I'm probably beating a dead horse at this point, but Fighter's body isn't far behind your own. Granted her chest will need some serious work before it gets to...this point, but still."

"Why are you even bringing this up?" Cow Girl asked.

"A better question is why is it a problem?"Ranger asked.

"It's not a problem exactly, but...it's a little strange comparing our bodies like this..." Cow Girl said honestly.

"Well, you have a point there...even though you asked about how much sex me and Fighter have in the bath." Ranger said.

"Alright, point taken. On another note...do you think Goblin Slayer would make a good father?" Cow Girl asked.

"I wouldn't say he'd be a _bad_ father per say, but...what does he know about working with children? He almost never interacts with my own daughter, and...honestly, I'm not comfortable with him being around her, especially in his new armor." Ranger said.

"Alright point taken..." Cow Girl trailed off, before Ranger hugged her.

"You however, are a completely different story. I'm never going to stop being thankful for you protecting my little girl..."He said softly and Cow Girl returned the hug.

"I love that little girl...probably as much as you and Fighter do, and I'm sure Goblin Slayer could learn a thing or two from you, for once." She said softly and Ranger chuckled.

"That would actually be a twist..." He said and Cow Girl sighed dreamily while they shifted against each other.

"I remember when I went to get you to see your daughter after she was born..." She said.

"So do I...from that moment forward, I had every reason I could ask for to see any quests the Sword Maiden or anyone else gave me, to the end." Ranger said and Cow Girl pulled away.

"That...by itself, makes you probably the best father to anyone I know." She said and Ranger smiled.

"Thank you. I was talking to my wife about that more times than I can count." He said.

"Why?" Cow Girl asked.

"Because...well, we've not only taken her to dangerous places, like on your first quest, but we also left her with others while we quested." Ranger said.

"Oh...I can see why that would raise some questions." Cow Girl said.

"To be fair, my parents got to see her and several of the goblin's victims were inspired to move on with their lives thanks to seeing her, but it still didn't make it less taxing on our consciences." Ranger said.

"I hope my own child doesn't go through the same thing." Cow Girl said thoughtfully.

"Do you plan to continue adventuring?" Ranger asked.

"I don't know...but Goblin Slayer will always be Goblin Slayer..." Cow Girl said and with that, the two got back to looking at the scenery.

"You know when I went up north before I fought the vampire queen...I actually had a hard time sleeping without Fighter next to me?" Ranger asked.

"I can imagine..." Cow Girl trailed off.

"Even if goblins didn't capture the girl I was with, sleeping without Fighter next to me was _torture_..." Ranger said somberly.

"Well, for what's it's worth, I cannot imagine that happening again. I'm certainly not sleeping without Goblin Slayer next to me." Cow Girl said.

"When I get the chance, I need to go back up north again...maybe see the king again." Ranger said.

"Don't forget to take us now." Cow Girl said and Ranger smiled.

"Never..." He whispered and Cow Girl continued leaning into him as they took in the view, and eventually sighed dreamily. "Did anyone tell you that you're a dream to listen to?"

"What?" Cow Girl asked.

"Well, some people have more appealing voices than others; yours definitely appeals to me." Ranger said and Cow Girl huffed in amusement.

"Does your wife's voice appeal to you?" She asked.

"You have no idea..." Ranger said.

"While we're on the subject-" He cuts Cow Girl off.

"Sword Saint flatout said I sound sexier when I use Army of One...enough said." Ranger said.

"Speaking of which...what does Army of One do, specifically?" Cow Girl asked, then Ranger looked around to see no one was there.

"It does exactly what it sounds like, but to be precise, my strength, speed, durability, even my stamina are all magnified well beyond the norm." He said.

"How well?" Cow Girl asked cautiously.

"Well enough to make me go from being barely able to handle a group of vampires to single-handedly decimating an entire legion of demons by myself with almost no trouble." Ranger said.

"Yikes...!" Cow Girl exclaimed with an eyebrow raised.

"Apparently I can even go toe-to-toe with the Demon Lord according to Sage, and since she helped defeat him...chances are she knows what she's talking about." Ranger said.

"Do you think it'll come to that?" Cow Girl asked.

"It's pretty likely..." Ranger said seriously and Cow Girl gulped...which Ranger noticed without difficulty. "But that's a thought for another time."

"Right..." Cow Girl whispered before leaning back into his shoulder, and shifting against him as his arm wrapped around her. She couldn't help but notice he didn't try to peel off what little clothing she was wearing with his eyes, if he even did so in the first place, and he had to feel her skin against his own. Fighter clearly had his heart. Cow Girl then backed up. "Hey, why aren't there any boats on these docks?"

"They're most likely out fishing, or transporting people or cargo. Hey, here's comes a boat now." Ranger said and Cow Girl looked up to see a boat bring in a net full of fish.

"Well, we should get out of their way." Cow Girl said.

"Right. The food should be ready any time now that I think about it." Ranger said and they went up the stairs to make sure no one can see them use their portal...but once they got up the stairs...they heard a voice.

"Son!" His mom called as she rushed to embrace Ranger, who returned it right away.

"Nice to see you too mom." He said.

"Where have you been? Me and your father haven't heard from you in days!" Ranger's mother asked.

"Sorry, I was out giving the Evil Sect what was coming to them." Ranger said.

"And training me." Cow Girl said.

"Didn't my teammates let you or dad know what was going on?" Ranger asked.

"Of course honey, but...it would be better to hear it from my son." His mother said and Ranger hugged her tighter.

"I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen again." He said.

"We're also celebrating a birthday later on." Cow Girl said.

"We heard; that Summoner man is really sweet on her Guild Girl friend." Ranger's mother said.

"He's sweet on Inspector as well...and yes you heard me correctly." Ranger said.

"But...he can't be with two women at once!" His mother exclaimed.

"Apparently he can, and according to him, it's completely mutual." Ranger said.

"You're not going to follow in his footsteps are you?" His mother asked.

"Thick chance." Ranger deadpanned.

"Can we please just go to the get-together now? We had our own awkward conversation not even ten minutes ago..." Cow Girl said.

"Dare I ask?" Ranger's mother asked.

"Please don't..." Cow Girl said before they walked off.

* * *

When they got to the manor...everyone was there gathered around multiple tables: Ranger's four original teammates, two new ones, Goblin Slayer, Bard and Songstress, Guild Girl, H.E. Druid and Dwarf Rifleman, Ranger's dad...even Noble Fencer showed up. Only Summoner and Inspector weren't there.

"And where have you two been?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I should ask you the same thing. I haven't gotten word from you two since we liberated the city." Ranger said.

"Well a certain dwarven sharpshooter showed a certain elf lady around the city he hasn't been to in forever...and sharing some more stories." D.R. said.

"Stories we'd-" D.R. cuts Cow Girl off.

"Not during a feast; I don't want to spoil anyone's appetite." He said.

"Subtle..." Warrior said, before Summoner showed up with his arm around Inspector's waist.

"Happy birthday!" Everyone yelled and Inspector's eyes popped out of their sockets.

"Wow...you weren't kidding when you said there was a feast being prepared..." She said.

"I thought you could sense lies?" Summoner teased and Inspector tapped his chest, which got a laugh out of him.

"We even got you some presents." Wizard said as Warrior took out a silver pendant.

"Here." He said as Inspector let go of Summoner to take it.

"It's lovely..." She said.

"Made it myself, and my dear wife and brother-in-law enchanted it." Warrior said and Inspector looked right at them.

"Same enchantment that my own has." Fighter said, and Inspector stares at her for a moment before putting it on...then she sucks in one breath after another and tenses up.

"Whoa! Suddenly I feel like I could pick up and throw a fully-loaded cart..." She said.

"I'd unironically love to see that..." Summoner said...then touched her pendant. "This is silver..."

"Yep. Took your advice to heart." Warrior said.

"So we both have matching items to wear." Guild Girl said while touching her brooch.

"Suppose so." Inspector said while sharing a smile with her, then Fighter handed her a vial filled with water.

"That vial has holy water in it, which Priestess herself blessed for you." She said.

"Thank you both." Inspector said as she took and looked over the vial.

"Holy water not only makes you practically demon-proof, but also makes your miracles stronger." Fighter said.

"How much stronger?" Inspector asked.

"When we fought an ogre a year ago, Priestess used a single Protection miracles to stop a fireball that was bigger than the ogre itself was, and it was also thanks to that water." Ranger said and Inspector looked at the vial even more intensely.

"Sheesh...I must use this wisely." She said.

"That would be nice..." Wizard said with a smirk then Rhea Fighter cleared her throat.

"Since you can sense lies, you can tell I mean it when I say that it was my idea to get some ice cream." She said.

"That reminds me..." Guild Girl said as she handed her friend some chocolate ice cream...and the whole group looked on as Inspector tasted some, and her face lit up.

"I love it!" She exclaimed.

"The sweetie loves the sweetie." D.R. said casually.

"Really...?" H.E. Druid deadpanned.

"Yes...really." D.R. said.

"Anyway...let's eat." Warrior said as the group went to get their food...which consisted of just about every type of food in the book: ribs, drumsticks, porkchops, bread both toasted and not toasted, gravy, chicken and turkey, fruits and veggies, some of which was turned into juice/pulp. Eventually, they all sat back down, and dug in, occasionally sharing food with each other, especially with Inspector who didn't try some of the foods before, or at least in a while. Ranger's parents were with Bard and Songstress keeping his and Fighter's daughter happy while the team talked.

"You alright? You're awfully quiet." D.R. said.

"It's just...even now I cannot believe the Sword Maiden was...nevermind, now's not the time for that kind of thinking." Noble Fencer said somberly.

"Right..." D.R. said.

"Sorry the rest of us didn't have anything for you." Guild Girl said.

"It's alright. This will do nicely." Inspector said.

"Well, if you'd like we can go shopping together, and it's on me." Noble Fencer said.

"I appreciate it." Inspector said.

"So...did either of you talk to Sword Mage?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Not yet." Guild Girl said.

"What about him?" Priestess asked and the three ladies turned to her.

"Wait, let me guess...we have a love emergency on our hands?" Warrior said.

"How'd you guess...?" Noble Fencer said dryly.

"You seriously have a thing for the Sword Mage?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Uh, yes!" Noble Fencer said.

"No offense, but why are you interested in him? He's even stiffer than Goblin Slayer, and that is quite a feat." Wizard's brother said.

"Hey!" Cow Girl exclaimed.

"It's the truth; I know I haven't been very easy to get along with..." GS said honestly.

"O.k..." Cow Girl groaned.

"Anyway, he might be hard-shelled, but...well, he fights goblins, and demons, so that's a plus, not to mention...look at him..." Noble Fencer said with a smile.

"Well, you have a point there. He is pretty hot..." Inspector said and Summoner gave her a funny look, with made her smirk at him.

"On top of that, beneath his cold exterior, he's pretty out-going." Noble Fencer said.

"Really?" Fighter asked.

"Oh yes. I actually saw him dancing at a get-together at the guild hall when they were celebrating a mission's success. The moment the music picked up, he practically turned the tables into stairs; he had all the ladies going _nuts_." Noble Fencer said.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Wizard asked.

"What? He barely paid any mind to the attention he was being given outside of acknowledging it was being given in the first place." Noble Fencer said.

"Maybe he's not into women." D.R. said.

"Which _also_ doesn't make sense considering that he didn't pay any mind to the attention the _men_ gave him either." Noble Fencer said seriously.

"Alright, I'm just saying..." D.R. said.

"I could talk to him for you." Priestess said.

"While I do appreciate that...could you please not tell him I like him? I mean, directly?" Noble Fencer asked.

"I'll simply ask about him personally. He won't find out about your feelings because of me." Priestess said.

"Thanks Your Grace." Noble Fencer said before the group got second plates of food and ate up for the better part of half an hour.

"Wow...I am more stuffed than that turkey itself..." Warrior said.

"No kidding. I ate so much you'll probably have to roll me out of here." Summoner said dryly and got a few laughs out of the group.

"Wait...why didn't the Hero's group come?" Fighter asked.

"Probably because...well, we had a bit of a disagreement over how to get the job done." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: you treated those Evil Sects nutbags like you treat the goblins?" H.E. Druid asked.

"And then some." Ranger said.

"Oh boy..." Wizard groaned.

"Well, technically I just got rid of them, but I also robbed their bases, which includes all this food." Ranger said and everyone looked over the table.

"That food was clean right?" Wizard asked.

"Of course it was. What do you take me for?" Ranger asked.

"It's still pretty dubious that we ate food that came from a place you had a battle in." H.E. Druid said.

"Dubious? Hardcore is more like it." D.R. said.

"It was still good, and it's better we get it rather than it go to waste." Priestess said and the group all murmured to each other in agreement.

"Anyway...how are the translations going Summoner?" Ranger asked.

"I'm working on something promising: one that tells where the Goblin Overlord's home is." Summoner said and the group sobered up.

"Where is he now?" GS asked.

"I haven't finished translating it; all I know is that he's the strongest of the goblins by far, but...that really should be expected." Summoner said.

"He's got a point Orcbolg. Besides, we have plenty of other things to do while the man works." H.E. Druid said.

"Right." GS said.

"We can still look for more goblins; there's no way the Goblin Overlord is the only one left standing, even if the others come from Hell Rifts." Wizard's brother said.

"Speaking of which: why are the goblins still breeding when the dead ones are returning to life?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Probably because the ones from Hell aren't really alive; they're weapons being used by the Demon Lord." Priestess said.

"And the Demon Lord's return is fast approaching, so what better vanguards could there be than goblins who have a bone to pick with us?" Warrior said.

"Which still boggles my mind. We have the goblins to deal with, but also the Demon Lord. Should we, I don't know, split up and have some look for a way to stop the Demon Lord while the rest go after the Goblin Over-" Ranger cuts Cow Girl off.

"No...first we take care of the goblins. Then we deal with the Demon Lord." Ranger said.

"There's also the Cambion and his ilk to get under control." Wizard said and her brother groaned and put his head down.

"Sheesh what a _mess_!" He said.

"All this means is that I have that much more reason to get on those translations." Summoner said.

"Wait, can't Her Grace use Vision to find the Goblin Overlord?" D.R. asked.

"I tried that. I can't use it for anywhere near long enough; his territory is just too vast." Priestess said.

"What do you mean too vast?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I mean too vast; I wasn't able to get a good look at the place, but it's not a small area to look at, not by any means." Priestess said.

"We can deal with it when we're able to. for now, save your miracles for when they're needed." GS said.

"Man's got a point." D.R. said.

"Once we get ourselves together, we should get back to training." Ranger said.

"Right..." Cow Girl said.

"Speaking of which: how are the rookies here doing in their training?" Ranger asked.

"Where do I start...?" His dad said and Noble Fencer takes out a file from her bag.

"I'll tell you exactly what their progress is: not less than 23 mages were practicing basic alchemy, various magic arts like enchanting, summoning, healing and combat spells. This ranks were between Steel and Ruby. 41 warriors practiced virtually every weapon skill you can think of, and 13 of them practiced their own magic skills. Even some unconventional warfare types, 33 to be precise were training their unarmed skills, their throwing skills, even their stealth and climbing skills. And these are just the ones for today..." She said seriously.

"Yikes...we'll have an army of Silver Ranks out there in no time." Warrior said.

"Or, Heaven forbid, an army of rangers." Rhea Fighter said.

"How is that a bad thing?" Wizard asked.

"And how is the latter worse than the former?" Warrior asked

"It would be bad news for the goblins either way, that's for damn sure. " Rhea Fighter said.

"Oh, I almost forgot: guess who showed up at my front door while you were off doing who-knows-what?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Who?" Fighter asked.

"My old team." Noble Fencer said and the team exclaimed."Yep, they're still in one piece, and they sought me out specifically."

"Are they still here?" Fighter asked.

"Should be; they're probably going around town, but unfortunately they have places to be, messages to deliver." Noble Fencer said.

"Did they say anything to you in particular?" Ranger's dad asked.

"Only that the guild's training grounds in the rest of the cities are going well, mostly." Noble Fencer said.

"Mostly?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Let me guess: they have their fair share of assholes to deal with?" Warrior asked.

"Couldn't have said that better myself." Noble Fencer said.

"Did they say just how well those training halls are doing?" Ranger asked.

"Not in detail no." Noble Fencer said.

"On a personal note, you are not going to believe what I worked on these past few days..." Wizard said.

"What? Fighter asked.

"Just a way to make as many World Spawns as I damn well please." Wizard said proudly as the team looked at her and some gasped in awe.

"Tell us everything!" Rhea Fighter exclaimed.

"Basically, I just use alchemy to shrink the summon stones, then grow them to normal size when I want to make a World Spawn, raise and repeat until I make as many as I want." Wizard said.

"That harder seems fair..." Ranger said.

"Says the guy who preaches that war isn't fair..." Cow Girl said.

"All the more reason for me to know what I'm talking about." Ranger said.

"Nice save honey..." Fighter whispered.

"So, any idea on how to deal with the Demon Lord, outside of getting the Hero involved?" Ranger's mom asked.

"That's the thing, according to Sword Mage, the Demon Lord isn't just getting power from sacrifices. Ironically, our efforts against him are apparently making him show up quicker." Fighter said.

"So the Demon Lord gets stronger whenever he wins, or loses? How do you fight that?" Inspector asked.

"We'll just have to get more power than him, and use it more intelligently." Ranger said.

"That's it?" D.R. asked.

"So far, that's all we can do. Besides, we have _two_ Sword Maidens on our side." Wizard said.

"So it's an arms race." Cow Girl said thoughtfully.

"Exactly..." Ranger said.

"In that case, I'd also like some training of my own Your Grace." Inspector said.

"You want to come with us?" Warrior asked.

"No...I want to see if I can help Summoner if I'm needed." Inspector said seriously.

"Well...have you practiced either miracle you got from the Abbot?" Priestess asked.

"No I haven't..." Inspector said.

"You have miracles? Which ones?" D.R. asked.

"Heal and Empower." Inspector said.

"How often?" Fighter asked.

"I don't even know that..." Inspector said.

"Well, those are two easy miracles to use, especially with friendlies." Ranger said.

"What exactly do they do?" Inspector asked.

"Heal does exactly what it sounds like obviously...but Empower? Hoo boy, Empower...where do I start...?" Warrior said.

"How about the effects?" Fighter asked and Warrior deadpanned at her.

"Wiseass..." He said and Fighter laughed at him. "Anyway, like the name suggests, it empowers the target, but it does that by making them move faster, hit harder, get an increase in energy, and even puts an aura of holy energy around their body that acts like armor."

"That sounds pretty useful." Guild Girl said.

"It is, now, did you notice I didn't mention any drawbacks? Well that's because...there aren't any. Not only are your offense, defense, speed, and endurance all increased, and not just alittle bit either; even people who lack serious training are made significantly more powerful." Warrior said.

"Like at the farm a year ago." Wizard said.

"Right. Priestess actually used the miracle on multiple rookies, and they went from being dominated by goblins...to dominating the goblins." Warrior said.

"Did any of them die?" D.R. asked.

"Not after being empowered. The goblins tried actually stabbing through their armor...well, more like their clothes if you get my drift, and couldn't get through. Then they went for uncovered places like the neck, or shoulders and it _still_ didn't do anything to them!" Warrior said.

"I also fought not one, but two elite specialists at the Temple of Law, and the moment the Sword Maiden showed up and empowered me...I tore the specialists apart without a weapon. Well, a serious weapon anyway." Ranger said.

"Wow...and there's more miracles than that?" Inspector asked.

"Oh yes, like Protection and Vision." Priestess said.

"Oh don't get us _started_ on Protection; that saved our asses more times than I can count." Wizard said.

"Got alot of goblins put in their graves too." Fighter said as she held Priestess' hand, and shared a smile with her.

"And now with her own sword...well, you know the rest." Wizard's brother said.

"I...think the good lady gets the point _without_ you piling on." Rhea Fighter said.

"Right. Well, I have some books to translate, so...I'll see you all later." Summoner said as he stood up, along with Guild Girl.

"And I have to get back to the guild hall." She said.

"I think I'll stay here for a while longer.

"Alright then." Ranger said before Priestess got up with Inspector.

"If it's all the same, I have my own role to fulfill, as well as some lessons to give." Priestess said.

"I would love that your grace." Inspector said.

"Good luck you two." Cow Girl said as the two holy women went out along with Summoner and Guild Girl. When they got out Priestess opened a portal to the Temple of Law.

"After you archbishop." Inspector said as Priestess smiled and went through, before Inspector gave Summoner a brief but sweet kiss. "Bye..."

"Bye..." Summoner whispered before watching Inspector follow Priestess through the portal. "Shall I walk you to the guild hall baby?"

"Why thank you general." Guild Girl said dramatically as she clung onto Summoner's arm on the way to the guild hall, and once they got within sight of it, she kissed him with the same passion Inspector kissed him with. "Would you like to come with us when we go shopping?"

"Sorry, I have to get to my own craft. Those demons don't hunt themselves." Summoner said and Guild Girl giggled.

"No I guess they don't, you big tough demon hunter." She said.

"Careful, you're going the right way for a spanking..." Summoner said seriously.

"For once, that doesn't sound unappealing...but save it for later." Guild Girl said.

"Alright...bye honey." Summoner said softly while hugging her.

"Bye honey." Guild Girl said before kissing Summoner. "Be careful out there..."

"I'm Gold Ranked, and I've got a legion of elementals to back me up. I'll be fine." Summoner said as Guild Girl smiled and walked off, and turned to notice him watching her swaying hips before going inside...then Summoner got a brief but intense chill that made him shudder...then heard a faint whoosh to the side, before going into an alleyway and entering Limbo to join a pair of stone elementals who walked off at his sides.

* * *

"What should we do in the meantime?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"For now, whatever we please until Summoner gets somewhere with his translations." Ranger said.

"Which for us means continuing to put our heads together." Wizard's brother said.

"Right...can't go into the heart of goblin territory without a legion of World Spawns to save your ass." Wizard said.

"Hey, they're not saving _me_, they're saving _you_." Her brother said.

"Yeah, they're saving the girl who's Gold Ranked, is surrounded by fellow Gold Ranks, and led by the 11th Platinum Rank, who also happens to have trained you in what she learned. That makes _perfect_ sense...somehow..." Wizard said.

"All that just to make a point..." Fighter said and Wizard sarcastically laughed at her.

"I'd like to know more about the plan." H.E. Druid said.

"Well, I want to see my little girl now." Fighter said.

"That can be arranged girl." Ranger's dad said as she turned to see him holding his granddaughter, and kneeling to give her to her mother.

"Hello." Fighter said softly.

"Hello." The baby said as Fighter giggled and let her child play with her fingers, and the rest of the team watched, especially Ranger. Cow Girl meanwhile, thinks back to what they talked about with her and GS being parents...and she recalled how she wasn't much different from Fighter herself when it came to handling an infant. Maybe she _would_ make a good mother.

"Has she been a pain for you thus far?" Ranger asked.

"Very funny boy. She's been a smaller pain than you were as a kid; just wait until she grows up..." His dad said.

"Play nice you two." Ranger's mom teased.

"Hey, the boy's a Platinum Rank; playing nice isn't optional." Ranger's dad said.

"Right..." Ranger's mom said before Priestess took the baby daughter from Fighter.

"Hello." Priestess said said.

"Hello." The baby said as Priestess caressed her face with his finger.

"Guess what? I'm the new archbishop...so I really _am_ your Sword Maiden." She said as she continued to touch the baby's face, and the baby returned the favor, much to Fighter's delight. Songstress then spoke up in the elvish tongue.

"She wants to know if you're going anywhere." Bard said.

"Well, me and my brother were going to head back home to work on our equipment for later use." Wizard said.

"And I was going to head to the guild hall for another workout." Warrior said.

"Me too." Rhea Fighter said.

"Honey?" Fighter asked.

"I'm content to just stay here with my family for the time being." Ranger said.

"Anyone else?" Bard asked.

"Well, I was going to head home until Inspector and Guild Girl are ready to shop around." Noble Fencer said.

"Goblin Slayer?" Cow Girl asked.

"I'll help you train with Ranger and Fighter." GS said simply.

"Your Highness?" D.R. asked.

"Eh, we could give you a hand with your aim." H.E. Druid said and Bard spoke to Songstress in the elvish tongue.

"Let me guess: he's translating what we said?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Yep." H.E. Druid said.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Wizard, have you thought about using alchemy to, I don't know, help people's hair grow?" Cow Girl asked and Wizard looked at her funny.

"No I haven't...why?" She asked.

"Me and Ranger discussed quite a few things earlier, one of which being how long my hair used to be." Cow Girl said.

"I'm sensing quite a bit of tension here..." Fighter said.

"It's...a bit of a sore subject, but I can handle it now. I've handled worse." Cow Girl said somberly, then Priestess looked at the baby, then showed her to Cow Girl, who smiled and took the baby. "Hello..."

"Hello." The baby said as Cow Girl held her as close as the baby would allow.

"Just like your parents, you really know how to lift a girl's spirits..." She said softly.

"The past may be the past, and just like with Ranger and his family, you've gotten stronger, and grew closer to what you have now." GS said.

"That's rather cheerful coming from you Orcbolg." H.E. Druid said.

"I'm in a much better mood than I used to be, and I've gotten smarter as well." GS said.

"Well he did say that there are plenty of people smarter than him, unless it's about killing goblins, than good luck finding someone smarter." Warrior said as Cow Girl continued holding the baby.

"You should all get going soon." Ranger's mom said seriously.

"Right...bye sweetheart." She said before kissing her daughter's forehead, then Ranger did the same as Cow Girl gave the baby to Songstress and the rest of the team went out.

* * *

Meanwhile, Abbot approached the city gates in a horse and cart, and the guard at the front gate slowed him down.

"Please! I need to see the Ranger and his team. It's a matter of utmost importance." Abbot said.

"Ranger? Shit this is serious...open the gates!" A guard yelled and the gates opened.

"Thanks and blessings gentlemen." Abbot said as he rode through the gates, then looked over the city, noting how the people looked either brighter, or confused. He overheard some people talking about how the Sword Maiden's appearance at her funeral was a complete mind-blower; she subtly ripped on everyone for not being likely to believe her story about the goblins after all. Others just plain couldn't fathom how goblins got the drop on her like that, not because of her power, but because of how long it was; over a decade of living with that kind of horror in the back of one's mind should drive someone mad. Abbot's own heart clenched at the memories he had of the Sword Maiden...and how pure she was despite the nightmare she went through, the fact she was a Nephilim helped alot and seeing the statue of her in the main square showed how much the people loved her.

"Hey! Long time no see old man." Hero said as she ran up to him...and saw his new look. "I'm sorry, did I say old?"

"Yes, you did." Abbot said.

"What happened to you?" Sword Saint asked and Abbot glanced at the statue. "She restored your youth? That was nice."

"It's the Sword Maiden, what do you expect?" Sage asked.

"Quite right my dear." Abbot said.

"So...what brings you here?" Hero asked.

"I need to speak to Ranger." Abbot said and Hero scoffed.

"Typical...if it's not me, it's him." She said.

"Please, time is of the essence." Abbot said.

"Alright alright! He's either at his home, or the guild hall." Hero said.

"Or with the new archbishop." Sage said.

"What?" Abbot asked.

"Yeah, the Sword Maiden's ghost actually choose Ranger's Priestess friend as her successor." Hero said and Abbot's face slowly lit up then rushed to the Temple of Law. "Someone isn't wasting any time..."

"They're both part of the church, and chances are they know each other. It should be no wonder." Sage said.

"Right..." Hero groaned.

* * *

"There's one more weapon you should be versed in: the sword-whip." Ranger said.

"The what?" Cow Girl asked, then Ranger morphed a longsword, then broke it into sections, much to her surprise...especially when Ranger had it move around like a snake without even moving his arm, but when he _did_ move his arm...the thing flailed around in an actually precise manner. "Whoa!"

"Storm Mage used to use this all the time." Ranger said as he turned the sword-whip back into a longsword.

"I remember seeing him use it at the farm..." Cow Girl said thoughtfully.

"It's no wonder why either; the range is second to none, it's a pain in the neck to block since the part you don't stop will hit you anyway, usually in a blind spot. Now, I don't know exactly how he used his, but this one is used by will, just like the rest of my weapons." Ranger said.

"O.k." Cow Girl said, before looking at GS who was watching their lesson, and after getting a nod from him, took the sword-whip from Ranger who gave her some space, then Cow Girl sucked in a breathe before willing it to break into it's whip form, then tried moving it around slowly but steadily.

"Try to lash out at something with it, like a snake." Ranger said and Cow Girl looked around, then shrugged and had it snap at the ground, which made Ranger look at her funny.

"Hey, at least I got the point across, plus I don't want to ruin anything here." Cow Girl said.

"Fair enough, now try removing the sword from my hand." Ranger said as he morphed a sword, then Cow Girl snapped her sword-whip at it, entangled it around Ranger's sword, and played tug-of-war with it...until Ranger let it go and Cow Girl blocked it with her bracer.

"What the hell!?" Cow Girl exclaimed.

"If I didn't know you could handle that, I wouldn't have done so. Besides, I told you to yank it out of my hand, and a real opponent wouldn't have given up his weapon, unless he felt it's alright for you to...have it." Ranger said with a raised eyebrow.

"Alright alright, you win this round." Cow Girl groaned.

"Just make sure you win the war, and now you can do that by trying some lashes." Ranger said as he morphed his greatsword, and jammed it into the ground and rushed to the side so Cow Girl could lash at the greatsword's flat side and at first, her strikes were as sloppy as you'd expect a first-timer to be, but each failure told her a little bit more about how to strike properly. After no less than 20 failed strikes...she finally got some decent fluidity and precision to her movements. "Nice going."

"Let me guess: I've got a long way to go before I'm able to keep up with Storm Mage, or yourself?" Cow Girl asked.

"You should expect that; this was your first time, and Storm Mage used the sword-whip, and nothing else." Ranger said seriously.

"Well, that's still another option to have in the middle of a battle." Cow Girl said.

"Correct. Now, I'm going to check in with Guild Girl, just to see what's what. You enjoy yourselves." Ranger said.

"Alright, see you later." Cow Girl said as Ranger opened a portal to an alley next to the guild hall, and saw Warrior practicing with some rookies, with Wizard and her brother training some mages, Fighter training some people's unarmed skill, and even Rhea Fighter trained with some of her fellow Rheas. Ranger simply walked by and his presence actually inspired some rookies to train harder, probably to impress him...typical. He then went inside, and saw the full-fledged adventurers chatting, feasting, drinking, even betting on each other losing a contest. He even saw some guys checking out Guild Girl...but when they saw Ranger leering at them, they shut their mouths right away. He hen approached the front desk and Guild Girl's face lit up when she saw him.

"Ranger!" She exclaimed.

"Long time no see." Ranger said as Guild Girl went around the desk and embraced him.

"What brings you here?" Guild Girl asked.

"Just trying to see what's what...and getting the seedy people around here in line." Ranger said.

"Oh...well, even with Summoner around, some men just don't get the message." Guild Girl said.

"Well, they won't try anything if they know what's good for them." Ranger said.

"I'll bet. Well, there aren't any seriously tough quests available, let alone goblin-slaying quests available." Guild Girl said.

"Doesn't matter; chances are,when me and my team are ready, we're going to go after them...and take out their leader." Ranger said and Guild Girl's eyes widened.

"Y-you're serious?" She asked.

"Yes." Ranger said.

"Well...I wish all of you the best of luck with that." Guild Girl said.

"It's the goblins who need luck, and they're going to need all of it." Ranger said.

"If your track record with the goblins is anything to go by, there's no amount of luck that'll save them." Guild Girl said.

"No kidding...well, don't let me distract you anymore; I'm sure there's plenty to keep you busy." Ranger said and Guild Girl deflated.

"Thanks for reminding me..." She groaned before getting back behind the desk and looking over the papers.

"How are you and Summoner doing? I mean, personally?" Ranger asked and Guild Girl remembered when Summoner shagged her behind the desk and blushed at the scandalous memory.

"We're doing...quite well." She said.

"_How_ well?" Ranger teased and Guild Girl turned from him. "Don't worry, I'm not going to judge...how could I?"

"Well he...he kind of...took me into Limbo..." Guild Girl said.

"That's pretty ballsy of him." Ranger said then Guild Girl looked around to see no one was in earshot.

"He also..._took_ me...against this desk." She said harshly and Ranger let off a whistle.

"When did _you_ get so adventurous?" He asked with a smirk.

"Ranger!" Guild Girl exclaimed and Ranger snickered.

"I said I'm not going to judge, in fact you're both quite lucky...and so is Inspector." He said seriously.

"You know about us?" Guild Girl asked.

"Summoner told me and Priestess with his own mouth. Even my mother knows..." Ranger said.

"Dear Supreme _why_...?" Guild Girl said as she buried her face in her hands.

"Hey, I know my mother; she can keep a secret as well as I can, and I made sure no one else was with us when we discussed it." Ranger said.

"Still..." Guild Girl groaned.

"Hey, as long as people only know _you're_ involved with him, and no one else...what difference does it make?" Ranger asked and Guild Girl sighed.

"I guess you have a point there, and with Inspector studying with Priestess it would be easier for us to see each other at the right times." She said.

"And I'm sure Summoner is smart enough to know that if and when Inspector returns to working here, he'll know to make himself scarce around you two on a...personal level." Ranger said.

"Right...well, we could talk about that ourselves, which I should've thought about earlier." Guild Girl said.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, and since I've beaten myself up over things with a mace...I have the authority to tell you that." Ranger said and the two shared a smile.

"Thanks..." Guild Girl said sweetly before they looked each other over.

"Well...see you later." Ranger said as he turned to leave.

"Wait! I do appreciate you stopping by..." Guild Girl said.

"But?" Ranger asked.

"Well...that's pretty much it, but...we've known each other for quite some time; I just now recalled when you first asked about becoming Platinum Ranked; how uncommon it was." Guild Girl said.

"Technically you _told_ me it was uncommon." Ranger said and Guild Girl's eyed widened.

"You remember that day too?" She asked and Ranger sighed and turned his head before recalling meeting his team, especially his at-the-time future wife...and then meeting Goblin Slayer, and learning why he hates the goblins so fiercely...first hand.

"I will never forget that day..." He groaned.

"I also know you never told me why you were so torn up when you got back." Guild Girl said softly and Ranger looked right at her.

"Alright...but keep my secret like I'm keeping yours." He said.

"O.k." Guild Girl said.

"I...the goblins weren't the ones who killed the girls in that cave; I was." Ranger said and Guild Girl covered her mouth in horror.

"You...?" She whispered.

"Yes...but I paid for and made up for that mistake a thousand times over. I even encountered their ghosts and they told me they were o.k. now...thanks to the Supreme." Ranger said tensely as Guild Girl stood there in disbelief.

"I...this is insane..." She whispered.

"I have as much an affinity for truth as Inspector does, and the same affinity for justice." Ranger said.

"Still...I cannot believe this. It's no wonder you were so beside yourself that day." Guild Girl said and Ranger smiled.

"That compassionate side of yours never ceases to amaze; it's no wonder Summoner told me he thinks you're a rose." He said and Guild Girl smiled.

"It's even funnier that he's a mix between the kind of man who always hits on me, yet he balances it with traits similar to Goblin Slayer." She said.

"That's balance for you...well, nice catching up, but I have to get going." Ranger said.

"Say hi to your daughter for me." Guild Girl said as Ranger walked out...and saw Hero standing there with her hands on her hips, and a scowl and frown on her face.

"You, Temple of Law, now." She said and Ranger just stood there staring at her.

"O...k...?" He said before looking around.

"The rest are already there..." Hero said dryly, then Ranger sighed before going into an alleyway, opening a portal...and lo and behold, the rest of his original team were there...and so is Abbot.

"Father?" Ranger asked.

"Hello my son." Abbot said.

"So...what's this all about?" Wizard asked.

"Well..since the whole family is here, I guess I can inform you...the Champion's armor is gone." Abbot said and the whole team was alarmed.

"What?" Warrior asked.

"What?!" Ranger asked.

"Where could it have gone...?" Fighter asked and then Cherub poofed in.

"O.k. before anyone gets too huffed up, I know where the armor is." He said.

"Where?" Priestess asked.

"It's rightful owner has it." Cherub said.

"And that person is?" Warrior asked.

"What's the armor's namesake?" Cherub asked dryly.

"Wait...how did the Champion get it?" Fighter asked.

"I took it and gave it to him...duh." Cherub said.

"Why?" Everyone asked at once.

"He wants to see you actually." Cherub said and everyone stared at him. "Yes you heard me correctly, the soul of the first Platinum Rank, wants to meet the last Platinum Rank, and his family of course."

"To what end?" Ranger asked.

"He didn't say, and I didn't ask." Cherub said.

"Well...what are we waiting for? Let's go see him." Warrior said.

"Father? You still have the Heaven Key?" Cherub asked.

"Unfortunately no..." Abbot said and Cherub sighed and opened a portal.

"Go get it..." He said dryly and Abbot went through the portal, and about a minute later, returned with the Heaven Key, then Cherub took it, and opened a portal to Heaven with it...which wowed the entire group.

"We have got to get the rest-" Cherub cuts Warrior off.

"No, this is for all of you to do; the rest aren't allowed in Heaven, at least not yet." He said.

"I never thought I would envy anyone as much as I do now..." Abbot said.

"We can bring you a souvenir if you'd like Father." Fighter said and Abbot chuckled.

"That would be nice child." He said.

"Well, let's go see our Heavenly buddies then." Warrior said.

"After you Your Grace." Ranger said as he motioned to the portal and Priestess smiled and shook her head as she led them through the portal...and ran into unexpected company.

* * *

"We meet again Ranger..." Nephilim said and the whole team looked at her funny.

"You two know each other?" Wizard asked.

"She's the former vampire queen, now a nephilim." Ranger said.

"Just like the former archbishop." Nephilim said and Sword Maiden appeared. "Speaking of whom."

"Mother!" Priestess exclaimed and rushed to hug Sword Maiden.

"Hello Your Grace." Sword Maiden said as softly as ever as she embraced her surrogate daughter.

"Guess what? The Champion wants to see us." Fighter said.

"So I've heard. I'm actually here to shorten your trip to see him." Sword Maiden said.

"What? No "how have things been" or anything?" Warrior asked.

"I have been watching over you all; I know you've all made progress in all the right directions. It's the Champion whom you should concern yourself with enlightening, and for good reason." Sword Maiden said as she looked at Nephilim and poofed them away.

"Uh...where are we now?" Warrior asked as the team looked around to see they were in an indoor garden...with a massive tree in the center, and a lone figure sitting beneath it.

"Who's that?" Ranger asked.

"That's the Champion." Priestess said as Ranger stared at him.

"He looks like you Sword Maiden." He asked.

"Funny enough yes, but we are not related." Sword Maiden said honestly.

"Welcome back all of you..." Champion said as he looked over a fruit and then took a bite as the team approached.

"Champion?" Ranger asked and the Champion chuckled and turned to look Ranger over.

"So...the first Platinum Rank, meets the last Platinum Rank...whether by fate or fixation, this is quite a meeting." Champion said.

"I cannot say I don't agree." Ranger said and Champion smirked before turning to the others.

"As for the rest of you...I do apologize for scaring you about the armor, but there was no time to inform you, and you were clearly not going to do what I said and use it's power." He said.

"To be fair, we had intended to do so...with all due respect." Wizard said.

"Nevertheless, I have no choice but to help you all directly." Champion said.

"How exactly?" Fighter asked and Champion looked right at her.

"Fight me...all of you." He said seriously and the whole group recoiled, even Ranger.

"We..we can't fight you!" Wizard exclaimed.

"Then why do you plan on facing not only one who defeated you before, and made your leader's weapon look pathetic beforehand, but also the most powerful monster in existence?" Champion asked.

"Hey, you fought worse than that and won. We don't stand a chance." Warrior said.

"If we were enemies I'd agree with you, but since we aren't..." Champion trailed off before his armor materialized. "Sword Maiden?" With that, the team poofed away to a place with a solid marble floor, and a mountain range on the edge of the entire place.

"Wait! Hold on! This is pretty damn sudden!" Wizard exclaimed as the Champion walked backwards away from the team.

"Which is precisely why I'm letting all of you make the first move, and don't worry, I have no intention of attacking you with too much force." He said.

"In that case..." Fighter said as she popped her blades and charged at the Champion...and every single one of her strikes to be blocked by only one of the Champion's arms, while the rest of his body doesn't even budge. She then backed up to see how calm he was then tensed herself up before charging again, and jumping at him to throw a flurry of kicks at him, but he stopped each one by simply holding his hand out.

"You are aware that you are part of a team right?" Champion asked, then the rest looked at each other and Warrior and Ranger attacked as well, with Priestess and Wizard taking turns with the men lunging at the Champion, and every swing, stab, kick, bash, and even Fighter's arrows were all blocked, even when she activated her bow's power enchantment...and the multi-shot enchantment at the same time. Warrior charged up his sword to unleashed a wave of holy energy, and the Champion's armor negated the attack, Priestess then Empowered the whole team...and their luck didn't change. Ranger's greatsword had arguably the least amount of luck; he swung his massive blade so quickly it appeared to be a blur of motion, but the Champion _still_ didn't care. Fighter meanwhile continued to pelt the Champion with arrows, and his spare arm caught each arrow. Wizard unleashed a charged-up Firestorm on the Champion, at the same time Ranger used Immolation...and the fires danced around the Champion with quite a bit of space around him.

"Damn! That armor is effective..." Warrior said as the Champion simply stood there...he then prepared to snap his fingers and when he did, a burst of force extinguished the flames.

"What?! No way!" Wizard exclaimed.

"Just curious, are you trying to kill me?" Champion asked.

"Of course not, but you don't give us much in the way of options." Wizard said.

"We all know you have more options than this..." Champion said.

"Mana bolt!" Wizard yelled and the Champion simply swatted the mass of green energy away, then looked at Ranger who unloaded his guns into the Champion's armor, as Fighter continued to pelt him with arrows, and Warrior morphed his auto crossbow and pelted him with bolts...none of which even annoyed the Champion as he continued to stand there.

Warrior then lifts his hammer to the sky and a storm stirred up for the better of a minute as the Champion watched. Then Ranger took the opportunity to summon a Meteor while Champion was distracted, and he jumped up and shattered the Meteor with a single punch. Priestess then put up Protection barriers in front of her various teammates in one fell swoop to keep the fragments from hurting any of them. Wizard then turned the fragments into stone elementals and had them all charge at the Champion, who smashed them all to pieces with a single punch as well, and Priestess' Protection barrier continued to hold fast against the fragments shot at the group from the impact.

Eventually Warrior's hammer absorbed dozens of brief but intense lightning strikes from the clouds overhead, and when he was fully charged he jumped up and threw the hammer down at the Champion...who countered it with a single punch that launched him away, and Priestess put up an extra layer to the Protection barriers to keep the force of the explosion at bay as Wizard caught her husband with Levitation and gently set him down on the floor by her feet.

"Impressive. If I was wearing the armor of any of you wear, even that would not have saved me, from any of your assaults." Champion said honestly as Wizard checked on Warrior, who woke up a moment later, and shared a smile with her. Ranger then morphed his greatsword and threw it at the Champion, who deflected it as Ranger charged at him with a second one at the ready, and the Champion blocked each swing without effort with a single hand, then Ranger switched to a pair of short swords and his light armor and danced circles around the Champion as he even threw kicks into his assault with blades on his legs similar to Fighter's...but the Champion _still_ didn't care. Eventually the Champion snapped his fingers again and the Ranger was sent flying back to where he was with a burst of holy energy. "Try again. Defeating me will require you to use all of your skills, and you _will_ need them."

* * *

Summoner meanwhile was walking through Limbo, and saw little in the way of activity, aside from seeing the people go through their days as he walked through the streets, invisible to them, and his elementals patrolled the streets and rooftops, with the stone ones marching, and the water, ice, and fire ones flying around through the skies. Eventually, he got to see Noble Fencer spending some of her money on new outfits for Inspector...and each one was more breath-taking than the last, from as elegant as a purple ballgown, to as normal as a white blouse and blue skirt. Each outfit took his breath away, and it took all of his will and devotion to his job to keep himself from walking up to her, taking her into Limbo, shoving her into the changing room, and making love to her against the wall.

After getting a grip...finally, he walked back down the roads looking for anything suspicious, but all of a sudden, the chatter of the people became quieter and quieter. When he finally paid it enough attention he looked around...and everyone was gone.

"What the-? That's not-" Summoner shut up when he noticed his elementals ignoring the difference in the number of people. "Hey! Do all of you not see-" He shut up again when they ignored him. "Elementals! Your summoner is addressing you! Look into what is happening at once!" The elementals just continued on their patrols without even acknowledging he was speaking to them. "I am giving you all an order! Look into thi-" Several Hell Rifts opened, and the elementals actually let themselves get torn apart as Summoner watched his countless hours of work get destroyed right in front of him. He then shouted in fury as he leeched power from the two stone elementals with him and rushed through the demons and beat every one of them to a paste, if he didn't just plain rip them asunder, slam them into the ground, or throw them into each other.

The two stone elementals didn't even watch the massacre, then Summoner marched up to one of the others and crushed it's heads in-between his hands...then recalled the time he had elementals that were completely mindless, just like they are now...but he mastered the art of summoning; why are they being so absent-minded? He then joined the stone elementals and continued on his trek...then his curiosity and frustration turned into terror as a Glutton appeared in front of him, as if to mock him by adding to his mental chaos.

"Attack it!" The stone elementals then charged at the Glutton...only to turn to ash before getting halfway to it. Summon then turned around and ran away from it, only for another rift to open and the Glutton's tongues latched onto him as he desperately tried to dig his fingers into the floor, but it was no use...the Glutton yanking the screaming demon hunter into it's mouth and the world went black.

When he woke, he was attached to a wall, on his knees, with every piece of his clothes removed and covered in the same tentacles used to ensnare sacrifices to the Demon Lord. He then tried to pry himself free...then he turned and saw Guild Girl in the same state of undress, and also covered in tentacles, unconscious.

"Guild Girl...Guild Girl wake up!" Summoner said harshly and she woke up right away and looked at him sleepily then sobered up a moment later and gasped at the state they were in.

"What's going on? Where are we?" She asked.

"In Limbo...I don't know how, but my powers-" the fear demon showing up out of nowhere shut him up. "You..."

"Scared you, didn't it?" The fear demon asked.

"Still sore from the last time I stomped you?" Summoner asked.

"Enough boasting...it doesn't suit you. Not in front of your precious lady friend." The fear demon said while looking her over, much to her horror.

"You sick bastard, leave her out of this!" Summoner snapped.

"You're in no position to give demands demon hunter. I think you'll find that _I'm_ the one doing the hunting this time...and you're both my prey. Like a pair of flies in the web of a spider, waiting...to be drunk." The fear demon said as he circled the two, especially Guild Girl. "Maybe the good Summoner can fight us...but you can't. Especially not him..." With that, a Glutton showed up and started gurgling and snapping it's jaws, then Guild Girl passed out. "Oh...poor thing, well at least she'll be spared the same nightmare your mother went through."

"No! Stop! It's me you want, not her!" Summoner exclaimed as the Glutton lumbered over to the unconscious woman with it's mouth ready to feast as Summoner continued to thrash around trying to get free. "No! Noooo! NOOOOO! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU! LET HER GO!" Next thing he knew, he was reliving the time his mother was eaten...as Guild Girl was slowly and steadily swallowed whole.

"Don't worry...you will join her soon, as well as your mother. But first, there's plenty more terrors to come." The fear demon said as Summoner went slack, and started weeping and shaking.

"No...not again..." He whispered.

"A Gold Rank demon hunter, reduced to the helpless little boy he once was, all thanks to his own fears made flesh. Poetic don't you think. All that work spent on making those elementals reduced to the same thing they were at the time. Just goes to show...even the most powerful must succumb to the fear!" The fear demon said as the Glutton went for Summoner...then the roar of thunder made everything vanish and Summoner was once again in his outfit, leaning against the wall, and the fear demon was on the ground screaming it's lungs out as Storm Mage was standing over him unleashing a stream of lightning from one hand, then gave him a break.

"No one...torments my brother..." Storm Mage said.

"You agai-" Storm Mage shuts the demon up with another discharge.

"I cleansed the Sword Maiden's fears...I cleansed my own fears...now I cleanse my brother's fears..." Storm Mage said in-between discharges as the fear demon continued to spasm out and scream in pain.

"Brother..." Summoner breathed out.

"Even the most dire fears can be swallowed, in the mouth of a storm!" Storm Mage said as he formed several clouds in the area and unleashed a bolt of lightning from each one that sent the fear demon rolling and skidding along the ground as Storm Mage shared a look with Summoner. "Can you move?"

"Yes...but I don't know what I can do against that...thing..." Summoner said tensely.

"Then give me some storm elemental stones. I'll deal with this parasite myself." Storm Mage said.

"But my elementals-" Storm Mage cuts Summoner off.

"Are perfectly fine. That demon was playing you the entire time, now please, the stones." He said seriously...then Summoner got a grip and actually summoned no less than five storm elementals as he went after the fear demon by grappling between the different buildings with his sword-whips with the storm elementals flying after him. Eventually, Summoner got a water elemental to fly him to where the battle was being waged with the fear demon still on the ground reeling as Storm Mage showed up. "Prepare to learn why they call me the Storm Mage!"

"Even storms...can be quieted." The fear demon said as he got up, then turned into a plume of smoke that turned into a mass of tentacles with a spike on the end of each one, and a ring of fangs and eyeballs in the middle of it all.

"Wow...and I thought goblins were hideous." Storm Mage said dryly, then lashed at the fear demon's tongues as it tried to grab him with them, and when the fear demon stopped and tried to impale him on it's tentacles, the elementals unleash lightning streams at it, which repel the tentacles and leave major scorch marks on them. Storm Mage then takes advantage of the fear demon's repulsion to generate a dozen lightning orbs, then while the elementals were flying around distracting and shocking the fear demon...Storm Mage unleashed the barrage of lightning orbs right into it's mouth and each one exploded when they reached the demon's stomach, making it let off an ear-splitting screech that made Summoner cover his ears, but not Storm Mage; he was already dead so...what injury did he have to fear? The fear demon then sank down to the floor in his normal form...then started laughing. "Something funny about getting stomped into the ground?"

"No...I just wonder how much power you have, and if it'll be enough?" The fear demon said.

"It was enough to put you on the ground that's for sure." Storm Mage said.

"Just like how that goblin champion put you on the ground, then the goblins who already played with her got a chance to do it a second time." The fear demon said.

"You've got some nerve talking about my wife like that..." Storm Mage said seriously.

"Is she your wife, or your possession?" The fear demon asked then Storm Mage's temper flared up and he lashed the fear demon with a sword-whip, tearing open it's back.

"It's official: you're a special kind of stupid..." He said before lashing the fear demon over and over until the fear demon couldn't move anymore. Storm Mage then grabbed the demon's ankle and dragged him along the ground. "You're coming with me..." Summoner then followed Storm Mage to the docks...and then watched Storm Mage toss the demon to the ground as it scrambled to get away from the outrage demon hunter.

"You speak so fiercely...but what if one of my brethren does to you, what you did to me?" The fear demon asked.

"News flash: I'm already dead, and last I checked, everyone dies twice: when their body expires, and when the last person forgets they existed, and my memory live and dies with the Sword Maiden's." Storm Mage said tensely yet softly.

"What of your soul...?" The fear demon asked.

"My soul is in the hands of the Supreme, beyond reach." Storm Mage said as he pulled his sword-whips.

"What of the Demon Lord himself? He will return soon, and when he does...you will wish I killed you both." The fear demon said before Storm Mage lashes it repeated from every angle, then pauses to let the mauling sink in.

"Take a last look at what you have sown, before...you...reap it!" Storm Mage said between lashes, and ended by yanking the demon towards him, kicking it into the air, yanking it back into the ground, grabbing it's leg and tossing it into the water and signalling the elementals to shock the water while the fear demon continued to thrash around. "Thunderstrike!" A massive bolt of lightning spews out of Storm Mage's mouth and the fear demon finally vanished like he wasn't there. "Sorry I didn't give you a chance to deal any blows."

"It doesn't matter...I'm just glad that _thing_ is gone." Summoner said softly.

"Still, I was sort of hoping our next encounter would be a brother-and-brother fight against a threat, but then again, you did provide the elementals." Storm Mage said.

"Right..." Summoner whispered.

"And such a monumental victory for the two of us demands special payment, and from he looks of things...you could use it." Storm Mage said seriously.

"What did you have in mind?" Summoner asked.

"A visitor..." Storm Mage said as he stepped aside...and a woman was stand there, one Summoner knew all too well, as his trembling breath and watering eyes showed.

"Mother..." Summoner whispered.

"Hi son." Their mother said as she went to her youngest son and held him as he wept his eyes out like the little boy he was when he last saw her.

"I never thought I'd see you again..." Summoner said with a sob-choked voice.

"Your brother is here, why can't I?" Their mother asked.

"But...but that Glutton..." Summoner trailed off.

"The Death God took my soul after your sister killed it, and the Supreme God saw to it that my misery was made up for. I was even granted a vision of this moment. When the three of us would be reunited again." Their mother said as Storm Mage joined their embrace.

"I love you both..." Summoner whispered.

"And we love you son." Their mother said.

"I wish sister could be here with us." Storm Mage said.

"She will find an Ether Gazer in due time, and I will tell her everything that happened here, but she'll find you my dear Summoner soon enough...but in the meantime, take care of your lady friends." Their mother said and Summoner tensed up again.

"Listen to me. Guild Girl is fine, she's at the guild hall right now, working as diligently as we are, and she still loves you." Storm Mage said seriously and Summoner calmed down.

"O.k..." He whispered then their mother embraced him.

"Oh my son...you've been through so much..." She said as Summoner returned the embrace and she kissed his cheek. "Just have faith in the Supreme's justice; if it can happen to us, and especially the Sword Maiden...it can happen to you."

"I will try..." Summoner said.

"Good, now...I must return to Heaven. I love you son, just like I always did." Their mother said.

"I love you too..." Summoner said as he trembled again as their mother vanished, then Storm Mage sucked in a breath.

"Summoner...I'm aware of what you said to Inspector when you were last in bed with her. You and I, we weren't the best of brothers, nor was I the best of men...but you succeeded everywhere I failed, and the longer I spent with the Sword Maiden, your new sister-in-law, the more I realize that Ranger was right: Heaven really is sweetest when you taste Hell first, and she and I tasted too much Hell, and now so did you my little brother. So don't don't waste your time missing me when you have a long and rich life ahead of you with those women whose hearts you hold...and as a man whose heart was consumed by greed, I know riches when I see them, and you will have more than I could ever wish for. Now as you continue your life, keep this in mind...you don't owe me anything, and not only does our mother love you...but so does your older brother." Storm Mage said as he eventually embraced Summoner, who returned the embrace and clung onto Storm Mage as he slowly vanished.

"Good-bye brother..._mother_..." He whispered, and when Storm Mage finally vanished, he used a gateway on the wall to return to his original home, went to bed, and wept into his hands for the better part of a minute before finally getting a grip. He then went downstairs to get a small bowl of stew that a fire elemental re-heated for him...and then threw up the moment he was about to take a bite when he recalled the scenario where that Glutton swallowed Guild Girl. A water elemental then appeared and cleaned up the mess. "How am I going to explain this to the ladies...?"

* * *

Meanwhile, the team was staring down the Champion while getting their bearings. Ranger then looked at his scattered teammates, and they eventually intensified their glances; he knew that meant they knew it was high-time they busted out their big guns.

"Drain..." Wizard whispered and a spark of energy crept out of her fingertip into the ground, and zipped across it until it reached the Champion's feet, and then he looked down to see his power being leeched out of his armor and sighed.

"I was going to do this for you voluntarily...but then again, I know you did this to the Cambion, and draining power from your foe without their knowledge will carry you far, even if they find out after it's too late." Champion said honestly...before Fighter engaged him from behind, and actually landed several kicks before he was aware of her presence and then he turned to defend himself, with both arms this time instead of just one, and the thrashing ended with him stopping a punch to the face by grabbing her fist. "You can open your chakras? That will also be of use..."

"That is not all..." Fighter said tensely before unleashing a flurry of punches and even a series of spinning kicks in mid-air that even Ranger has a hard time tracking, but not the Champion; he blocked each strike...but with more difficulty. Meanwhile, Wizard was charging Warrior with the energy she took, and then he channeled it into his blade and prepared to swing.

"Sis get out of there!" Warrior yelled and Fighter stopped kicking Champion and jumped off of him, and when the Champion turned he had just enough time to put his arms in the way of a wave of energy that actually staggered him. Then Fighter and Warrior both ganged up on the Champion...and even with Priestess buffing the two of them, it was still an even match. Wizard meanwhile charged up a Mana Bolt, and the moment Warrior and Fighter noticed it reach maximum size, they bolted in opposite directions.

"Mana Bolt!" Wizard yelled as the sparking mass of green energy shot forward at the Champion who threw a rapid series of punches, the Mana Bolt was negated, much to Wizard's complete surprise. "No way!"

"Even with a piece of my power taken from me, I am still a match for the Demon Lord and his pet, as you should be aware." Champion said then Ranger yelled to the sky, which got everyone's attention, and the vermilion flame around him was a clear sign of what was happening to him. "The War God's blessing...after all these centuries I finally get to face someone aside from the Destroyer who bares it."

"No kidding..." Wizard said.

"Ranger..." Priestess whispered as Ranger stood there glaring at the Champion with his eyes now the same color as the fire around him.

"I was told Army of One let's me fight the Demon Lord toe-to-toe...let's put that theory to the test shall we?" Ranger asked before morphing his gauntlets and superheating them.

"I agree completely." Champion said simply before summoning his own greatsword which was half as wide as the one Ranger use but just as long. Then Ranger dashed at The Champion who puts his sword in the way of a punch, but just barely; he was visibly surprised by Ranger's speed and the force of the punch made a sonic boom that Priestess' barrier barely contained since the team had to still cover their ears. Ranger then threw a dizzying barrage of punches at the Champion who was actually getting pushed back as he held his sword out in front of him in an attempt to keep the walking superweapon in front of him at bay.

Eventually, Ranger threw several stronger punches that knocked the Champion off-balance and the last punch knocked him to the ground. Ranger then jumped up, attached several chains to the ground on either of the Champion's sides, then slingshot himself back down to the ground, only for the Champion to slide away before Ranger could upturn the ground beneath him, then Ranger blocked and countered several swords swings from the Champion for the better part of a minute before jumping away, morphing his guns, then opening fire on the Champion who put up a Protection barrier to protect himself from the storm of bullets that exploded when they hit the barrier every second.

The storm ended with Ranger superheating his guns then unleashed a burst of heat that shattered the Champion's barrier, then he latched onto the Champion with a sword-whip while he was staggered then pulled himself towards the Champion with his spare hand morphed into a gauntlet and the punch Ranger landed caused an explosion that the Champion was unharmed by, despite taking a direct hit. The Champion then punched Ranger in the gut hard enough to launch him off away, and even the durability boost provided by the Army of One miracle did anything to keep Ranger from hitting the ground reeling in pain.

"Ranger!" Priestess exclaimed as she watched Ranger slowly get up, then the group looked at the Champion who was watching Ranger as well.

"That Champion guy isn't even human...!" Warrior said harshly...then the team's jaws hit the floor as the Champion jumps into the air, and don't come back down.

"I should've known you could do that." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"You can do the same thing 11th, why haven't you?" Champion asked then Ranger jumped up and focused on his armor until he went from being able to slowly descend, to actually stopping his fall...then to lifting himself up like the Champion was. "Perfect...you learn as quickly as you move."

"As much as I'm honored to be engaged in a fight with the first Platinum Rank, I must ask why we cannot do this on our own?" Ranger asked.

"I already entrusted that to you...but I was wrong. Your foes will wait for nothing; the only reason the Cambion, and the Demon Lord for that matter have done nothing as of late is because they cannot, but that can change at any moment, and you, and your family...are clearly not ready." Champion said seriously and Ranger simply floated there in thought. "As a servant of the War God, and a fellow Platinum Rank, you should understand this more than anyone else."

"I do..." Ranger said.

"Now, I must ask you: do you wish to continue this fight, or do you want to return home and continue on your own?" Champion asked and Ranger looked at his teammates who were all watching them. "Better yet, let us ask them?" With that, the Champion descended to the ground in front of them.

"What were you discussing?" Fighter asked.

"It is clear that with my power crippled, your leader has power equal to my own, so this fight serves no purpose, but now I must ask you: when you return home, do I have your word that you will use every method you have used, in addition to what I give you?" Champion asked.

"That depends, what methods do you have in mind...sir?" Wizard asked and Ranger landed next to the Champion.

"First, take Ranger's power and store it." Champion said simply and everyone looked at him. "The War God would approve, given the circumstances."

"O.k...if you insist. Drain..." Wizard said as she hits Ranger with the same spark she hit the Champion with, and the Vermillion fire surrounding him was removed, but it returned awhile later. "There's still more to take..."

"Give me a mana gem." Champion said, then Wizard forked one over, then absorbed the power into the gem, and used Empower on it. "Drain him again."

"I can't take that much pow-" Champion using Empower on Wizard not only made her shut up, but also made her tense up and exclaim in amazement.

"Try it now..." He said, then Wizard hit Ranger with Drain again...and the fire rushed out of Ranger's body into the gem at a significantly faster rate until the Army of One miracle was completely removed ten seconds later. Fighter then kept Ranger on his feet as he stood there huffing. "Perfect..."

"Are you alright?" Priestess asked.

"I will be..Your Grace..." Ranger said as the two shared a smile.

"I would face you again tomorrow, when we all recover, and don't worry about your miracles; they are limitless in Heaven's borders." Champion said before snapping his fingers, and they were all back where they were, with his armor replaced with the shirt and pants he had originally. "Good day to you all."

"When we get back, we'd like to do more than just fight you." Priestess said and the Champion chuckled.

"There is plenty for you to do in Heaven, even now." He said before opening the gates to Earth, and the team went through.

"You're back. Did you meet the Champion?" Abbot asked.

"Met him? We fought him!" Warrior exclaimed.

"And...it's no wonder he could face down the Demon Lord; that man is a monster..." Wizard said.

"You don't know how lucky you are; meeting the Sword Maiden was one thing, but...the original Platinum Rank summoning you to Heaven, just to test your skills..." Abbot trailed off.

"It gets better: he wants to see us, again, tomorrow." Priestess said.

"He what?!" Abbot asked in awe.

"You heard right Father." Priestess said.

"Dear Supreme...I don't think I can take this..." Abbot said seriously as he sat on the stairs.

"Well, I actually have a marriage to bless-" Abbot cuts Priestess off and gets up right away.

"Marriage?" He asked.

"Yes, she even blessed out marriage...shortly before we found out the Sword Maiden and Storm Mage were murdered." Wizard said somberly as she held Warrior's hand.

"Oh...well, at least she no longer suffers, and she still inspires from within Heaven's walls. But now is not the time for sorrow; a marriage awaits, and the immeasurable honor of meeting the Champion is one that must not be squandered." Abbot said.

"Right. Now, where's Sword Mage?" Priestess asked, then Fighter opened her chakras again.

"He's in the same place we had our marriage with the Sword Maiden, setting things up." She said.

"Speaking of the Sword Maiden, she still has a tour of Heaven to wrap up." Warrior said.

"Hey, the Champion said there's plenty for us to do in Heaven, and we have to return anyway." Ranger said.

"That's true..." Warrior said.

"Alright, now let's go check in with Summoner." Ranger said.

"Is his patrol even finished?" Wizard asked.

"Yes, but I wouldn't bother him at this point..." Abbot said.

"Why?" Fighter asked.

"Remember that fear demon?" Abbot asked.

"How do you know about that?" Ranger asked seriously.

"We discussed that when he first came here." Priestess said.

"Anyway...Summoner encountered it a while ago, and it wasn't a pleasant experience." Abbot said.

"Dare I ask?" Fighter asked and Abbot sighed.

"He...he and the fear demon are arch enemies, and the foul thing finally got it's revenge, by making him see his love swallowed by a Glutton." He said and the team's eyes widened, and their hearts sank, especially Ranger's.

"What...?" Wizard asked in horror.

"Yes. He had a vision where the two of them were ensnared, and he had to watch her get swallowed whole, while still alive." Abbot said.

"That so cruel..." Priestess whispered while her eyes watered.

"Thankfully, it was nothing more than a nightmare, but I can only imagine the pain that man is going through..." Abbot said.

"No kidding; I don't think I'd be able to eat for a week if I saw something like that." Warrior said.

"Me neither..." Ranger said.

"The demon got what was coming to it though, Storm Mage's spirit appeared and along with some elementals, banished the fear demon to Purgatory to pay for it's crimes...and Summoner was able to embrace the spirit of his mother." Abbot said.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"Yes. Storm Mage summoned her the moment his victory was complete." Abbot said.

"Heaven really _is_ sweetest when you've tasted Hell first..." Fighter said softly before Ranger held her hand.

"What else did you talk about?" Wizard asked.

"Just that it was poetic for us to talk about how she could become archbishop a year ago and now here she is being chosen by the Sword Maiden, in public, from beyond the grave, to be her heir." Abbot said.

"Well it's hard to argue with that..." Warrior said.

"Alright, so...when's the wedding?" Fighter asked.

"Should be just before sundown." Priestess said.

"Alright, now, if you will all give me your belts so I can put the power I was given to use on them?" Wizard asked as the group de-morphed their armor and handed her the belts they store the material in. "You, Your Grace, unfortunately will have to wait."

"I can wait." Priestess said honestly.

"So what do you say we all get our best clothes on, and go watch us a wedding?" Warrior asked.

"I say that I couldn't have said that better myself." Ranger said.

"What about Summoner and the ladies?" Fighter asked.

"Probably best we leave them be." Ranger said.

"Yeah, you're probably right...well, we can show them on the recaller." Fighter said as they all left the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Guild Girl went back home, sighing from the long day, and went to the dinning room...only to see a bowl of stew that was still full, then heard the sounds of someone throwing up in the back...and saw Summoner emptying his stomach over the edge of a balcony, then retching even there was nothing left. She then cautiously opened the door to get a closer look at him, and just as she was about to talk to him, he had the water elemental with him carry him up to the second floor through the window, then she went back inside, upstairs, and went into the bedroom where she saw him sitting on the side of the bed, with his face buried in his hands, then drank some water from the elemental then made it disappear.

"Summoner?" Guild Girl asked and Summoner's breath hitched the moment she spoke. "Are you sick?"

"No...but I might as well be..." Summoner said with a broken voice, and when he turned to look at her...she saw his flushed, tear-stained face, then walked over to him as he turned away.

"Summoner...please don't shut me out." Guild Girl said softly.

"Do you know _why_ I was vomiting?! The _true_...reason I was vomiting?!" Summoner snapped and Guild Girl recoiled.

"No." She said.

"Do you remember that fear demon I mentioned before we came here?" Summoner asked.

"Yes, but...I thought you defeated him?" Guild Girl asked.

"I did...but he came back, and he repaid what I did to him many times over..." Summoner said.

"Summoner..." Guild Girl whispered.

"The things he made me see...I don't even have any more sorrow in me, only revulsion." Summoner said.

"Goblins?" Guild Girl asked.

"Worse..." Summoner whispered harshly.

"Worse?" Guild Girl asked.

"Please...I don't want to talk about it...not in detail..." Summoner said and Guild Girl put her hand on his lap as she sat next to him.

"Summoner, I want to help you." She said softly, and one look at the compassion on her face made him embrace her.

"Guild Girl...I was forced to watch what happened to my mother...happen to _you_..." Summoner said and Guild Girl trembled right away.

"Dear Supreme...!" She said in horror.

"The _only_ reason I'm not even more torn up than I am now...is because I got to watch my brother show what he's truly capable of; the fear demon fought him tooth and claw with his full strength...and Storm Mage mopped the floor with him without an ounce of trouble." Summoner said.

"Wow..." Guild Girl whispered.

"Afterwards...I got to see my mother for the first time in over a decade..." Summoner said, then Guild Girl pulled away.

"That's wonderful." She said and shared a smile with Summoner as she dried his tears.

"So are you...that's why I was so distraught." He said seriously then Guild Girl put both hands on his face.

"But I'm here, right in front of you, and your brother proved that he's still with you, even though he was burned to ashes and is underneath the statue of the Sword Maiden, never to be removed. Your fears are as powerless as the fiend that instilled them." Guild Girl said seriously before hugging him, and got one in return.

"I love you...I love you so much..." Summoner whispered.

"I love you too." Guild Girl said softly before turning her head and kissing him as sweetly as she could, and he held her as close as he could as the misery drained out of him. They then heard footsteps coming up the stairs and let go to see Inspector come in, and she looked the two over.

"Sorry, I heard about your encounter with the fear demon and...well, duty calls." She said seriously.

"I'm alright, especially with both of you here." Summoner said and Inspector joins them in a group hug. "I saw you shopping with Noble Fencer...I didn't think you could get any lovelier."

"Thank you. I also got some new outfits for Guild Girl here." Inspector said.

"Aren't you nice?" Guild Girl said and Inspector giggled.

"That's why you love me." She said.

"And I love you too." Summoner said as Guild Girl kissed him, then Inspector raised an eyebrow at him, he smirked at her then kissed her as well.

"Can we get you anything?" Guild Girl asked.

"Just stay with me..." Summoner said softly as the three sat there holding each other.

"Summoner told me you two did the deed in the guild hall..." Inspector said with a smirk and Guild Girl blushed.

"You told her?!" She exclaimed.

"Oh relax, I think it's...adventurous." Inspector said.

"Yeah, you would." Summoner teased.

"Well, would going through that again help you?" Inspector asked.

"Not now...just let me hold my babies." Summoner said.

"We're not going anywhere." Guild Girl said.

"There's also a wedding going on soon, would you like to come?" Inspector asked.

"I would. Summoner?" Guild Girl asked.

"Alright..." Summoner said.

"Alright. Just let me get the bags from downstairs then we can try some new outfits on...and you, get to watch two beautiful ladies strip." Inspector said with a smirk.

"What?" Guild Girl asked.

"Oh come on, we saw each other naked countless times; there's nothing weird about it now." Inspector said.

"Good point..." Guild Girl said as she followed her friend out.

"You really should get your head examined or something; we talk about this way too often. Besides, the guy's _had_ it, and where's the justice in leaving him like this?" Inspector said.

"Alright alright, I get your point." Guild Girl said as she took a look at the outfits Inspector got and marveled at them. "Wow! These are gorgeous!"

"That's why we bought them." Inspector said simply as they took the dresses and a few suits upstairs, and the moment they got into the room and put the bags down, Inspector, then Guild Girl stripped down to their underwear, as Summoner's eyes feasted on their slender, yet curvy bodies, and remembered how they felt when he dug his hands into them...as if the memory of their mating sessions weren't enough. They then tried on one outfit after another, with Guild Girl eventually taking the purple dress, and Inspector taking the dress with various shades of green. Summoner took a black suit with dark blue rings on the wrists, and...fair was fair: he looked them over, they looked him over, and his own figure did nothing to disappoint them either. Despite how slim he was, his leanness spook for itself: he was a man who fought demons, and wasn't a slouch at it either.

"Have you ever been to a wedding before?" Guild Girl asked.

"Not often...but I cannot see how this one can't surpass the weddings I've seen. What about you two?" Summoner asked.

"Have we been to a wedding he asked...we saw Ranger and Fighter's wedding for crying out loud!" Inspector exclaimed.

"Well then..." Summoner trailed off.

"You should've been there; it was pure magic." Guild Girl said.

"Speaking of weddings though...apparently weddings done in the name of the Love Goddess are pretty different from normal ones, especially if there's more than one bride, or groom for that matter." Summoner said and both ladies looked him and each other over.

"Are you asking what I think you're asking?" Guild Girl asked.

"Well...technically as far as the Love Goddess is concerned, we were married after I removed both your virginities, but it's not that simple, which frankly I'm thankful for since my brother and the Swor-" Summoner shut up the moment he thought about how sore the subject is. "Anyway, I haven't looked into the specifics, aside from the fact that apparently I don't need a ring for each of you, and right now, I'm in no mood to look deeper into it."

"Let's just go see this wedding, and pick up from there, o.k?" Guild Girl asked, and with that, the trio went to the Temple of Law.

* * *

They got there just in time to see the team getting settled, as well as H.E. Druid, and Dwarf Rifleman, both in a dress and suit respectively, but theirs were the fanciest by a long shot, although GS, Ranger, and the rest of the team were pretty well-dressed as well. Ranger's parents, and child were there with Bard and Songstress, with her son Sword Mage as well...with Noble Fencer next to him. Even the Hero's team was there, and Priestess of course was on the alter with R.W. and A.C in their own suit and dress as the bride and groom. When the trio got seated, the wedding officially started, and it played out exactly like Ranger and Fighter's wedding; Priestess even copied the Sword Maiden's blessing word for word, after telling the bride and groom to kneel before her as the guests stood up and then applauded as the newly weds kissed.

* * *

**And there we go, all's well that ends well for the rookie duo, and Inspector's birthday ended with her seeing a wedding and probably recalling the time she met the freaking Sword Maiden for the first time, seriously, this lady doesn't get nearly as much love as she deserves. Now, I was going to do some other things in this chapter, but then I thought of some other things I can do as well, so I'm going to mold the two sets of ideas into each other in the next chapter. What will I cook up? Who knows, except for those of you who Rate, Review, and Share...and stay tuned of course.**


	45. Chapter 23 Part I

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. If there's one good way to end your birthday, it's watching a wedding, especially with two Platinum Ranks there, double especially with the new archbishop, and triple especially when it was basically a recap of the time you got to meet your hero...well, heroine in the Sword Maiden's case. Anyway, the team really has their work cut out for them now don't they? What with the Champion on the job when it comes to their training...in the words of Senator Armstrong from Metal Gear Rising: even dead that guy's a pain in my ass, and I'm pretty sure the Demon Lord would think the same thing if he knew the Champion was training the team. Now let's see what the team can cook up...**

**Review Response: Weddings seem to be as common as leaves in this story now that I think about it...and spoiler alert: it won't be the last one. Anyway, Summoner getting to see his mom, and his older bro was a pretty hard hitter wasn't it?**

**Something big being over the horizon is nothing new, or the vampire queen being redeemed for that matter, but the Champion getting involved personally is both an honor, and a pretty serious case of "git gud" syndrome done right if you ask me. As for him reclaiming his armor? Well, it was a golden opportunity for Cherub to be his usual charming self...**

**BTW, I discovered a term that references family bonds that aren't dictated by blood ties: Nakama. Yes, that's a Japanese term and...turns out it's part of quite a few animes, like One Piece or Fairy Tail, and since Goblin Slayer is an anime itself...it's not unfitting it's used here either, even if it wasn't a real-life thing.  
**

* * *

During the reception, Bard and Songstress sent everyone even further down memory lane with Bard strumming his lute and Songstress vocalizing rhythmically and each teammate dancing with each other, with Warrior and Ranger dancing with each of the team's women, with the most vigorous rounds going to the pairs who were married...surprise-surprise. Warrior and Wizard actually had the longest run since their own wedding had no dancing at all Priestess herself got involved as well as she had a round with both men. GS even went up to Cow Girl and asked her to dance...which was a complete surprise, but it definitely showed how much he's come out of his shell. Finally, D.R. got to dance with Fighter, Wizard, Cow Girl and of course H.E. Druid, just like the other two men did.

The Hero's team, Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother sat it out, but still watched with enthusiasm. Noble Fencer was tempted to have a go as well, but it didn't sit right with her. Summoner of course danced with both Guild Girl and Inspector, who in turn had their rounds with Ranger and Warrior. Ranger's parents also got a round in. When everyone was done, Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric finally had their own slow dance as the music calmed down appropriately. Ranger and Fighter immediately recalled how calm their own wedding dance was; it took every ounce of willpower they had to not kiss over it, but holding each other close while watching the newly weds embrace and slowly move about wasn't too farfetched. Priestess then gasped and noticed that Sword Maiden was there in the back watching the entire show, before vanishing.

Sword Mage eventually came out and the whole room went silent as he took his place in the middle. Noble Fencer said he was quite a dancer; this was his time to shine. He started by tapping his feet once, then thrice, then at a steady and quickening pace while moving his arms in a circular motion and fluttering his hands. Bard strummed his lute rapidly yet quietly the whole time, and when Storm Mage drew his sword, Bard picked up his own pace. Sword Mage pun his blade like a wheel in front of him, then dropped it and kicked it to the other side of the square he was in. He dashed and spun around to the sides, then back to where he was before picking up the sword, and waved it around from side to side along the ground before spinning and whirling the sword over his head.

Songstress began vocalizing as Sword Mage moved the blade around in a manner that reminded Ranger of Fighter's katas: fluid, covers the entire space around him, and utilizes movements were were easy to follow, but the skills themselves were subtle, like when he held his sword out, then rotated his wrist so the blade faced down, then he stabbed to the opposite side slowly, all while his eyes were closed, and his feet didn't move an inch. When she was done vocalizing, Bard's strumming picked back up, and Sword Mage threw rapid and just-as-fluid strikes all around him as if he were being assaulted by a swarm of invisible goblins. He includes swings, rapid stabs, even flipping into the air and slashing downwards before landing and slowly standing up.

Noble Fencer's eyes were glued to the entire display like the rest of the people's were, but Ranger noticed that she wasn't just impressed by the display...she was practically hypnotized by it. Sword Mage then slowly wept his feet along the ground like he was trying to trip someone in slow-motion while spinning the blade while whirling it in front of him from side to side, and occasionally tossed a thrusting motion into his dance, and the display ended with him sweeping his sword along the ground again, and thrusting into the air before holding his sword in a reverse-grip and sheathing it as everyone applauded.

"You weren't kidding when you said he was good." Inspector said.

"You should've seen him at the guild hall." Noble Fencer said.

"Show me on the recaller later." Inspector said.

"As you wish birthday girl." Noble Fencer said before the bride and groom sliced a cake and everyone dug in.

* * *

When they were done, everyone went home except for R.W. and A.C. who stayed in the temple for the night, as did Priestess and Sword Mage...for obvious reasons. After checking on the horse, and seeing she was still recovering nicely, and of course feeding her a ton of fruits and veggies, Ranger and Fighter wished Cow Girl and GS good night after they took the gateway to their home fort.

Bard, Songstress, and Ranger's parents went to their rooms at the manor, Ranger and Fighter spent some time with their daughter, and after feeding, cleaning, and just simply enjoying her presence until she went to sleep, the two went to the bathroom, and helped each other take their clothes off before washing off, and of course, passionately kissing, running their hands through each other's hair, and massaging each other. After drying off, the two went to their room and snuggled into each other in bed.

"Still like the new bed baby?" Fighter asked.

"Oh yes, and...somehow, the memory of that _delicious_ orgy you gave me with your clones doesn't drown out how magical that wedding was..." Ranger said.

"Reminds me of our own wedding..." Fighter said dreamily as she caressed her husband's brawny chest, and sighed.

"Is something wrong love?" Ranger asked.

"I just remembered when that goblin stabbed you near your heart..." Fighter said somberly.

"Then you kicked the shit out of it." Ranger said and Fighter smiled.

"Yeah...that's what I do: kick the shit out of goblins,and believe me...it takes _alot_ of kicking to do that." She said and Ranger snickered.

"Because they're so full of it?" He asked and Fighter laughed.

"Exactly...which is funnier than it has a right to be." She said before Ranger sighed and rubbed her arm. "What?"

"I just recalled the time you had your arm ripped off...by that _damn_ Cambion..." He said before Fighter locked their fingers together.

"My arm is fine now; you're locking the same fingers I lost with your own right now." She said softly.

"Fighter..." He whispered before she kissed him. The two then share a bright smile as he caressed her face. "You know...words cannot express how glad I am that the Sword Maiden threw off the goblins' yoke..." Fighter then climbed on top of him and caressed his face in return.

"She's with Storm Mage now, and she's probably getting the same bliss you give me. Talk about making up for lost time eh?" She said softly before Ranger ran his hand through her still-moist hair.

"Right..." He whispered before Fighter gave him a deep, sweet kiss as Ranger simply laid there motionless while he enjoyed kissing his affectionate wife. "I love you."

"I love you too..." Fighter breathed out as she snuggled into Ranger's side even more.

"Now...you said this wedding reminded you of ours...did you mean the whole thing?" Ranger asked and Fighter chuckled.

"I think the time we had in the bath speaks for itself, and that's what that orgy I gave you is for." She said sensually before licking her lips and mashing them against Ranger's as he held her in place as she shifted her lips against his over and over, The resulting wet smacking sounds did nothing to discourage their flame from growing, especially when they threw massages into the mix, with Fighter squeezing and caressing Ranger's dense, and large muscles as he did the same for her. She then got on top of him and continued kissing him as she lashed tongues with him and shifted her body against his, pressing her breasts into his chest.

"Baby scooch up; I want to suck your breasts..." Ranger groaned and Fighter's breath hitched before she did what he said, and he grabbed one breast and stuffed as much of her soft flesh into his mouth and vigorously licked her nipple, much to her delight. She gasped and passionately moaned as her husband feasted on her chest, one side at a time, and eventually groped and fondled her round, supple buttocks. He eventually detached himself from her breasts, and she came down to kiss him as he groped and fondled her butt. She then broke the kiss and looked him right in the face with a toothy smile.

"You just can't help yourself can you? Grabbing this ass of mine..." Fighter said sensually.

"You know I can't resist this lovely ass of yours...and you know you don't mind." Ranger teased before spanking her.

"Oh quite the opposite..." Fighter said with a smirk while running her hand down his torso...until she gripped and rubbed his swelling manhood, and reveled in how Ranger tensed up from the sensation. "You know I love being like this with the man I married...the man I adore...the man who makes amazing love to me..."

"You make it hard to forget...as if I'd ever want to." Ranger groaned and Fighter's breathe hitched.

"You sound so _hot_ when you're like this, just like when you use Army of One." She said.

"You sound hot all the damn time..." Ranger breathed out as Fighter continued rubbing his manhood. "Did I ever tell you using that bow of yours turns me on every time you use it?"

"Shame I don't have that belt with me, otherwise I'd morph it right now." Fighter said seriously yet playfully and Ranger smirked at her.

"So you can put _another_ arrow through my heart?" He teased...and Fighter stopped rubbing him.

"Let's stop right there..." She said and then continued as Ranger kept laying there as his wife resumed handling him. "Is there _anything_ about you that isn't big? Your goals are big, your muscles are big, your mind is big...both your heads are big..."

"Hey, being Platinum Ranked gives one a right to be proud...but more importantly, two heads are better than one." Ranger said and Fighter raised an eyebrow.

"You know us girls only have one head right? Then again, we only need one..." Fighter teased.

"Only because you need one of mine for making a child...and having the time of your life." Ranger said and Fighter chuckled.

"You fill more holes in my life than I can count, in bed, or in life." She said softly yet sensually before kissing him. "Although...most men apparently only have enough blood for one head, and the head they choose hogs all the blood to itself."

"No wonder the vampire queen liked me so much; I have alot of blood to spare..." Ranger said and Fighter started laughing again before gripping his fully-swollen manhood tightly yet gently as she approached his ear.

"Would you like to put this head to use?" She whispered.

"I think we've had enough sex don't you think?" Ranger asked in amusement.

"Shame...Dwarf Rifleman said it's a great way to get more mana." Fighter teased.

"Good point...maybe we could have another orgy later on, once I get ahold of the memory." Ranger said and Fighter giggled.

"You _really_ had a good time didn't you?" She asked.

"Hence why I said we had enough sex for now." Ranger said and Fighter sighed dreamily.

"And what _glorious_ sex it was..." She breathed out while snuggling into Ranger's side and kissing his neck.

"Oh Fighter..." Ranger whispered while holding Fighter's head in place while she sucked on his neck and continued pressing her breasts into him. Eventually, she stopped cold and smiled brightly at him while caressing his face. "Don't _you_ look happy..."

"After the amazing love you made to my clones that night..what girl wouldn't be?" Fighter said.

"And what man wouldn't be completely thrilled to be able to make love to a trio of beautiful women?" Ranger said and Fighter smirked.

"Beautiful were they?" She teased.

"Very much so...and I got to shag them all senseless. I'm alittle amazed I can think clearly." Ranger said as Fighter laid them down with their faces inches apart.

"Apparently you're just that tough...one of many reasons I love you." She said.

"You're calling me tough? I don't know if that's ironic or poetic." Ranger said seriously.

"Right...I remember on your birthday you highlighted those things; you always were into strong women..." Fighter said.

"And no woman I know is stronger than you." Ranger said.

"Surely the Hero is a match for me?" Fighter said.

"Maybe, maybe not, but...do I _really_ need to go over why you're sexier?" Ranger asked seriously.

"No...you do not." Fighter said.

"Besides...I've been with the Sword Maiden, Goblin Slayer's farm girl friend, the vampire queen, all of whom are...easier to look at than they have a right to be, but my loyalty to you? Good luck breaking it." Ranger said.

"And you call _my_ strength sexy..." Fighter said with a raised eyebrow.

"It _is_..." Ranger said.

"Well...if you recall from the time the elf queen let us use her spring, I happen to enjoy being embraced by a man twice my size." Fighter said.

"In that case..." Ranger said as he held Fighter closer before kissing her deeply and she snuggled into him before he buried his face in her hair and inhaled. "You smell so good..."

"So do you..." Fighter said before she giggled and shifted against him.

"Are you o.k.?" Ranger asked.

"I just can't get the memory of that orgy out of my head; you're just so _good_ at things like this." Fighter said dreamily.

"I told you before: us rangers know a thing or two about physiology." Ranger said before Fighter sat up to look him in the face.

"You also once said that a man who can't love, and fight is no man at all." She said.

"And you said that I put a check in both of those boxes." Ranger said.

"So you remember?" She said.

"Look who's talking..." Ranger said before Fighter pressed her lips into his and continued shifting against him. "It's a shame you were pregnant on my birthday..."

"Why?" Fighter asked.

"Because then I would've fucked every last one of your brains out." Ranger said and Fighter smirked.

"Even more than that ones you removed from my clones?" She asked.

"More than all of them combined..." Ranger breathed out and Fighter exhaled deeply.

"That's alot of fucking..." She said dryly and Ranger chuckled.

"Then again...you will probably be pregnant again on my birthday." He said thoughtfully.

"Well...if I'm not, I'll give you as many clones to you want. You ask for ten, I'll give you ten." Fighter said.

"Here's hoping they won't be pregnant as well..." Ranger said.

"Not likely; they can't get pregnant at all with or without a potion...which never made sense to me." Fighter said.

"Either way, that's quite a way's off from now." Ranger said.

"No kidding..." Fighter said.

"You know...I have half a mind to ask you to teach me that clone spell so I could return the favor." Ranger said.

"That's...a pretty serious undertaking; it would be quite a feat for me to take all those...pieces getting stuffed into me..." Fighter said.

"Love...you ad me at "serious undertaking..." Ranger deadpanned.

"Right...now, since we got our lust out of the way, I'd like some actual loving from my man." Fighter said.

"Lucky you, I want to give some actual loving to my woman. Starting with a massage." Ranger said.

"Oh yes please..." Fighter breathed out as she got off of Ranger who sat up and went over to her legs and dug his hands into her brawny yet still supple thighs, went down to her shins, and one by one, squeezed and caressed her feet and calves, before going back up her thighs. Rinse and repeat until he stroked her hips, and fondled her enormous butt from all angles.

She kept her eyes closed the entire time, focusing on her husband's strong yet loving hands work on her strong yet supple flesh, and breathing deeply, smiling brightly, and occasionally shifting slightly in response. He then went up her back and sides, brushing her hair off of her back, and even took a break to lay down next to her and run his hands through it, and eventually sniff it much to her amusement.

"Those coconuts we gathered really do you wonders." Ranger said.

"And I'm alone in that?" Fighter asked.

"Hey, I don't use it half as much as you do." Ranger said.

"Right..." Fighter said.

"You know I'm right." Ranger said.

"Just keep rubbing me down." Fighter said as she flipped over, and Ranger looked her over before rubbing her legs the same way, then gasped and trembled as Ranger stroked her womanhood a couple of times before rinsing his hand in the bucket of water they keep with them, and of course regularly change. He then traveled up her torso, feeling up her impressively abdomen and then groping and squeezing her breasts.

His hands lingered on the two masses of flesh as he sunk his fingers into them more deeply than her buttocks, but like always, not roughly. She then continued breathing hard as he played with her breasts, and gasped as he twisted, pinched her nipples, and eventually sucked on her nipples. Her gasps became higher-pitched overtime as he sucked on them while holding his head in place as he alternated between her nipples. He eventually stopped sucking and watched the breast he was working on jiggle as he backed up suddenly.

"Satisfied?" Ranger teased as he continued fondling her breasts.

"_Amazed_..." Fighter breathed out.

"Let me guess: because of how gentle I can be off the battlefield?" Ranger asked.

"You know me so well..." Fighter said softly before Ranger let her breasts go and moved up to kiss her and lay down on top of her.

"Did I mention the Sword Maiden was impressed with how much control I have over my anger?" He asked.

"I almost regret showing concern over it...almost." Fighter said seriously.

"Really?" Ranger asked.

"The only reason I don't regret it is because...well, can I really be blamed for not being aware?" Fighter asked.

"Not in this case no, and I'm sorry for scaring you; I also talked to the Sword Maiden about instilling the wrong kind of fear, and this is it." Ranger said.

"I'm not afraid anymore, especially not when we're like this." Fighter said and Ranger held her close.

"Funny, the Love Goddess said I might as well be war personified, which would probably make me the scariest person in the country, maybe the world; one of my miracles is literally called Pestilence which kills anyone and anything it touches with sickness...the very thing that killed more people than anything else." He said.

"And the goblins will taste as much of it as possible when we next go after them?" Fighter asked and Ranger sat up and looked down at her, as she watched his hair frame his face.

"Fighter you sick little puppy...that's brilliant." He said with a smirk.

"Even more so that we're in bed, completely naked, in perfect position for another round of sex...and we're discussing warfare." Fighter said.

"Says the lady that's one half of the pair that pays tribute to the deities in charge of war and love with their very beings." Ranger said.

"Point taken..." Fighter said before pulling Ranger into another embrace.

"The only wars worth fighting are those fueled by love." Ranger whispered.

"And love is one of, if not the greatest contributor to the number of wars fought, hence the thin line between love and hate..." Fighter said.

"And look what happens to those who make the line thicker...looking at you goblins." Ranger said and Fighter started laughing as Ranger backed up to look at her...and couldn't help but smile with her.

"I remember the times you said you were glad you weren't a goblin...if there was any doubts about that, may they rest in peace." Fighter said as she got a grip...and Ranger continued staring at her. "What?"

"You know I love hearing you laugh like this...even if your chest _didn't_ bounce around." Ranger said and Fighter tapped his own chest.

"You're such a perv..." She teased.

"And you still said yes..." Ranger said and Fighter caressed his face.

"And I'd say it again if I could." She said softly before pulling him into a kiss.

"I love you too." Ranger whispered against her lips before claiming them again and they laid there shifting their lips, lashing tongues and caressing each other. He then broke away and looked away.

"What's wrong?" Fighter asked.

"I just recalled when I went to go find those rookies, back when I was Steel Ranked, and I thought about how you, Wizard, Priestess...or any combination of you three could've wound up in the goblin's clutches...and wound up like the Sword Maiden." Ranger said seriously before Fighter turned his head to make him look at her.

"Ranger...do you really think any of us are getting snatched up by goblins any time soon?" Fighter asked.

"No...but even us Platinum Ranks aren't invincible, and even creatures as pitiful as goblins are-." Fighter cuts Ranger off.

"Stop...I thought was were past this. The goblins are on their last legs as we speak; and we've been watching each other's backs even when miles apart, and that's not changing anytime soon. We're going to be fine..." She said seriously yet softly and Ranger sighed.

"Sorry...even when that fear demon is in Purgatory, he still gets to me. Although if I can get past...what he made me hear, as well as our first quest,I can get past this." Ranger said before caressing Fighter's face.

"Even if that strength you love so much fails me...I have my very own Platinum Rank here to protect me." She said.

"And he's not going to lose the woman he married...he loves her too much." Ranger said seriously yet softly and Fighter kissed him as deeply as she could.

"And the woman you married loves you as well." She said before Ranger pulled her into another kiss.

"Apparently you love me enough to give me multiple bodies to...play with." He said.

"No kidding..." Fighter said sensually.

"It's no wonder I can control my wrath...who would be angry after a time like that...?" Ranger breathed out.

"Probably no one..." Fighter said softly before Ranger turned to see the blissful look on her face, and they snuggled into each other. "Are you sure you don't want to have sex with me?"

"Yes baby..." Ranger said.

"Well...in the morning, I'm downing some potion in case you change your mind later on." Fighter said.

"And I thought I was persistent." Ranger said.

"Maybe you should've thought of that before showing me how good you are are giving a girl the time of her life." Fighter teased.

"Good point..." Ranger said.

"You know...now that I think about it, wouldn't it be a bit cheap to throw clones out all the time?" Fighter asked.

"Like I told you before: each kiss we have is unique, the same goes for the times we make love." Ranger said.

"I'm alittle amazed you recall that." Fighter said.

"I just now recalled." Ranger said honestly.

"Would you like some clones to sleep next to now?" Fighter asked.

"Why not?" Ranger said, and Fighter summoned two clones that snuggled into him as he laid down on his back. Fighter then watched them share deep, passionate kisses with her husband while caressing him and being caressed by him. "Good night ladies."

"Good night my big, _sexy_ Ranger..." Fighter said before having one last kiss with him, and moaning passionately while getting her flawless butt groped and spanked by him before they snuggled into each other and fell asleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wizard and Warrior got to their apartment in Water Town, and the moment they reached it, Warrior entered their room, removed his outfit, and flopped down on the bed. After about an hour of him laying there resting, Wizard came in and leaned on the doorway...with her hair three times it's normal length.

"How do I look?" She asked as she ran her hand through her own hair while glancing at her husband with a smirk on her face...and Warrior couldn't stop staring at her.

"A better question is who's the nymph who took my wife's place?" He said and Wizard giggled.

"Nymph huh?" She asked sensually as she removed her dress while slowly walking towards him, and eventually came down to kiss him deeply while shifting against him. He couldn't keep his hands out of her hair while they lashed tongues and mashed lips together.

"How'd you do it?" Warrior asked.

"Like we discussed: I came up with something that could help hair grow. Granted it took me over a dozen tries to get it right, and I burned more supplies than I'm comfortable talking about, but I still did it." Wizard said before Warrior continued brushing her new locks.

"Long hair fits you more than a sword fits in a goblin's crotch." He said and Wizard's eyes widened.

"That's...the darkest, most romantic thing you have ever said to me." She said before snuggling into her husband."All I need to do is get a bit more muscle."

"I happen to like you this way." Warrior said.

"Right...the hardcore beast slayer needs something soft to grab." Wizard teased.

"Well when you put it like _that_..." Warrior said.

"Oh relax, I was just fucking with you, and like I said...I happen to like those times you get rough, and you do not disappoint." Wizard said before putting his hand on her butt and he squeezes. "You also know how to not be too rough..."

"How can I be?" Warrior asked as he continued to fondle her soft flesh before stopping and Wizard simply laid down on him again and sighed deeply as Warrior stroked her hair and back. "Long day huh?"

"A good day too, especially that wedding..." Wizard said.

"Yeah...reminds me of the one with fighter and the boss." Warrior said.

"No kidding...and the power the Champion let us get our hands on is nothing to laugh at; I still don't know how I'm going to use it on our equipment." Wizard said.

"You'll figure it out, you always do." Warrior said and Wizard smirked.

"I do don't I?" She asked and looked Warrior right in the face. "Especially with a great and mighty beast slayer in my bed."

"A great and mighty beast slayer who loves the enamoring sorceress in his own bed." Warrior said.

"Enamoring you say?" Wizard teased.

"Yes...you didn't think I'd stay that uncouth meathead I was a year ago forever did you?" Warrior asked.

"No I guess not, but it's still fun to be the smart one here." Wizard said.

"Hey, even the boss isn't half as versed in the arcane as you are, even with the War God's favor." Warrior said.

"No kidding..." Wizard said before Warrior came down to passionately kiss her. "You know...while I was talking with Summoner, he shared some tidbits with me, about the Love Goddess..."

"Let me guess: sex can make you smarter, dulls pain like there's no tomorrow and is damn good at strengthening bonds?" Warrior asked and Wizard stared at him. "You're not the only one he talks to, or if you recall correctly, is into the arcane."

"Apparently..." Wizard said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, apparently your brains are rubbing off on me." Warrior said proudly.

"Lovely, so you learned from the boss, myself, and maybe Fighter and Goblin Slayer...all you're missing is Priestess and you'd be perfect." Wizard said.

"Uh, technically my sword rivals the Hero's, and my hammer basically makes me the next Storm Mage...all I need now is a pair of sword-whips- on second thought...the hammer's enough..." Warrior said.

"You _have_ gotten smarter." Wizard teased.

"Oh shut it..." Warrior playfully snapped and Wizard chuckled at him, before pulling him into a deep kiss, and flipping them over.

"I love you so much..." She whispered.

"And I love you..." Warrior breathed out before groaning as Wizard started stroking his manhood.

"Do you love me enough to put this to us?" She asked.

"Oh yes..." Warrior said.

"Then go get that potion and put it where it belongs..." Wizard said as she got off of Warrior, who got up, downed a swig of the potion, then turned to see Wizard was watching him walk away. She then got out of bed herself, bent over the bed as Warrior walked back to the bed, got behind her, pulled down her underwear, grabbed her hips, and started mating with her.

He was making ripples in the flesh of her buttocks, and making musical slapping sounds within seconds in no time as he rapidly slammed into her, and her throaty moans erased any doubt about how much fun she was having as she wiggled her shapely buttocks to double the rate at which their orgasms approached...and they approached alright. She climaxed hard enough to spasm and let out an elongated moan as she threw her head back and kept panting and gasping as Warrior continued pounding her tight entrance. When he had his own orgasm, Wizard collapsed into the bed, and Warrior had to catch her so her lower body wouldn't fail her too badly, then laid her on the bed properly as she simply laid there panting and gasping in bliss with a face-splitting smile.

"Did that show you my love?" Warrior asked.

"Did it _ever_..." Wizard breathed out as Warrior looked down as his wife who was gasping for air, which made her voluptuous chest raise and sink while he stared hungrily...which she eventually noticed. "Seen enough?"

"You know how I get lady." Warrior said.

"Right...months ago, it was my chest, now it's my butt." Wizard said before gasping and giggling as her husband groped and fondled the top of one of her breasts.

"Hey, you're still as developed up here as you are down there; you know I'm right too." He said.

"Well that's what I get for being _magically_ sexy..." Wizard teased.

"Why am I surprised you recall me saying that...even though it's been months." Warrior said.

"I also recall you saying that alot of men would be all over a girl with magic." Wizard said and Warrior sighed and stopped fondling her.

"Please don't remind me; I still can't help but shrivel up inside over how awkward that was..." He said.

"In case you forgot, you're the only one of us who finds that awkward nowadays." Wizard said seriously.

"Even still..." Warrior said and Wizard touched his face.

"You know I find that flattering nowadays. Yes I found it distasteful back when Ranger and Fighter were about to be married, but we've come so far since then." She said softly before Warrior smiled.

"Truer words are rarely spoken." He said before kissing her deeply. "And you really _are_ magically sexy..." Wizard then pulled him into another kiss, which turned into a series of them. "_And_...your breasts really are as nice as your butt."

"Then tear off my bra and _suck_ them." Wizard groaned, before Warrior gripped her bra, tore it open with a single tug, and watched her lovely breasts spill out of the cloth that could barely contain them. He then made a single clone, and as Wizard's breath hitched in anticipation, the two got to work sucking and playfully chewing on her nipples, while groping and fondling her breasts themselves from the sides as her pleasured gasps spurred them on.

The twins followed her wordless request to the letter as the beauty beneath them continued tensing up and flexing as the pleasure nearly overpowered her as Warrior and his clone licked her nipples like they were drenched in honey and kneading her soft flesh like it was dough, and she eventually started moaning while her nipples squirted milk which the twins drank up before giving her a break.

"_Wow_...that was totally worth spending all this time working my ass off...and keep your jokes to yourself." Wizard said.

"Nah, too easy." Warrior said as he re-absorbed the clone.

"You're such a perv." Wizard said.

"And you still have my ring." Warrior said seriously, and Wizard actually caressed it.

"And I'm never removing it...and Supreme help anyone who takes it off of me." She said seriously before Warrior came down to kiss her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"You keep this up, I might end up fucking you again." Warrior groaned.

"Who says I don't want you to fuck me again...?" Wizard asked with a smirk.

"Who said you did?" Warrior asked.

"Touche...but in hindsight, I could use some rest. Just massage the rest of me if you please." Wizard said before flipping over, and Warrior sat up before Wizard laid down on her front, and Warrior immediately started rubbing and fondling her legs and buttocks with slow but intense motions.

"We really should get our own place, if we're going to raise a family." Warrior said thoughtfully.

"We could just go from one place to another with the gateways. Lots of kids like to travel anyway, and you said yourself that we should have assets in as many territories as we can." Wizard said.

"I actually forgot I said that..." Warrior said.

"So much for getting some of my smarts." Wizard said before Warrior makes her yelp by spanking her.

"Says the lady who's not smart enough to avoid sassing a man when she's in a perfect position for a smacked bottom." He said with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe I happen to _like_ getting my bottom smacked when we're like this." Wizard teased.

"And you call _me_ a perv..." Warrior said.

"Just spank me again." Wizard said and Warrior spanked her again and watched her flesh jiggle as she let off a horny chuckle...and he spanked her yet again. "O.k... I know I have a nice ass, but don't get greedy."

"Where have I heard that before...?" Warrior teased.

"At around the same time as one of the many times you fucked my brains out." Wizard said.

"That's alot of fucking." Warrior said and Wizard turned to look at him funny. "What? You know I'm right."

"Copycat..." Wizard said and Warrior raised an eyebrow before raising his hand and looking at her ass. "What are you waiting for-" Warrior cuts her off with yet another spanking. "How many times are you going to do that?"

"As many times as you don't mind." Warrior said before gently rubbing and fondling her fleshy buttocks.

"Well...that should get me by for a while." Wizard said before Warrior stopped and laid down next to her.

"Me too." He breathed out as Wizard snuggled into him. "Do you remember the aurora that happened on our engagement night?"

"I'll never forget...I'm getting weepy just thinking about it." Wizard said.

"Well...did I ever tell you how hard it hit me to see you like that?" Warrior asked.

"Baby, that's what happens when a girl is consumed by her feelings." Wizard said.

"I meant I felt what you felt." Warrior said.

"Oh...and here I am talking about how smart I am..." Wizard said.

"Eh, don't beat yourself up over it. Even the boss isn't perfect." Warrior said and Wizard sighed.

"If he was, he would've been Platinum Ranked before we even knew him...and he wouldn't have been burned by that damn champion." She said.

"Baby...we talked abou-" Wizard cuts Warrior off.

"I'm long over that...but the memory still sucks. Well, at least he inspired me to give us magic defenses afterwards." She said and Warrior huffed in amusement.

"The guy's a beast; he gets burned half to death and the first thing he does when he gets back on his feet is say "We need some defense against this shit"..." He said and Wizard beamed.

"Speaking of which: one of the things I could do with the power the Champion gave us is make our magic defenses strong enough to resist Mana Bolt." She said.

"You could also use it to bolster our weapons and armor obviously...you might even enhance the enchantments, especially on Priestess' pendant, or maybe make some more pendants for the rest of us." Warrior said.

"Oh wow...we'd probably be able to grow lost limbs and internal organs with regeneration that strong." Wizard said.

"Considering the Cambion can do the same thing...and he kicked our asses when we fought him, we'll need all the help we can get." Warrior said and Wizard snuggled into him again.

"I take it back: you did get some more brains from me...and not just from fucking me." She said.

"I got them in all kinds of ways, like from the boss, and Goblin Slayer. How the hell did I forget Goblin Slayer?" Warrior asked.

"I'll never forget when the boss told me not to dwell on the incident and told me the same thing about our defense, not in the words you used, but still. I was so blown away by the idea that I dropped the blanket...and he got to see my naked breasts..." Wizard said.

"Lucky bastard." Warrior said and Wizard tapped his chest, which earned her some laughter from him.

"Yeah, you'd know right?" Wizard teased.

"Of course I would; I just _sucked_ on them." Warrior said seriously.

"And I still thank you for it." Wizard said sensually before claiming his mouth with her own.

"I do that, and other things for you because I love you." Warrior said softly yet seriously.

"You make it hard not to know that...and I love you too." Wizard said while caressing his face.

"Should I show you how much I love you?" Warrior asked.

"Please..." Wizard breathed out as she wrapped her legs around Warrior's waist as he pushed into her opening and gently moved in and out of her as she breathed deeply and occasionally sighed in bliss, or even giggled. Her vocalizations drove the monster killer above her to mate with her with greater speed and power as she added moaning to the list of sounds being poured into Warrior's ears as her legs...and womanhood, tightened around him.

She then pushed him lightly, and flipped them over, now she was on top and she wasted no time bucking her hips to have her womanhood swallow his organ over and over. He then watched her luscious breasts flop around while she moved up and down and back and forth on his groin. He then groped her rapidly flexing and bouncing buttocks and thrusted up into her as she continued moaning and laughing, until the pair eventually climaxed in-sync with each other before going slack and catching their breath.

"Satisfied?" Warrior asked.

"Very much so...you really know how to please a girl." Wizard said.

"_My_...girl." Warrior said seriously and Wizard giggled.

"Right...like I could ever forget." She said before Warrior locked lips with her again. "Good night beast slayer."

"Good night...my sexy sorceress." Warrior said Wizard snuggled and shifted against him.

* * *

In the morning, Ranger checked on his horse and saw she was still alright, and gave her another bucket of veggies to eat, then after Cow Girl and GS arrived, they got back to training, with Cow Girl actually sparring against the two of them at once, and even though they were holding back, she did not holding back against them...at all. GS and Ranger attacked her one at a time, but she attacked them both at once, in various and outside-the-box ways as well. She even switched between her weapons on-the-fly in the middle of a clash with the two titans of war, like when she attacked one of them on one side, then attacked the other one on the opposite side, spun around their strikes and hit blind spots. At one point, she jumped over GS then threw her axe at Ranger...who caught it.

"Nice going. When I was Emerald Ranked, I wasn't _half_ as flexible with my weapons." Ranger said before throwing the axe back, and it implants into the ground at her feet then Ranger morphs a greatsword...then Cow Girl morphed her rifle and opened fire at Ranger who hid behind his massive sword as GS watched. When Cow Girl stopped firing, Ranger came out and leered at her. "_Two_ can play at that game." He then morphed his pistols and unleashed a barrage of bullets at her shield. She then morphed a sword and used the whip function to lash at Ranger who deflected each strike with his greatsword. GS then rushed at her, and she grabbed the axe from the ground and threw it at GS' legs...and he jumped right over it and kept rushing at her.

Ranger then observed how the two were going at it without holding back; Cow Girl wasn't holding back from the start, but GS isn't either. The two stuck to their swords and shields, with Cow Girl occasionally throwing kicks, and GS' superior armor was going against her mobility, and the scrap ended with Cow Girl knocking GS to a knee, and putting her sword at his throat. She then turned to see Ranger who had a gun in his hand.

"Way to make my victory hollow." Cow Girl said seriously as she let GS go.

"You really think I wouldn't have Goblin Slayer's back given how much we've been through, how much he's done and will do? And don't get me started on how much I got from working with him; I owe part of how I got my current rank to him." Ranger said.

"Alright, alright point taken...though it's really sweet you think of him so highly." Cow Girl said with a smile.

"Yes...it is." GS said as the two looked at him funny. "What?"

"Usually this kind of thing goes over your head." Ranger said.

"I have grown as much as you have Ranger, and from the look of things, that's saying quite a bit." GS said.

"Well, let's go see what the rest are doing shall we?" Cow Girl asked and the two men followed her to the shed...and the Sword Maiden was there petting the horse. "Your Grace?"

"I think you mean Priestess..." Sword Maiden with a smile.

"Right...you're not the archbishop anymore- wait, what are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you..." Cow Girl said.

"Am I not allowed to visit my old family?" Sword Maiden asked, before looking to see the two men behind Cow Girl, who stepped aside so Sword Maiden could greet them. "Ranger...Goblin Slayer."

"Welcome back from the dead." Ranger teased and Sword Maiden giggled before approaching and hugging him tightly.

"Your horse is alright, and she was when I arrived." She said.

"Good..." Ranger whispered before letting go of Sword Maiden and petting his horse, as Sword Maiden turned to GS.

"As for you Goblin Slayer...may I see your face again?" She asked, and GS removed his helmet so she could examine him. "I don't recall you having such...softness in your eyes."

"I have grown as much as Ranger has." GS said simply.

"Goblin Slayer...it shows." Sword Maiden said before looking at Ranger and Cow Girl who were interacting with the horse. "I know you and her are planning to have your own family..."

"Yes." GS said.

"I would like to bless your marriage myself, just like I did for Ranger and Fighter's wedding, if that's o.k. with you." Sword Maiden said.

"Are you allowed to?" GS asked.

"I may not be the archbishop anymore, but I am still a servant of the Supreme God, now more than ever. On top of that...our hearts may belong to others, but I will still be forever grateful to you for ending my nightmares that were filled with goblins." Sword Maiden said.

"I see...well, I do appreciate the gesture." GS said.

"And don't feel like you're expected to go as far as Ranger did on his wedding." Sword Maiden said.

"I don't." GS said and the two then looked at Ranger and Cow Girl interacting with the horse, then Sword Maiden joined them and embraced the horse herself.

"You do indeed have a fine horse Ranger." She said softly.

"And she's been with me for her entire life." Ranger said.

"Your influence shows...as does hers on you." Sword Maiden said, before Cow Girl fed the horse an apple.

"Wow...careful you don't bite my fingers now." She said and Ranger chuckled. "Hey, I need these fingers for working."

"Then pay attention to your hand and not me...I know I'm a catch, but-" Cow Girl cuts him off.

"Let's just stop right there..." She deadpanned and Sword Maiden just told there smiling at their antics.

"Do you all have any plans for today?" She asked.

"Aside from training? Not really." Ranger said.

"You can drop the secrecy Ranger; both of them are welcome in Heaven as well." Sword Maiden said.

"Heaven?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yes, they were asked to come to Heaven no less than twice." Sword Maiden said and Cow Girl stared at her, then Ranger.

"Why didn't you tell us!?" Cow Girl asked.

"It was on a need-to-know basis..." Ranger said.

"Well...we're part of your team aren't we? We should know things like this." Cow Girl said.

"Which is why I am saying so now. You and Goblin Slayer can both come with them; the Champion himself wants to see them at twilight." Sword Maiden said.

"The Cham- The first Platinum Rank himself called them!? Any more shocks we should know about?" Cow Girl asked.

"I got to train with the War God, we learned the Champion's history, and we even saw various people we lost, including the Revenant who helped save your farm a year ago, Dwarf Shaman, and even the vampire queen." Ranger said and Cow Girl stared at him the whole time.

"That's it, me and Goblin Slayer are coming with you..." She said firmly.

"Right." GS said.

"Well...we have several hours before twilight, so let's get some brunch and head out shall we?" Ranger said.

"Ranger, may I talk to you alone first?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Alright..." Ranger said before watching the other two leave. "So what's on your mind?"

"Nothing special, but it's still personal. Starting with how much of a honor it was to see both Platinum Ranks working side by side..." Sword Maiden said and Ranger sighed.

"Even though we bicker like children?" He asked.

"She may be immature, but she cannot see the demands of war as clearly as you can, she is still well-versed enough to defeat the Demon Lord, with or without his full power. If it wasn't for her, the Demon Lord would have eventually obtained his full power...at the entire country's expense. You saw the horrors of Hell yourself on more than one occasion; the goblins aren't much better either." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"Right..." Ranger whispered.

"Although, Storm Mage said that she's never been very easy to get along with; how much more so when the person she's trying to get along with does things she doesn't approve of? Then again...you both seem to have sheathed your blades." Sword Maiden said.

"Yeah...but for how much longer?" Ranger asked.

"Be that as it may, you are both Platinum Ranks, and even the person with the lowest rank in your team has a solid chance in this war. She's probably as fortunate as your wife to be your student." Sword Maiden said.

"Because I'm Platinum Ranked?" Ranger asked.

"Because you _deserve_ your Platinum Rank; the Hero defeated the Demon Lord, which speaks for itself, but you not only defeated the vampire queen...but so many other things were done thanks to you and your team. From where I stand, you _all_ deserve Platinum Ranks, and when the Champion is done with you...they may all become stronger than you." Sword Maiden said and Ranger raises an eyebrow.

"That would be a feat..." He said.

"To be fair though, there is no denying that none of you would have gotten as far as you did alone...and all of you deserve nothing but the best." Sword Maiden said before hugging Ranger, who returned the gesture. "And I love all of you."

"And we love you..." Ranger whispered before Sword Maiden snuggled into him while inhaling deeply.

"I remember when you protected me up north; it was like Storm Mage's moment when he protected me all over again." She said.

"I can imagine...I don't dare think of how I'd respond to seeing the faces of the same goblins who violated you all those years ago." Ranger said while shaking.

"Ranger...you're still angry over that...?" Sword Maiden asked softly.

"Of _course_ I'm still angry over that, and I'm not likely to ever let go of it." Ranger said and Sword Maiden let go of him and held his face undaunted by the subtle but intense rage in his eyes.

"Normally I would remind you about how wrath is not your ally, but in this case, I must insist: let it go. I am free now, and it was _my_ pain, not yours." She said as softly as ever.

"You still shouldn't have had to go through it..." Ranger whispered.

"Believe it or not...I'm almost glad I did." Sword Maiden said and Ranger recoiled. "If I didn't...I would not know the bliss I feel in Storm Mage's arms, just like you would not know the joy of having your heart healed in Fighter's arms."

"As glad as I am that you threw off the goblins' yoke...like I said to my wife last night...I can never get over how torn apart you were after you saved my life, or how much happier you are compared to how you were..." Ranger said before Sword Maiden hugged him again,

"I am happier than I have ever been, ever since I met Storm Mage...his touch not only set me free, but I feel the effects every time we're close." She said dreamily and Ranger felt her tears moisten his shoulder.

"I'm happy for you." Ranger said as he held her closer.

"Then let go of what happened to me. It...it pains me to see that my past still haunts me through your wrath, justified or not. No, I don't fear that you will be consumed by it, but I could never have predicted that one of the people closest to my heart could want to serve me so badly, yet..." Sword Maiden trailed off.

"Sword Maiden..." Ranger whispered.

"I understand you're an agent of vengeance; you follow the War God for a reason, but please...don't put my burden on your shoulders anymore, especially now that I got over it, even before the Cambion assassinated me." Sword Maiden said and Ranger sighed and looked away. "Ranger...what vengeance do you have for me?"

"I never had vengeance for you. How could I?" Ranger said seriously.

"Then heed my request." Sword Maiden said firmly.

"Alright...I don't know if I'll succeed, but I will do what I can. Regardless, I'm still going to wipe out as many of the goblins as I can with every means at my disposal." Ranger said.

"Of course. All I ask is that you cease to look at me as fuel for your desire for revenge." Sword Maiden said.

"Sword Maiden...! I see you as so much more than that I don't know where to begin." Ranger said.

"I mean, I don't want to hold your life back, in any way, shape, or form. I blessed your marriage not just because I owed you...but also because you and Fighter deserve as much of a life as I have in Heaven, in Storm Mage's arms, or beyond." Sword Maiden said.

"I understand...I suppose if Fighter and Storm Mage's positions were the same as ours...they'd want the same thing." Ranger said thoughtfully before Sword Maiden embraced him again.

"Thank you for understanding. Like I said, I understand your desire to avenge what happened to me, but I don't want our love to breed a greater amount of hatred in you, or anyone for that matter. I shudder to think how tense this would be if I were the one who married you instead..." She said.

"Sword Maiden...I hate to say it, but my hatred for the goblins is greater than my love for you, but Storm Mage is the other way around...and even if I wasn't married to Fighter, he deserves your heart more than I do." Ranger said honestly.

"You still have a piece of my heart, you always did...and I never thought about how sad it is that my plight is driving you down a dark path in it's own right." Sword Maiden said softly before looking at him, and he saw her tear-stained cheeks.

"You had a piece of my heart as well, for just as long as well...and yes I hate the goblins because of what they did to you, but that's only because what you went through is more common than it has any right to be, and as far as I'm concerned, the moment it stops bothering me, is the moment I lose the right to be a Platinum Rank." Ranger said as he dried her tears.

"I guess so...and here I am going back on the pride I felt in your discipline." Sword Maiden said.

"Hey, that just shows how much love you have." Ranger said.

"Love really does conquer all." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Don't I know..." Ranger said before touching her cheek, kissing her forehead, and looking at her smiling face.

"Storm Mage holds and kisses me the same way you do with Fighter..." She whispered.

"Good. You were owed just as much for far too long." Ranger said as softly as ever while continuing to stare at her.

"Am I still beautiful?" Sword Maiden asked.

"I don't know how you can stop." Ranger said and Sword Maiden giggled.

"I don't know why I expected you to say something aside from that..." She said.

"Probably because you know me so well...but really, even to this day, you are one of the most beautiful women I know." Ranger said.

"As you are the most handsome...except for Storm Mage." Sword Maiden said and Ranger snickered.

"I figured you'd say that...although, you're as lovely as you were when we first met, and thank the Supreme that blindfold is off your face..." He said and Sword Maiden smiled even brighter.

"It's because of your arrival that I no longer needed it." She said.

"I remember." Ranger whispered while running his hand through her hair.

"Before I return to Heaven, I'm going to pay your daughter a visit." Sword Maiden said.

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you, and when you get back to Heaven and tell the Champion we'll see him soon." Ranger said as Sword Maiden let him go and vanished before turning to his horse, petting her as she kept feasting on her breakfast before going inside...and saw Cow Girl vigorously kissing GS against the wall, and even heard Cow Girl moan as GS groped her butt. "Enjoying yourselves?" Cow Girl immediately exclaimed and yanked herself away from GS as she noticed Ranger standing there laughing.

"Ranger!" Cow Girl exclaimed.

"Hey, next time you decide to start tasting each other...get a room." Ranger said with amusement.

"How were we supposed to know you'd be out there for this short a time span?" Cow Girl asked.

"Good point..." Ranger said.

"Let's just go see the rest of the team." GS said simply before putting his helmet back on.

"My good Goblin Slayer...you were just having a moment with one of the most beautiful women in the country. You should be ecstatic." Ranger teased.

"I am...I just don't let it distract me." GS said.

"Distract?" Cow Girl asked in awe.

"O.k. to be fair, romantic attachments can go too far in the right direction, and once that happens...they lose a chunk of their right to be there." Ranger said and Cow Girl glanced at him.

"Way to save his bacon..." She deadpanned before she and Ranger followed GS outside to the guild hall.

* * *

When they got there...Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric were with Heavy Warrior...who spotted the trio as they approached.

"Heavy?" Ranger asked in awe.

"Long time no see." H.W. said before Ranger stopped in front of the larger man.

"What are you doing here?" Ranger asked.

"We invited them." A.C. said.

"Them?" Cow Girl asked before they turned to hear metallic footsteps, and lo and behold, Female Knight was there.

"She means me." She said.

"Right..." Ranger said.

"We would've come sooner, but...ho boy these hell goblins are making a mess out there." H.W. said.

"Well, you're here now boss." R.W. said and clasped hands with his former leader.

"Right, and you two are official servants of the new archbishop...that's quite a way to go for a pair that used to be Porcelain Rank a year ago." H.W. said.

"And you...my dear girl, get to work with a Platinum Rank, and his team...nice to see another girl working her way up." F.K. said.

"What choice do I have?" Cow Girl asked.

"Oh right, I forgot about the farm...sorry to bring that up." F.k. said and Cow Girl sighed.

"I'll live..." She said.

"Speaking of training, we got some done just this morning." Ranger said.

"We also have a special kind to do with the rest of the team once they arrive." GS said.

"Can we come too?" R.W. asked.

"Sorry, our new methods are on a need-to-know basis." Ranger said.

"So you're keeping secrets about your training now? Smooth..." A.C. said.

"There's a good reason for it." Ranger said with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sure there is. Anyway, what's new?" F.k. asked.

"Other then we saved this city not once but twice-" F.k. cuts Ranger off.

"We know about the invasion and everything that goes with it, but I meant with you personally." She said.

"Well...me and the Hero's team went and gave the Evil Sect a black eye...or a thousand." Ranger said.

"You worked with the Hero?" R.W. asked.

"Hey, it's hardly the first time we worked together, and I doubt it'll be the last." Ranger said.

"Anything else?" H.W. asked.

"Well they thought it would be a bright idea to put a thousand plus gold coin bounty on my head, and the heads of my team for that matter. They even had the audacity to have that bounty be funded by money they stole." Ranger said and R.W. scoffed.

"Yeah, look at how well that worked out..." He said.

"Just don't go trying to collect it yourselves..." Ranger said.

"Hell no!

"Let's just go some some on our own, for old time's sake." H.W. said.

"Alright..." A.C. said.

"See you three later." F.k. said as the four left and Cow Girl waved them off.

"So...what should we do until the rest get here?" She asked as Ranger went to sit down.

"No idea..." He said as Cow Girl sat next to him, and GS leaned against a wall.

"What did the Sword Maiden want to talk to you about?" He asked.

"Mostly just how lucky Ms. Goblin Slayer is to be my student..." Ranger said.

"You're not going to continue calling me that as a trend are you?" Cow Girl asked.

"Hadn't planned on it no." Ranger said as the rest of the team came into view, with Priestess in her dark green dress instead of her archbishop outfit.

"We have a surprise for you." Warrior said as Wizard stepped forward...and revealed her longer hair when she removed her hood. Cow Girl's eyes widened, and Ranger let off a whistle.

"Don't you look nice." He said.

"Thanks boss." Wizard said softly.

"How did you do it?" Cow Girl asked.

"Basically, I made a powder, then a gel that makes hair grow faster, adding the Transmute spell was more of an experiment, but the results speak for themselves." Wizard said.

"You...should be a stylist." Fighter said and Wizard hummed in acknowledge.

"That's actually not a bad idea; remind me to do that on the side when this is over." She said.

"Well, until then, we have some business to take care of." Ranger said seriously.

"Right...well, thanks to our resident monster killer here, I got the idea of putting that power we were given into our enchantments...especially our necklaces." Wizard said as she handed Cow Girl's necklace to her. "Now we should probably be able to grow limbs back if they were lost, in a few seconds too."

"You're kidding me..." Cow Girl said.

"Although, I doubt it'll be effective enough for you to regrow limbs nonstop in the middle of an intense fight, not to mention...losing limbs hurts." Wizard said and Fighter rubbed her own arm; the memory of Cambion ripping her arm off lingered.

"We also got some work done on the armor suits; they each have their own Army of One function, although I don't know how strong it is, or if it needs recharging." Wizard's brother said.

"In other words: it may or may not be incomplete." Wizard said.

"Right..." Her brother said.

"But either way these suits probably have even less calm than a hurricane." Warrior said before pulling his hammer.

"Speaking of which..." Fighter trailed off.

"Don't tell me you want me to make one." Warrior said seriously.

"Of course not bonehead; I was just saying you could probably cause one." Fighter said.

"Right...and who are you calling bonehead, bonehead?" Warrior said as the rest of the team watched their antics.

"So...Goblin Slayer, how much does she look like me when I stopped cutting my hair?" Cow Girl asked.

"Alot." GS said simply.

"Well now you won't have to feel so bad about the time you touched her leg when we went swimming." Fighter said.

"You are never going to let me live that down are you?" Warrior asked and a few of his teammates got some laughs, including Ranger, Cow Girl, and the Wizard siblings a Warrior deadpanned at everyone.

"Anyway, we got some practice in earlier, did you?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Did we get practice in she asks..." Ranger said before morphing his greatsword and a gun.

"What the-?" Wizard said.

"I kept some material for myself; I'm not Platinum Ranked for nothing..." Ranger said proudly.

"Well, let's go get some lunch shall we?" Fighter said as they went into he guild hall, and unsurprisingly, the desks were flooded with adventurers looking for possible quests, and the moment the team walked in...everyone stared at Wizard, who was reliving the time people gawked at her on her birthday when she got her multi-colored dress. Ranger himself was asked to come see some of them, and Priestess led them to see Guild Girl.

"You honor me with your presence Your Grace." She said dramatically with a small curtsy which got a smile out of Priestess.

"You're too kind." She said playfully before Guild Girl noticed Wizard.

"Let me guess: the alchemical powder I put in my hair is a bigger hit than I thought?" She asked.

"You can say that again." Guild Girl said.

"Let me guess: the alchemical powder I put in my hair is a bigger hit than I thought?" Wizard asked with a smirk and everyone stared at her.

"Smartass..." Her brother said and Wizard snickered.

"So...what can I do for all of you?" Guild Girl asked.

"Anything about goblins?" GS asked.

"Nothing so far." Guild Girl said.

"You'll keep us posted right?" Cow Girl asked.

"As always..." Guild Girl said as Ranger came back. "Welcome back Ranger."

"Nice to be back..." Ranger said before sighing.

"Were they too hard on you honey?" Fighter asked.

"No, but they were...pretty persistent. What part of "there's a reason so few people follow the War God" is hard to grasp?" Ranger said.

"Maybe because you didn't say what that reason is." Cow Girl said.

"Yes I did actually. Not in detail for obvious reasons, but still." Ranger said honestly.

"Then I guess some people just don't want to get the message." Guild Girl said.

"Right..." Ranger whispered.

"Hey, there's Summoner." Rhea Fighter said as she pointed to Summoner, who was sitting alone eating some chowder. The team then went to get some food themselves and Wizard went up to him.

"This table for one?" Wizard asked and Summoner huffed in amusement without looking at her.

"No, but I would still like some alone time." He said.

"Tough morning?" Wizard asked.

"No...tough yesterday." Summoner said somberly.

"Want to talk about it?" Wizard asked and Summoner sighed.

"I'd rather not, at least not while I'm eating..." He said.

"May I ask what you're eating?" Wizard asked.

"Just some clam, potato, and cheese chowder I was curious about. I prefer poultry, venison, or pork, but still, it's not half bad." Summoner said.

"Alright...see you later." Wizard said.

"You can come back when you're done eating, you and your team; I should be alright by then..." Summoner said as Wizard walked off and the next half an hour was spent with the team eating seafood, and Wizard even tried some of the same chowder Summoner was feasting on. Afterwards, after the team was done giving details about their recent missions, minus the most sensitive ones, and Priestess was asked about how she is handling being archbishop, they went to go see Summoner. "Welcome back..."

"You said to come back when we were done." Wizard said.

"I know.." Summoner said before turning to see her...and his eyes widened. "Wizard?"

"About time you noticed." Wizard said as Summoner kept staring at her. "Let me guess, you want some yourself?"

"How'd you know?" Summoner asked.

"Educated guess. But on a serious note, I'm going to have to make more since I used it all up on myself, plus it's not complete." Wizard said.

"I hope you don't make yourself bald now." Summoner said seriously.

"Way to jinx it..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Anyway...are you alright?" Fighter asked.

"Lady...I dealt with a demon who made-" Fighter cuts him off.

"Yeah...we already heard from the Abbot, but that doesn't change the fact that she's right behind us." She said seriously.

"Right...she and Inspector patched up most of the damage, bless their hearts...but I still get a tight stomach just thinking about-" Summoner shuts up the moment he recalled his nightmare and covers his mouth while gagging. He then took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "Anyway...before any of you ask: I'm an inch away from completing the translations."

"Good, but we ourselves still have some things to do in the meantime." Ranger said.

"Well, let's not make it a race alright?" Summoner asked and some of the team smile at his quip.

"No promises..." Warrior said.

"May I ask exactly what's keeping you?" Priestess asked.

"First off, it's alot to translate, and don't get me started on how complex it is to translate the demon's language into something...not gag-inducing. Secondly, I have other things to do in addition to the translations, and lastly...I have a right to live a life, despite my profession." Summoner said.

"Alright, alright...no need to drop a hammer on her head now." Warrior said and Summoner sighed.

"Sorry..." He whispered harshly.

"Come on, we should leave the poor man be." Rhea Fighter said.

"That would be nice." Summoner said.

"Alright, see you later." Fighter said.

"Say hi to the kid for me..." Summoner said as the team left the guild hall. When they did, he shared a glance and a small smile with Guild Girl, and noticed Inspector going with a man in a guild outfit, as well as a trio of adventurers, most likely for a promotion exam. He then went behind a wall, went into Limbo, and went to investigate...and he was right. Inspector was called there to be a human lie detector, and it was actually necessary. One of the trio was keeping a secret that turned out to be pretty minor; he was just looking to surprise someone he knew, but said nothing else for obvious reasons. In the end, each of them were elevated from Steel, to Sapphire Rank, and they went right past Summoner, who stayed in Limbo to be unnoticed, so they could go downstairs to celebrate their promotions with a feast. Eventually, the guild man stayed there to get some paperwork done while Inspector left.

"Say hi to the family for me." Inspector said.

"Will do." The man said as Inspector closed the door...and noticed Summoner come out of Limbo.

"Summoner...?" Inspector whispered.

"The one and only." Summoner said before Inspector embraced him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I just wanted to see the birthday girl again." Summoner said softly.

"You're alittle late to make this a birthday present." Inspector teased.

"How about this...?" Summoner asked before pulling her into a deep, sweet kiss that made her hold him more tightly. "Well?"

"It's lucky for you I like that chowder you ate..." Inspector said and Summoner chuckled.

"Outside of that?" He asked.

"You never have to wait for my birthday to do that..." Inspector breathed out before kissing him again.

"Good to know." Summoner said before kissing her yet again.

"Summoner...what's this about?" Inspector asked seriously and Summoner sighed.

"It's that unholy nightmare. I never questioned the place love had in my life until now..." He said and Inspector's eyes widened and her breath hitched.

"What...?" She asked.

"On one hand, your love, and Guild Girl's love are something I will never take for granted, but on the other...if I didn't love her, I wouldn't have been as traumatized, and your case is most likely the same." Summoner said honestly.

"Summoner...you don't know that. What that demon did to you was an act of cruelty, but it's all on his head; not one second of that was your fault, but even if it was...how could you have known this would happen?" Inspector said.

"Maybe...but-" She cuts Summoner off.

"But nothing. If you had known this would happen, would you isolate yourself from every woman you encounter, and keep them in the dark about how strong a grasp fear has on your heart? If you did, then you would have done that demon's work for it. So please...don't blame yourself." Inspector said seriously, before hugging Summoner and being hugged in return.

"Thank you...I didn't even know how much I needed to hear that." Summoner whispered.

"I just asked myself "what would the Sword Maiden say?"." Inspector said honestly.

"Well, I'm sure she'd be honored...I know I am." Summoner said softly.

"I love you." Inspector said.

"I love you too..." Summoner said before running his hand through her hair. "Sorry for holding you up so much."

"Don't worry about it. Even if we weren't together, you still need me, and I'm still a priestess of the Supreme God, so this is technically part of my job." Inspector said.

"I'll bet you healed quite a few broken hearts before we met right?" Summoner asked.

"Most likely." Inspector said.

"Well...thanks again for healing my own." Summoner said.

"Don't mention it, afterall...I'm your sexy priestess." Inspector said and Summoner smirked.

"That you are baby..." He whispered before kissing her again.

* * *

"So how would you like a bomb launcher for your gun?" Wizard's brother asked before tossing Cow Girl a new mod for her rifle, which was basically a larger version of her shotgun mod, and she looked it over before loading a bomb into it. Wizard then had a summoned stone elemental make some dummies...then Cow Girl unloaded the bomb into them and blew them all to bits as her eyes popped out of their sockets.

"I wish I had this beforehand..." She said.

"No kidding...the goblins are probably going to start inhaling pieces of their kin with that in your hands." Wizard said and several people stared at her.

"Appetizing..." Fighter deadpanned.

"Well it's true..." Wizard said.

"Anyway...Goblin Slayer? How would you like a grappling hook to play with?" Wizard's brother asked, and GS held out his hand, as Wizard's brother tossed him a pair of hooks on chains...to attach to his sawed-off shotguns.

"Yikes...do you can grapple goblins to you, or yourself to a hob or something. May they rest in pieces..." Warrior said harshly.

"How long were you waiting to say that line?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Long enough." Warrior deadpanned.

"Anything else?" Ranger asked.

"Well...would you like a bomb launcher?" Wizard's brother asked and Ranger looked away thoughtfully.

"I almost never use bombs actually..." He said.

"It's not too late. Actually...arrows that act as bombs isn't half bad..." Fighter said.

"Did someone say arrows that act like bombs?" H.E. Druid said as she approached.

"Yeah. So?" Fighter asked.

"What blasphemy is this? Use arrows as arrows." H.E. Druid said.

"What's wrong with mashing the two ideas together? Aside from the possible difficulty..." Fighter asked.

"What's wrong is the principle being defiled." H.E. Druid said seriously.

"Defiled?" Fighter asked.

"Didn't you learn anything about archery? It's not just a way to deal with your foe from a range; it's sacred." H.E. Druid said.

"Using guns isn't much different." Ranger said.

"Please...using a gun isn't much different from a crossbow, and we all know either one can be used without real skill." H.E. Druid said.

"Real skill my ass. You have to actually hit your target in any case." Warrior said.

"Still, I doubt most of us elves would be caught with a gun to save their lives." H.E. Druid said.

"Then I am glad beyond belief that I'm not an elf. My guns saved my own life, and other people's lives more times than I can count, like that girl I traveled with up north." Ranger said.

"Oh yeah, that's right. You traveled with a girl that looked like Fighter here, and you used it to get a pack of goblins off of her...good on you for it by the way." Rhea Fighter said.

"On top of that but...doesn't your boyfriend use a rifle? Aka...a _gun_?" Warrior asked.

"Alright, point taken...maybe I was being a bit harsh." H.E. Druid said.

"Alright then..." Warrior said.

"So is that a yes or-" Fighter cuts Wizard's brother off.

"Yes, hit me." She said, and tosses him her bow, who catches it without issue.

"This will probably take a while; the rest of your weapons are still being worked on as well, so...go enjoy yourselves?" Wizard's brother said.

"Might as well." Ranger said.

"Wait a minute...you already have that power enchantment." H.E. Druid said.

"The bow itself is enchanted, but the arrows aren't. Granted getting one enchantment to work around another is going to be...quite a feat, but still." Wizard said.

"What about the scrolls we took from the spire?" GS asked.

"Like we established, more aren't all that noteworthy aside from that scroll that lets us put one enchantment on multiple items en mass." Wizard's brother said.

"Gateways?" GS asked.

"Huh...if you mean pull a stunt like we did with the ogre, then...it's possible." Wizard said.

"What if we use lava or falling rocks instead of water?" Warrior asked and everyone stared at him. "What?"

"Maybe...we do that in combination with the elementals! We have them create a stockpile of ammo if you will, then attach the gateway to that stockpile..." Wizard's brother said.

"And if needed, we use the scroll and unleash that stockpile, or at least part of it." Ranger said.

"Goblin Slayer, you officially helped change the way magic is used..." Wizard said.

"And you...are on your way to becoming an archmage." Fighter said as she put her hand on Wizard's shoulder, and Wizard hugged her pseudo-sister.

"Alright...now that we got that out of the way, how about we use a gateway to that beach, and get more coconuts? I noticed we're starting to run out." Rhea Fighter said.

"Not a bad idea..I could go for some sun myself." H.E. Druid said.

"Then go get the Dwarf-" Ranger shut up the moment D.R. showed up.

"Did someone say beach?" He asked.

"I did." Rhea Fighter said simply.

"Count me in too. I haven't gone swimming in _way_ too long." D.R. said.

"Well, you two can stay as long as you want; we have to be back by sundown." Ranger said.

"Why?" H.E. Druid asked.

"We...have somewhere to be by then." Warrior said.

"So do we." Cow Girl said as she clung onto GS' arm.

"What are you talking about?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Sorry, we can't say too much, especially not in public." Ranger said.

"Suit yourselves..." D.R. said.

"I hate to say it, but I've been away from the Temple of Law for too long as it is." Priestess said.

"We'll bring you a souvenir." Cow Girl said and Priestess giggled and Fighter embraced her.

"We'll be back in less than an hour." She said.

"Alright. I'll see you all then." Priestess said.

"By your leave Your Grace." Warrior said with a small bow and Priestess giggled again, before Fighter kissed her forehead.

"See you later." Fighter said softly.

"Alright...I love you." Priestess said and then went to the Temple of Law, as the rest of the team went to Ranger and Fighter's they got there, they took a gateway to the beach, and spent the better part of an hour gathering coconuts like they planned, but also looked over the place recalling what they did in each specific place...and letting each other know what happened in each place, minus the most...intimate details.

* * *

When they returned, they went straight to the training grounds and watched Heavy Warrior and Female Knight wrap up the training with the newly weds...which was mostly just Rookie Warrior holding off the two veterans with Apprentice Cleric using Empower to let him keep up with the two comfortably...with them both fighting him at the same time.

The whole time, the two were fighting R.W. one by one, but even then it was an even fight; R.W. was fighting at his peak, but his two opponents kept him on his toes since they each had their own styles, ones he knew all too well since they worked together for at least a year. R.W. danced circles around the pair, dodging and blocking even H.W.'s greatsword, and managed to stagger F.k. with his blows, and when H.W. finally landed a hit, R.W. got sent flying across the arena...which alarmed several people, especially the participants. A.C. went to check on him, and the Empower miracle softened the impact, but R.W. was still out of commission. Warrior then tossed over a spare life potion and the newly weds took a raincheck.

Afterwards, Ranger went home while the rest of the team stayed to train with the newly weds. When he got there, Dward Rifleman and H.E. Druid were there talking to Songstress, and D.R. approached Ranger.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Let's go somewhere private please." D.R. said seriously, and Ranger led him to a room in the back.

"What's wrong?" Ranger asked as D.R. sat down.

"A little birdie told me that you ran into a band of outlaws before you tore the Evil Sect a new asscrack." D.R. said.

"Yeah. So?" Ranger asked.

"The sick fuck that leads them. Him and his goons killed a friend of mine..." D.R. said harshly.

"Well, I got rid of them all so...your friend was avenged." Ranger said simply.

"I figured as much. Did he suffer?" D.R. asked.

"I kicked the living shit out of him before making him spill his guts about the Evil Sect so...yes he did." Ranger said.

"I mean...did he _suffer_?" D.R. asked.

"Unless I'm dealing with goblins, I'm not too keen on dragging things out. Now if you told me this beforehand, I would've dragged him here so you can...do whatever medieval bullshit you did to Warlock." Ranger said.

"That was different; call it heat of the moment." D.R. said.

"May I ask what you did to that Warlock?" Ranger asked.

"You don't want to know." D.R. said simply and Ranger scoffed.

"My good man, when I first went up north, I escorted a girl who looked like a younger version of my wife. In the middle of the night, a pair of goblins knocked her out, took her to the rest of their group, and I got there just to time to see them get ready to rape her who knows how often. I interrupted them with a single gunshot, and when I was done with the ones who were desperately trying to cease the pain of getting their flesh sliced open and then burned closed...I put them all in one big pile, and watched them all spend their last minute of life screaming and thrashing in agony. Even the smell didn't phase me..." He said and D.R. stared at him the whole time.

"Ranger...you scare me...and I hunt demons for a living." He said.

"Well, now will you let me know what you did to that parasite who turned my wife into a vegetable?" Ranger asked.

"I just crushed his bones one by one, cut his skin off bit by bit and burned the wounds closed with a torch, all of that after partially crushing his throat so he couldn't talk shit, let alone scream for help." D.R. said.

"Supreme above...!" Ranger whispered in awe.

"And don't get me started on what I did to the rest of the assholes I encountered before I met all of you..." D.R. said.

"Seems we all have a fair share of butchery in our pasts..." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"No shit." D.R. said.

"So...your friend?" Ranger asked.

"I'd rather not say what happened, but they helped me become Ruby Ranked." D.R. said.

"Fair enough." Ranger said.

"So...that hot farm girl Goblin Slayer is probably sleeping with...you think you, me, and her could give some targets a good mauling?" D.R. asked.

"I was actually going to suggest that very thing to her, only...I wasn't counting on you getting involved." Ranger said.

"Yeah, what else is new?" D.R. asked before they left to go fetch Cow Girl.

* * *

When they did, Wizard set up the same obstacle course she did the first time, with multiple adjustments to fit Ranger's specifications. Instead of a simply maze, Ranger had her throw in elevated platforms, obstacles that were to be climbed over, and even trenches to move through, and some targets that were peering into the trenches. Like last time, some targets were to be avoided, like innocent bystanders would be in a real situation.

Ranger led the charge of course, with the other two moving past him and the trio took turns moving past, and around each other until all the right targets were disposed of, and all the false targets were extracted to simulate saving hostages, or escorting people to safety.

"Nice going bullet slingers." Hero said as the group turned to see her leaning against a wall.

"How long were you standing there?" D.R. asked.

"Long enough to see you train your lady friend to be a hero herself." Hero said.

"You're not going to give me a "nice to see a woman keep up with the men" speech are you?" Cow Girl asked.

"Of course not; actions speak for themselves." Hero said.

"A truer word is rarely spoken." Ranger said.

"Are you just here to observe us or...?" D.R. trailed off.

"Her Grace wants to see you." Hero said simply and the trio stared at her. "What?"

"It's awfully cathartic seeing you play messanger." D.R. said.

"Don't get used to it...me and Ranger did a pretty good job tearing the Evil Sect apart. Apparently." Hero said.

"Well, we can't keep Her Grace waiting." Cow Girl said as she walked off, with the two men following.

"Wait, aren't you at all curious?" Ranger asked.

"Normally I would be but...the Abbot says that Her Grace would let us know if it was important." Hero said.

"I take it you don't like it?" Ranger asked and Hero sighed.

"Look...I like the formerly-old man as much as the next girl, but secrecy isn't all it's cracked up to be." She said.

"Right...well, see you later." Ranger said.

"Just go..." Hero snapped and Ranger stood there staring at her before leaving.

* * *

"Welcome back all of you." Priestess said as the team approached.

"We have returned Your Grace." Fighter said with a curtsy much to Priestess' amusement.

"Women..." Warrior said before Wizard elbowed him. "Ow..."

"Should we get to Heaven now?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"And are you going to include us this time?" Wizard's brother asked.

"We would've the first time, if you hadn't been preoccupied." Wizard said.

"Excuse me for trying to help Summoner translate something that could save our bacon..." Wizard's brother said.

"And I was working with some of my fellow Rheas." Rhea Fighter said.

"To be fair, I'm sure the Champion will understand; there's a reason he told us to complete our training with him today instead of yesterday." Priestess said.

"Even if he didn't want us to put the power we took from him to use." Warrior said.

"Speaking of whom, what can we expect from the good Champion?" Cow Girl asked.

"Lady...that man isn't even human; even when crippled, all five of us hitting him at once, and Ranger at his full, absolute, maximum power...the Champion was still o.k." Warrior said and Cow Girl went pale.

"And we're going to face this man..." She whispered.

"We'll be fine. He's not our enemy, and he's certainly not a goblin." GS said.

"Goblin Slayer...that's probably the truest thing you've ever said..." Ranger said.

"The good news is that he's the definition of a fair player. The bottom line is, we _cannot_ beat him, but he knows that, and gave us a fighting chance against him. He's actually the perfect sparring partner if you think about it..." Warrior said.

"By the way, whatever happened to the good Father?" Fighter asked.

"He's either working with Inspector, or with the Hero's team...let me check." Priestess said before closing her eyes and sucking in several breathes. "I was right the first time: he's working at the guild hall, he's also talking to them about what we've done since we formed our family."

"Huh, lucky us." Warrior said.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"Hey, we're already famous as it is; this is just icing on the cake." Warrior said.

"If you say so..." Fighter said.

"Well, until we're called back to Heaven, we have about an hour to kill, so I suggest we all get some rest beforehand." Ranger said.

"Well, there's no shortage of that to be done here. I for one would like to check the gardens." Rhea Fighter said.

"I'll check it out myself." H.E. Druid said.

"Me too." D.R. said.

"I could use a bath..." Fighter said.

"I could go for one myself." Cow Girl said.

"Goblin Slayer?" Warrior asked.

"I already cleaned myself." GS said simply.

"Without me...?" Cow Girl said.

"You were training with Ranger and the Dwarf, and I figured you wouldn't want to be with me when I smell of goblin blood." GS said honestly.

"You win this round..." Cow Girl said.

"Well...less talking, more resting." Fighter said as the team left. When they did, H.E. Druid, D.R. and Rhea Fighter went to the gardens to soak in the atmosphere, along with Warrior, and the Wizard siblings. Fighter checked in with the acolytes, and Ranger went to the bedrooms, especially the ones were he and GS had their Resurrections, and when he got to the one where he had his own...Sword Maiden was standing next to it looking at the bed itself. The moment Ranger came in...she looked up and smiled brightly.

"Two visits in one day? You're smothering me Your Grace." Ranger said.

"I wasn't even aware you were coming." Sword Maiden said.

"I find that hard to believe." Ranger said.

"You know I'm sworn to truth." Sword Maiden said.

"Your point?" Ranger asked.

"Ranger..." Sword Maiden said playfully and Ranger snickered before walking up to her and the two embraced.

"I'm as glad to see you as I was before." Ranger said before kissing her temple.

"As am I." Sword Maiden said before kissing his cheek. "To answer you honestly, I am in this room for the same reason you are."

"To recall the time you kept me from dying?" Ranger asked before the two sat down, and Sword Maiden leaned into his side.

"Yes..." She whispered.

"I also recall the moment you tried to kiss me..." Ranger said and Sword Maiden sighed.

"I...wasn't in my right mind at the time, and once I came to my senses, I was glad you stopped me." She said somberly.

"Sword Maiden..." Ranger whispered and her breath hitched.

"Now that tone you just used is one I will always treasure; when I told Goblin Slayer my story, it was as if my feelings fell on a numb heart, but you actually cared for me...like you do now." Sword Maiden said.

"Like I said at the time: if I wasn't in love with Fighter, I would give my love to you no questions asked." Ranger said.

"Even though I wasn't pure?" Sword Maiden asked seriously.

"As far as I'm concerned...I would've made you pure..." Ranger said honestly.

"Just like Storm Mage did..." Sword Maiden whispered and took a moment to compose herself. "I'm sorry...even after all this time, this is too hard to talk about." With that Ranger hugged her as close as he could

"Then don't." He whispered and Sword Maiden snuggled into him.

"I love you so much." She said.

"And I love you." Ranger said, and the two sat there holding each other for the better part of a minute, with Sword Maiden occasionally shifting against his form-fitting light armor. "Thanks again for looking after me when that fear demon broke me..."

"I owed you no less. Besides...the country- no...the world needs you, and your team." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"Right...I'm the Ranger afterall..." Ranger said while standing up, and morphing his greatsword and a gun.

"I watched your training with Goblin Slayer and his farm girl lover, why don't you make a gun as large as your sword? You had shorter swords at first." Sword Maiden said and Ranger stared into the distance in awe. Why didn't he think of that earlier? "Well? Give it a try." With that, Ranger de-morphed his greatsword, and then turned his handgun...into a rifle, just like Cow Girl's.

"So...the student has become the master." Ranger said...then he de-morphed the rifle, and kept the greatsword out, before looking it over. "This blade..."

"What about it?" Sword Maiden asked as she stood up.

"It's not just a weapon to me, it's a symbol. The War God gets a rep for being the patron of warmongers, those who use war as a tool rather than see war as something to end...and with the Champion's help, and with the Supreme as my witness, we will end it..." Ranger said harshly before de-morphing the greatsword.

"Ranger...what exactly do you plan on doing after you come back from Heaven?" Sword Maiden asked seriously.

"Find the Cambion, and put that sack of shit in his grave!" Ranger snapped and Sword Maiden recoiled at his outburst before he got a grip. "Sorry...I shouldn't use that kind of language..."

"You said yourself the goblins are still at large, and Summoner is almost done with his translations. On top of that...the Cambion is doing what he believes is ultimately for the better." Sword Maiden said.

"Well he's not." Ranger said simply.

"How do you know?" Sword Maiden asked.

"How do I _not_ know?" Ranger asked.

"Ranger...you may be a master of warfare, but the Cambion's motives are as straightforward as your own, as are his methods." Sword Maiden said.

"You know what your death did to the people here...do you honestly expect me to let that slide?" Ranger asked while tensing up.

"Remember what I said about adding my burden to your own?" Sword Maiden asked.

"This is different." Ranger said.

"No...it's _worse_." Sword Maiden said and Ranger started thinking. "You're doing to the people, what you did to me. I know the people aren't as close to you as I am, but if they were in my shoes, do you think they'd want this if they knew what I knew?"

"Of course not, but they don't-" Sword Maiden cuts him off.

"That's not the point. Seriously, you may be in control of your wrath, but it still taxes you in a way it shouldn't. Why do you think I haven't recommended you to be an agent of the Supreme like Priestess was before she became archbishop?" She asked.

"I...never thought of that..." Ranger said.

"Because you yourself are an agent of vengeance, not justice. Yes you help the people whenever possible, but in the end...your family are the ones who kept you in check, otherwise...you might have wound up worse than Goblin Slayer." Sword Maiden said. and Ranger sat down again. "Now...I must ask you one more thing: that wrath you carry, how much of it is aimed at yourself?"

"Why would you ask me that?" Ranger asked.

"Because it demands attention. Judging you is the last thing I would ever do, but I think that your first quest-" Ranger cuts her off.

"Sword Maiden...we are marching on some pretty thin ice here..." He said.

"Like I said, judging you is the last thing I'd do...but you say your wrath is under your control, but I couldn't help but notice that isn't always true, like when you mentioned the end of this war, and especially when I asked what you planned on doing when you returned from Heaven..." Sword Maiden said.

"I still got a hold of myself; a year ago I wouldn't have been able to do that." Ranger said.

"And when you smashed apart the entrance to the cave you had your first quest in?" Sword Maiden asked.

"You know how I feel about that place; it was an itch I didn't even know I hadn't scratched in over a year. O.k. seriously, everything I did because of my wrath is easier to excuse than people think. I have no choices to undo, and nothing to answer for, none that I haven't already." Ranger said and Sword Maiden sighed.

"I'm sorry for my lack of faith, but I see so much darkness in you that refuses to go away that the archbishop in me feels the end to expel it...justice and vengeance really don't go hand-in-hand do they?" She said.

"I guess not...how the Supreme handles the War God is a mystery." Ranger said.

"Perhaps because the War God is a lesser god, and there is a reason for that, despite how much corruption you yourself have eliminated." Sword Maiden said.

"And justice is not about striking down evil...that's more along the lines of vengeance, and there's a reason vengeance is so controversial." Ranger said.

"That doesn't mean you're doomed from the start just because you do down a dark path, or were sent into the mouth of one like I was; just like how Storm Mage cleansed me, your wife cleanses you daily. The frequency of your case is what alarmed me so." Sword Maiden said.

"I understand...and here I am scared of causing the wrong kind of fear, and I just now noticed how much of a perfect storm this is. I fear causing the wrong kind of fear, you get exposed to that wrong kind of fear...which is all the more powerful since...well, don't take this the wrong way, but fear had it's fingers in you for far too long, and the lack of faith you admitted to fuels the wrath that you fear in the first place, and I myself do nothing to stop it...how to end it?" Ranger said.

"Maybe I need to officially forgive you before the Supreme like I did for my husband." Sword Maiden said.

"Why not...?" Ranger whispered before Sword Maiden took his hands.

"Ranger...champion of the War God, former servant of myself, faithful husband and father, as those girls you murdered forgave you, and how your family continues to do the Supreme's bidding in holding back your darkness, so now your sin is purged, now and forever, under the eyes of the Supreme God. Do you accept?" She asked.

"Yes..." Ranger said and Sword Maiden hugged him yet again as he inhaled one deep breath after another, as her divine scent filled his lungs. "While I doubt that was necessary, like I told myself months ago: never turn down favors from the Supreme."

"Wise decision...although, this doesn't erase my own guilt. You were correct: it was fear driving me, not love, just like despair drove you rather than compassion. The difference is semantic at best, and non-existent at worst." Sword Maiden said.

"And this is why I love talking to you; I dare say each time is it's own adventure." Ranger said and Sword Maiden giggled.

"You flatter me..." She said softly.

"Not at all...sheesh, this is even sappier than when I said how majestic you were after you resurrected me..." Ranger said and Sword Maiden giggled again. "Hey, I'm allowed to make fun of myself."

"Something that is not to be made fun of, is how I am grateful to your wife that she is able to keep your wrath under control, even when your will is enough...but considering my own past, I know all too well that no two ailments have the same cure...I may let you have miracles from the Supreme afterall at this rate." Sword Maiden said.

"What good will they do against the Cambion?" Ranger asked.

"What good do they need to do against the Cambion?" Sword Maiden asked.

"He's immune to holy arts isn't he?" Ranger asked.

"That's not the point; this isn't just about slaying the Cambion." Sword Maiden said and Ranger sighed.

"I guess not..." He whispered.

"Ranger...I never lost faith that you were a good man; I doubt I can ever lose faith in that...and I'm sorry I lost faith in your abilities beforehand." Sword Maiden said.

"How's Storm Mage...?" Ranger asked.

"You can ask him yourself in Heaven...now go. Go to the bathhouse...commune with the Love Goddess again. I will wait for you in Heaven." Sword Maiden said before vanishing, and Ranger looked at the bed again, recalled the time he was burned alive, before recalling the pain he inflicted on the goblins, and then left the room.

* * *

In the bathhouse, Cow Girl and Fighter were on opposite ends of the water rinsing themselves with soap, especially their hair.

"Is it true that this water was blessed by the Sword Maiden?" Cow Girl asked.

"I wouldn't put it past her; Ranger told me that his encounter with the fear demon lead him to commune with the Love Goddess herself." Fighter said.

"Wow...that demon must have really gotten to him." Cow Girl said.

"It did, which means that this water isn't just blessed; it's barely water at all anymore." Fighter said.

"Does...that mean we shouldn't be here?" Cow Girl asked cautiously.

"A better question is what better water is there to clean ourselves with? Come on, if it was blasphemy, Sword Maiden would've told us by now." fighter said.

"Good point..." Cow Girl said before dunking her head in the water to get the soap out...then ran her hands through her hair, then thought for a moment.

"Is something wrong?" Fighter asked.

"No I just...well, can you see me with hair as long as Wizard's?" Cow Girl asked.

"You said it was like that before." Fighter said.

"It was, but...I had a reason to cut it as short as it is now." Cow Girl said.

"So you're having second thoughts?" Fighter asked.

"Yes...and you didn't answer me." Cow Girl said.

"I think you'd look great, and I'm sure Goblin Slayer wouldn't mind." Fighter teased and Cow Girl smirked.

"I'll bet...what does Ranger think of your hair?" Cow Girl asked.

"After our first kiss he asked me to remove my ponytail and told me, and I quote, "whenever I think you couldn't get any lovelier, I'm proven wrong." Fighter said.

"Wow...he was quite a charmer back then wasn't he?" Cow Girl said in awe.

"We were both sweet on each other; even before our first quest we were teased for being flirtatious." Fighter said.

"And now you have a healthy baby girl to your name." Cow Girl said softly.

"One of at least two..." Fighter trailed off, before Cow Girl got closer and put her hand on Fighter's shoulder before the two ladies shared a smile.

"I'm sure they'll be as strong as their parents where they grow up." Cow Girl said before Fighter hugged her.

"Same for your own children." Fighter said softly as Cow Girl returned the embrace, neither one caring for their large breasts pressing into each other, then they heard footsteps, which belonged to the new archbishop. "Priestess!"

"Hi." Priestess said with a smile as Fighter let go of Cow Girl and beamed at Priestess.

"Priestess! Glad you came." Fighter said.

"Are you going to join us?" Cow Girl asked.

"I don't know..." Priestess said as she looked herself over, and tightened her towel.

"Priestess...we're all women here, and no one's going to judge your figure." Cow Girl said seriously.

"But...I'm still the least-developed of the whole team..." Priestess said tensely.

"We talked about that; you've gotten more developed since we met. You might eventually rival the Sword Maiden for all we know." Fighter said and Priestess sighed.

"Alright..." She said before dropping her towel, and Fighter waited for Priestess to get into the water, and hugged her closer than she hugged Cow Girl, who swam up to the two women herself to share in the embrace.

"Glad you could come Your Grace." She said sweetly while stroking her hair.

"I just figured that I could use a quick soak myself, especially in the company of two of my sisters." Priestess said before snuggling into Fighter's breasts.

"Company you're always welcome in." Fighter said before kissing the top of Priestess' head then sharing a smile with her.

"How was the beach?" Priestess asked.

"Exactly as we remember, and likely as you remember." Fighter said.

"We really should go there again after we get back from Heaven...and maybe do somethings before that as well." Cow Girl said.

"But for now, we have a bath to enjoy." Priestess said.

"Shall we help you wash up?" Fighter asked.

"That would be lovely." Priestess said and Cow Girl went to get some soap, and Fighter helped Priestess rinse her hair in the meantime.

"And guess what? We brought back a souvenir like I said we would. Namely, a conch shell." Cow Girl said as she soaped Priestess' hair, especially her scalp.

"Did you?" Priestess asked.

"Yes...I did." Cow Girl said before touching Priestess' smiling face.

"I love you two." She said.

"And we love you." Fighter said while soaping her front, leaving her most intimate places for Priestess herself...as the two others looked away of course.

"I feel like we were unofficially appointed to be the archbishop's handmaidens." Cow Girl said and the three laughed.

"I suppose we were." Fighter said.

"To be fair, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have treating me at this moment..." Priestess said and Cow Girl finished washing her hair before hugging her from behind.

"We'd do this for you even if you weren't the archbishop." She said, and Priestess held her hands that were around her belly as Fighter caressed Priestess' face.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"I originally thought this would be...kind of weird, but I actually feel loved." Priestess said.

"Good..." Fighter whispered before she kissed Priestess' forehead. "Think you're clean now?"

"I think so...but I'd like to stay with my sisters some more." Priestess said.

"No problem" Cow Girl said, before Priestess swam over to the edge and Priestess leaned into Cow Girl's side, with her head on the larger woman's breast, as Fighter sat on Priestess' other side and watched the other two women hold each other, with Cow Girl running her hand through Priestess' freshly-washed hair. "Before you came in, we were talking about how the Sword Maiden made this water practically divine."

"I can feel it...it's hard to believe it's even real." Priestess said.

"It's real alright, all of this is." Fighter said.

"Is that why you two are being so kind to me?" Priestess asked.

"We're this kind to you because you've earned it; we just wanted to do something nice for you." Fighter said.

"That's right." Cow Girl said as she shared a smile with Priestess who snuggled into her even more.

"When should we get to Heaven?" Fighter asked.

"Not long, not long at all. In fact, I should get back to the main chamber and get the Heaven Key ready." Priestess said before standing up.

"I'd like to stay here a bit longer." Cow Girl said.

"Me too, we'll see you and the others later." Fighter said.

"Alright, enjoy yourselves." Priestess said as she got out of the water and went to dry off.

"O.k...now that we're alone...I almost wish I joined your team earlier; I'm in better shape than I've ever been." Cow Girl said as she stood up and flexed herself in different ways.

"Yeah, you've come quite quite far haven't you..." Fighter said as she looked Cow Girl over, and eventually felt her arms, abs, back and thighs. Eventually, Cow Girl, grabbed her foot and straightened her leg out until she was doing a perfect standing split...and Fighter let off a whistle in response.

"Let me see yours." Cow Girl said and Fighter flexed herself, and Cow Girl came over to feel her body in the same places, and Fighter even ended with her own standing split. "The student takes after the master doesn't she?"

"Ranger never fails to remind me how much he likes my body, especially this..." Fighter said before grabbing her own butt and letting it jiggle as she let it go.

"I can see why, now check _mine_ out." Cow Girl said before turning around and flexing her butt. Fighter then lets out a deep exhale while looking over her gigantic bottom.

"Now _that's_ an ass." Fighter said and Cow Girl chuckled.

"It's actually gotten bigger than it was before I became an adventurer." She said.

"No wonder why either." Fighter said.

"Even my breasts got some benefits from my training." Cow Girl said as she held her breasts up.

"As if they needed it; you they were already pretty big when we first met." Fighter said as Cow Girl continued holding and squeezing her own breasts.

"I think they got larger since, or at least more...under control." She said.

"I'm not surprised; look at how well you eat nowadays, and the rest of us for that matter." Fighter said.

"Shall we compare how they feel?" Cow Girl asked.

"That...won't be necessary. Besides, yours blow mine out of the water...no pun intended." Fighter said.

"Well, trust me, you're not missing anything; these things can be quite a handful in more ways than one." Cow Girl said while holding up her breasts.

"It can't be that bad." Fighter said.

"Trust me, having breasts this massive is not all it's cracked up to be." Cow Girl said seriously.

"Well...they're your breasts; you can find a way to deal with it." Fighter said.

"Right...well, I'm going to get dried off and find the rest of the team." Cow Girl said.

"I"ll stay here a bit longer." Fighter said.

"Don't stay too long now." Cow Girl said.

"Just get your ginormous ass out of here before I kick it out." Fighter said and Cow Girl huffed in amusement before drying off and leaving. Fighter then stayed in the water a bit longer...and then heard footsteps, and Ranger showed up.

"Fighter...?" He asked while getting undressed.

"I wasn't expecting you baby." Fighter asked softly as Ranger approached with only his underarmor which he de-morphed right away and threw the belt behind him as Fighter drank in the sight of his bulk.

"May I ask what you ladies did just now?" Ranger asked as he sat in the water next to Fighter, who leaned into him.

"Mostly just girl talk, but we also helped Priestess wash up." She said.

"Great, you're now the archbishop's handmaidens." Ranger said dryly and Fighter started laughing.

"We joked about that very thing earlier...although Priestess was pretty happy with the idea; she even flatout said she was happy to spend time with two of her sisters." Fighter said.

"Lucky her." Ranger said.

"When she left, me and little Miss Goblin Slayer compared our bodies." Fighter said and Ranger raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry I missed it...yeah I know I'm a perverted scumbag, but you still love me." He said.

"I no longer care; you've been around her and Sword Maiden so many times that I lost count, and you still haven't cheated on me with them." Fighter said.

"The vampire queen went out of her way to show off her body to me, and tempted me with something most people would kill for...if she couldn't break my loyalty, they sure can't." Ranger said seriously.

"Oh you don't have to tell me...my love and life." Fighter said.

"She does have a nice body though...but hey, Goblin Slayer deserves her heart, he deserves her body too." Ranger said.

"You sound like a priest of the Love Goddess every time you talk like that." Fighter said.

"Eh, comes with the territory." Ranger said dryly.

"Anyway...the similarities between her body and mine are...pretty major, especially our muscles are a similar size, since she grew up working on a farm which is obviously pretty demanding. We even have the same-sized butts. The only serious difference is the breast size...but she made it pretty clear that my breasts being smaller is a good thing." Fighter said before Ranger groped her breast.

"I happen to think they're perfect..." He said as Fighter smiled and watched him lovingly squeeze and fondle her flesh, and went to the other one and gave it the same treatment.

"Keep this up and I'll ask you to suck on them." Fighter said sensually.

"Tempting, but I only did that to prove a point." Ranger said seriously as he let her breasts go.

"Are...you o.k.?" Fighter asked.

"I actually spoke to the Sword Maiden for the second time today...and she explained why she was so fiercely concerned for me." Ranger said.

"And?" She asked.

"Well...she's not fond of how her...incident, is still fueling my hate for the goblins, even though she got over it herself. Must leave a pretty bitter aftertaste..." Ranger said.

"I can't say she doesn't have a point." Fighter said honestly.

"Still, she also confessed that she caused some of her own issue by saying how much faith she had in me, pride even, and then going back on it by letting her fear of my inner darkness get a hold of her attention...which is also admittedly justified since...well, fear has a bigger place in her mind than it has any right to have. She even gave me closure to the time I...failed those girls, by cleansing that sin in the Supreme's name. A bit overkill if you ask me, but I'm not about to argue with it." Ranger said.

"Damn..." Fighter whispered.

"As much as I love that woman to bits, it's not just her case, or those girls' cases that drive my anger." Ranger said.

"Ranger...my love and life, the last person you need to tell is me; all of us feel the same way. How often did you see me rip apart goblins in a fit of rage? How many times has Wizard used fire, despite knowing how much pain it put you through, on the goblins to avenge the pain they caused? And don't get me started on how many times Warrior used his hammer to give the goblins the Storm Mage treatment." Fighter said seriously.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"Warrior told me quite a few stories while you were away, each more gruesome than the last, and they all involved him and Wizard showing the goblins how the game of torture is really played." Fighter said and Ranger's eyes widened.

"Please tell me they didn't kill any of their captives...!" He said harshly.

"Of course not; it's only the goblins themselves who were on the receiving end." Fighter said and Ranger exhaled in relief.

"Thank the Supreme..." He whispered.

"I take it you don't mind them going down that road?" Fighter asked.

"Well...as long as they didn't go too far ahead of themselves. In fact, I almost envy them...they likely went through the same struggle with their rage that I once did." Ranger said.

"They did, but it was no where near as...explosive as yours was." Fighter said before Ranger deflated, and Fighter snuggled into him some more. "Anything I can do for you?" With that, Ranger held her close.

"Just let me hold my wife." He whispered as Fighter returned the hug, and they sat there in each other's arms, and occasionally shifting against other. Fighter eventually climbed into his lap and sighed dreamily...but then noticed something abnormal.

"Ranger...? Why aren't you getting hard?" She asked.

"You know why. I'm not looking at this as a moment of lust...far from it." Ranger said seriously and Fighter backed up. "This is hardly the first time either."

"Such discipline." Fighter said as she held his shoulders.

"Besides...I'd rather this be a moment of love than lust; we've had plenty of that already." Ranger said.

"True..." Fighter said before leaning into him again and feeling his powerful arms wrap around her.

"You know...when the Sword Maiden was treating me, she had me commune with the Love Goddess here? Better yet, I did so by having a vision of all the times we made love." Ranger said.

"I remember you saying so...talk about a religious experience." Fighter said.

"Funny enough, it didn't involve any orgasms...far from it actually." Ranger said.

"That _is_ pretty funny actually..." Fighter said.

"Probably for the best; recalling that many times we made love would probably kill me, even with that pendant you gave me." Ranger said.

"She probably knew that too. So...if you didn't feel any bliss, what _did_ you feel?" Fighter asked.

"_Peace_..." Ranger whispered harshly, much to Fighter's surprise. "When we make love, it's normally like getting caught in a storm, one that's more than happy to share it's power with those caught by it...but here? There was none of that; only the cleansing breeze after the rain, and the storm itself was...an afterthought."

"Ranger..." Fighter breathed out.

"Love really does conquer all...even the lust that it's sometimes paired with." Ranger said while he stroked her freshly-washed hair and pressed his lips against hers as deeply as he could, and Fighter did the same while caressing his face and hair. She then rested her head on his shoulder and sat there on his lap holding her husband.

"Do you remember the time we had here, after our glorious wedding?" Fighter asked.

"Yes...I wish we had our recaller with us right now." Ranger whispered.

"We can be our own recaller you know." Fighter said seriously.

"Fighter..." Ranger trailed off.

"I meant...we can recapture the magic itself, not the time we had sex afterwards." Fighter said.

"Fighter...seriously, that magic has already sunk in, I was going to say that I came here to see if my wife would remind me how it feels to be taken care of by her." Ranger said and Fighter gave him a heart-melting smile.

"Your wife will always take good care of you..." She whispered before kissing his neck, and he turned his head to give her a better angle while holding her head in place, which silently encouraged her to deepen her kisses. She then giggled into his neck as she felt his manhood begin to finally get longer, denser, and thicker. "What changed your tune?"

"Well...the time you rode me after I returned from the north for the first time, you simply sat there with me inside you...but your womb wasn't ready for the rest." Ranger said.

"You want to give that moment closure?" Fighter asked.

"Please..." Ranger whispered as Fighter took her place directly in front of him, and he positioned his organ so she could take it into her womanhood slowly but steadily, and when she felt it go in far enough, she held his shoulders, and starting riding him. He then leaned back and closed his eyes as his love goddess moved up and down on his lap, taking her sweet time doing so, as he held her hips and felt her thick, powerful legs flex as she moved. The two of them did nothing but listen to the water swish, as well as each other's deep, breathy gasps.

Ranger eventually opened his eyes halfway to see Fighter's face had the same blissful look his did and they gave each other a toothy grin as soon as their eyes met...and that one moment kicked a hornet's nest. He watched her silky hair flail about, and her lovely breasts bounce as her pace increased twofold, and she leaned on him and buried her face in his neck, inhaling his masculine scent, pressing her breasts into his chest and giving her a better angle to grope her rapidly-flexing bottom.

Fighter then let off a horny chuckle as her husband sunk his powerful yet loving hands into her dense yet supple buttocks, and she sucked on the side of his neck she ignored the first time. She also slowed her pace and replaced the lost speed with force. Ranger however, was having none of it; he thrusted into her womb with the same speed and force she used on him, and their pleasured moans became even more pronounced until they both had their orgasms while groaning into each other's shoulders.

"Now _that_...is what I call closure..." Fighter breathed out.

"Me too...I hope you got a good deal of mana out of this..." Ranger whispered and Fighter giggled.

"You have your own fair share of mana every time we do this. You might even get to use it on the Champion." She said.

"You know...that's not a bad idea..." Ranger said.

"Well, we should get dried off soon. We have a date within Heaven's gates..." Fighter said and Ranger stared at her.

"Poetic." He said dryly as Fighter got off of Ranger's lap, and helped him up as they went to get out...then Ranger lightly spanked her and she turned to smirk at him.

"Greedy little hound." Fighter teased.

"Don't get me started on that lady..." Ranger said seriously, and Fighter threw a towel at him...which he caught before it could hit his face. "Not a chance..." The two then helped each other dry off, shared a brief but sweet kiss before morphing their suits and rejoining their team, and Priestess used the Heaven Key and led the way to Heaven.

* * *

"Father!" Priestess exclaimed as she rushed up to hug Storm Mage.

"Hey kid...or should I say, Your Grace." Storm Mage said as the two shared a smile.

"Storm Mage!" Ranger exclaimed as Storm Mage let go of Priestess.

"In the complete and utter lack of flesh." Storm Mage said before the two men clasped hands.

"So...this is Heaven?" GS asked as he and Cow Girl looked around at the shining ivory-gold buildings and sky.

"Yep, and you're all going to spend eternity here when you're done on Earth, and trust me...dying is a scary thing, but it''ll be made up for." Storm Mage said.

"Speak for yourself." Rhea Fighter said.

"He speaks for quite a few people." Storm Mage's mother said as she showed up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, me and Summoner's mother." Storm Mage said and he motioned to her.

"Very nice to meet you ma'am." Fighter said.

"Aren't you a sweet thing." Storm Mage's mother said.

"We heard about you from your younger son...it wasn't easy to hear." Wizard said.

"Well, I'm alright now, as Summoner now knows." Storm Mage's mother said.

"I'll bet you didn't expect you're daughter-in-law to be the one and only Sword Maiden did you?" Ranger asked.

"No...I most certainly did not...but I can't say I'm surprised." Storm Mage's mother said and Storm Mage sighed.

"She legitimately needed me, and I needed her." He said seriously.

"Oh I'm aware son; you don't have to justify anything, at least, not anymore." His mother said.

"So, how have you been?" Warrior asked.

"Well, I...or should I say, we just got back from saving my little brother's bacon from the fear demon I mentioned earlier, and boy did I kick his ass." Storm Mage said.

"No kidding. What else were you doing?" Ranger asked.

"Sorry, that much is need-to-know." Storm Mage said.

"O.k..." Ranger said.

"It's not important is it?" Priestess asked.

"Nothing to worry about, thanks to me, but if it turns serious again...I'll let you know." Storm Mage said.

"Well, reassuring as this is, we were called here by the Champion." Cow Girl said.

"Ah yes, the first Platinum Rank himself. My daughter-in-law should be-" Storm Mage's mother shut up the moment Sword Maiden appeared.

"Did someone call me?" She asked playfully.

"Mother!" Priestess exclaimed as she rushed to hug Sword Maiden.

"Welcome back... you smell wonderful." She said as softly as ever.

"We all had a quick bath before we arrived, well...most of us did anyway." Fighter said.

"I took one yesterday." Rhea Fighter said.

"And we can also take one later." Warrior said.

"Anyway...can we see the Champion please?" Ranger asked.

"I thought you would never ask." Sword Maiden said before sharing a look with Storm Mage's mother, then Storm Mage himself, who nodded and softened his gaze before she teleported them to the Champion's garden.

* * *

"I can never get over how fancy this place looks." Rhea Fighter said.

"That's Heaven for you: built from the ground-up to be fancy." Wizard said.

"Is...is that him?" Cow Girl asked in awe as she pointed to the Champion who was walking through some bushes with flowers on them.

"Yes it is." Sword Maiden said.

"He looks like you." GS said simply yet softly.

"Said the rest of us when we first saw him." Wizard said.

"To be fair, the resemblance is uncanny...creepy even." Cow Girl said.

"Champion?" Priestess asked as she approached the man, who turned his head to them.

"Ah, welcome back all of you...and you brought the infamous Goblin Slayer..." Champion said.

"Yes, and you are the first Platinum Rank." GS said.

"I am indeed, and you are the girl who holds his heart, and whose heart he holds." Champion said as Cow Girl continued staring at him.

"I-I am...and it is quite an honor to meet the first Platinum Rank, to say the least...sir..." Cow Girl said nervously as the Champion stared at her.

"I see...well, if you were brought here with them, I assume you know what this is about." Champion said.

"She actually insisted on coming here." Ranger said simply.

"Did she now? It requires no small amount of willpower to make demands of a Platinum Rank, even if you've known each other so long." Champion said seriously.

"If you know about how long we knew each other, then you know why I'm so adamant about this." Cow Girl said.

"Of course...you my dear girl, are a one-in-a-million on the basis of what your recovered from alone, and a worthy ally in this war." Champion said.

"Wow...you _know_ you're awesome if the Supreme's Champion praises you." Warrior said.

"Um, Champion? Sir? On my partner's behalf, and my own, I'm sorry we weren't here the first time you trained us. But I promise we had good reason..." Rhea Fighter said.

"I am aware, I also know you all got new equipment, especially you Ranger. This is very good..." Champion said before summoning his armor and several people in the team swallowed, exhaled, tensed up, or all three before the Champion teleported them to the same area they went to the first time. "You five, stay where you are. I want the others to get a feel of what they are dealing with."

"Be careful all of you." Priestess said.

"Not a problem..." GS said as he, Cow Girl, and Rhea Fighter morphed their swords and shields, and Wizard's brother pulled his mace, and summoned a pack of wolf familiars.

"Priestess? You should use Empower on the team before me. They're going to need it." Champion said, and after a brief pause where Priestess let the seriousness of the situation sink in, she used Empower on the team.

"Attack!" Wizard's brother yelled and the wolves charged at the Champion, who side-stepped all their pounces and jumped over their bites to his lower body despite his armor's bulk. GS, Cow Girl, and Rhea Fighter joined the melee, with Rhea Fighter weaving around her larger teammates to hit the Champion in his blindspots...for all the good it did; the Champion's armor not only held fast everytime the trio miraculously landed a hit, but he blocked and avoided most of the hits, even when he wasn't looking at them!

Cow Girl eventually backed off and opened fire at the Champion with her rifle as GS pulled back and used his shotguns, while Rhea Fighter charged her blade and rapidly swung at the Champion, sending waves of energy at him, but the ranged assault only gave him a reason to alter his defenses...which only included swatting away the projectiles with his arms alone. The summoned wolves circled the Champion the whole time, and when they got an opening, and each one was cut down as soon as they got close.

Cow Girl then launched a freeze bomb at the Champion, who swatted the thing away, only to get his arm covered in ice, which distracted him long enough for GS to throw his own freeze bomb to make the Champion's movements even more difficult, and Rhea Fightercharged up her sword again and unleashed several more waves of energy that all landed...but did no damage despite their massive size. Wizard's brother then barraged the Champion with a Firestorm barrage before GS harpooned the Champion and pulled himself towards the Champion and planted both feet into his chest with enough force to make the Champion skidding along the ground with GS riding him like a board, before putting his shotgun at the Champion's face.

"Impressive tactics. Distract me with weapons and spells that do no damage, then hit me with a blind spot attack that leaves me open to a fatal strike with your gun...like you are now. I can see why you fared so well against the goblins." Champion said with no fear of the shotgun barrels he was staring down.

"I heard that you held your ground against Ranger and his team; how much were you holding back?" GS asked.

"Enough power to turn this entire area into a wasteland many times over with a single stroke." Champion said simply.

"He's telling the truth Goblin Slay-" Champion cuts Warrior off by snapping his fingers and launching GS flying back to where he was and blinding the rest of the team with the burst of light.

"And a single snap of my fingers did that...would you like to see what happens when I'm really trying?" Champion asked.

"I take it that means the rest of us can jump in?" Wizard asked.

"By all means..." Champion said.

"In that case..." Wizard said before summoning a World Spawn, with her brother summoning his own, and the two drew power from their summons...before the Champion jumped at the two and destroyed them both with one punch that unleashed a burst of power that scattered their pieces across the area...much to the team's jaw-dropping surprise.

"Two World Spawns...a bit overzealous don't you think? Just one is enough to make a difference. Then again, you both seem to have obtained a substantial boost in strength." Champion said casually.

"You...don't know the half of it..." Wizard's brother said as he recovered from the surprise.

"Tell me, those ice bombs you used, did you enhance your weapons with the power your female mage acquired from me, and your leader?" Champion asked.

"That's only one thing we did." Wizard said.

"On top of that, there are so many things we didn't do last time we fought it makes my head spin just trying to count them." Warrior said.

"Is that so? Then stop holding yourselves back, especially for my sake." Champion said.

"Oh, we will." Warrior said before charging up his sword and making ten clones of himself.

"A clone spell? Haven't seen that in a while..." Champion said.

"He's not the only one who can do it either." Fighter said before opening her chakras, and making ten clones herself.

"This just got significantly more interesting...let's go!" Champion said before summoning his diamond-metal greatsword and the small army engaged him. When followed was complete chaos, the Champion blocked strikes from the clones with his greatsword, and the aura around each one held fast whenever the Champion landed a hit that wasn't deflected or blocked thanks to Priestess continuing to Empower them all.

Warrior and Fighter's clones fought as individuals at first, albeit with regard for what the other is doing, such as when one of Fighter's clones threw a flurry of kicks at the Champion, and two of Warrior's clones engaged him from below, or when one of Warrior's clones attacked the Champion from the rear with a shield charge, and two of Fighter's clones attacked from the sides, only for Warrior's clone to be kicked to the ground, and Fighter's clones to be bashed to the side. The force of the blows was so intense that the Wizard siblings put up Reflect to keep the gusts of winds in check.

The clones eventually displayed such an improvement in their teamwork, that they threw each other at the Champion or jumped off of each other to attack the Champion, but unsurprisingly, nothing they did deterred the holy juggernaut they were battling, even with their upgrades. Every move the Champion made was almost instant; even with no less than 20 Gold Ranked foes with Priestess empowering their probably Platinum-level abilities, the Champion was effortlessly keeping up with them.

Priestess even used Vision to let her whole team know what the Champion was doing at a reasonable speed, which did help them plan their efforts more effectively...but none of it pushed the Champion into a corned like they hoped. Some of Warrior's clones then surprised everyone by breaking their swords into whips and lashing the Champion...which made Ranger morphed his own sword-whips, and heat them up as he recalled Storm Mage's own sword-whips. They tried tying up the Champion, but each attempt either didn't do anything, or backfired as the Champion broke out of their entanglements. Fighter's clones tried to grapple with the Champion, but he either reversed their attempts, or kicked them away from him, before they had a chance.

Some of Warrior's clones backed off and pulled their auto crossbows to unleash a barrage of bolts at the Champion, which made him put up Protection to stop the bolts while he continued to block sword swings from the other clones. Fighter's clones were inspired and launched blades and arrows, some of which were explosive at the Champion, while the rest charged at the Champion, who snapped his fingers and the clones were all staggered, but recovered quickly, and assaulted him again, so he swung his sword once and the clones were all re-absorbed by the originals before they were destroyed, thanks to Priestess' Vision.

The Wizard siblings then unleashed Firestreams at the Champion that blew through the force of the Champion's swing and landed a direct, combined hit that staggered him long enough for Warrior to absorb as much power as he could from the Wizard siblings into his hammer. The Champion then jumped into the air, and Cow Girl opened fire at him, which distracted him long enough for Warrior to throw his super-charged hammer at the Champion which not only interrupted his sword-charging, but also sent him flying in the opposite direction with the largest surge of lightning the group had ever seen flooding the Champion's armor, before Warrior called it back...but there was a problem.

"Damn! And this was a good hammer too..." Warrior said as he looked over his melted hammer.

"We can fix it." Priestess said.

"Still..." Warrior said.

"Uh, news flash: you all just knocked the _Champion_ on his ass!" Rhea Fighter said seriously.

"Yeah...I can't believe we beat the first Platinum Rank..." Warrior said.

"And I still wouldn't if I were you..." Ranger said as the smoke cleared and the Champion was walking toward them in the distance.

"Eh, you don't think he took this personally do you?" Warrior asked.

"I sure hope not." Fighter said.

"Me too..." Priestess said before the Champion stopped walking.

"You weren't exaggerating when you said you were holding back the first time. I haven't been hit that hard since the Demon Lord slammed that mountain on top of me." Champion said.

"Are you mad?" Warrior asked.

"No...but I am curious about what else you can do." Champion said.

"Well...me and my brother have traps, regular summons, and paralyze spells...but I seriously doubt they'll help against someone who took...that, and walked it off. We also have a way to use gateway scrolls as weapons, but it's no where near done yet. The girl with the rifle can summon water elementals, but...again, they're not likely to be useful here." Wizard said.

"And I can perform the miracles of Holy Smite, Purge, and I learned to use Holy Light as a concentrated beam of energy, but I'm in the same position as my teammate." Priestess said.

"You've already seen the rest of us using our weaponry, even the newer ones." Warrior said.

"Speaking of new weapons, when the hell did you get a sword-whip?" Ranger asked.

"Oh, that...my lovely wife here modified it for me." Warrior said and Wizard smirked.

"How much tribute is Storm Mage going to get...?" Cow Girl asked.

"That was a coincidence, I swear." Wizard said.

"Although that transferring power to the hammer stunt we pulled? That was basically reverse-engineered from the drain spell the dragon taught us." Her brother said.

"That could come in handy..." GS said.

"You, Ranger...I know there are miracles from the War God you have yet to demonstrate...but I also applaud you for it. If you were reckless enough to use Implosion, or Meteor, or especially Pestilence in a battle like this, your place as a Platinum Rank would be rightfully questioned." Champion said.

"I'm alittle offended that idea is even being brought up." Ranger said.

"You shouldn't be; countless people would use that kind of power with no regard for the consequences. This kind of discipline may be normal for you, but that is all the more reason to be proud." Champion said.

"I am..." Ranger said.

"I would like to fight you all at once now, including you Ranger. It's not everyday the first and last Platinum Rank meet like this, especially since this is likely your last time in Heaven for some time." Champion said and the team braced themselves as Ranger morphed a greatsword.

"Very well then..." He growled as he charged at the Champion, with the rest of the team following him. Cow Girl and Fighter kept their distance launching their respective explosives at the Champion as the rest of the team took advantage of the openings in the Champion's guard to press the assault. Even Priestess tried to stab through the Protection barriers, with the Wizards using Drain on it, and using the stolen power to empower their Repair spell so Warrior's hammer could be renewed. Ranger then superheated his greatsword and stabbed through the barrier, which also staggered the Champion who put his own greatsword in the way of Ranger's _just_ in time, before the team swarmed him from all sides, but the Champion's earlier prowess stayed as fierce as ever. Eventually, the Champion was forced to retreat...and then glowed with an Empowerment aura of his own.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Ranger...now would be an excellent time to use Army of One." Champion said simply, and then Ranger jammed his greatsword into the ground as the team backed away from him. The moment they got far enough, Ranger yelled to the sky as his famous vermilion flame engulfed him.

"So that's Army of One..." Cow Girl said in awe as she looked over the fire Ranger was surrounded by.

"How often must I use this power...?" Ranger asked with his voice deeper than usual, and Cow Girl even sucked in a breath at the sound. Ranger then picked up his sword and casually stood there as the Champion prepared a stance that showed he was being serious now. Ranger then morphed his heavy armor and a gauntlet, and dashed at the Champion with blinding speed, and the team only saw Ranger's fist touching the Champion's greatsword that was just in front of his face.

The next hour was complete and utter chaos...the two legends took to the sky flying around, making thunderous shockwaves as their blades clashed, Champion hurled beams and orbs of holy light at Ranger, who countered by summoning meteors, spraying bullets, and unleashing bursts of fire and hurling barrages of flying weapons, especially harpoons and greatswords.

The two juggernauts eventually landing from their sky-encompassing melee and then Ranger morphed his new rifle and opened fire at the Champion, who swung his sword so rapidly, that even the rifle's faster, and harder-hitting bullets didn't connect. Ranger then superheated his gauntlet and punched the ground which caused a trail of lava explosions to head right towards the Champion, who jumped over it...only to get Ranger's greatsword smashed right into his back with enough force to launch him into the ground hard enough to shatter the ground and throw massive chunks of rock everywhere.

Priestess of course used Protection to keep the stones from hitting her teammates, and when it was over, she dropped the barrier and climbed over the rocks to see into the crater. The Champion was laying down with Ranger's greatsword jammed into the side of the Champion's blade. The flame around Ranger then went out, which signaled that his Army of One state was exhausted, and the Champion caught him as he stood up, and Ranger leaned on the Champion completely out of breath.

"Very good champion of the War God. You are ready to face the Demon Lord, and everything else you face in this war." Champion said before Ranger huffed in amusement.

"It...was an honor...Champion of...the Supreme..." He whispered.

"As for the rest of you...I advise that you draw as much power as you can from the Army of One when you return, but take heed, when you return, the Army of One will continue to have it's previous limitations, so use it a single time, and then make the most of it." Champion said.

"That shouldn't be an issue." Wizard said.

"But how are we going to go about it?" Warrior asked.

"Maybe it could be a demonstration for the people?" GS said and the group stared at her.

"That's not a bad idea..." Fighter said.

"Regardless, your training in Heaven is complete; when you face the Cambion, you will need to hold nothing back, just like you did with me, but you have acquired a good enough foundation for properly refining what you know." Champion said before Cherub appeared.

"Well...that was...entertaining." He said.

"You were watching us?" Priestess asked.

"Darling, all of Heaven was watching this. The first and last Platinum Ranked duking it out with the last one having back-up? That's a once in a millennium event, and believe me...people aren't going to shut up about it anytime soon." Cherub said.

"Wow...we're famous on Earth, infamous in Hell, and legends in Heaven...we're just racking up the glory aren't we?" Warrior said.

"No kidding." Rhea Fighter said.

"Well, there's plenty of time to kill before your time here is up, so...feel free to browse the kingdom. Within reason of course." Cherub said before teleporting the whole group back to the Champion's place, where the Sword Maiden was waiting.

"You've all come a long way since we first met team. I'm actually amazed I recognize all of you." She said softly.

"We have you to thank for some of it mother." Priestess said as she walked up to Sword Maiden and embraced her.

"And I could not be happier to be affiliated with another team, let alone such a tightly-nit one...nor could I wish for a better successor." Sword Maiden said before kissing Priestess' forehead.

"Mother, when we were last here, you promised to show us your home." Priestess said.

"Quite right..." Sword Maiden said before teleporting them, to a small castle in the sky, and the team looked the main hall over, and some let off whistles.

* * *

"This place looks like the Temple of Law...only, golden-brownish..." Wizard said.

"No coincidence. The Supreme had this place modeled to fit my tastes, even when I didn't even understand them. Best of all.." Sword Maiden trailed off before the room's color changed from golden-brown, to porcelain, which surprised the team.

"Reality control...what's not to love?" Cherub said casually.

"No kidding...I wouldn't be surprised if magic was just a lesser version of this power." Wizard's brother said.

"Me neither." Wizard said.

"It gets better. This way please..." Sword Maiden said before she led them through some hallways that had the same paintings and other artwork found in the Temple of Law, until they got to her bedroom, which had the same massive bed, decorations, and furnishings, including a cabinet with a mirror...as well as a small bath in front of the bed.

"Nice room..." Fighter said.

"Thank you very much." Sword Maiden said as the team looked around.

"All that's missing is a waterfall for that bath, maybe a garden as well." Rhea Fighter said and Sword Maiden added both elements to the room. "I had to say it..."

"We should make rooms like this at home." Wizard said and Priestess beams.

"Maybe we can make Water Town itself larger and more advanced!" She exclaimed and the team started thinking.

"I get the idea of making rooms like this, but...the whole city? Water Town is a pretty big place." Rhea Fighter said.

"Well, sure it will take time, but it can still be done." Priestess said.

"We'll discuss that when we get back to Earth, if we have the time for it." Ranger said

"Before you do, I have something to show you all, especially you Priestess." Sword Maiden said.

"What is it?" Priestess asked...before Sword Maiden took the form of her 15-year-old self, much to the team's surprise.

"S-Sword Maiden?" Fighter asked in awe.

"This is the 15-year-old girl who would become the Sword Maiden...the one you all revered, and are revered by." Sword Maiden said.

"You were as beautiful then as you are now..." Priestess said softly before Sword Maiden smiled and embraced her.

"You are quite lovely in your own right my daughter, and I believe you will be an even greater archbishop than I was." She said before turning to the rest of the team. "Have you all nothing to say?"

"What is there to say?" Wizard asked.

"I have something: is that 15-year-old who was tormented by the goblins alright now?" Fighter asked and the team stared at her in awe.

"She is indeed, and it comforts me greatly to know that your daughter will not undergo the same fate I suffered, with or without the goblins' extinction." Sword Maiden said turning back to normal, then Cherub poofed in.

"Ranger, I'd like to borrow you for a moment." He said.

"What for?" Ranger asked.

"Just...some things you should see. The rest of you should get back to the Champion." Cherub said.

"Alright...take me there." Ranger said.

"Your wish is my command." Cherub said before he poofed them to the main square of the city they in, which was devoid of life.

* * *

"Where is everyone?" Ranger asked as he looked around.

"At home, mostly taking in the spectacle you and the Champion made." Cherub said.

"Right...so what did you want to show me?" Ranger asked.

"Just keep going down that street, you'll see what your team saw last time they were here." Cherub said before poofing away, then Ranger followed the street until he saw the paintings of all the legendary figures, from the Champion standing on a mountain surrounded by holy light, to the Hero brandishing her sword, to Ranger yelling to the sky while using Army of One, to GS grabbing a goblin and pointing his shotgun at a horde.

"Wow..." Ranger whispered.

"Amazing aren't they?" GS' sister asked and Ranger turned to look at her.

"Yes they are." He said.

"This is one of my favorite places in Heaven, even more so now that they added your picture, and replaced this picture with one where he's wearing his new armor." GS' sister said.

"Who are you...?" Ranger asked.

"You should know, you've been with my brother since the beginning." GS' sister said and Ranger recoiled.

"Y-you're his sister aren't you...?" He whispered harshly.

"Yes I am...and it's a great honor to meet the leader of the team he works with, and even more so to know you became the 11th Platinum Rank because of him." GS' sister said.

"Right...if it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have become Platinum Ranked, or at least become Platinum Ranked alot later in life." Ranger said.

"Even if you hadn't become the 11th Platinum Rank, you would definitely be the next Goblin Slayer, just like you said he would make a great ranger." GS' sister said.

"I'm alittle afraid of the notion..." Ranger said.

"I can see why...my future sister-in-law once questioned whether or not he'd be fit to live after he was done adventuring." GS' sister said.

"Well...my Wizard friend helped heal the Sword Maiden's eyes, and then kept going north. On the off-chance Goblin Slayer's body did take permanent damage...we'll be there for him like always." Ranger said and GS' sister put her hand on his shoulder.

"I know..." She whispered and shared a smile with him.

"So...how has Heaven treated you?" Ranger asked.

"Oh...you heard about my ordeal with the goblins haven't you? Well, I actually met a man I could take as a husband, and...my case wasn't much different from the Sword Maiden's actually...or those girls that you and your team saved from the goblins." GS' sister said.

"Right..." Ranger whispered.

"I also know that you became an agent of vengeance thanks to the War God." GS' sister said.

"If you're going to talk to me about my wrath, forget it. I heard too much as it is." Ranger said.

"Actually I was going to say that there are too few men like you." GS' sister said and Ranger raised an eyebrow. "What the goblins do to those they capture is unacceptable, and wanting making them pay for it, especially so it happens to no one else is a great reason to serve the War God. I almost wish my brother followed in your footsteps."

"Ironically, I followed in his." Ranger said.

"But you wound up doing that and more." GS' sister said.

"_We_ wound up doing that and more." Ranger said and GS' sister smiled.

"Of course. You speak of your teammates...or should I say your family." She said.

"Right." Ranger said.

"She's beautiful by the way. That woman you married." GS' sister said.

"It always comes down to that doesn't it? But...that's still true, and she's not just beautiful; she's strong, she's loving...and she put my heart back together so many times I lost count." Ranger said softly.

"And now you have a healthy baby girl to your name." GS' sister said.

"Yes we do..." Ranger whispered.

"Well, it was very nice meeting you, but I would like to return home." GS' sister said.

"Alright, see you later." Ranger said.

"And tell my brother I want to see him at the Ether Gazer when you return home." GS' sister said as she left, and Ranger continued down the street, and eventually got to the Chief God's domain, and marveled at the rolling forests, the celestial spectacle overhead that enveloped the entire sky, and especially the statues of each Platinum Rank...and he found Fighter's dad in front of the Hero's statue, and Ranger's own.

"Now here's a man I didn't think I'd see again. I saw your fight with the Champion, you, my daughter, and the rest of you are...you all have a great deal to be proud of." Fighter's dad said.

"Hard to know where to begin master." Ranger said softly.

"What do you make of the Champion as a person?" Fighter's dad asked.

"Taking on the vampire queen and her forces sounds like a birthday festival compared to what the Champion did, especially with the time period he lived in. But to answer you properly...well, he definitely knows what to take seriously, and why." Ranger said.

"How unlike anyone I know..." Fighter's dad said before the two men looked over the statue. "Is the statue to your liking?"

"Very much so..." Ranger said before he morphed his greatsword, heavy armor, and a gauntlet before plunging the greatsword into the ground, holding out the gauntlet, and pretended he was holding the ogre's heart.

"Perfect imitation." Fighter's dad said before Ranger went back to normal, then he looked at the hole in the ground his greatsword left. "A hole in the ground left by the 11th Platinum Rank's blade, after he posed in front of it...that's got to be the most sacred hole in the ground in existence." With that... Ranger started laughing harder than he had in ages. The dry tone Fighter's dad used, the perfect timing, and the fitting context all made Ranger laugh so hard that he eventually fell to the ground covering his eyes while continuing to laugh so hard and so loudly that Fighter's dad started laughing himself. After about five minutes, the two got ahold of themselves.

"Most sacred hole in the ground...that's got to be the funniest thing I've ever heard..." Ranger said in-between deep breaths as he tried standing up.

"Apparently..." Fighter's dad said as he helped Ranger up.

"Oh, the rest of the team is going to get a kick out of this..." He said.

"Glad I could be of service." Fighter's dad said with a dramatic bow.

"Please, you already made me laugh once." Ranger said.

"Even my daughter never laughed at me that much, not all at once anyway." Fighter's dad said.

"She certainly never laughed at me that much all at once." Ranger said.

"I guess even Platinum Ranks can't do it all." Fighter's dad said.

"And that is precisely why I don't work alone, in or outside of battle." Ranger said.

"As the siege, or should I say sieges of Water Town showed." Fighter's dad said.

"Right? I can't remember the last time I left and returned to the place without having to save it- oh wait, that happened on my wedding..." Ranger said and Fighter's dad laughed at him.

"How could you forget your own wedding?" Fighter's dad asked.

"I'm not even going to go there..." Ranger deadpanned.

"But...seriously, how much of your highlights with her do you remember?" Fighter's dad asked.

"Everything...our first kiss, our wedding, our daughter's birth, all of it...and those memories spur me to fight all the more." Ranger said and Fighter's dad smiled.

"If someone had told me two decades ago that my daughter would marry the man who would become the 11th Platinum Rank, I would've called them crazy, but here I am, looking history right in the face..." He said before hugging Ranger, who returned the gesture.

"I'll tell Warrior and your daughter you said hello." Ranger said before Fighter's dad let him go.

"I'll see you next time you come to Heaven, which...I hope will not be for good." He said as Ranger left.

* * *

Storm Mage got back, and went to the treasury of his home and mulled over the various treasures, models, and other collectables, and collections on display. It was like his days as a outlaw all over again...except he actually deserved his riches now. He then went his and Sword Maiden's room, peeled off his armored robe, and sat on the side of the bed, and looked over the new waterfall and plants along the back rim of the water. Eventually, Sword Maiden appeared in front of him, and the two shared a surprised yet soft gaze.

"Welcome back my love." Sword Maiden said.

"Good to be back my love." Storm Mage said before Sword Maiden turned her gown into her archbishop outfit, minus the headdress. Storm Mage looked her over from head to toe as Sword Maiden beamed at her husband that was no doubt undressing her with his eyes. "I never thought I'd miss seeing you in that outfit..."

"It's the same one our new daughter wears." Sword Maiden said as she approached him and snuggled into his side and he put an arm around her. "Your work in the abyss?"

"It's done. That fear demon won't trouble anyone, anymore." Storm Mage said.

"Very good. The team's training with the Champion is also completed, so our work is almost complete. But for now...let's just enjoy ourselves." Sword Maiden said before shifting against Storm Mage's side some more, while blissfully smiling.

"While I was away, I actually looked into your history with the team before we met...may I ask why you put the moves on both Goblin Slayer and Ranger, but not me?" Storm Mage asked and Sword Maiden deflated, severely.

"I...I believe I was confused. I was sick of feeling so helpless for so long, and I believed having a man who was the antithesis of my troubles could give me the salvation that you wound up giving me. Even ten years after I was attacked by those goblins...the pain, and the terror never failed to tax me. The fact that I had to keep it all hidden made the torture even worse. I even considered suicide because of how hopeless I felt...but the people would condemn me as the great and mighty Sword Maiden who had a weightless fear of creatures seen as pathetic..." She said while tensing up.

"Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage said softly.

"And then there was Goblin Slayer...he understood me better than I thought anyone could; I thought right then and there I could have him as my protector...but despite the affection I showered him with, he returned it for not one second. Ranger case was...even more serious; he returned my affections; rather than shrugging me off...he showed compassion for me; he _cared_ for me...he fought for me. But each of them had a woman in their hearts already, and there was no room for me no matter how much I wished and hoped there was..." Sword Maiden said as her cheeks were moistened by tears, before looking up at Storm Mage. "But you...? I didn't dare wish to have a third time for my hopes to be dashed...little did I know that my hopes weren't necessary; you showed me your love in ways I thought would never happen. Even in the face of impossible odds, when you were beaten into submission, and even while dying...your love for me never wavered."

"Nor will it ever..." Storm Mage said before Sword Maiden climbed into his lap and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Storm Mage...as the former archbishop, the 15-year-old girl who was broken by the goblins, and the simple woman who was lost in the dark...thank you so much for all you did for me...for all the _love_ you gave me..." She said before weeping into his neck as the two held each other close as Storm Mage held the back of her head and stroked her hair.

"Like I said before: love is the only thing I have to give, and I have a great deal to give...my sweet, _beautiful_ Sword Maiden." He whispered as the woman sitting on his lap continued to pour her heart out. Storm Mage had no thought other than letting his lady continue to weep as she in turn for about a minute before getting a grip, then finally looking up at him. He then dried her tears with his thumb, as she gave him a small but bright smile.

"Kiss me..." Sword Maiden said softly before Storm Mage claimed her lips with his own, and simply stayed connected to her without an ounce of force while the two lovers caressed each other's faces. "I love you...I love you as much as you loved me..."

"I love you just as much as before...my wife..." Storm Mage said before he reached into the slit in her dress, exposed her thick, silky thigh and deeply massaged it much to her pleasure. "How does this feel?"

"Delightful..." Sword Maiden breathed out as Storm Mage's hand traveled up and down her thigh. "I had...quite a few moments of weakness like this one, didn't I...?"

"You don't need to be strong with me; that's what happens when you're with someone you love." Storm Mage said before kissing her cheek, and Sword Maiden smiled at him.

"Right..." She whispered.

"Besides...I didn't just protect you from the goblins, but I also protect you from your weakness, even now." Storm Mage said as he stopped rubbing her thigh and held her hand instead, before she interlocked their fingers.

"Just like how Fighter protected Ranger from his own weaknesses..." Sword Maiden said and leaned her head on his shoulder again.

"How do you feel now?" Storm Mage asked.

"Much better now. Thanks for listening..." Sword Maiden said.

"Of course." Storm Mage said.

"Kiss me again..." Sword Maiden whispered before her protector pressed his lips against hers again, and she deepened the kiss before pulling back and giving him a slow but passionate series of kisses. She then took his hand and placed it on her hand-filling breast, which encouraged him to squeeze her flesh as she moaned into their kiss. While his hand worked her breast, Sword Maiden caressed his torso and made her dress vanish, leaving herself completely naked before him. She then backed up specifically to give him a chance to look at her supremely luscious body. Much to her pride, he drank in the entire sight, but unsurprisingly, he paid special attention to her enormous breasts. When she had enough, she leaned on his shoulder again. "I suppose, it's moments like this that make up for the weakness."

"Hey...that weakness, if you can even call it that, is in the past, and it's not coming back anytime soon, because you're with me, in a huge castle in Heaven, beyond any hope the goblins have of claiming you again. As for me? Well, I have all the riches I once had, and the ones I wanted here as well, not to mention I get to spend the rest of eternity with you..._pleasuring_ you." Storm Mage said before touching her lower abdomen and she tenses up before he even started stroking the lips of her womanhood...which makes her gasp and shudder in bliss.

"Oh! Oh...oh yes..._yes_..." Sword Maiden gasped before leaning her back against him instead of her side, and shifted her butt against his lap as her protector continued to slowly but faithfully stroke her body's most sacred place. Her pleasured gasps and occasional moans inspired him to increase the power, but not the speed, which made her tense up even more, especially when his spare hand rubbed her thighs and hips.

"Do you remember when I first did this for you?" Storm Mage asked as he continued to masterfully work her body.

"Yes..." Sword Maiden whispered.

"You were so nervous...so broken...and I'm happy to have been the one who put you back together. To make your pain, fear, tension...all of it turn to dust." Storm Mage said while continuing to not miss a beat with her body.

"And I love you all the more for it..." Sword Maiden breathed out before continuing to shift against him as her husband pleasured her. She eventually stopped him, and took a moment to recover. "Storm Mage...I want you inside me."

"Then take me now.." Storm Mage said before Sword Maiden stood up, turned around, mounted his lap, and he positioned his manhood so it was in-line with her entrance as she lowered herself onto it, and when he was fully sheathed inside her, she started moving up and down while holding his shoulders, and he held her hips as she bounced in his lap. Her face lit up like a torch as their mutual pleasure built up, and he took in the sight of her bouncing breasts and her face that was twisting in sexual bliss.

Her gasps and moans picked up and filled his ears as she eventually moved so fervently that her perfect butt was slamming into his thighs, and he gripped her cheeks and rubbed them as tenderly as he did her breasts, which he eventually grabbed and sucked on while his groans made her flesh vibrate pleasantly, as her giggles signaled just before she approached her orgasm. Her moans turned into high-pitched gasps and even screams as she continued to bounce until his manhood was no longer stone-hard after he had his own orgasm. She then collapsed on his shoulder, and he stood up, opened the blankets, picked her up, and placed her bed, and got into bed at her side with their heads on the pillows.

"I feel so much better now..." Sword Maiden breathed out.

"Sweetheart...it shows." Storm Mage said while running his hand through her hair. She then sighed dreamily and snuggled into him with the blissful look on her face staying where it belonged: on her face. He then continued running his hand through her hair as she lazily caressed his dense chest, and eventually stopped cold, and sighed again. "You're not going to sleep on me are you?" Sword Maiden then giggled adorably before looking up at him.

"I could do just that..." She whispered before she scooched up to give him a brief but sweet kiss while they touched each other's faces.

"I remember the battle at the farm...my role in it was cut short when a hobgoblin bashed me into a house, through the wall. My ribs were completely shot. Thank the Supreme I wore my armored robe, the same one I wore when that champion whacked me." Storm Mage said and Sword Maiden tensed up.

"I thank the Supreme you could stand afterwards and vaporize the goblins like you promised...even more so that your love drove you to push yourself past your limits just to save me." She said.

"And even when Ranger and Goblin Slayer wipe out the goblins, my weapons, strength, and magic will always be available to you. My role as your protector will never be fulfilled entirely, even when it's not needed." Storm Mage said seriously, and Sword Maiden graced him with a smile.

"I remember up north, when you barged into the room when me and...Miss Goblin Slayer, were ambushed by goblins via a hell rift...it was the Temple of Law all over again: me backed against the wall, with nothing between me and my worst nightmare, and then you charge in and save me...cementing your place as my shining knight." She said while rubbing her body against his, with the mood getting to her again, and Storm Mage huffed in amusement.

"I felt like your guardian angel at the time. In a way...I'm returning the favor in that regard." He said.

"I'm honored to be the one who redeemed you." Sword Maiden said before ceasing her movements, and looked down at him while picking herself up. The two stared into each other's eyes as Storm Mage caressed her smiling face. He then pulled her into another kiss and she poked her tongue into his mouth as the two took their sweet time mashing their lips together and letting each other's exquisite flavor settle, and she broke the exchange with a giggle before gripping his hardening manhood, despite how slick it was with their fluids. "It seems I'm not the only one who's not satisfied..."

"I thought we were having a heart-to-heart?" Storm Mage asked.

"We can still do that; I was simply jesting with you." Sword Maiden said before snuggling into him again and feeling his powerful arms wrap around her frame. Storm Mage then felt his lady press her lips against his neck and he turned his head and held the back of hers to silently encourage her, and she responded by slowly but vigorously sucking and licking his neck like it was candy. She eventually stopped and approached his ear. "Don't be afraid to grab my bottom..." She then went back to work as Storm Mage groped her plump buttocks and kneaded it like dough as she let off a horny chuckle into his neck.

"What a bottom you have..." Storm Mage breathed out and Sword Maiden stopped kissing his neck and smirked at him.

"How does it compare to my breasts my love?" She asked.

"It feels almost no different actually, aside from what's obvious." Storm Mage said before letting go of her butt and lightly pinching one of her nipples, which made her gasp in surprise before chuckling again, and the two settle down before she rolls onto her side with their faces inches apart and Storm Mage leaned on his elbow while running his thumb across her cheek. "So pretty..."

"Maybe I'm just so in love..." Sword Maiden breathed out.

"And you are loved." Storm Mage whispered before kissing her forehead. "Feeling better than before?"

"Very much so. When I'm in your arms, all the pain, fear, discomfort, everything, loses it's power slowly but steadily, and nothing can be done to stop it. I go from a helpless little girl trapped in the jaws of Hell, to a woman that dwells in the walls of a castle in Heaven the goblins have no chance of breaching, even when we were alive." Sword Maiden said dreamily.

"How about that...you're the princess of your very own castle, with your own vagabond-turned-shining knight. It's like something out of a storybook..." Storm Mage said casually yet softly.

"I cannot see how it could be more romantic." Sword Maiden said before Storm Mage got on top of her with his hair framing his face.

"Would my sweet princess like more love to be made to her?" He asked.

"First...treat my breasts." Sword Maiden breathed out before Storm Mage slowly went down to her chest, and her breathing spiked; she knew what was coming, and the moment he took one of her nipples, and as much of the flesh around it into his mouth as he could, she tensed up and gasped in bliss. She then held his head in place as he licked her nipple and playfully chewed on her breasts one by one, and fondled the alternate one with his hand much to Sword Maiden's complete delight, if her pleasured moans were anything to go by. He then swirled his tongue around one of her nipples and rapidly squeezing the other breast before getting back to sucking and playing with the two massive globes of flesh.

Sword Maiden then signaled him to mate with her by lightly squeezing his waist with her thighs, and he scooched up to not only align his manhood with her entrance, but also to see the look on her face...which currently consisted of her eyes being closed and her thick, tempting lips being parted. He then pushed into her and she gasped right away and groaned softly as he started moving in and out of her womanhood. He then picked up speed and force as her moans spurred him to mate with her with more vigor. Eventually, she clung onto him like a vice and he buried his face in her hair as the bed shook violently while he continued to thrust into the goddess beneath him. She then let out an elongated moan that signaled an orgasm and Storm Mage wasn't far behind. The two lovers then went slack as they caught their breath and let the afterglow sink in for the better part of a minute with Storm Mage's manhood still inside Sword Maiden's body.

"You know I enjoy your body...but how much do you enjoy mine?" Storm Mage asked, and Sword Maiden immediately started caressing his lovely muscles from his upper torso, to his forearms, to his thighs.

"I mostly enjoy how you handle mine, but it still comforts me to have a feel for how strong you are...especially when it comes to fighting for me...and making love to me." She said before smirking and Storm Mage reflexively kissed her.

"Would you like more?" He asked.

"Not like this." Sword Maiden said.

"Alright...let's change positions." Storm Mage said before pulling out...then Sword Maiden stopped him by tightening her legs around him.

"I meant, I want to do something new..." She said and Storm Mage looked at her funny.

"What else can we do? I already did everything with you I'm comfortable with." He said and Sword Maiden sighed.

"I...I looked into your own past; you have experience working the bodies of multiple women at once..." She said and Storm Mage cringed.

"Sword Maiden...! Must you bring that up now?" He asked seriously.

"Please, just hear me out." Sword Maiden said and Storm Mage sighed deeply. "I'm aware that the team used clone spells to enhance their mating sessions by...quite a bit. Even your brother has moments where he has multiple bodies to work with. I want to give you more than one body to work with as well."

"I must admit that sounds pretty tempting, but...what brought this up?" Storm Mage asked.

"It's just...you've done so much for me, and despite how much your redemption means to you...I feel like I've done too little for you. I want to do something more, and this is a perfect chance." Sword Maiden said and Storm Mage smiled.

"You're hopeless...but if your heart is set on it, and you're o.k. with what inspired the idea...I'll play along." He said and they both sat up, and Sword Maiden actually pushed him down onto the bed on his back.

"How many women were you with when you lost your chastity?" She asked.

"Four, each one lovelier than the last." Storm Mage said before Sword Maiden smirked and made four clones standing over the bed, and Storm Mage sucked in a deep breath as he looked over their naked, voluptuous bodies that were on full-display.

"Well this time...each one is _just_ as lovely as the last..." She said as the clones slowly crawled up to him like cats as Sword Maiden herself created a chair and watched the action. One clone started kissing and lashing tongues with Storm Mage who rubbed her back and sides, and ran his hands through her hair to boot. Another turned his head to her so they could kiss as well, and the clone he finished kissing started sucking and licking his neck while the last two rubbed their breasts against his legs and abdomen. The blissful moans of the five participants filled the room the entire time as the two clones rubbing their breasts against him switched places with the other two, and the cycle repeated.

The two clones he finished kissing held up their breasts from underneath, silently offering for him to suck on them...and he did. Each clone held his head as he sucked on each of their nipples and squeezed the breasts he wasn't sucking on, and he went back and forth between the four huge mounds of plump, bouncy flesh. The last two clones took the first pair's place who got behind Storm Mage who began working on all four pairs one after another with his mouth and hands for about a minute. One clone eventually got behind Storm Mage to help him sit up, and another sat on his lap as the last two got on his sides.

"Such _hunger_..." A clone breathed out before Storm Mage stopped sucking on one breast and squeezed one of the breasts on two of the clones.

"So you know...this is actually something I haven't done with those priestesses of the Love Goddess." Storm Mage said as he continued squeezing their breasts, and one of the other clones gripped and fondled his manhood, and felt it swell even more in her hand. She then tapped the butt of the clone in Storm Mage's lap with it. Then the other clones gave them space as the clone laid down on him and sucked on his neck and chuckled as Storm Mage groped her butt.

She then backed up and lowered herself onto his manhood with her plump flesh still stuffed into his hands. He then looked up as her face twisted and her breath became more labored as she bounced up and down on his lap, with her breasts flopping around. She filled his ears with her moans the entire time, especially when he thrusted up into her womanhood in-sync with her bounces. The clone Storm Mage was mating with continued to buck her hips as her tightening womanhood was forcefully yet pleasantly stretched out by the organ she was enveloping and she threw her head back and let out a long, throaty moan as they both climaxed.

The clone then got off his lap to recover as he immediately grabbed another and on top of her as she welcomed him with a kiss and rubs her thigh against his hip. He then flipped her over and ran his hands up and down her back, and especially her round, supple buttocks and plump, milky thighs as she let off horny chuckles. Storm Mage then ran his hands through her hair with reverence before brushing it aside and kissing her neck and cheek. She then flipped over and spread her legs as he pushed into her and slowly but steadily thrusted into her and the same drill happened with him gradually picking up speed and power as the clone beneath him moaned and gasped in response. He then felt the last two clones come up behind him and feel up his lower back, bottom, and thighs as he relaxed and flexed over and over while stuffing his manhood into the clone beneath him.

"Such power..." A clone breathed out as she watched Storm Mage's manhood slip into her fellow clone until they both had their orgasms and collapsed on the bed. The last two clones then stood up, and waited for Storm Mage to catch his breath, and when he did...he saw the two beauties standing next to the bed, and when they reached out to him, he took two of their hands, and stood up with them. He gave one a deep passionate kiss, while the other sucked on his neck, caressed his chest, abs, legs, and arms, or pressed her breasts, butt, or both into him, while changing spots with the other occasionally to make sure each one gets the same kiss.

"Well, which of us would you like to mate with?" One of them asked sensually.

"You..." Storm Mage said and the chosen clone bent over the bed before Storm Mage took her from behind. He then glued his eyes to the mirror on the cabinet as the lucky clone he was mating with gasped in pleasure and her breasts bounced whenever he slammed into her flawless butt. He then glanced at Sword Maiden herself who was watching him mate with her clones, and silently wished Storm Mage was slamming into _her_ butt instead in that moment; her inflating lungs, unblinking eyes, and the occasional tensed muscle proved how much lust she was holding back.

Storm Mage then returned his focus to the clone he was pleasuring, and once he focused on the ripples being made in her bottom, he picked up the pace as the clone next to him watched his thick manhood slip in and out of her fellow clone as her tightened entrance was forced to stretch out to compensate for Storm Mage's impressive girth. The clone next to Storm Mage held him from behind, and her breasts pressing into him spurred him to mate with the clone in front of him with as much vigor as ever.

She herself watched Storm Mage's manhood get shoved into her fellow clone with keen interest; it wouldn't be long until she was the one in Storm Mage's benevolent clutches, where she belonged. The clone already in his clutches eventually moaned and spasmed as she approached her orgasm, and Storm Mage wasn't far behind. Storm Mage then removed himself from the clone's impossibly tight womanhood, and noticed his manhood was no longer solid.

"O.k... I probably shouldn't have done that." Storm Mage said.

"Why?" The other clone asked.

"I want to mate with you as well...but with your legs off the ground, so your butt will be softer. Plus I want to give you as much pleasure as I can, as soon as I can." Storm Mage said and the clone smiled and caressed his face.

"You are so considerate." She said before she touched his manhood. With a surge of energy, his manhood was no longer numb from the pleasure, and even became aroused again. The first clone Storm Mage mated with got up and joined them. The one that was chosen to be pleasured bent over, and raised one leg at a time, and Storm Mage held them up for the clone behind him to hold her fellow clone's legs up and Storm Mage's eyes feasted on the soft underside of the clone's bottom before him and gripped her softened flesh and plunged into her womanhood. Just like with the rest of the clones, his pace was slow but steady, and became faster and more forceful as her moans picked up. He continued to rapidly knead the flesh of her butt like it was dough while his thick, dense manhood slipped in and out of her body until they both finally climaxed.

With a final embrace and kiss with the clone next to him, Storm Mage looked to the original Sword Maiden as she came over and re-absorbed her clones one by...before spasming out with the memory of what all the clones sensed during their orgy with Storm Mage, who sobered up and helped keep her steady with the final clone helping as well. The original then laid down as Storm Mage stood over her while still holding the final clone against his side.

"Apparently your clones enjoyed themselves quite a bit." Storm Mage teased as the clone pressed her breasts into Storm Mage's side as her leg wrapped around his waist, and her hand caressed his abdomen, and Sword Maiden chuckled.

"Very much so..." She breathed out before the final clone turned Storm Mage's head to kiss him passionately. Sword Maiden then watched her clone mash lips with her protector, and Storm Mage glanced at her before brushing the clones hair to the side and massaged her buttocks in plain sight. Sword Maiden watched Storm Mage's hand work the flesh of her clone's bottom as she deepened their kiss, and lashed tongues with him while caressing his rippling abdomen. Several seconds later, the clone let go of Storm Mage, and Sword Maiden re-absorbed her and the memories of the clone's sensations flooded her mind. Storm Mage then laid down next to Sword Maiden who held him close. "Was this as good as the time you had with those priestesses?"

"This is better than every time I had with a woman combined..." Storm Mage said seriously.

"I'm glad." Sword Maiden whispered before holding Storm Mage close.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Storm Mage teased.

"Oh yes. Getting to see the passion you use on me rather than feel it was...quite interesting. I wished I was part of it actually." Sword Maiden said.

"I noticed. Must have been quite a scene to see me make love to a group of women that look like you." Storm Mage said.

"I know you would treat me the same; they all felt so as well." Sword Maiden said.

"And I treated them all as if they were the only woman that existed...like I do with you." Storm Mage said softly before kissing Sword Maiden as deeply and passionately as ever.

"I'd like to bathe with you." Sword Maiden said.

"For old time's sake?" Storm Mage asked.

"Exactly." Sword Maiden said, before Storm Mage helped her get up and they walked side-by-side to the water, and Sword Maiden turned on the waterfall.

"That's new..." Storm Mage said.

"I added it as per the team's suggestion." Sword Maiden said.

"You showed them the place afterall." Storm Mage said as Sword Maiden entered the water with him following, and the two spent over a minute simply washing each other; all the lust and intimacy was out of their systems, and all that was left were their memories of the time they spent in the water together when they were alive, from him helping her get comfortable in her body during an intimate moment, to him introducing her to sexual pleasure and making her memory of the goblins' torture lose it's power, to him simply being there for her. When it was over, Sword Maiden embraced Storm Mage and pressed herself into him as much as she could while feeling his strong, loving arms tighten around her.

"The team had the idea of copying this bath's design in Water Town." Sword Maiden said.

"O.k..." Storm Mage whispered before the two lovers spent more time embracing.

"You were very kind to be there for your brother, and especially when you brought your mother with you." Sword Maiden said.

"I wish I hadn't taken so long." Storm Mage said before Sword Maiden backed up and touched his face.

"You got there before that fear demon could consume his soul, and you freed the souls consumed by that demon in the first place. That alone warrants me giving you more bodies to play with." She said seriously and Storm Mage smirked.

"Lucky me." He said before Sword Maiden kisses him passionately before gripping and stroking his manhood and approaching his ear.

"If you aren't protecting me from my fears, you're protecting your family from theirs, even in death." She said softly while Storm Mage tensed up and Sword Maiden giggled. "You had no less than four women using the same voice I have, and you're _still_ enchanted?" Storm Mage said nothing as she continued to stroke him, and he reveled in how she handled him. She then stopped cold before he made a mess."Now we're even. You pleasured me with your hands...I pleasure you with mine."

"Fairness is all-consuming in love and war..." Storm Mage said with a smirk that she shared before she snuggled into him again.

"What did you like best in that little orgy?" Sword Maiden asked as her husband groped and fondled her breasts, much to her amusement.

"Aside from having no less than eight of these divine breasts to feast on?" Storm Mage asked.

"Typical..." Sword Maiden teased.

"Sweetheart...the Love Goddess gave these to you so they could be enjoyed, and the rest of you is no less enjoyable." Storm Mage said seriously.

"I know." Sword Maiden said.

"Let's just enjoy the rest of the bath." Storm Mage whispered before they spent another minute in the warm water, and rinsing themselves off in the waterfall, enjoying each other's presence, as well as each other's kiss. The two slowly but vigorously mashed lips, lashed tongues, retreated and engaged their mouths, all while listening to each other's deep breathes and lustful moans as their hands explored each other's bodies from top to bottom. Sword Maiden massaged every muscle on her lover's sculpted body and giggled as his hands fondled her bottom, which as he stated, was just as plump as her breasts, which in itself was quite a statement.

Eventually, Sword Maiden straightened herself out as Storm Mage went down to her large, silky breasts and planted kisses on the tops of each of them before gently licking her nipples as she shuddered in bliss. She then wrapped her arms around his head, and pressed his face into her breasts, then he reacted by shifting against the mounds of plump, silky flesh and returning the embrace to the goddess gracing him with her body's wonders. Storm Mage then continued kissing, licking, and occasionally squeezing her breasts one by one, as Sword Maiden watched him devour his favorite parts of her body with a bright smile on her face. She then gasped and leaned her head back as Storm Mage sucked on her neck while they held onto each other as she entrusted him to hold her up.

"Oh Storm Mage..." Sword Maiden whispered as Storm Mage continued to kiss and lick her swan-like neck, sniff her hair, and run a single hand through it. He then kissed up her jaw, her cheek, and then her lips before pulling back to look at her smiling face.

"Is there anything you don't trust me with?" Storm Mage asked.

"Not at all. You saved me from the goblins in more ways than one; trusting you to hold me this tightly when all my muscles are relaxed is nothing." Sword Maiden said before Storm Mage smiled back and hugged her tightly.

"My sweet Sword Maiden..." He whispered as Sword Maiden snuggled into him. She then pulled him into the waterfall itself and they continued kissing, groping, and massaging each other everywhere, especially with him touching her buttocks, breasts, thighs, and even her womanhood...which of course made her knees buckle so much she nearly collapsed, only for her trust in him to be justified again as he caught her, which in turn earned him a grateful smile from his lady. With a final kiss, they left the water, and she made the water leave their bodies before he carried her bridal-style to the bed, and he laid her down before he snuggled into her side...before she got on top of him and surprised him as she took her 15-year-old form again. "Sword Maiden..."

"Look at me...look at the broken girl you put back together. Look at the broken girl who became the woman you give a boundless quantity of love to." Sword Maiden said harshly before Storm Mage held her face and stopped any tears from falling. She then turned him into a 15-year-old, and they kissed like it was their first time.

"The woman I saw this entire time...has no age. You and her are one in the same as far as I am concerned, just as the vagabond I was at 15 and the demon hunter who saved you from the goblins are the same in your eyes." Storm Mage said softly and Sword Maiden took a moment to get a grip before turning them back to normal.

"Massage me..." She said.

"Alright." Storm Mage said before digging his hands into her shoulders, arms, back, buttocks, and legs, then she flipped over and he did the same thing to her breasts, abdomen, and the front of her legs, all while taking his time and gripping her flesh deeply enough to where he managed to feel her bones...somehow. "How does this feel?"

"_Exquisite_...I always expect you to be a master with your hands, and you never once disappointed me." Sword Maiden breathed out, before Storm Mage starting squeezing her bottom purely for pleasure, much to her amusement.

"So much flesh..." He breathed out as he continued grabbing entire handfuls of her buttocks.

"And all of it is for you, it always was and always will be." Sword Maiden said sensually, and then Storm Mage went down to her legs, and sunk his hands into her thighs, kneaded them as vigorously yet tenderly as he did with her buttocks as his lady chuckled and moaned in bliss. He then nudged her hip to signal her to flip over, and he raised one of her bent legs up and continued caressing it, and even placed kisses on her inner thighs as she continued giggling. He then leaned his head against her leg and looked at the smiling goddess he was in bed with.

"Would you like me to continue?" Storm Mage asked.

"Please..." Sword Maiden breathed out as Storm Mage continued working her thick legs from foot to hip, and eventually ran his hand up the entire length of her leg.

"Is there any part of you that isn't lovely?" Storm Mage asked.

"You already know the answer." Sword Maiden said with a smirk, before Storm Mage crawled up to her and claimed her mouth with his own. Out of nowhere, Sword Maiden flipped them over, and got on top of him before moving down his rippling physique until she got to his legs...and then she recalled the time he lost them and nearly lost his life. She even recalled him looking at her whispering "I tried"...and her heart was so crushed that she crawled back up to him with her eyes watering and buried her face in his shoulder. Storm Mage didn't even question it; he laid there holding her as she wept her eyes out.

"My love..." Storm Mage whispered.

"My life..." Sword Maiden said with a sob-choked voice as her eyes kept watering.

"No more crying. Please...this is supposed to be a moment of happiness and love. Your sorrow has no place here." Storm Mage said softly.

"I _am_ happy...and I love you more than I can ever hope to express, but...the hell we had to go through to reach this literal and metaphorical Heaven never ceases to amaze me. You once lost the legs you have and nearly died because of it..." Sword Maiden said.

"Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage said softly.

"If you had died because of that...there is _nothing_ the goblins could do to me that would hurt more. Nothing at all..." Sword Maiden said harshly.

"But you saved me; we saved each other...in more than one way." Storm Mage said and Sword Maiden looked up at him, and her tear-stained face and miserable eyes did nothing to harden his gaze.

"I love you..." Sword Maiden whispered before giving him the deepest, softest kiss she could muster, and they held that position for what could have easily been a few minutes before she broke the kiss and snuggled into her staunch protector as they interlocked their fingers. Storm Mage kept a close eye on his lady as she calmed down, dried her tears, and returned to her normal self.

"Would you like to make love again?" Storm Mage asked.

"Oh yes..." Sword Maiden said before she got off of Storm Mage, and she laid down flat as he got on top of her.

"Alright, now raise your butt up for me." He said and Sword Maiden wasted no time raising her lower body off the bed with her hands and knees supporting her,. Storm Mage then took his place behind her, grabbed and spread her cheeks, and inserted his manhood into her opening. Her dear protector then started moving inside her womanhood with more vigor than normal, but kept no shortage of consideration for her enjoyment, which her blissful moans did plenty to express as he pounded her from behind. The room was once again filled with the sound of fleshy slapping and Sword Maiden's euphoric moans. The two lovers kept at it until they each had yet another delicious orgasm. She then straightened herself out and Storm Mage collapsed on top of her with his softening manhood still inside her and his groin pressing into her flawless butt.

"I guess the Love Goddess did get the last laugh in regards to the matter of love in my life didn't she...?" Sword Maiden said.

"Of course she did. Your curse of torment is lifted, we're happily married, and you my sweet Sword Maiden... get to have your guardian angel share your bed with you for the rest of eternity. You have so much to be happy about makes my head spin." Storm Mage said.

"You could not be more right. I never thought I'd be able to overcome my pain, but thanks to you, even in death I am truly a beacon in the dark for the people, just like my successor will be." Sword Maiden said.

"She's been plenty of things already, and she's not much older than you were when you beat the Demon Lord. I almost feel sorry for him having to face her, and the rest of the team for that matter..." Storm Mage said seriously.

"But for now...we have a moment to finish." Sword Maiden said.

"Would you like to make love again?" Storm Mage asked.

"One more time." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Alright..." Storm Mage whispered before she rolled over, and Storm Mage locked lips with her as she held his face. The two connected and disconnected their mouths repeatedly, and Sword Maiden moaned into their kiss as Storm Mage's strong but gentle hand squeezed and fondled one of her heavy breasts. He then went down to suck on her neck and even moved to the side to get a better angle to work on the flesh he always revered.

Eventually, he switched sides, so the other side of her neck, and her other breast received the same affection. Sword Maiden's blissful and adorable giggles inspired Storm Mage the entire time to continue his work pleasing the body of the majestic woman beneath him. She then smiled even brighter as Storm Mage planted another feather-light kiss on her cheek, then went down her neck until he reached her breasts, the dragged his tongue up and down both nipples and kissed around her breasts themselves, all while Sword Maiden watched her protector feast on her heavenly chest.

She then spread her legs, and Storm Mage pushed into her and pulled out as consistently as ever. Her pleasured moans from earlier were replaced with simple deep breathing as her husband and protector mated with her like she was a pillow that would tear with even an ounce of force, and only picked up when their bodies finally took control and their love said it's piece. Storm Mage then slowed his pace and buried his face into the space between her neck and the pillow as she held him close. and felt his dense muscles flex as he faithfully mated with her the way one was supposed to.

"Storm Mage..." Sword Maiden breathed out as her husband and protector continued scrapping her womanhood with the bulb on his organ.

"Sword Maiden..." Storm Mage whispered in her ear, and Sword Maiden wrapped her plump legs around his waist, and felt even more of his power as he drove his swollen manhood into her tightening entrance. His bottom tightened and relaxed, his abdomen rippled and his arms supported his weight before wrapping around her back as she arched it and continued gasping in bliss. She was long over the agony and terror the goblins instilled in her, but feeling Storm Mage's flesh bind itself to her own, despite how filthy both of their intimate histories were...was nothing less then liberating. The former archbishop always found peace in his presence, but each time he made love to her felt like peace itself, and this time was no different.

Eventually, she recalled the time they made love before Cambion murdered them, exhaled deeply, and Storm Mage apparently didn't notice her discomfort because he continued making hr gasp and moan in bliss by putting his manhood to use. Sword Maiden then slowly rolled them both to the side so she could be on top of him, and then sat up to look down at her protector as they locked gazes and inhaled the same air through their parted lips. She then came down to kiss him as deeply and passionately as she could while her tongue lashed with his, and the breasts he loved so much smothered his pecs and eventually his face.

Storm Mage actually pushed on Sword Maiden's bottom to signal her to scooch up, so he could get access to her breasts, and Sword Maiden's moans picked up in both frequency, and pitch as he sat up to suck on them while she mounted his lap and started bucking her hips. Now she was taking his organ at her own pace as Storm Mage happily feasted on Sword Maiden's breasts. He eventually stopped and watched her enjoy the ride. Her face was as peaceful and beautiful as ever, her womanhood was still crushing the organ it was swallowing, her perfectly plump, heavy breasts were rubbing against his chest, and her wide, shapely buttocks was flexing and relaxing regularly.

Storm Mage's eager hands sank into the abundant flesh of her bottom, which made Sword Maiden grace him with a smile and a giggle to fill his ears with as she quickened her pace. Sword Maiden then came down to kiss him, and moaned into his mouth as they lashed tongues again. She then disconnected their lips and kept smiling as she watched Storm Mage continue feasting on her chest. Storm Mage then thrusting into the goddess on top of him, and she gasped and moaned even more as her husband returned the affection she had for him. The two had a weak but meaningful orgasm not a minute afterwards. Storm Mage then flipped them over, removed himself from her body and rested his head on her heavy bosoms before getting some well-earned rest as she stroked his hair.

"Supreme God...see my new family through." Sword Maiden whispered.

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the team paid the Champion one last visit, and he was in the garden as usual.

"Champion?" Priestess asked, and the man turned to them with a smile.

"You did quite well in your training, and you entertained all of Heaven in the process. I'm certain that even with the odds not in your favor despite all of that, you will find a way to victory." Champion said.

"Could you give us your armor back?" Priestess asked.

"I suppose so, but I advise you keep it in the Temple of Law; the Sword Maiden used it to help smite the vampire queen, and it could be used for...other purposes as well." Champion said.

"I'll get right on that." Cherub said as the Champion formed his armor, and each piece removed itself and floated in mid-air. Cherub then grabbed the armor and vanished with it.

"Can't you come back and help us like the Sword Maiden did?" Warrior asked.

"I'm sorry, I can't. Too many of Heaven's forces are at work as it is; if I were to go back, it could cause a massive chain reaction in the balance between the worlds that would spell Armageddon." Champion said.

"O...k...?" Warrior said.

"You've done plenty for us as it is Champion, and on behalf of my family, and my husband, thank you very much." Fighter said with a small bow.

"You are quite welcome my dear girl." Champion said.

"It has been an honor Champion." Cow Girl said.

"The honor is mine as well...especially since I got to face a wearer of an Abyssal Hide." Champion said.

"A what?" Wizard asked.

"The armor Goblin Slayer wears. It's a suit of cursed armor forged in the abyss itself; it's one of the few types of armor that can match armor forged in Heaven. It not only enhances the wearer's body, but is also vulnerable only to abyssal weaponry." Champion said.

"Does the Goblin Overlord have any?" GS asked.

"Most likely, he knows of the abyss, and given his station, the arms forged there are too tempting for him to ignore." Champion said.

"I'll find a way to slay him, I always do." GS said simply.

"If that's not the truth..." Wizard said.

"Well, let's go get the boss and head home." Wizard's brother said.

"He should be in the same place you met your dwarven friend the first time you came to Heaven." Champion said.

"Alright, let's go." Fighter said.

"Archbishop...I need to speak with you alone." Champion said, and she shared a look with the rest of the team before they left.

"Yes Champion?" Priestess asked.

"You should know more about the forces you are dealing with before the rest of your team. I know about the Cambion's doings, and more importantly. his end goal. He wants to turn the world into what he believes to be a utopia where everyone could share the bounty that most people only crave, but few recieve, and he is willing to cross any line to do just that." Champion said.

"But why? Why would he murder the Sword Maiden and Storm Mage in cold blood knowing what they do for the people?" Priestess asked.

"That much I do not know, aside from he saw her as an obstacle to be removed, and Storm Mage happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." Cambion said.

"I see..." Priestess said.

"Listen to me...he is somewhat correct; if he didn't assassinate her, she would not be able to stay at your side as much as she did, nor would she be as powerful as she is, not to mention you yourself would not have a chance to become archbishop, at such a young age either." Champion said.

"I guess not...but the price was the people suffering immeasurable grief at her passing." Priestess said somberly.

"Which she herself rectified. I don't know if the Cambion knew that, but he was gracious enough to let her know that Heaven could make up for the trauma she suffered from, and he was correct." Champion said.

"Well...I guess he's not the heartless monster I believed him to be; I still remember the time he grabbed and threatened me...I've never been so frightened in my life." Priestess said while tensing up.

"Heartless or righteous, the Cambion is a dangerous man; he firmly believes in what he is doing and he will stop at absolutely _nothing_ to see it through." Champion said.

"Then we should get back to Earth as soon as we can." Priestess said.

"Not so fast, there is more to know, about the Demon Lord, and why I had to be the one to face him. The Cambion's situation is hardly new; the whole reason the Demon Lord came to be so powerful at the time is because someone unwittingly summoned him. Granted, the Cambion legitimately believes in his cause, but the one who summoned the Demon Lord at the time was different. He said he wanted what was best for the country, but he was just dogmatically doing what the Demon Lord said. Anyway, this betrayal led to the entire country being enslaved, tortured, or both. The goblins themselves are completely beyond forgiveness, but if the Demon Lord wins...the goblins' torment will become the norm. The horror stories about Sword Maiden and the rest of the goblin's victims won't just become commonplace, but actively encouraged, all for the Lord of Dread's amusement..." Champion said and Priestess' nerves were beginning to fray.

"All the more reason to stop him..." She said harshly.

"I am certain you can. I expect nothing less from my older sister's descendant." Champion said and Priestess recoiled.

"What...?" She asked.

"Yes, you are the youngest descendant of my eldest sister. So my father, is your forefather." Champion said and Priestess stood there thinking.

"But...my parents..." She trailed off.

"Your mother wanted to keep you, but she had no choice but to give you to the temple, and your father is in Heaven right now. Would you like to see him?" Champion asked and he could see Priestess' confliction and hesitation on full-display, until she eventually got ahold of herself.

"No...I have too much on my plate as it is. I'll look into their whereabouts when this is over." She said.

"As you wish. Although...it's a sour irony that the vampire queen is also descended from my sister..." Champion said.

"What? So...Ranger killed my cousin?" Priestess asked in awe.

"No, he killed the vampire queen; your _distant_ cousin was trapped in her body ever since she was turned, not to mention a threat to the entire northern region." Champion said seriously.

"I guess so..." Priestess said.

"Now go, meet up with your current family. Tell them what I told you when you feel the time is right." Champion said, and Priestess approached him, and hugged him.

"Thank you for your help...uncle." She said softly, before the Champion returned the embrace. She eventually let go and went to find her team.

* * *

When she finally caught up with them, they were about to reach the place Dwarf Shaman lived with his ancestors.

"Priestess? What did the Champion want?" Fighter asked.

"I'll...tell you all later." Priestess said.

"That big huh?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yes..." Priestess said.

"Beard-Cutter!" Dwarf Shaman exclaimed as he approached, and Cow Girl's eyes furrowed.

"You're that dwarf aren't you? But...you're not old anymore." She said.

"I'm in my prime again my dear, and I get to meet all the people I was descended from." Dwarf Shaman said.

"I'm happy for you." Cow Girl said.

"Thank you. You're probably sick of hearing about this, but you all did...marvelously against the Champion." Dwarf Shaman said.

"We've heard that so often it's unreal." Rhea Fighter said.

"Say...where's the other Beard-Cutter?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"He was pulled away to look at...something." Wizard said.

"I actually have my own tale to tell." Ranger said as he approached.

"Speaking of the Demon Lord..." Wizard said as Fighter walked up to her husband, and hugged him, along with Priestess and Cow Girl who got their turn afterwards.

"So how's Long Ears?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"She's been helping around Water Town for the most part, as well as spend time with that rifleman and showing me how it was done with a bow...although I doubt I'll need it." Cow Girl said.

"Ranger's don't turn down new skills." Ranger said.

"Right." Cow Girl said.

"So...Long Ears? How is she?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"Sorry we haven't talked to her for you. We figured that information about Heaven would be classified." Ranger said and Cherub poofed if.

"And you're right, but only to most people; the Hero, her team, and the rest of your own team are fair game." He said.

"Good to know..." Ranger said.

"So...Beard-Cutter, how are things on your end?" Dwarf Shaman asked.

"We're looking into a way to finish off the goblins, for good." GS said simply.

"As well as giving me a hand. There's a Silver Rank out there with my name on it" Cow Girl said.

"Right." GS said.

"You never change Beard-Cutter...well, see you next time you come to Heaven. Try not to get yourselves killed out there, at least...not too soon." Dwarf Shaman said.

"That's the plan." Wizard said as they turned to leave.

"Cherub? Something just dawned on me: why not get the Apocalypse Armor as well?" Ranger asked.

"You mean the armor used by the War God's previous champion, the Destroyer? Well, for starters, that's not necessary, but more importantly...the Destroy still has it, and he's trapped in the abyss and he's not coming out until Armageddon comes. Speaking of the abyss, our beloved Cambion was rummaging through that place like a rabbit in a garden for...quite some time now. Me and that Elder Revenant found evidence of his presence there when I went with him to the abyss, and I died and got remade in Heaven multiple times in the process so...you're welcome." Cherub said.

"What's the Cambion doing in the abyss?" Fighter asked and Cherub cleared his throat and Fighter deadpanned. "Thank you..."

"That's better, now to answer you're question...I guess he's taking power from there, just like you're taking power from Heaven...technically." Cherub said.

"Typical..." Rhea Fighter said.

"I have to give him credit...Cambion has a strong stomach; that place makes Hell look like a painting made by the Love Goddess's own hands. Yes, I know how much that's saying." Cherub said.

"As if we didn't have enough reason to get back..." Cow Girl said seriously

"Well...if you're going to be like that, I guess I'll just take my leave. Good day to you all..." Cherub said before opening a portal to the Temple of Law.

"I didn't mean it like-" Cherub cuts Cow Girl off.

"I said good day!" He snapped as he pointed to the portal and poofed away.

"I wasn't trying to get under his skin..." Cow Girl said softly before Cherub reappeared with a grin.

"Had you going didn't I?" He asked.

"You fluttering, diaper-wearing, weasel!" Cow Girl exclaimed and Cherub laughed at her.

"Just get out of my home..." He said before the team left while smiling, shaking their heads, or in Cow Girl's case, getting a grip.

* * *

When they got back to the Temple of Law...Sword Mage and Summoner were going over some papers on a large table.

"Welcome back Your Grace, we have news for you." Sword Mage said.

"What is it?" Priestess asked.

"The good Summoner completed the translations, and he found plenty of invaluable information about the demons, the goblins, and most importantly, their methods and plans." Sword Mage said.

"Let's hear it." Priestess said.

"I have yet to organize everything, but I found...alot of interesting tidbits, including hot zones of goblin activity." Summoner said as he set up an atlas.

"Where?" GS asked as he approached the altas, and Summoner pointed to a series of dot on it.

"Here, here, here and here. These are the closest places the goblins are to a major city." He said.

"That's in the mountains not far from the elves' lands..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Right, and apparently each of those spots houses hundreds of goblins, if not thousands." Summoner said.

"We also discovered how the goblins get out of Hell, and even more disturbing is that some living goblins are going to Hell voluntarily to get their power boost from the Demon Lord himself." Sword Mage said.

"You're kidding right?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"No. There's a reason so many fortified places were overwhelmed by the hell goblins even though they were designed to be goblin-proof." Sword Mage said.

"How bad was the damage?" Ranger asked.

"Thanks to the pope's crusaders, not too bad, but there was more than enough damage to erase any doubts the people had about how deadly goblins were, and especially now. Whatever grand scheme they have is coming at the price of the goblins' popular image of weakness being completely destroyed." Storm Mage said.

"What about how we stop the goblins from using hell rifts?" Fighter asked.

"That is done by getting rid of a building known as a Hell Ripper." Storm Mage said and used a recaller to show a series of spires merged into one, with a series of massive serratted spikes sticking into the air with a large Hell Battery in-between them. "It looks like this."

"I don't believe it...the goblins made their own superweapon." Wizard said.

"If it's destroyed, the hell rifts should stop forming." Storm Mage said.

"What about the rest of the goblins' numbers?" GS' asked.

"Those hot spots Summoner pointed to are just the tip of the spear. I actually used the miracle of Vision myself...and thanks to all the cloned women the Evil Sect supplied them with, the goblins are breeding like termites!" Sword Mage said seriously.

"That just means there will be more dead goblins." Ranger said simply.

"That is true..." Wizard's brother said.

"This can't be all of them." Cow Girl said.

"Not likely..." Summoner said.

"I can use the miracle of Vision while you are away to locate more." Sword Mage said.

"Me too." Priestess said.

"Well that just leaves the Goblin Overlord...where is he?" Cow Girl asked.

"Far..._very_ far." Summoner said seriously before moving to another side of the altas and pointing to another hot spot. "It's here in the mountains far beyond the frontier, almost on the other side of the continent."

"It'll take over a week just to reach the mountains, and even then, we have no idea what the goblins have in store for us." Wizard said.

"We'll find a way to get there quickly somehow. What other tidbits did you find out?" Ranger asked.

"Most of it was stuff we already know, like the goblin and demon types...but it also told just how deeply ingrained the goblins' corruption is." Summoner said.

"Dare I ask?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Let's just say that to them, right is wrong, and wrong is right to the power of ten..." Summoner said.

"Enough said..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Anyway, we're going to need to do some serious planning if we're going to get this done." Wizard's brother said.

"No need, I know exactly what we can do." Warrior said.

"Alright...let's hear it." Fighter said.

"First, we move on the Hell Shredder, with it out of the picture, they won't be able to use hell rifts to attack other places...and logically they'll put all hands on deck to protect it, so we'll need to give our all. Once that's done, we hit the hot spots right here, the ones close enough to hit quickly. Once we're done with those, we'll hit the ones over here and here, and we hit hard and that's done, we can think about dealing with the Goblin Overlord." Warrior said and the whole team looked at him in awe.

"That is...without question, the best plan I've ever heard you come up with..." Fighter said.

"I just asked myself "what would the boss say?"." Warrior said.

"Warrior, I couldn't have come up with a better plan myself..." Ranger said seriously.

"On top of that, once we know where the goblins' territory is, we can use the portal gem to go back and forth rapidly, but first we take the horse and cart like old times; we obviously need to conserve our strength, especially since it's going to be dark soon." Wizard's brother said.

"Thank the Supreme we have a fortified cart now; I even have some weapon ideas for it." Wizard said.

"Which does no exclude a way to keep the horse out of danger." Wizard's brother said.

"Good. One close call with her was too much." Ranger said.

"Well...we have quite a few goblins heads to bust." Fighter said before cracking her knuckles.

* * *

**Well...37,000 plus words...eh, who cares? This was an eventfully chapter to say the least, and I have nothing to be shamed of as a result. Fun facts: when Sword Maiden brought up the idea of Ranger using a rifle and he had his moment of hindsight, I kid you not, the X-files theme played in my head, just for kicks. The Champion's appearance (even though you don't really see him; you just picture him) is supposed to be based on Siegfried from Soul Caliber; he looks a bit like a male version of Sword Maiden too now that I think about it. Speaking of the Champion, I was originally going to make him Priestess' forefather, but then I thought...why not put a twist on it. Anyway, Summoner's translations sure were fruitful weren't they? He got key intel on the goblins' work and Warrior put his big boy pants on again and set the goblins up to get knocked down, which will happen in the next chapter which I swear will not take ages; I've been wanting to get on the final push for a while now, and boy do I have something big planned. So Rate, Review, and Share while you stay tuned...**

**P.S. I know I said the previous lemon between Sword Maiden and Storm Mage would be the last, but not only was this too good to pass up, but I was asked to do this by one of my fans, and the #1 rule of show business is "give the people what they want".**

**Also...I have a pair of songs I'd like to devote to the two of them: Storm Mage himself would fit the song "The Good Life" by Three Days Grace, not only because he used to be Orange Lantern material but...because he had a lust for the finer things in life, lives a good life in general, eventually, and lived one as a demon hunter and future bodyguard for the archbishop. Him and Sword Maiden as a couple fit the song "My Immortal" by Evanescence...the lyrics and mood speak for themselves, especially in regards to what those two do for each other.  
**


	46. Chapter 23 Part II

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Well, the first step towards the end has begun, starting with the goblins getting one gigantic foot jammed up their asses, and I know how much you all would love to see that, so let's get it on.**

**Review Response: I was originally going to make the Champion Priestess's direct ancestor, but then I thought "nah, too cliche", same goes for the vampire queen. GS' armor being out-of-this-world was just a shoo-in, although in hindsight...I must wonder how good he'd be at killing goblins if he had it from the start; that's like wondering what if Guts had the Berserker Armor from the start of the 100 Year War...**

**What other way could there be to deal with Cambion but by stomping him flat, and how was she implying that? And this is coming from someone who wrote the conversation, so I'm doubly lost.**

**Also, for those of you who somehow don't know, Goblin Slayer getting grappling hooks on his super shotguns is a Doom: Eternal reference...man I'm on a roll with the Doom tributes aren't I...? Also...this chapter was DAMN hard; normally I just dilly-dally with the length of a chapter, but this was just plain difficult. I kept getting ideas for what to do, and then the idea escaped me, so I had to chase them back down like I was on the freaking Savannah, but it's done and over with, so I hope it was worth the wait.  
**

* * *

In the heart of a goblin nest dug between a pair of large rocky hills, a pair of lookouts were keeping watch through the forest when a scout goblin came running back to the entrance to a cave, and the lookouts let him in and readied their spears...but nothing came. Once they let their guard down and scratched their heads, they heard a buzzing sound that was get louder and the next thing they knew...a massive swarm of flies was coming right toward them, and they barely had time to scream and run inside before the flies overwhelmed them and started biting into them and infecting them with a disease that was so violent they grew weaker and started vomiting stomach acid and even blood within moments.

The goblins further in the cave network breeding with cloned women and feasting on the dead ones didn't fair much better. The buzzing inside the cave hurt their ears, and when the flies go to them...they drank the goblins dry with only a handful escaping the feeding frenzy. As the team planned though, the goblins who escaped spread the disease to the other lesser nests they retreated to and with minutes, the plague broke out and even the hobs, and some champions succumbed to the infection. The shamans, despite their best efforts to halt the plague...ultimately succumbed to it themselves.

As Ranger's Pestilence miracle worked on the goblins below ground, Priestess kept an eye on their numbers with Vision. She then nodded to her teammates, and Warrior raised his hammer to the sky, and within seconds, a small hurricane formed, the wind picked up and lightning struck the tops of the mountains, which frightened the goblins beneath them, and their terror was short-lived as rubble stumbled down the mountains' sides, and Ranger called down a barrage of meteors to flatten the rest of the mountains, and bury the rest of the goblins in their own tunnels and forts.

The rest of the team spent the better part of an hour simply watching the apocalyptic display of destruction before them. Thousands upon thousands of goblins were being crushed, struck down by disease, or both, in one fell swoop, with thousands more following them to the grave. Ranger himself recalled his visions in Purgatory; the countless women weeping and crying for help that never came, before screaming in heart-crushing agony as they had their virginity ripped from them and the countless children born from their defilement growing up to cause the cycle to repeat, and some even witnessed their husbands, brothers, sons, and fathers tore apart and eaten alive by their defilers before, after, or during their murderers forced the miserable women to mate with them. Worse still was the goblins' utter thrill at their victims' expenses. Now...vengeance was finally being dealt, one devastated nest at a time, and it was the goblins who would know fear and misery.

* * *

After the dust cleared, dozens of mountains were blown apart, and every nest in sight was ruined beyond any hope of repair. Goblin Slayer and Priestess led the way as the team went into the titanic mess they made to kill the survivors. As it turned out, most of the survivors were buried underground with no way out; they were buried under solid rock meters below the surface, and they weren't going to dig out anytime soon, none of the team felt gracious enough to dig them out either. The ones who imagined to get to safety, came out of their cover to examine the ruins of their homes, and found hundreds of their crushed, dismembered, lightning-shocked, and sick brethren, some of whom were still alive long enough for the survivors to witness their last moments. A single gunshot added to their terror, especially when one goblin dropped to the ground with his brains launched out the side of his head, and the one behind him fell down with a mangled leg and screamed in agony.

"Bullseye..." Cow Girl said proudly before GS casually walked into the middle of the crowd of survivors who each scrambled to grab the nearest weapon they could. GS then pulled his shotgun and splattered an archer across the ruins around it, before putting the gun away. The rest of the goblins then yelled in rage as they charged at the black-armored monster before them, and GS morphed his sword and shield and charges at them in kind...and it wasn't even fair. One goblin hacked in two, three more lost their heads, another was diagonally bisected, another kicked into another, five more rapidly diced. The rest of the team just stood there and watched Goblin Slayer live up to his reputation has he ruthlessly butchered dozens of the lucky-but-unlucky survivors of the hell unleashed upon them. The entire display was one of as they dealt with their kind's version of the Demon Lord, who happened to be partially responsible for the formation of a large team of people who followed in his footsteps.

* * *

When the one-sided massacre was over and dozens of goblins laid dead, GS led the team through the rest of the ruins, and when they found no more survivors, thanks to Ranger, and the Wizard siblings using Life Sight, they returned to their fortified cart...which was covered in solid metal, especially the cart's frame itself. The wheels were covered in a softened metal as to not be too rough with the road, or vice versa. The most striking difference was the covering over the cart itself that protected from the elements like a normal covering, but with openable slots for a view to the outside, especially when the team was under attack so they could shoot out of it; even the horse's place was fortified in a similar manner.

When they got there, they caught several goblins red-handed trying to destroy the cart, and Ranger shot them down, without caring that GS was charging at them, and the goblins were all torn apart in seconds, with a pair of goblins running for their lives. The team then ran after it; they had to kill every last goblin in the area, not just for revenge, or because they deserved it, or even to help the country, but to keep the rest of the goblins in the dark about the nightmare that was coming their way.

Fighter climbed a tree, and jumped from one to another until she got a clean shot with her bow, and put an arrow into it's calf, and GS finished it off with a stab to the back of the head. The team then returned to the cart, and each of them drank a life potion to recover their relieve some sleepiness, and give them a vitality boost. When they were done, Wizard's brother sent some squirrel familiars in the direction the goblins were running in to scout the place while the team took a well-earned rest, which included a minor snack.

"This reminds me of the old days...only with _alot_ more destruction." Warrior said excitedly.

"This was normal a year ago?" D.R. asked.

"Ohhhh not even close; you just witnessed the greatest goblin massacre we have ever been part of, maybe the greatest in history." Warrior said seriously.

"Well...I'm glad to have been part of it." Cow Girl said.

"And we're glad to have you be part of it." Priestess said as she held Cow Girl's hand, and sharing a smile with her. Then Wizard's brother nudged Rhea Fighter.

"You alright? You're awfully quiet." He said.

"I'm just a bit overwhelmed..." Rhea Fighter said tensely.

"You saw the siege of the vampire queen's castle. We used siege weapons and everything." Warrior said, then Fighter nudged him.

"Don't make her head explode now." She said.

"Well sorry..." Warrior said.

"I'd like to see that again with the recallers when we get back." Cow Girl said.

"Not a problem. By the way, take his axehead for your rifle." Ranger said before morphing an axehead for Cow Girl's rifle like Dwarf Rifleman's, and she took it and attached it to her rifle before merging the material into the stock itself.

"Thanks. Wait a minute...I already have my ice axe." Cow Girl said.

"Let me see something." Wizard said and Cow Girl handed over her axe and rifle, then Wizard looked them both over, then put the two together, and merged the two together, and made the axeblade on the stock ice over. "There, that should do the job nicely."

"I cannot wait to use it." Cow Girl said seriously.

"I can't wait to see you use it." D.R. said.

"By the way, I actually tried some alchemy on these rations. Don't worry, it's not poisonous, not even close; I just tried mashing nutrients and flavors together. The results? This." Wizard said.

"Well...that explains why this bread has a pork stew flavor." Ranger said.

"Isn't alchemy great?" Wizard asked proudly.

"You could say that. Next thing you know we'll be able to have ice cream be as filling as a whole feast, or vice versa." Rhea Fighter said.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Fighter said.

"No kidding. I didn't show you how we elves make rations so you can use them for some mad science." H.E. Druid said seriously,

"It's alchemy, not science." Wizard said.

"Your point?" H.E. Druid and Wizard sighed.

"Speaking of poisons, I would suggest we try mixing some poisons together to use on the goblins but...the boss here can spread plagues like...well...a plague, so what's the point?" Wizard's brother said.

"That could actually come in handy right about now. I only have one miracle left and more likely than not, I won't have time to pray for more." Ranger said.

"Can you use Army of One again?" Cow Girl asked.

"Technically yes, but as a rule of thumb, I only use it for emergencies, and with that Hell Ripper, we're probably going to need all the help we can get." Ranger said.

"Which is why when we're done with the rest of this nest, we're going back home to rest for the night, and resupply in the morning." GS said, and then the squirrels came back a few minutes later, Wizard's brother then replaced them with bird familiars as he led the team to a passage through some smaller mountains, with a series of caves along the way.

* * *

Next thing they knew, a volley of arrows came out of one of the caves, and everyone got riddled with arrows, but their armors held fast. Wizard then paid them back with Firestream which turned them all to ash on contact, and she added insult to injury by smoking out the entire cave as her brother launched a Mana Bolt into another cave and blew the inside of the cave apart, causing it to collapse in on itself. Priestess then put up a Protection barrier as the arrows kept coming, and Fighter, Ranger, Warrior, H.E. Druid, Dwarf Rifleman, and Cow Girl returned fire, killing dozens upon dozens of archers with their arrows, bolts, and bullets. Rhea Fighter then climbed up the wall to reach some goblin archers on a ledge above them and charged at them, dodging and deflecting every arrow that came her way while butchering the goblins the moment she got close without slowing her charge one bit.

After the archers were dealt with, a group of hobs appeared in the back caves, some armed with larger bows. Ranger then morphed his heavy armor and greatsword, and he, GS, and Warrior charged at them with Fighter staying to watch Priestess' back with Cow Girl sniping at the hobs, and the ones who didn't wear helmets had their brains blown out. Before they could charge at Cow Girl however, Ranger cleaved through a pair of helmeted hobs with his greatsword, GS tackled one to the group and Warrior finished it off with his hammer, before switching to his sword, tying up a hob's neck with the whip form, jumping over it and ripping off it's head. He then unfolded his shield to block a hob's mace, then GS blew off it's leg with his shotgun, then jammed his sword into it's throat while Ranger sliced off the legs of another hob, removed it's helmet put a bullet in it's brain. A hob dropped down from a ledge behind the ladies, and the Wizard siblings both used Paralyze on it before Cow Girl plunged her rifle's axebalde into the top of it's head.

Just as the team was about to regroup, a goblin champion appeared in the back with back-up in the form of a handful of armored hobs, and dozens of regular goblins, including archers. Ranger used his final miracle to distract them with an Immolation burst as they all regrouped with Warrior, Fighter, Cow Girl, D.R., H.E. Druid, and even Priestess covering them, with the latter using Holy Smite to vaporize the goblins her five teammates didn't shoot down. Ranger then morphed his rifle, handed it to GS and then morphed his twin revolvers as the team shot down the swarm of goblins. Fighter made full use of both her bow's enchantments by loosing one arrow at a time that turned into a dozen, and each one hit hard enough to launch the goblins they hit back, and she even had some arrows blow up inside their targets, splattering the goblins in bits and pieces of their comrades, which horrified them so much they were easy pickings for Warrior's auto crossbow to hit them with a storm of bolts, or Ranger, D.R., Cow Girl, or GS to shred them with a storm of bullets. H.E. Druid ran out of arrows in the middle of the fight, so the Wizard siblings had to make more for her.

The champion then shoved the remaining hobs aside as he charged at the group full force. Then Ranger deflected it's club with his greatsword, Rhea Fighter jumped at it with her charged-up longsword, and landed a direct hit on it's back, but only tore into it's muscles; it's spine was still intact. She then jumped off the wall to sever the back of it's knees, which makes it fall down and get two shells from GS' shotgun fired into it's head. The remaining goblins and hobs retreated down the rest of the passage, and the team went after them, and corned them in passage blocked by a landslide. found yet another ambush in a wide open space with more caves on the cliffside. The team then gathered in the center, and everyone braced for the omni-directional assault.

"Let's do this..." Warrior said, and Fighter and Priestess shared a look before the rest of the team morphed their masks, and as soon as the goblins charged...Priestess used Holy light to blind and even burn them, and the team's masks kept their eyes safe as they unleashed a storm of bullets, bolts, and arrows into the goblin horde. When the light faded, the goblins were all in pieces, but another horde must've heard the gunshots, or saw the light, and yet another horde rushed down another passage, Warrior threw his charged-up hammer at a splinter group, and blew them to bits before charging at them, catching his hammer, switching to his sword and unfolded his shield in time to stop a hob's sword and then ducked another swing before vertically bisecting it, and throwing his sword at several archers in the distance, and jumping over another hob's mace, jumping off it's shoulders, and catching his sword before attaching to the wall and shooting several archers in the distance, with what few arrows came his way missing or bouncing off his armor.

A group of goblin shamans formed up to cast a lightning spell at the group, with a pair of them using Reflect to protect them, but the Wizard siblings had a plan for it: Wizard drained the Reflect spell, and once it was down, her brother torched them with a Firestream spell.

"Goblin barbecue, my favorite kind." Wizard's brother said.

"Less yammering, more hammering!" Warrior said while he and GS were dealing with a group of hobs, with Ranger and Cow Girl gunning down goblins at a distance. GS ended their skirmish by using his shotguns' grappling hooks to pierce the last hob's shins, and yanked himself towards it and unloaded both shotguns into it's chest with Warrior unleashing a wave of energy from his sword that bisected three more hobs. Cow Girl then turned to see a horde of goblins that managed to flank them and GS joined her in tearing them to shreds with their shotguns. H.E. Druid and D.R. switched to her twin daggers and he used his rifle's axehead to engage a group of goblins that got too close to them.

"Shall we dance Your Highness?" D.R. asked casually and H.E. Druid huffed in amusement.

"Just start swinging." She said before they charged into the crowd and H.E. Druid danced circled around them, tripping them, punting them away, shanking them in the top of the head, slashing their necks, breaking their spines with round kicks, or stomping their faces in as D.R. chopped down every goblin his elf girlfriend missed or crippled, sometimes multiple goblins lost their heads per swing. He eventually chunked a whole handful of bombs at a group of goblins and blew them all to pieces before H.E. Druid charged at the ones stunned by the noise the explosion made and broke their bodies as well before regrouping with D.R.

"You know I did something like this before with a swarm of imps?" D.R. asked.

"That's funny, so did I." H.E. Druid said.

"When? Centuries ago?" D.R. asked.

"Three centuries ago to be precise...but this was easier with archer support; where the hell is Fighter?" H.E. Druid asked.

Fighter as it turned out was scaling the side of a cliff and then once she got in position, she stomped on the cliff over and over, sending heaps of boulders stumbling down the cliffside and burying dozens of the goblins, then a goblin champion smashed through the blockage she made and Ranger threw a harpoon at it, and it embedded itself in the champion's gut, then Fighter came down and stomped the top of it's head into it's brain. Ranger then removed the harpoon, and threw it down the passage hard enough to tear up the ground and shred dozens more goblins, most of which were blown apart by the raw force of the throw, while others were gazed by it and had their bodies ripped open, and the ones who were legitimately pierced hit the rest of the targets along with the harpoon and were ripped apart bit by bit until nothing was left of them.

"That takes care of them." Rhea Fighter said as they all looked over the massacre.

"Eh, boss? You might want to pray for some more miracles now." Warrior said.

"Good idea." Ranger said, before kneeling, morphing a sword and a mace and crossing the two on the ground. "Lord of the Sword...Master of the Mace. Your champion and son is on the doorstep of one of the world's greatest enemies. Send me whatever aid you deem me worthy of, and I will continue to be a thorn in their side." With that, Ranger sucked in one breath after another, before finally standing up with the sword and mace vanishing into thin air.

"Well? Any luck?" Wizard asked.

"I have three more miracles, I had best use them wisely." Ranger said.

"You could probably use them better than any of us that's for damn sure." D.R. said.

"Really? Can't we rest for a bit longer?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"This isn't even close to the last ones. There are plenty more down that passage." Priestess said.

"Then let's follow it. We can't let any of them live." GS said as he walked that way.

"You're telling us..." H.E. Druid said as they followed GS.

"I can't believe they keep attacking us en masse. Don't they know we'll just take them out?" Cow Girl asked.

"Goblins aren't known for their tactical genius; they take strength in numbers too seriously for their own good." Ranger said.

"Quantity is it's own quality my ass..." Warrior said.

"Right. All that does is give us more kills." Wizard's brother said.

"Priestess? Did Vision tell you anything else?" Fighter asked.

"Most of the survivors have already been dealt with, but this passage leads to a dead end." Priestess said.

"Good, once we get rid of the goblins there, let's get back to the cart and go home." Ranger said.

"Thanks, I"m pooped..." Rhea Fighter said as they kept following GS down the passage to continue drowning the goblins' home in the blood of it's residents. When they reached the end of the passage, they saw the expanse of a wide open field with ruins galore and more caves lining the cliffs.

"Oh great..." Wizard said.

"This place has ambush written all over it." Rhea Fighter said.

"Then let's ambush their ambush." Ranger said while morphing a greatsword.

"How?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Let me guess: shoot them down from a distance to conserve our stamina, empower ourselves and cripple them if necessary, and then go in and finish them off...like we've been doing?" Cow Girl asked and the team stared at her.

"Right..." Ranger said before Wizard used Life Sight.

"Well, lo and behold, I can see a whole swarm of goblins on each individual side...and a squad of champions." Wizard said.

"Self-fulfilling prophesies ladies and gentlemen." D.R. said dramatically.

"Should I draw them out with some familiars?" Wizard's brother asked.

"That would be wise, but don't have them do any major fighting; they're task is to harass them, not beat them." Ranger said.

"Yeah, yeah, they're not stupid." Wizard's brother said before summoning a flock of crows that flew off to antagonize the goblins by cawing, sparking and flying around, then a series of scouts show up and shoot arrows at them...then Ranger morphs his rifle and shoots a handful of the scouts, and the other 3/4 of their numbers rush into their respective caves.

"Now they know what's happening." Ranger said.

"What if they stay in their caves?" Cow Girl asked.

"They won't; they're likely too pissed off about the damage done to their home to stay cooped up in what's left of it." Warrior said.

"And even if they are too scared to come out and face us, we'll just go after them one by one." GS said as the crows came back to Wizard's brother, and that team of champions came out of their caves. "Six champions...all with ballistas."

"Great, walking siege engines." Wizard's brother said.

"I've got my _own_ siege weapon!" Cow Girl said before lobbing a bomb into the distance and hits one of the champion's feet and it kneels to nurse it's wound.

"Nice shot lady. Now you pissed them all off." Wizard's brother said sarcastically as the champions aimed at the team and Priestess downed some holy water.

"Protection!" Priestess yelled and a barrier formed as the champion's bolts shattered against it, and then Ranger used Smith to make an armory's worth of harpoons in mid-air, then hurled them at the champions all at once, and the barrage pierced each one in different places, but all of them survived.

"More goblins incoming!" Cow Girl yelled as the rest of the goblins came out of their holes and rushed at the team. Thanks to all the ruins, shooting them wasn't an option, so the team retreated into the passage to funnel their numbers. "A narrow space negates superior numbers" afterall. GS and Ranger then held off the goblins with Ranger using his twin revolvers, and GS using his twin sawed-off shotguns with the shooters taking positions on the ledges above, with Rhea Fighter taking a lookout position, and the Wizard's watching the shooters' backs.

Turns out, some goblins were hiding in the caves; a hob charged out of a nearby cave, and Fighter immediately opened her chakras and punched the hob hard enough to make it's guts implode, before sending it careening through the inside of the cave with a single kick, and she heard the faint screams of some goblins who likely screamed as they saw the hob flying at them, only to be crushed by it's weight. Fighter then bolted into the cave itself.

"Dammit Fighter...!" Warrior groaned as he, Ranger, Wizard, and her brother went after Fighter as the rest of the team stayed to hold their grounds. The four that scrambled to go after her followed the enraged yells, screams of pain and fear, and the sounds of the goblins' getting their blood being spilled, their bones being broken, and their flesh being cut to shreds and the Wizard siblings used their fire magic as torches... and it was a complete massacre. Goblins aplenty had their heads smashed in, or ripped off, their limbs broken so badly their bones were visible, their spines were exposed, some had their own weapons were plunged into their heads in chests, one was even sitting against the wall with it's face caved it; she must've thrown it against the wall and then kicked it hard enough to cause the damage. Ranger then inspected it's back and discovered he was right; the goblin had a few rocks embedded in it's back which were unlikely to have been put them intentionally; she must've thrown it into the wall for those rocks to have been forced into it's flesh.

"That lady scares me sometimes." Wizard's brother said as he eyeballed the carnage. They then continued further and bolted down the cave when they heard roaring. Lo and behold, there was a goblin champion there, and Fighter was dancing circles around it. She then noticed the flames behind her and saw her back-up...then the champion grabbed her and she forced it's fingers open, and for good measure, she yanked it's arm down and she fell and the champion was on it's back right away. Warrior then went to help out but Ranger stopped him; this was Fighter's battle.

"I could use a hand!" Fighter exclaimed, and Ranger huffed in amusement; there goes his sentiment. The champion then got up, grabbed a nearby club ad rose it up to smash them.

"Oh no you don't!" Warrior yelled as he ran along the wall and used his charged-up sword to cut the club in half. Wizard then used Levitate to make the club hit the champion in the face hard enough to break several of it's teeth. Fighter then attached several cables to it's shoulders and yanked it to the ground. Ranger then finished the job by jamming a greatsword into it's face.

"Nice one baby." Fighter said before Ranger used his spare arm to yank her into a deep, passionate kiss as she ran her hands along his shoulders after he morphed his light armor.

"You set it up...baby." He said before Fighter smirked at him.

"Only you two would get cuddly and kissy in the middle of a warzone." Warrior said.

"Like you did any better..." Fighter said.

"Those two are so made for each other..." Wizard said and her brother smirked.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Water Town, Summoner was looking out the window of his apartment at the twin moons, and Guild Girl and Inspector were both undressing for bed. Inspector then got under the covers and watched Guild Girl hug him from behind...and press her naked breasts into his back in the process.

"Something wrong sweetheart?" She asked.

"Goblin Slayer and company are likely assaulting the goblins' homeland by now." Summoner said.

"I cannot imagine how many they'll fight all at once." Guild Girl said.

"Millions most likely." Summoner said and Guild Girl recoiled.

"Millions of goblins...all at once. That has to be the most terrifying thing I've ever heard." She said seriously before Summoner turned around and held her hips.

"Baby...if there's one thing I know for a fact that doesn't involve the demon-hunting trade, it's that when the world ends, three things will survive: the cockroach, a single goblin, and Goblin Slayer trying to kill that one goblin." He said and both ladies giggled at his jest.

"Good point." Guild Girl said before Summoner pressed his lips against hers and Inspector watched them give each other a series of deep, passionate kisses. Summoner then touched Guild Girl's smiling face with the back of his hand and she leaned into his touch while holding his hand, all the while continuing to look at him with pure love in her eyes.

"So pretty..." Summoner whispered and Guild Girl giggled before Summoner pulled her into yet another kiss before walking her to bed, and Inspector opened the blankets for them, and Summoner got on top of her and kissed her the same way as she ran her hands along his lovely muscles.

"I knew you wouldn't forget your sexy priestess." Inspector teased.

"How could I ever?" Summoner asked and kissed her neck as Inspector held his head in place and giggled as Summoner licked and sucked on her neck.

"O.k...that should do." Inspector breathed out, before Summoner stopped, and laid down between them, and they each snuggled into his side and giggled as he groped their plump, shapely bottoms. "Just couldn't help yourself could you?"

"It's not my fault I'm so lucky." Summoner said.

"Oh?" Guild Girl asked.

"Come on, I get to sleep next to two beautiful women who both love me as much as I love them, and as soon as my studies with the Love Goddess are complete...I want us to marry." Summoner said and the two ladies looked at each other before smiling at him.

"I say yes. Guild Girl?" Inspector asked.

"Yes." Guild Girl said before kissing the general she was snuggling into, before Inspector got her own kiss.

"All we need now, is a pair of rings." Guild Girl said.

"Technically, a wedding involving the Love Goddess doesn't require rings, _but_...I do see where you're coming." Summoner said and the two ladies pressed their breasts into him even more as they shifted against him, and Guild Girl sighed dreamily while Summoner continued to rub their fleshy butts.

"You know, you going through all that trouble to translate those books is probably helping them quite a bit." Inspector said.

"Wasn't easy either, on my mind, or stomach." Summoner said.

"Right...because of those tales the demons spun?" Guild Girl asked.

"Don't remind me...although some aren't that bad; they're almost kid-friendly." Summoner said and Inspector giggled.

"I'd like to hear one someday." She said.

"Alright, me too." Guild Girl said.

"Now...on a serious note, you two deserve some credit for helping that team as well; you both helped inspire me to keep it up, either with love alone...or sex." Summoner said and Guild Girl gave him a quick but sweet kiss.

"You're quite welcome." She said softly.

"I also have to thank you both for putting my heart back together no less than three times: when I lost most of my demon hunters, when I lost my brother...and that fear demon..." Summoner said trailed off and Guild Girl kissed him again, and took her sweet time with it as well.

"You have a legion of elementals working for you, and there's no way they would just fall like that. On top of that...I'm still here." She said softly.

"We both are, and we love you." Inspector said .

"And love you as well." Summoner said, and then nudged Inspector to get off his arm while he turned over to hug Guild Girl as tightly as he could. "I really do love you both, but..."

"I get it; this is your moment." Inspector said and Summoner held Guild Girl closer while she caressed his sculpted back, and rubbed her thigh against his hip and he ran his hand down her side until he reached her thigh. Summoner then groped and played with her butt before Guild Girl pressed her lips against his, and they lashed tongues as Inspector backed up to watch her closest friend get on top of Summoner and Inspector couldn't help but peek under the covers and look at Summoner's hands dig into the milky flesh of Guild Girl's butt while they continued to mash their mouths together.

"Summoner...don't just focus on my bottom..." Guild Girl breathed out, and then she moaned as her beloved demon hunter stopped groping her buttocks, slid his hands up her sides, and starting squeezing and playing with her breasts. She then broke the kiss and raised herself up to give him a better angle...and a better view as he continued working the two globes of plump flesh. Guild Girl then gasped and threw her head back as Summoner started sucking on her nipples, and taking his sweet time doing it. He even glanced at Inspector while continuing to swirl his tongue around Guild Girl's hardened nipple and the grin on Inspector's face showed she was enjoying the show. Guild Girl then pulled back, grabbed Summoner's manhood, and just as she was on the brink of lowering herself onto it...he stopped her.

"Wait...I didn't take any potion." Summoner breathed out.

"Would you like me to get the potion?" Inspector asked.

"Maybe later." Summoner said and Guild Girl groaned.

"Summoner! I was in the moment..." She said with an adorable pout on her face.

"I said later didn't? Besides, after...the incident, I would like nothing more than to make love to you, but for now...just let me hold the two beauties in my bed.." Summoner said as Inspector snuggled into his side and he held said beauties close.

"I'd like to hear about that incident when you're ready to share." Inspector said.

"Alright." Summoner said and the three simply laid there enjoying each other's company and snuggling.

"To think the Sword Maiden gets to have moments like this with your brother for the rest of her endless life." Guild Girl said softly.

"Yeah...those goblins who had their way with her can eat their hearts out." Summoner said and Inspector looked at him funny.

"_Why_ would you bring that up now?" She asked seriously.

"Sorry...that was insensitive. I was just trying to make fun of the goblins; I didn't think of the price..." Summoner said.

"Well, at least you're smart enough to own up to it, so lucky you. You get to keep the privilege of sleeping with two lovely ladies." Inspector said.

"I'm deeply honored." Summoner said dryly and Inspector patted his chest, before Guild Girl rubbed the place he was hit on and mashed her lips against his.

"But seriously...we both love you as much as ever." She said.

"And I love you both." Summoner said and both ladies snuggled into his sides.

"I'm glad you didn't go with them but...why?" Guild Girl asked.

"Because my work for them is done, and it's time I took a rest." Summoner said.

"Can't argue with that." Guild Girl said.

"Her Grace also gave me the idea for using my elementals to help build some things, including waterfalls for the city's bathhouses." Summoner said.

"Wow, that's ambitious." Guild Girl said.

"I'm actually kicking myself for not thinking about using my elementals for construction sooner. O.k. that's not entirely true, I have before; I even charged people for me using a water elementals for cleaning purposes, but...not like this." Summoner said.

"I can see the team using the elementals like that themselves." Inspector said

"I actually gave them a bunch of summon stones." Summoner said.

"Did you?" Inspector asked and Summoner raised an eyebrow.

"You can sense lies lady." He said.

"Smart man." Inspector teased before kissing him and getting his hand through her hair. "I never thought I'd say this, but Supreme be with those goblins..." Summoner scoffed at the irony and they went to sleep with their heads on his shoulders and their hands on his chest and abdomen.

* * *

"Look who decided to show up." H.E. Druid said as the team came out of the cave and saw the place swarming with goblins.

"We actually took out a champion that was likely waiting for a moment to strike, or at least survive to give the Overlord a head's up." Wizard said.

"Just help us!" H.E. Druid exclaimed as she kept shooting down goblins at a distance, and kicked the goblins that got too close off the ledge she was on, either killing them on-contact, or with the fall itself, and the rest of the team got to work right away.

Ranger morphed his twin swords and covered Fighter and Warrior as they fought their way to a ledge overhead. Ranger put his swords to as good a use as ever: one sword severs a head, the other removes a limb, the first impales a heart, the other splits a skull, then the first craves through a goblin's kidney, and the other slashes through a spine. He weaved through the entire crowd on the lowest level of the passage and threw in some of the acrobatics he learned from Fighter into the mix with spinning, jumping, flipping, and even turned several goblins into chum as they pounced at him with his light armor making his movements untraceable throughout the entire massacre. He then rejoined GS and Cow Girl as they continued gunning down the goblins that kept coming in the front.

Rhea Fighter meanwhile got to work on her same-sized foes by putting her unarmed skills to work, by opening her own chakras, then worked them over in various ways: she stomped on their knees and punched the side of their heads in, she kicked them in the kidneys and tore their throats out, she jumped over one and stomped on the head of the one behind it before snapping the neck of the first one, she grabbed two and slammed their heads into each other, or even tore them in half and threw the halves at two more before she punched their ribs in.

Wizard put her glaive to work to save her magic. She stabbed every goblin that got close, or gave them a quick slice across the head to spill the goblins' brains on the ground, or across the abdomen to spill their intestines; good thing they all wore masks which made breathing easier when there's a bad smell. She also stabbed goblins that pounced at her before flicking them to the side and continued butchering the goblins, with her brother next to her smashing their heads in with his mace. The two eventually put up spark traps that shocked the goblins that got close to them, and summoned elementals to take out the ones in the back taking pot shots at them with arrows or throwing spears at them.

Fighter and Warrior shot down the flanking goblins their companions were missing, H.E. Druid and D.R. climbed a ledge over everything and sniped a few goblins in the far distance, and Cow Girl, Ranger and GS kept shooting at the ones who got close to the Protection barrier. GS then threw in a freeze bomb and charged in to finish off the goblins that weren't frozen solid or were only somewhat frozen. Ranger then took the greatsword he morphed earlier and followed GS into the fray. The rest of the team eventually finished off the last of the goblins, and looked back to see GS and Ranger taking down the goblins side-by-side...it was yet another masterful display of butchery.

GS rapidly sliced apart a group of goblins bright enough to pounce at him with Ranger splattering a group of them across the ground with one swing of his greatsword. GS then charged through the crowd as Ranger morphed his light armor and followed GS while blowing apart the goblins at a distance with his revolvers, and beating down the goblins that got too close with the sides of his guns, or using the newly-morphed blades on his legs to punt the goblins away or shred them with the same legwork his lovely wife uses in combat; love and war going well together never ceased to amaze.

Ranger then switched to the greastword and heavy armor again when a group of hobs swarmed him from all sides, then whirled his gigantic blade around with the usual force, speed and precision to turn each hob into a mass of severed limbs, heads, and guts. He then charged over to GS' position, and saw him weave through a few hobs himself and then climb up the back of one before blowing it's brains out with one shotgun, then put a shell in the heads of two more then reloaded before shooting the legs out from another one, then stomping it's head in. GS turned around just in time to see Ranger impale another one, swing it around and then slam it into the ground hard enough to make the ground implode. The two armored juggernauts then looked around at the damage they did, and took a breather.

"I got to say...you and I haven't done is in way too long." Ranger said.

"Now's the chance for us to do this, since the goblins are nearly wiped out." GS said.

"And this is only the start; there's more goblins further beyond the frontier." Ranger said before GS looked up at the twin moons.

"Then this will be make the battle at the farm look like the time we had at the beach." He said thoughtfully.

"I take it you had fun there afterall?" Ranger asked.

"Yes..." GS said.

"We can go when this is over." Ranger said.

"Maybe." GS said before looking to the side and they spotted more goblins coming out of the caves.

"I didn't think we'd leave this many goblins alive." Ranger said.

"Good, because there will be none alive when we're done." GS said as he braced for attack, with Ranger smirking and bracing his greatsword on his shoulder.

"Your lips to the Supreme's ear." He said before the two charged at the goblins with Ranger jumping over GS who wasted no time slaughtering the goblins as rapidly as ever with Ranger coming down on a hob from overhead and splitting it down the middle. He then waved his greatsword around, chopping and splattering more goblins across the battlefield. When they were done with the first wave, GS spotted another and Ranger superheated a gauntlet before causing a massive explosion by punching the ground, sending debris and goblin bodies everywhere.

"Priestess once mentioned paying attention to the consequences of our actions." GS said as Ranger recovered.

"Look around, this place was past the point of no return the moment I called down those meteors. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just laying waste to a wasteland." Ranger said before they spotted Fighter dashing around the other side of the area smashing and shredding goblins left and right. Ranger couldn't help but smirk at the display. "I love her so much..." Fighter then stomped a goblin's face in, before looking back to see Priestess slicing apart a group of goblins herself with Warrior watching her back. Fighter was so caught up in watching Priestess that a trio of hobs approached her without her awareness, then Fighter snapped around to engage them, but Priestess vaporized them with Holy Smite. Fighter then shared a brief smile with the new, younger Sword Maiden, and they regrouped with the others.

GS then pushed Ranger to the ground as a boulder whooshed past them, and lo and behold, a goblin champion was there, and it was preparing to hurl another boulder. Fighter jumped up out of nowhere and kicked the boulder out of the air when the champion hurled it at the two, and then Fighter stood there in front of it, daring it to attack her...and it did. It charged right at her, and she jumped up and gave it a kneed it in the jaw, breaking several of it's teeth, and she even tore it's hand open when it treated to grab her. She then watched it nurse it's wounds when she landed, but as soon as it turned to face her, she then climbed up it's body and jammed her forearm blades into it's face over and over, and rode it down as it dropped dead before she landed like a cat and eyeballed her gigantic kill.

"Nice save baby." Ranger said.

"I guess we're even now...baby." Fighter said before giving her husband a short but sweet kiss and ran her hands through his long, course hair while smirking at him. He then peeked over her shoulder, and when she turned her head, she saw a swarm of goblins bracing to unleash a volley of arrows at them.

"Mana Bolt!" The Wizards yelled before unleashing a conjoined orb of green energy that not only vaporized the archer line, but collapsed the cliffside they were camped on.

"Scratch one line of archers." Fighter said.

"Right, now where were we?" Ranger teased.

"Not a chance; I love kissing my strong, loving, and _extremely_ sexy husband as much as the next woman who's strong enough to tear a goblin champion a new one...but I'm not getting distracted two times in a row." Fighter said seriously and Ranger stared at her the whole time. "Yes I said all that..."

"And I still want to kiss you-" Fighter shuts him up with a brief but sweet kiss.

"Happy?" She asked.

"Yes...that should snuff out my darkness for a while." Ranger said casually and Fighter smirked; that statement was funnier than it had a right to be. Next thing they knew, a goblin paladin armed with, to the team's horror and complete surprise, an auto crossbow appeared with a goblin high priest empowering it with hell energy. Ranger then put his greatsword in the ground just in time for them to take cover behind it as the goblin paladin unleashed a volley of bolts at them. The two held each other as close as they could, and didn't dare peek out to see what else was going on...

"Ranger...the sword is cracking." Fighter said seriously, and Ranger saw she was right; his practically unbreakable sword was giving away bit by bit as the bolts hammered away at it with more speed and force than even a large bolt should be able to hit with.

"What is taking the others so long to help us?" Ranger asked, and then dared to peek out to see a group of hobs engaging GS who was forced to retreat to the Protection barrier Priestess put up.

"Now would be a good time for a miracle." Fighter said with actual fear in her voice.

"No...not without killing all of us as well." Ranger said grimly and Fighter started shaking.

"Purge!" Priestess yelled and a burst of holy energy knocked down the hobs, drained the paladin of the hell energy boosting it's power and staggered the high priest, who retreated into the cave. GS then led the team in a charge to first finish the hobs off before they could get up with stabs through their brains, and the Wizards split up and used Paralyze to stop the paladin from shooting them down with it's crossbow, but all it did was slow it's movements; the damn thing was wearing anti-magic armor!

Warrior then threw his hammer at the paladin, hit it's forehead which staggered it, and GS threw the rest of his bombs at it which staggered it yet again. The paladin then went berserk and threw it's crossbow at them, and then charged at them while shouting in fury. Ranger then removed his greatsword from the ground, put it on the ground behind him, Fighter got on top of it, and with a glance between them, Ranger used the sword like a catapult and launched Fighter right at the paladin, and she went right past it...but it didn't matter; she grabbed it as she flew by and yanked it to the ground, and kicked it's lights out.

"So...who would like to do the honors?" Fighter asked.

"Priestess? You should." GS said, and Priestess walked up to it's head and plunged her sword into it's neck. She then wiped the blood off and put her sword away... before Fighter yanked her into a hug.

"For a moment...I thought me and Ranger were going to die...!" Fighter said seriously before Priestess returned the hug.

"Fighter." She said softly as her older sister held her, and the rest of the team watched their moment, or looked at each other.

"There's no way you two were going to die. Not with all of us here with you." GS said seriously.

"That's just it; I forgot all of you were there." Fighter said.

"Well...now your fears are erased." GS said.

"Goblin Slayer! That's my _wife_ you're talking to and she was concerned about my life, and her own, which is a pain in the ass to train for on a good day. I insist you give her more leniency." Ranger said sharply.

"Sorry." GS said.

"Now, Priestess, how many miracles do you have left?" Ranger asked.

"At least two more, but I'm out of holy water." Priestess said.

"I'm not, and chances are you'll need it more than I will." Ranger said as he handed over his flask.

"I'll put it to good use sir." Priestess said.

"O.k. I hate to break up the meaningful chit-chat, but that goblin high priest went into that cave up there." Fighter said.

"A high priest? That's not good..." Warrior said seriously.

"What's the deal with the high priests?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Their deal is that they're basically shamans, lords, and paladins all in one package, and just as nasty." Ranger said.

"Right, and we fought one of them at the farm a decade ago...and it took a revenant to kill it by ripping out it's soul, which for the record can kill damn near anything since...well your soul is what allows you to live in the first place; you've got a better chance of surviving getting your head smashed to bits." Wizard said.

"So how are we supposed to kill this one with more than half our strength shot to hell?" D.R. asked.

"Can we please come back in the morning when we're in top form?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"No, that high priest will likely share what it learn with the rest of them. We'll just have to make use of the strength we have left." GS said.

"Speak for yourself..." Rhea Fighter said and Wizard groaned and handed her a potion.

"Here's a life potion, now shut the _fuck_ up...!" She said with annoyance, and Rhea Fighter stood there stunned before taking the potion and downing it.

"How many more potions do you have?" Cow Girl asked.

"Just that one. I was hoping to save that for an emergency but..." Wizard trailed off.

"We're only as strong as our weakest link, and in this situation, we can't have anyone slowing us down. On top of that, no one gets left behind." Ranger said.

"Right." Priestess said before GS walked off.

"Hey, where are you going?" Fighter asked.

"After that high priest." GS said and Warrior went after him.

"Is this wide-spread fatigue getting to your head or something?" He asked as he tried to stop GS.

"No, I have a plan." GS said before Warrior managed to stop him cold by getting in front of him.

"Well please inform your numerous, and extremely competent friends, of this magnificent scheme." He said.

"Traps." GS said and the whole team looks at him.

"Why didn't we do that earlier?" D.R. asked.

"Uh, me and my now-long-haired sister did that earlier when we covered Priestess remember?" Wizard's brother asked.

"I meant on a larger scale." D.R. said.

"May I continue?" GS asked.

"If you insist, although how are you going to get them here?" Warrior asked as GS kept going.

"Clap." He said simply and the team looked at each other in surprise.

"Say what now?" Wizard asked.

"Clap." GS as simply as before.

"Well...trap them with what?" Cow Girl asked.

"A scroll." GS said.

"You had a _scroll_ the whole time?" Wizard's brother asked.

"No, I assumed one of you did." GS said.

"Well, we don't." Wizard said.

"Then use that portal gem to go get one." GS said.

"Wait, what if someone we don't like is watching us? Like that Cambion joker?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"We can worry about him at a later date." GS said.

"What about the rest of the Evil Sect, or the Goblin Overlord himself"?" Priestess asked.

"They're right Goblin Slayer. The risk is too serious, and our secrets are or secrets." Ranger said and GS sighed.

"Everyone? I just used Vision and...the Goblin Overlord is actually watching us." Priestess said which alarmed the whole team.

"Bet he's awfully pissed that we wrecked one of his homes." Warrior said.

"But that also means our good rhea here was right to be nervous." Ranger said.

"I just had to open my mouth didn't I...?" Rhea Fighter groaned.

"The Goblin Overlord was watching us the whole time; your word had nothing to do with it." Fighter said.

"I guess..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Then we'll just go for that clapping trick, but on a much larger scale; I also saw a pair of caverns in there, and each one is infested with goblins...and dozens of cloned women." Priestess said.

"Well, I hope they're having the time of their lives in there, because it's the last bit of fun they're going to have." Ranger said coldly.

"Must you talk about a goblin orgy like that?" D.R. asked seriously.

"Beats the hell out of calling it an orgy." Ranger deadpanned.

"Can we _please_ stop talking about that?! You two are making me sick to my stomach..." H.E. Druid snapped.

"Please excuse our blasphemy Your-" H.E. Druid cuts D.R. off.

"Just knock it off; I'm tired, I'm getting hungry again, and I'm probably going to have to bath for hours on end to get the smell of goblins blood off of me, not to mention my muscles are probably going to be more sore than they've ever been." She said.

"I'm pretty sure the rest of us can say the same. Heaven forbid we have to go through this again without our ranged weapons and spells..." Ranger said.

"Come on, don't jinx us...yeah I know, my word doesn't count in this." Rhea Fighter said.

"Anyway...we can't go back and get more firepower, but we _can_ use some more delicate means." Ranger said.

"Like stealth?" Cow Girl asked and Ranger stared at her.

"Like stealth..." He said.

"Or drawing them to us; it worked on our first quest, why not now?" Warrior said.

"Or we just go after them..." Fighter said simply and the team to see her meditating while standing upright, and then her eyes opened to reveal that they were cyan. She then rushed to the entrance to the cave and waited for the team to catch up, and when they did Fighter was peeking into the cave with her bow morphed.

"This is insane, how are we going to take on an unknown-" Fighters cuts H.E. Druid off.

"I sense 107 goblins...can't tell how many are shamans, champions, or even paladins or that high priest." She said.

"Well...at least we know what we're dealing with." D.R. said.

"There are also dozens of women in there." Fighter said somberly.

"Probably clones." GS said.

"What should we do with them?" Warrior asked.

"I've been asking myself that ever since I heard about the cloned women...it's good to know we can heal them, inside and out, but even if we did, what place would they have in society? They all look alike and the original is who-knows-where, not to mention people would ask who-knows-how-many questions." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"We're not going to kill them are we-" Ranger cuts Fighter off.

"No...I swore on my very heart that would never happen again." He said sharply.

"When me and Goblin Slayer found some cloned women, they were all killed before we had a chance to save them." Cow Girl said and Ranger sighed.

"Well, on the off-chance we don't get to these women in time...I'm not sure if clones have souls, but I hope the Supreme sees them through either way." He said.

"Then follow me all of you, and keep the light to a minimum." Fighter said as she led the way, with the Wizards using tuned-down fire spells as torches. Fighter led the group down the cave, and the anticipation mounted as the team approached the entrance to a cavern and prepared to engage the goblins...who were all waiting for them out in the open, with a paladin and a trio of champions in the back. The team even caught some goblins hauling their sex slaves to the side as they prepared for battle.

"Blind them." Ranger said as the team morphed their masks and readied their ranged weapons.

"Holy Light!" Priestess yelled and the goblins all stopped their charge, and Fighter rushed into the fray, and tore through them just as viciously and ruthlessly as she did before, but GS and Ranger joined the fray as D.R. and Cow Girl opened fire with their rifles at the goblins in the rear, and H.E. Druid and Warrior rushed along the sides to unleash a storm of arrows and bolts at them with Ranger using his twin pistols to blow the goblins apart. Eventually, Holy Light ran out and the champions joined the battle, and the one-sided massacre, became a desperate struggle. One champion's club came down on Ranger, who had just enough time to morph his heavy armor and gauntlets to stop the strike, and then a second champion tried to swat Ranger away, but he jumped over it and ran up it's club, before punching away it's hand as it tried to grab him, and then Ranger reached it's face and punched it to the ground as hard as he could before Rhea Fighter severed the other champions foot and finished it off by severing it's with her charged-up sword.

The last champion came at them with the paladin backing it up, and the champion threw it's oversized axe at the time, and the Wizard used Reflect to make it miss them; it flew with too much force to be stopped, but making it hit the space next to them was a perfectly doable. Fighter and Ranger meanwhile, kept the paladin busy...or rather the other way around; the paladin used his enchanted shield and sword to good effect and gave the paid as much as they could handle by blocking their attacks, and making them dodge and block it's sword swings. Warrior then tried charging up his hammer for a throw...but it was out of power, so he had to engage the paladin with his sword charged up, but he and GS were stopped by the champion who grabbed a spare sword. Cow Girl then opened her own chakras and charged into the fight and joined GS in taking it down as D.R. and H.E. Druid kept pelting it with bullets and arrows.

In the end, Warrior jumped up and landed a hit that sliced the champion's cheek and Cow Girl took advantage by jamming her sword into one of it's knees with GS doing the same to it's other knee, and the three stabbed it in the face all at once. The team then looked to see that...much to their horror, the paladin actually landed a hit that sliced Fighter's abdomen open...and she fell back and tried to keep her intestines from spilling out.

"DAMN YOU!" Ranger yelled before rushing at the paladin with his gauntlets superheated and the rapid and violent explosions made the paladin recoil over and over until the shield became too hot to use and Ranger even yanked it out of it hand with his chains, and wrapped the paladin up in the chains, absorbed it's armor and wrapped part of the chains around it's throat so it couldn't scream before he superheated the chains, which made the paladin thrash around in agony as it's flesh was being cooked, and it's bones were being crushed by the slowly-tightening chains.

Even the team was unnerved by Ranger's cruelty, and the unbound fury on his face, despite how understandable it was. He loved Fighter with his entire being but the sheer amount of hatred was almost contradictory. Eventually the paladin was squeezed so hard that the last amount of life was removed and he threw it across the room still shaking and huffing in rage. He then snapped out of it and turned to see Fighter was still clutching her stomach, and when she removed her hands...the wound was slowly closing.

"I'll be damned...these pendants really do allow regeneration." Wizard said in awe.

"Thank the Supreme..." Ranger said harshly and Fighter slowly stood up with Ranger helping her up and embracing her. "Wizard...you beautiful piece of work."

"Eh, she would've done the same for me." Wizard said.

"Never a truer word was spoken sister." Fighter said softly.

"How heart-warming." The goblin high priest said, and the team turned to see the creature in question sitting on the edge of a balcony overhead.

"About time you showed up coward." Cow Girl said.

"Coward? Don't make me laugh; you all came here to my home on the edge of dusk and gave every one of my people the rudest possible awakening, and just when they were about to have their morning fun." The goblin high priest said.

"You call robbing women of their self-worth fun? Pathetic..." Ranger said.

"This is simply how my people operate; there are plenty of creatures that work just the same way." The high priest said.

"And they're also pathetic." Ranger said.

"Why do I waste my breath? I'm here to avenge my kin's murderers." The high priest said.

"Your kin aren't worth dirt." Ranger snapped and the high priest jumped down.

"From the look of things, your mate is going to be in the dirt soon." The high priest said.

"Not on my watch." Wizard said simply and she unleashed a torrent of fire at the high priest with Firestream...and the high priest cartwheels to the side out of harm's way. He then charges right at the team, and moved in a zig-zag pattern as the team formed up and GS and Cow Girl swung their swords at the high priest, who ducked, side-stepped, and flipped away from their assault for about half a minute before the high priest ducked, grabbed Cow Girl's feet, and yanked them out from under her, and then jumped up to stomp down on her, but GS shield bashed it away and the two sat them exhausted.

Meanwhile, Priestess sat down with Fighter as the latter got herself together, and Ranger and Warrior took over the assault, with D.R. and H.E. Druid unloading bullets and arrows into the high priest, and D.R. landed a single shot to the high priest's thigh...which quickly regenerated, and it got back to dodging the swords swung at it. D.R. tried shooting again, and reloading, but finally ran out of bullets, H.E. Druid meanwhile landed several arrows, which the high priest's body spat out. The Wizards took a raincheck to not only make more bullets with their alchemy, as well as protect Fighter and Priestess.

The melee ended with the high priest jumped up, and pushed himself off the ceiling to dive straight at them, and Warrior put his shield up to stop him, and then the high priest knocked him to the ground, and backflipped off the shield. Ranger then unloaded several bullets into the high priest when it landed, and then superheated a longsword and impaled it while charging at it, and then carried the high priest to the wall and pinned it there, with the sword acting like a nail, and the heat from the sword making the high priest tense up with pain.

"Hurts doesn't it? And I'll bet you put those women through just as much if not more, am I right?" Ranger asked coldly with the high priest slowly looking Ranger in the eye while spiting up blood. "I happen to have experience with goblin high priests, as well as knowledge that wounds don't heal when they've been cauterized." He then removed the longsword and the high priest laid there looking at the hole in it's abdomen.

"Sir? We have a problem..." Priestess said and Ranger turned to see a few of the cloned women were actually giving birth to goblin babies one by one, with each individual one birthing multiple goblins.

"You know what to do." Ranger said and the rest of the team started stabbing, stomping, or shooting the babies. Priestess then checked on the women themselves and her heart sank.

"They're dead..." She said somberly.

"You...barbarians...! It's not enough you had to kill my people, but you had to cause the deaths of my wives?!" The high priest snarled.

"Pettying the lost lives of women you don't even value? Never thought I'd see the day..." Ranger said.

"Value? Those whores never had any value in the first place, and they were still put to better use than those sows the Evil Sect sacrificed to the Demon Lord." The high priest spat as it managed to get up and partially heal it's abdomen, and Cow Girl tensed up with anger, but Ranger beat her to it.

"You goblins grow more pathetic by the _second_!" He snapped before rushing at the high priest, who continued dodging Ranger's flurry of blade swings...until Ranger used their whip function and the superheated sections tore into the goblin high priest's flesh which staggered it's movements because of both the damage and the pain, which slowed it down enough for Ranger to jam both blades into it's sides, then morph another set that he stabbed into it's thighs, and a third set that he stabbed into it's shoulders, and he just stood there and watched it struggle to free itself, but it was no use; all it could do is lay there writhing in agony. "Now you stay right there; I'll be right back." He then walked over to the rest of the team and saw the Wizards checking on the women.

"They're not in good shape boss." Wizard said.

"When we're done, we can take them to the Temple of Law. They can at least do some good there." Priestess said.

"That would probably be best." Ranger said seriously.

"What about that priest?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I say fuck him. He did this to these ladies, so getting shanked like that is just desserts." D.R. said.

"As much as I agree, we can't just leave him here. He and the rest of them have regeneration that's in constant use, so eventually another goblin will remove the blades and he'll come after us." Ranger said and GS stood up and slowly walked over to the high priest, which got everyone's attention.

"So...you're the dreaded Goblin Slayer? You've got alot of nerve coming here after spending so much time flaunting that title...you must think this is over don't you? Well it is over! You're all tired and beaten; the rest of my kind are on their way here, and they will make a feast out of all of you, and they will have more fun with your women than I ever did." The high priest said before GS took one of the swords out of it's side and severed the goblin's head.

"O.k...now can we use the portal gem?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Priestess? Are we still being watched?" Ranger asked.

"I...don't think so." Priestess said.

"Well...fuck it, let's get these women out of here, portal back to the cart, and get the hell out of here." D.R. said...then Ranger got an idea.

"Wait...I have an idea." He said.

"Another?" Wizard asked and Ranger smirked before turning serious again.

"I still have a few miracles left...and I forgot about my fear and rage spells completely." Ranger said.

"So...another plague then?" Warrior asked.

"No...I have something much more dramatic in mind." Ranger said as he walked off.

"Oh this I've got to see." Wizard said as she and then the rest of the team followed him outside...and they saw another swarm of goblins of every type waiting for them.

"Please tell me you have enough miracles..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Two, but it'll just take one to show them." Ranger said before crouching and walking forward slowly but steadily, then out of nowhere, he unleashed Pestilence on the goblins, and the ones who didn't start coughing up blood, puked their guts out, while others panicked and ran away. Even the hobs and champions were effected by the disease and the uninfected ran off.

"O.k...I'm not even a goblin and that was unsettling." H.E. Druid said.

"And millions of them suffered that fact around this entire mountain range. I can't imagine how scared they were." Cow Girl said thoughtfully.

"They're goblins. Who cares?" Wizard asked.

"I sure don't." Her brother said.

"Let's just get those women out of here..." Ranger said before they went back into the cave, and after the Wizards using water elementals along wih Priestess using Purify to clean them up and restore their virginities, Priestess used the gem to open a portal to the Temple of Law, and they got the nine surviving women to the temple infirmary with the women being carried by the team one by one, then they took a portal to the cart, and luckily, it was still intact, so they opened a portal again and drove it back to Ranger and Fighter's manor in Water Town. They then all took a moment to catch their breath with the air that was significantly fresher; they were used to the smell of blood and guts, but fresh air was it's own reward.

"Thank the Supreme the goblins didn't get to this cart." Warrior said.

"Thank the Supreme even more that we're out of there..." Rhea Fighter said.

"No kidding...Guild Girl is never going to believe this." Wizard said.

"I was there and I don't believe it; that made the farm battle look like that time at the beach." Cow Girl said and Ranger scoffed.

"Goblin Slayer said the same thing." He said.

"O.k...that's pretty funny." Wizard said.

"Well, let's just go get some rest...Heaven knows we've earned it." Priestess said.

"No kidding..." Fighter said, and they spent the next few minutes getting some minor rest.

"It's too bad we couldn't get any materials from the mountains; the places is probably full of riches." Ranger said.

"Boss, it'll probably take ears for us to get everything out of that place." Wizard said.

"Then it's a good thing I didn't mean everything. We also left quite a few weapons on the dead goblins for them to use." Ranger said.

"They'll need those weapons, besides, we can revisit the place and take whatever was left behind. But that's later..." Warrior said, and a few more minutes later, they all got out of the cart, and Rhea Fighter was fast asleep so, Wizard's brother carried her inside, and everyone went to the manor's guest rooms, after everyone took a quick cleaning with buckets and towels, they all went to sleep...except for Ranger and Fighter.

* * *

When they got to their room, the two de-morphed their armor, and put their belts away before Ranger grabbed a water bucket and towels for them to wash each other with, and they spent the whole time washing and scrubbing each other in near-total silence. When they were done, Fighter went to the cabinet and grabbed their sterility potion. Ranger then sighed and signaled her to drink some, and she when she did, she got in front of the bed, bent over and spread her feet before Ranger took his place behind her, gripped her slender waist, and sheathed himself inside her entrance and she gasped at the feeling of his thick and dense manhood filling her body.

Ranger then slowly and steadily moved in and out of her, making sure the tension and the pleasure replacing and smothering it was felt...and it was. They both felt each other loosen up and even the leftover smell of blood did nothing to drown out the intimacy between them. She eventually started shaking her bottom side to side, which signaled him to pick up the pace, and she stopped moving when he did. Her tense gasps turned into throaty, lustful moans when Ranger picked up enough force and speed to make ripples in her flesh as he gently but rapidly slammed into her. The music leaving her mouth combined with the fleshy slapping sounds his groin made when he struck her butt inspired him to continue vigorously mating with her until she let out her longest moan yet when they both reached their orgasms.

Ranger then removed his no-long-aroused manhood from her body and took a moment to compose himself as she did the same, and when she got a hold of herself, she looked back at him as he came up beside her, and her unfocused and exhausted expression turned into one of innocent happiness as she stood up straight and gave him a soft, passionate kiss while the held each other. She then backed up and continued gracing him with the smile he adores so much that he couldn't help but return. She then nuzzled into his brawny chest and sighed dreamily as Ranger enveloped her powerful yet voluptuous body in his arms while she rubbed her thighs against his own. The next minute or so was spent with the two standing there holding, caressing, and shifting against each other as the war they were engaged in with the goblins was shifted in favor of the liberating peace and love they found in each other's arms; it was the earliest days of their relationship all over again.

"Ranger..." Fighter said softly.

"Fighter..." Ranger whispered as he tightened his hold on her.

"I can feel how tense you were before, and how much of it left you." Fighter said.

"I have a woman in my arms who happens to be the most serious combination between affection, power, and virtue I've ever met...who happens to have a body that most women would probably climb a mountain and jump off of to obtain. My ease should be a surprise to no one." Ranger said seriously.

"You always were a charmer..." Fighter said softly as she snuggled into him even more. His face then hardened before he opened the blankets for them to get in...and Fighter stopped him. "Should we talk?"

"What's to talk about?" Ranger asked as he turned to see her staring at him, and then they two stood there holding each other close, with Fighter shifting against her husband occasionally and Ranger caressing her hair.

"Ranger seriously, hear me out." Fighter said and Ranger slowly released her so she could look up at him. "First off...I know you don't say you love me just because you like the way it sounds, and I certainly don't...and yes we had close calls, but this was the first time I was legitimately scared of dying."

"Fighter..." Ranger trailed off.

"I always thought I mastered my fear, and I did for the most part, but that...warzone we were in showed how much more we have to do; how much we have to prepare for." Fighter said.

"And we will, but for now...let's rest." Ranger said and Fighter snuggled into his brawny chest as he shifted and groaned a bit. "I'm going to be sore in the morning." Fighter then let off a heart-melting giggle.

"I love you..." Fighter whispered.

"And I love you." Ranger said before pulling her into the bed with him and she simply laid down on top of him. She eventually picked herself up and he took a moment to marvel at her free-flowing, night black hair framing her divine face. She then pressed her lips against his without an ounce of force and gradually deepened their kiss as Ranger wrapped his arms around her. She eventually broke the kiss and continued smiling at the man beneath her.

"I can massage you if you'd like, plus you could use a bath. A _real_ bath, maybe with your affectionate wife to keep you company?" Fighter said innocently.

"What company you make..." Ranger whispered before Fighter pressed her lips against his and the single kiss turned into a series of them as she caressed his face and hair before breaking the kiss and smiling down at her husband. She then snuggled into his chest and interlocked their fingers. "That sun cannot rise quickly enough..."

* * *

When he woke up, Fighter wasn't there, and as predicted, his whole body was sore from all the goblin asses he kicked last night. A while later, Fighter came in wearing her original outfit and high-ponytail, and holding their baby.

"Look sweetheart. Your father's awake." Fighter said softly as she approached the bed, and Ranger glued his eyes to their daughter, and forced his body to sit up; to hell with his soreness. Fighter marveled at the display of willpower, and their baby eyeballed Ranger who smiled at her and put his finger near her for her to play with.

"Hello daughter." Ranger said as the baby played with his finger. He then shared a look with Fighter before they looked back at the baby who was playing with her father's finger like it was her favorite toy.

"I think she's happy to see you." Fighter said.

"The feeling's mutual." Ranger whispered before motioning Fighter to move the baby closer, and Ranger kissed their daughter's forehead.

"I'm going to draw a bath for us. You lay there and get some more rest." Fighter said.

"Alright...I love you both." Ranger said and Fighter got up to leave as Ranger laid back down, and actually fell asleep halfway by the time she got back.

"Wow...you really are tired aren't you?" She asked.

"Why aren't you? And for that matter...how long were you up?" Ranger asked.

"Probably an hour; I waited for you to wake up, and even tried waking you up by shaking you, but nothing worked. To your first question: I don't know why I have so much energy. I don't recall eating or drinking anything special. Oh well, I'll ask the wizards to examine me later on." Fighter said.

"Alright...how's our daughter and our bath?" Ranger asked.

"She's clean, fed, burped, you name it, and she's sleeping right now. Our bath is drawing as we speak so..." Fighter trailed off and noticed Ranger eyeballing her outfit, and she looked herself over.

"I love that outfit almost as much as I love the woman wearing it..." Ranger said softly before Fighter ran one of her strong yet delicate hands over his face.

"One of many reasons I keep it." Fighter whispered before kissing him with pure love in her movements. "Shall we?" Fighter said as she held up a bathrobe for her husband as he slowly got up, and Fighter couldn't stop eyeballing him as he stretched himself; his bulk was probably on par with Heavy Warrior's, although Ranger was still shorter.

"Seen enough?" Ranger teased.

"I just recalled the first time I saw you half-naked in bed...how I couldn't stop kissing you." Fighter said.

"A lovely woman's kiss is a...pretty interesting thing to wake up to on a bad day." Ranger said.

"And on a _good_ day?" Fighter asked.

"Then it's impossible to refuse..." Ranger breathed out, and Fighter immediately kissed him with their breathes and the sucking sounds their mouths made were the only things they could hear as long as their passionate embrace lasted. "And still is..."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves...speaking of heads." Fighter teased while gently squeezing his manhood and Ranger groaned right away. "Only a handful of kisses and you get like this..."

"Need I remind you that it takes more than a few ice cream-sweet kisses to cause this?" Ranger asked.

"No...you've been peeling my clothes off with your mind for as long as I've known you, not that I can't say the same." Fighter said honestly.

"Well...in my case, I always thought you were the most beautiful woman I knew, and I still think so." Ranger said.

"Lucky me." Fighter said before licking her lips, and taking advantage of his increased lust by kissing him as passionately as before. She then helped slip the bathrobe onto Ranger's still-naked body and walked him to the bathroom, and closed the door and removed the bathrobe. She then backed up to give him a better view of her figure as she took her clothes off bit by bit, leaving her in only her underarmor. She then glanced back and forth between what she was doing, and Ranger's face as his eyes devoured the sight of her figure, which never lost it's plumpness despite how much bigger and denser her muscles got. She even teased him by subtly showing off her bulky legs and round, wide buttocks. "Seen enough?"

"I will never see enough of those goods, especially since you keep getting more of them." Ranger said and Fighter chuckled as she walked up to him, hooked her arms around his neck and pressed her luscious breasts into his chest as he held the sides of her butt.

"You've seen how well I eat, and how much." She said sensually.

"We've all been feasting like kings, and queens these last several months...and your case is probably the least subtle." Ranger said.

"Says the man who started off being not much bigger than Warrior, to having more muscle than a hob." Fighter said before Ranger gently slapped her butt making her exclaim tense up from the surprise before giggling.

"More like the man with a wife who has more and better curves than a watermelon, which I actually noted when one of your clones bent over to test the water when we were in this room." Ranger said.

"Did you now?" Fighter teased.

"Oh yes. When one your clones bent over, I actually compared her ass to a watermelon...and I choose wisely." Ranger said.

"You're a damn pervert." Fighter deadpanned.

"But I'm _your_ pervert..." Ranger said and Fighter smirked.

"Well, luckily for you...that potion will last until midnight, so you can fuck me as many times as you'd like between now and then." She said.

"You'd _love_ that wouldn't you?" Ranger teased before Fighter gripped his aroused manhood and fondled the tip with her fingers much to his pleasure.

"The chance to have my gigantic beast of a husband stuff himself into me and give me the time of my life? What girl would say no to that?" She asked.

"Just get in that tub baby..." Ranger groaned.

"First...tear this suit off of me." Fighter said sensually, and Ranger gripped her collar, and ripped the skin-tight underarmor off of her, and he watched her luscious breasts spill out of their confines. Ranger then held her back and pressed his face in her chest while planting kisses on her nipples and the rest of her breasts while licking the entire mound of plump flesh like they were covered in ice cream as she leaned back and let off horny chuckles. Her delicious moans filled the air as she held the back of her husband's head as he devoured her chest.

Fighter then pushed her husband off of her, and he watched her flawless butt bounce as she slowly walked over to the water, stepped in, and sat down before giving her husband a seductive side-glance that made him smirk and join her in the semi-hot water. The tension and soreness left him almost right way, especially when Fighter started running her fingers along his nerve points and massaged and poked them fittingly to get his blood flowing to where it needed to be and to get rid of some tension.

She got the desired results as well; Ranger's heart and lungs then gave him a straightforward massage from his shoulders, to his arms, abdomen, chest and thighs, all while taking her sweet time tracing the lines in his sinew and bones. She eventually stopped cold and started massaging his impressive bulk the old-fashioned way, and worked her hands as deep into his tissue as she could.

"How does this feel?" Fighter asked while reaching around to press her hands into his chest, and he held one of her hands and looked it over.

"It always amazes me how your hands can be used to tear goblins to pieces, and yet they remain as remarkably feminine as ever." He said seriously.

"Appearances really can be deceiving can't they?" Fighter asked.

"Like how I practically embody war, yet fight for peace..." Ranger said and Fighter hummed in acknowledgement before soaking his hair with a small cup she repeatedly used to pour water from the tub on his shoulders, neck, and head. When she was done, she gave Ranger's neck a teasing lick, and he turned to see her pouring a generous amount of soap on her breasts before holding them up from underneath.

"Lather me." Fighter said and Ranger wasted no time turning around completely, stuffing her lovely breasts into his hands. Fighter let go of her breast as Ranger rubbed and fondled her large, soft, and slippery breasts as he felt her breathing pick up and saw her face light up from the pleasure of having her flesh worked by her husband's gentle yet powerful hands that squeezed her breasts with just enough force to make her feel it, and rubbed them enough to make her breasts move around on their own accord, and when the soap was properly lathered, Ranger let them go and watched them bounce before gripping them again, and even running his thumbs along her hardened nipples, making her let off a horny chuckle.

"Someone's excited..." Ranger teased before miraculously letting go of her globes of plump flesh and returning around. Fighter then reached under his arms and locked her hands together on his rippling abdomen while pressing her breasts into Ranger's back and took her time going between different amounts of pressure, and eventually started shifting up, down, sideways, and in circles as Ranger sucked in one breath after another, especially when his loving and full-figured wife put her gifts from the Love Goddess to use in full before touching his ear with her lips.

"How do you feel my love?" Fighter asked sensually and she felt Ranger melt thanks to the unbridled lust in her voice.

"I _really_ don't give your breasts enough attention; they're absolutely _flawless_." He breathed out.

"And they're _all_ yours." Fighter said sensually before sucking on his neck and continuing to smush her breasts into his back. "Do you miss having my clones pressing their breasts into you?" Ranger then smirked and turned his head to see her half-closed eyes, raised eyebrows, and face-splitting smirk.

"Just those two bring the memories coming back." He said and Fighter tightened her hold on him and giggled before Ranger gave her a brief but passionate kiss. "I love you so much."

"And I love you." Fighter said and looked over his bulk.

"Do you remember when we were in that hot spring after we helped the Elf Queen?" Ranger asked.

"Oh yes...it makes me tingle just thinking about it. You were so _passionate_..." Fighter said tensely as she recalled Ranger's hands digging into her softened flesh from head to toe, and everything in-between while she trembled and sucked in the deepest breaths her lungs would allow.

"How could I not be?" Ranger asked...and that was it; Fighter looked him in the face and then kissed him as deeply as she could, and she recalled the time she kissed him after bathing him when he returned from the north when the Sword Maiden sent him there. She eventually broke the kiss and rested her head on his shoulder with her arms still wrapped around his torso.

"I know we had our closure sex already but...this would also be a good time. Then again...how could I know?" Fighter said thoughtfully.

"Well...I never got to soap your breasts before, so that's one pleasant addition." Ranger said.

"I thought you preferred me pressing and shifting them against you." Fighter said.

"Oh I do..." Ranger said.

"Would you like me to continue?" Fighter asked.

"Please." Ranger breathed out.

"My pleasure my love and life." Fighter said as sensually as ever while she continued washing Ranger's back with her breasts until she was done, and when she was, she nudged him to turn around...and then she gently pushed him down into the water, which washed off the soap on his back, and gave him a more fitting position to be in. Fighter meanwhile poured even more soap on her breasts and lathered the soap herself, and she couldn't help but notice Ranger's eyes glued to her hypnotic breasts while Fighter moved them around...just like he did.

She then stopped teasing him and swam the short distance over to him and pressed and shifted her breasts against Ranger's pecs and abdomen, and even his thighs got a piece of the treatment.

"Oh _Fighter_..." Ranger breathed out and his enchanting wife picked up the pace upon hearing the bliss in her man's voice.

"Is your pain being drowned out?" She asked.

"I can't feel anything but the wonders you're working with your breasts..." Ranger said and Fighter stopped rubbing him with her breasts and simply splashed water on his massive upper body and massaged him with her hands the old-fashioned way, especially his chest.

"There's more wonders to be worked." She said,and then started thinking.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"You'll find out later, but for now...let's finish washing up." Fighter said before pulling Ranger up and gave him a quick kiss before turning him around to splash water on his back to remove the rest of the soap before using the cup to rinse the soap off his front. She then used it to dump water on his head to soak his hair before putting some soap in it, and gave him the cup to give her hair the same treatment. He then ran his hands through her hair just for the sake of it, and she eventually leaned back into his shoulder and he put one arm around her, with his hand on her abdomen. She then shifted against him as he caressed her lower belly and sighed dreamily...and then gasped and tensed up in bliss as his strong yet gentle fingers started rubbing the top of her womanhood.

Ranger watched her angelic face twist from the pleasure he caused, and felt her body convulse as well as he continued to stroke her. Her gasps and moans inspired him to continue working her most sacred area with his fingers, and he did nothing but pick up speed and force...which made her reaction even more intense as a consequence. She even bucked her hips to increase the delectable friction on her own accord...and rubbed her supremely fleshy buttocks against his lap as Ranger complied with her actions to move his fingers against her nub, as she moved her nub against his fingers. Fighter eventually spasmed from the orgasm he gave her, and he stopped rubbing her so she could pull herself together. He couldn't stop staring at her hair-covered face that was practically bursting with delight, and after he brushed her hair out of her face, she looked up at him as he rubbed her lower belly itself as she held his hand against it.

"To think you carried my daughter in there only a few months ago..." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"I'll carry as many as we want in the future, especially since it never tarnished my beauty from the look of it." Fighter said.

"Even if it did, we can find a way to fix it...but more seriously was the pain you had to go through." Ranger said.

"I'll be fine; the first birth is usually the worst case, and the longest." Fighter said and Ranger smiled at her.

"You really are a one woman army aren't you?" He said.

"That's why you love me." Fighter said.

"That's one of the many reasons I love you." Ranger whispered before kissing her, and she took it up a notch by getting in his lap and holding his face with both hands as they mashed their lips and tongues together over and over. They then pulled away, lashed tongues even more before kissing again, and she let out quiet but pleasant moans as Ranger dug his hands into Fighter's large, pillow-like breasts and squeezed them as such while they continued tasting each other's passion. She then broke the kiss and rose herself up by supporting herself on her knees before using his shoulders to keep herself steady, and she invited Ranger to suck on her freshly-washed breasts, and her reaction was instant and incredibly welcome as her husband feasted on the twin globes of squishy flesh on her chest.

She held his head against her breasts the entire time, and he caressed and massaged the rest of her body as he continued to lick her nipples like they were sweeter than ice cream. Her entire back, especially her shoulders, and of course her thighs and buttocks were given the most attention from his hand as her own soreness was chucked to the side, as her pleasured gasps and moans expressed. Ranger eventually started squeezing and fondling her breasts in addition to licking her nipples and then stopped licking them to watch her plump flesh bounce around as his hands worked on them. Fighter then started giggling as Ranger squeezed her breasts then let them go to watch them flop around over and over.

"Ranger!" Fighter exclaimed as Ranger stopped playing with her breasts and looked up to see her angelic face lit up with amusement, and then she came down to kiss him briefly before pulling away and gracing him with the smile he loves to see on her face. She then smushed his head against her breasts in an embrace.

"I hope your breasts don't kill me for how much I gave them in one sitting." Ranger said.

"Eh, they'll be fine; if anything they should be grateful you gave them so much love. Plus the adorable woman they're attached to loved every moment of your treatment." Fighter said and Ranger huffed in amusement.

"I'll bet she did." He said before kissing her as deeply and sweetly as ever while she ran her hands through his soaked, shoulder-length hair before breaking the kiss and looking him in the eyes.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were making up for how often you touched my butt by giving my breasts this much love." Fighter said.

"Maybe, maybe not..." Ranger said before Fighter reached down to lightly rub the tip of his rock-solid manhood.

"I also quite appreciated how well you handled me like this...in my own way of course. I'm actually tempted to return the favor." She said.

"You probably get more out of it than I do; I don't lose my marbles with bliss like you do." Ranger said seriously.

"Point taken, but still...I do miss having this little beast inside me." Fighter said.

"What's stopping you?" Ranger asked with a smirk.

"Again, point taken, so let's get dried off, go back to our room have some more fun." Fighter said before standing, helping Ranger stand up, and she grabbed a towel for each of them...after Ranger gave her a butt a gentle slap, and of course watched her abundant flesh bounce.

"I ever tell you that sound is probably my favorite?" Ranger teased and Fighter smirked at him.

"I'm not surprised...you damn pervert." She said.

"You know women can be pervs too, what with you practically inviting me to hit this gigantic ass of yours." Ranger said before Fighter shoved a towel into his chest.

"Just keep it in your non-existent pants until we get to our room. I may even give you some clones to play with." She said, and Ranger smirked before drying himself off, along with her.

She then placed his hands on the sides of her butt and pressed her lips against his and ran her hands through his hair while he squeezed her softened flesh which made her moan into their kiss and then lash tongues with him outside of their mouths before reattaching their lips. She then broke the kiss, pressed her breasts into his expansive chest and rubbed her thighs against his waist with his manhood poking her belly.

"Don't tell me you want me to fuck you against this wall...?" Ranger breathed out.

"Don't _tempt_ me into wanting you to fuck me against that wall..." Fighter groaned before continuing to kiss and lash tongues with him, while pressing her bra-filling breasts into his chest before she approached his ear. "Spank me again..." The moment he heard her request and she backed up to give him an angle, Ranger wasted no time slapping her round, plump butt and listening to her horny chuckle.

"Don't tell me you asked me to do that for my sake." Ranger said while squeezing and rubbing her buttocks.

"Don't tell me that you no longer enjoy getting those iron hands all over this gigantic ass of mine." Fighter teased and Ranger continued fondling her buttocks and watching her flesh bounce.

"This answer your question? Now before we get into another "don't tell me" session, let's get to bed now." Ranger said seriously and used Life Sight to see the halls were empty, then walked Fighter to their bedroom, and she shoved him onto their large bed. Seconds later, she was on his lap, using her hands to support her upper body on his muscular shoulders, and bucking her hips as her womanhood swallowed his manhood, and she rode her husband for all he was worth.

Ranger watched the entire display of lust his wife had for his body as her mouth stayed open, her breathing was deeper than the ocean, her eyes were partially-closed, and her powerful muscles made their power apparent, even as her breasts flopped around, and her butt bounced. Fighter didn't even bother to take her time; there was too much tension to release as it was, and she wasn't going to waste another second.

She eventually slowed down and took her time bouncing on Ranger's manhood and focused more on the force of her movements as Ranger himself stared at her flailing hair, her face-splitting grin, her flopping breasts, and occasionally glanced to watch his swollen, stone-hard manhood disappear into his wife's body over and over as she repeatedly sheathed it inside her.

"You enjoying yourself...?" Fighter teased and Ranger merely groaned in response before Fighter mashed her lips against his, and even licked his lips themselves while moaning her lungs out. She eventually stopped tasting him and got back to milking an orgasm out of the beast of a man beneath her as her womanhood constricted his erection like a snake.

Even then, she forced her body to envelop him over and over until he took it up a notch by grabbing Fighter, flipping them over, and she started laughing as his display of force before going back to her lustful moans upon feeling him rapidly stuff his manhood into her as she threw her head back in euphoria. It wasn't even ten seconds after her husband turned the tables on her until she let out an orgasmic moan, but Ranger continued thrusting into her narrowing womanhood, making her moans more high-pitched until he had his own orgasm, and collapsed onto her breasts completely spent.

"Worth the wait?" Ranger asked and Fighter giggled.

"You fucked me senseless just last night." She teased.

"Lucky me." Ranger said.

"Wow...and this is coming from the man who's been getting more sex in 24 hours than alot of people get in a year...or at least a month, after saying he won't want it again for a while. Oh who am I kidding...? I to get to have the man I love to pieces fuck me senseless." Fighter said.

"Right...and now that I think about it, I don't think I ever opened my chakras." Ranger said.

"I don't think you had to yet. Although based on what I've seen...I'd hate to see how much of a monster you'd be; I myself got significantly better at using the chakras thanks to...all the asses we've kicked, and how much love we made." Fighter said.

"What do you know? All those times we spent shagging like animals in heat made a difference afterall. Yeah, I know, I'm a perverted scumbag, but you still love me." Ranger teased.

"Yes...I...do..." Fighter said sensually while slowly flipping them over, mashing her lips against his and putting his hands on her butt, and he squeezed her abundant flesh as vigorously and lovingly as ever, and Ranger's manhood swelled up again much to her amusement. "You are _far_ too easy to please."

"Says the lady with alot to please with." Ranger teased.

"Walked right into that one didn't I?" Fighter asked.

"Pretty much yeah..." Ranger said.

"You're lucky you please me as much as I please you." Fighter said.

"That is more true than you're probably aware of." Ranger said seriously.

"You sure? I'm aware of quite a bit." Fighter said.

"I'm sure..." Ranger said and Fighter stared at him.

"I'm sure you're sure..." She said dryly.

"On another note...I'm thinking about setting up a first quest for myself and Priestess." Ranger said.

"Are you now?" Fighter asked.

"Yes I am. We never got to go on a quest just the two of us...I figured it would be a nice change of pace, on the off-chance we can afford it." Ranger said and Fighter caressed his face, chest and shoulders.

"You deserve another orgy for that sentiment alone." She said softly.

"A less intelligent person would say you're using your body like you'd use a bone for a dog." Ranger said seriously and Fighter tapped his chest.

"You know it's not like that; I love my man, and I want him to get as much as he gives, plus...I take as much pride in pleasing you as you do from pleasing me, and you please me _alot_." She said before giving him a series of deep kisses.

"You amazing blossom of a woman..." Ranger whispered as he held Fighter close, and she snuggled into his chest.

"You amazing beast of a man..." Fighter said softly, and the two forgot their lust despite the fact that it was satisfied...somehow, and the only thing left was the pure love that originally drove them together. That is, until Fighter giggled upon feeling Ranger get yet another erection. "You just can't get enough of me can you?"

"Like you can get enough of me..." Ranger said teased.

"Right now, I have gotten enough...somehow." Fighter said seriously.

"Alright, let's get back to the rest of the team then." Ranger said.

"Before we go..you know how me and Miss Goblin Slayer compared our bodies?" Fighter asked.

"Really? Don't tell me you want to get me involved in that..." Ranger said.

"I meant with the recaller." Fighter said.

"Oh...I guess that's different." Ranger said and Fighter got off his lap and went to get a recaller and activated it...and Ranger glued his eyes to the two women comparing their muscles, butts, and especially their breasts. "Holy shit on a stick..."

"Well?" Fighter asked.

"You weren't kidding. Her breasts being larger is the only difference; you even have the same-sized asses." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: you're thinking Goblin Slayer is a lucky bastard." Fighter said.

"You have no idea...and since I get to sleep with a woman who's body is more comparable to hers than it has a right to be...that's saying something." Ranger said.

"Nice save." Fighter said.

"If you can call it that..." Ranger said with a raised eyebrow.

"Let's just get dressed and get to the others." Fighter said.

"What time is it?" Ranger asked.

"Just before noon, and Mister and Miss Goblin Slayer showed their lovely heads and they went to fetch the rest of the family. I can imagine they want to have a meal with us before we get ready for the next time we go on the next goblin ass-kicking spree." Fighter said.

"Can't miss that can we?" Ranger said and Fighter gave him a final kiss before yanking him off the bed...and even turned around so he could grope her butt one more time before they morphed their armors, paid their sleeping daughter a visit, and she even tied her ponytail for old times' sake...and Ranger stopped her from tie up some bangs while he looked her over. "I don't think you've ever done this..."

"I didn't even do this on purpose, but I take it you're glad I did?" Fighter asked.

"As if you need to ask." Ranger said softly before kissing her deeply and the two held each other close and without an ounce of tension in their movements. When the kiss finally broke, the two stood there smiling. "I love you."

"And I love you." Fighter said before snuggling into his chest. "Is your soreness gone?"

"I don't even recall being sore...just drowning in pleasure thanks to my affectionate, and _explosively_ sexy Fighter." Ranger said.

"There's more where that came from later on, if you're a good little soldier." Fighter said.

"If? You when when." Ranger said.

"Right...now let's go eat." Fighter said before they left to see to the enormous breakfast being prepared for them and the team.

* * *

"To the greatest goblin head-smashing party in the history of goblin head-smashing parties." Warrior said as the whole team clanked glasses and feasted on their breakfasts...more like their brunch given the time, and when they were done, they all took a moment to let their meals set it.

"Hey boss, I'll bet you had a blast fighting at good old Goblin Slayer's side right?" Rhea Fighter said.

"You have no idea; reminds me of the old days." Ranger said.

"No kidding. What do you think Orcbolg?" H.E. Druid asked.

"It was nice." GS said.

"Nice? Getting to fight goblins again side by side is something I for one was missing." Ranger said.

"Good point." GS said.

"And we'll get to see you two tear them another new one in the future at least once more." Wizard said.

"Once more into the breach they say..." Rhea Fighter said.

"But before then, we can just be together right now." Priestess said before Fighter held her close. "You smell nice."

"I took a bath earlier." Fighter said simply.

"Let me guess: You weren't alone?" Warrior asked and everyone stared at him. "What?"

"Of course Ranger was with me..." Fighter deadpanned.

"Lucky bastard." D.R. said as he came back with a second plate of food.

"Anyway...it kind of sucks you didn't use your crossbow like I did." Warrior said as he morphed his crossbow and brandished it. "I remember the times we used one like this to get us out of a jam."

"I recall them being a bit less advanced than that." Fighter said.

"Remember training me how to use one boss?" Warrior asked.

"Yes I do, those blessed crossbows saved us about as much trouble as the rest of the things we got our hands on combined." Ranger said.

"This shield of mine especially." Warrior said as he stood up and unfolded his bracer's shield.

"I wish the same could be said about my glaive." Wizard said as she grabbed and held out her glaive. "Then again, sliced up more than my fair share of goblins with this little beauty."

"If you didn't char their sorry asses black." Warrior said.

"Or my familiars didn't maul them." Wizard's brother said.

"You all had quite a bit of fun back then didn't you?" Cow Girl asked.

"And now you get to have your own fair share." Ranger said.

"I guess so..." Cow Girl said and noticed Priestess deflate. "Your Grace?"

"I just...I remember when I wanted to relive the time we started out as a team, how we celebrated our promotions. Now we're mostly Gold Ranks, and one of us is Platinum." Priestess said.

"Hey, when the four of us get our own Platinum Ranks, the whole country will celebrate, and we might not be the only ones getting Platinum Ranks." Warrior said.

"I don't know..." Wizard's brother said.

"Hey Goblin Slayer, you think killing the Goblin Overlord will make you Platinum Ranked?" D.R. asked.

"Don't know. We were never told how strong he is." GS said and Cherub poofed in.

"He's stronger than all the goblins combined, he has his own citadel in the middle of the deadlands...which I seem to recall telling you about before, and on top of that...why do you think they're called the deadlands?" He asked.

"Because they're dead?" H.E. Druid said dryly and Cherub stared at her.

"And _why_ are they dead?" He asked seriously.

"Uhhh...the goblins, or demons?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Well give the lady a prize. That place hasn't seen even plant life growing in it since the Champion tore the Demon Lord and his cronies part." Cherub said.

"What?" Fighter asked in awe and the rest of the team exclaimed as well.

"The goblins actually made their home in the same place the Champion took down the Demon Lord all those centuries ago," Cherub said.

"Great, this is the catacombs under the Temple of Law all over again: the goblins make their home in a sacred place." Warrior said.

"Or at least one that has historical significance." Wizard said.

"Well, they'll regret that decision as much as the other goblins will." Ranger said.

"Damn straight." D.R. said.

"Would the great denizen of the world above great us the courtesy of telling us of his grand mission?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Dramatic..." Wizard deadpanned.

"But not invalid." Cherub said.

"Cherub? Those ruins the goblins were living in..." Priestess trailed off.

"Think nothing of them. They were just leftovers from an overblown prison. No one is missing anything." Cherub said.

"Overblown prison? What do you mean?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I mean those ruins had all kinds of nasty business going on in them, the kind that would make the goblins even more envious than they already are. The world is best rid of them. Now, on a more pleasant note: I'm here to let you know that I managed to find a place underneath the Temple of Law for the Ether Gazer to be safely stored." Cherub said.

"You mean that device that lets people talk to the dead?" Cow Girl asked.

"You know it?" Cherub asked.

"We talked about it in our spare time yes, and...I'm thinking about using it to talk to my uncle." Cow Girl said.

"What about your parents?" GS asked and Cow Girl tensed up.

"I honestly don't know..." She whispered and GS actually removed his gauntlet and held her hand which got the whole team's attention; that's probably the most serious display of affection he's displayed in front of them. Cow Girl tightened her grip on his hand in response and even gave him a small smile.

"Well...not that this isn't touching, but shouldn't we get to the guild hall to check in with Summoner?" Wizard's brother asked seriously.

"Alright, let's go." Cow Girl said before they took a gateway to the guild hall.

* * *

"Spearman." Ranger said.

"Hey Ranger, you crazy old bastard." Spearman said before the two men shook hands.

"What brings you two here?" Ranger asked.

"Well, someone has to see to all the lower-tier stuff while you high-and-mighty Gold and Platinum Ranks do the heavy lifting." Spearman said.

"Very funny." Ranger said dryly.

"There's been a great deal of activity here, much more than the frontier." Witch said.

"How did you know?" Ranger asked.

"How else? The formerly-old man let us know with a letter." Spearman said.

"Why?" Ranger asked.

"He didn't say." Spearman said thoughtfully.

"Then he probably wanted to say more in person." Ranger said.

"What?" Spearman asked.

"It's not the first time he's done that. He actually did the opposite of that once before, which is come to us, hand us a letter, and told us to go somewhere private to read it, and before you ask: no, I'm not saying what he wrote." Ranger said.

"No fear of that. Curiosity killing the cat afterall." Witch said.

"I'll bet." Ranger said.

"Anyway, a little birdie said that you've been going on a goblin-killing spree." Spearman said.

"That birdie is right. We killing millions in one sitting." Ranger said.

"Surprise surprise- wait, _millions_?" Spearman asked in awe.

"Yeah, we're hitting them on their own turf, and thanks to the Demon Lord's lackeys giving them cloned women, the goblins are breeding like crazy." Ranger said.

"Well, we can't have that can we...?" Witch said as she leaned against the wall.

"Damn right." Ranger said and he joined the rest of the team, who were using the recallers to show their individual roles in the battle, and boast about it themselves, if they don't explain what happened to those who didn't get it.

"The 11th Platinum Rank has returned." Inspector said dramatically.

"He has indeed." Ranger said before Inspector briefly hugged him.

"Just like old times isn't it?" She asked.

"You've no idea. Me and the team went over how things used to be earlier." Ranger said.

"I'll bet." Inspector said.

"You know I'm telling the truth." Ranger said.

"I don't even need Sense Lie to know that; even if you do lie, I know you're just keeping a secret, like you did with your intended proposal to Fighter." Inspector said and Ranger smirked.

"Why am I surprised you recall that?" He said.

"How can I not recall that? That wedding still follows me around." Inspector said.

"The Sword Maiden and Storm Mage were married in Heaven actually." Ranger said.

"What? How do you know that?" Inspector asked.

"He told me- well, us." Ranger said and Inspector stared at him.

"Wow...I can't imagine what they're wedding was like." She said.

"I can't imagine how much it made up for. Even though she got over whatever the goblins did to her...it still makes my blood boil thinking about it." Ranger said.

"From what you said to Guild Girl, the goblins are nearly wiped out, so..." Inspector trailed off.

"Speaking of whom, where is she?" Ranger asked.

"She's on a break for now, but she'll be back." Inspector said.

"Here's hoping she doesn't miss all the fun." Ranger said.

"Did we ever tell you how comforting it was for her that there were more than one person going after the goblins like you were?" Inspector asked.

"I do not recall..." Ranger said.

"Well...think about it, Goblin Slayer was the only one taking them seriously for Supreme knows how long, then a whole team comes along, and does just as much damage to them as he did, not to mention you did other things as well, not only to help the country and yourselves, but to get stronger to help Goblin Slayer's crusade. That's a pretty serious load off someone's mind." Inspector said seriously.

"I noticed...the Sword Maiden was an example in more ways than one." Ranger said.

"Could you imagine what the country- no...the world would be like if everyone was like that?" Inspector asked.

"Why can't it ever be that smooth...?" Ranger asked.

"If I may be so bold...it's a bit of a shame you're married already; you would probably have the ladies swarming you because of what you've been doing." Inspector said and Ranger scoffed.

"You mean jump head-first into the jaws of Hell, swimming through oceans of blood and other filth to make sue no one else has to? Yeah, that's the most charming idea in the world..." He said dryly.

"I'm serious. Do you know how many women have a thing for a knight in shining armor being there for them? Guild Girl fell in love with Summoner for that very reason; he's basically Goblin Slayer and Spearman in one package, which is kind of funny considering... But, in your case...hoo boy, there would probably be so many women wanting to have your babies you'd be able to populate a whole city of your own. But as we all know...Fighter is worth just as many women to you is she?" Inspector said.

"As if you need to ask. As for what I said about what I do, that's ironically what the Cambion has in mind, only he...somehow, wants to make a shortcut to the good life." Ranger said.

"Well, he's dead wrong, there never was an easy way to the good life, and there never will be. There's a reason Platinum Ranks aren't common." Inspector said.

"You don't have to tell me. It's nothing short of a miracle I got to where I am." Ranger said.

"I seem to recall you being curious about the top of the class since day one...even if you didn't have a chance of getting there, that's still pretty ambitious." Inspector said.

"I suppose it is..." Ranger said proudly, then the two watched as the rest of the team continue to bask in the glory. Ranger then watched Inspector join Summoner, and while he didn't hear what they said over the team recapping what they did to the goblins...Ranger did notice Inspector giving Summoner a quick kiss. Guild Girl as it turns out was watching the recaller's display the disaster the team unleashed upon the goblin's homefront, and then went back to work after recovering from the shock. When the fans were satisfied, the team went to check on Summoner who was still reading.

"...so unto the agents of the abyss, was sent the Destroyer, to sow chaos among darkness, and darkness among chaos, for his was the blade they tasted with gluttony abandoned. By their reckoning, how many necks were rended by his ire could not be know, for none had mind enough to count." Summoner said as he closed the book and huffed. "I'd hate to meet this Destroyer fellow in a dark alley..."

"No kidding." Wizard said and Summoner snapped his head around to see the team.

"Supreme above! Don't sneak up on me like that!" He exclaimed.

"That's what you get for engrossing yourself in a story." H.E. Druid said.

"A pretty interesting one at that." Fighter said.

"So what was it like basking in all that glory?" Summoner asked.

"What do you think?" Warrior asked.

"Right...although, believe it or not, I do not envy you." Summoner said.

"Why?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Some of those people asked me the single dumbest question I've ever been asked." Ranger said.

"Dare I ask?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Would I rather be a goblin or a demon." Summoner said and the team stared at him.

"That _is_ a dumb question..." Wizard's brother said.

"What did you say?" Cow Girl asked.

"I said "what kind of stupid question is that" and walked away." Summoner said.

"Did your answer change?" GS asked and Summoner scoffed.

"Obviously, I hate both options, hence why it's so stupid." He said as Ranger showed up.

"Regardless, what was that passage you were reading about?" He asked.

"It's about the War God's original champion. I wish I knew who got their Platinum Ranks before him." Summoner said.

"I don't think he ever got his; maybe he never accepted one, or like the revenants, he never bothered to be part of the guild. But I can tell you that he was nothing to laugh at even excluding that story you read." Ranger said.

"I take it those goblins found that out the hard way?" Summoner asked and Ranger used a recaller to show the devastation he wrecked with his miracles as Summoner's eyes popped out of their sockets.

"Does this answer your question?" Ranger asked and Summoner nodded.

"Very much so..." He said.

"May I ask what those two wanted?" Priestess asked and Summoner looked at R.W. and A.C.

"Oh, them...they actually want to become demon hunters." Summoner said.

"Do they? You think they can handle it?" Fighter asked.

"Maybe, I gave them an intro last night before bed." Summoner said.

"What did you tell them?" Ranger asked.

"Oh, what it takes to be a demon hunter, what the trade involves, what anti-demon weapons are available, especially silver and holy water..." Summoner said.

"Silver!" Wizard exclaimed.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"Why didn't I think of it before! We can use silver against the Cambion!" Wizard said.

"But even holy arts can't hurt him. Why would silver have better luck?" Priestess asked.

"Oh yeah...forgot about that...unless it's just holy arts he's immune to." Wizard said.

"Even if that's the case, I seriously doubt he'll just let you walk up to him and say "Hey, can I stab you with a silver blade so we can kick your ass more easily?" I mean, come on..." Summoner said and he got a few laughs out of the team.

"But on a serious note...how could we test it?" Wizard asked.

"Maybe...I could capture a demon for you on my next hunt and you mix it's blood with human blood and try harming it with silver?" Summoner asked and the team looked at him funny. "What?"

"How do you come up with things like that?" Cow Girl asked.

"I'm a demon hunter with over a decade of absolutely ridiculous experiences under his belt. Need I say more?" Summoner said.

"Point taken." Cow Girl said.

"On top of that, I may not be good at alchemy, but I still know what it is." Summoner said.

"Alright, point taken." Wizard's brother said and they noticed Guild Girl approach.

"Welcome back!" She exclaimed as cheerfully as ever.

"Scratch millions of goblins." Warrior said and Guild Girl's eyes widened.

"So there really were millions..." She said.

"Yep, and now they're six feet under." Warrior said.

"We can show you and some others on the recallers, though I should warn you that it wasn't pretty." Fighter said.

"The beginning stage however was it's own apocalypse." Rhea Fighter said.

"That much I would like to see." Guild Girl said.

"I got to hand it to those goblins though: they build to last." Warrior said.

"Those ruins were likely there before the goblins arrived." GS said.

"Or they learned how to make castles somehow." Priestess said.

"That...would be a twist..." Ranger trailed off.

"If they did learn to build castles, then it's probably for the best we blasted those mou-" Wizard cuts GS off.

"Uh, excuse me? Spoiler alert..." She said while motioning to Guild Girl.

"Sorry." GS said.

"Anyway...where's Summoner?" Fighter asked, and Guild girl pointed to the table...and Summoner was talking to Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric.

"Right there." Guild Girl said.

"Hey! The Ranger's here!" A female adventurer exclaimed and Ranger joined her team and they started yammering at him.

"Nice to see him with his fans..." Guild Girl said.

"Pretty sharp contrast to myself." GS said.

"It's a real shame no one wanted anything to do with you back then." Priestess said.

"With the goblins pretty much destroying any notion of them being meaningless pests with their recent antics, I can't imagine them looking down on you again." Wizard said.

"Good thing we didn't." Fighter said,

"Summoner said that he was asked a really stupid question earlier." Rhea Fighter said.

"Oh...the old "goblin or demon" debate." Guild Girl said.

"Don't me anyone smart took it seriously." Wizard's brother said.

"Can't say "yes" to that..." Guild Girl said.

"Good." Wizard's brother said.

"Is being a goblin or demon better to be...the world may never know." Wizard said dramatically.

"I guess it depends on the time." GS said.

"What? You're actually interested in that topic?" Priestess asked.

"Yes. If it's a goblin champion or paladin, or even a hob or shaman, I guess it would be worth it to be a goblin." GS said.

"Until any of us show up." Warrior said.

"As for demons...again, depends on the type." GS said.

"What do you even know about demons?" D.R. asked.

"A better question is why are we giving this topic serious thought?" Priestess asked.

"She's right. We should be discussing how we're going to deal with the Hell Ripper." Cow Girl said.

"Well...for starters, we should get some information about it's defenses." Ranger said.

"Aside from the heap of goblins and maybe even demons that will fight to the death to protect the damn thing." Warrior said.

"We should also come up with a better game plan." Fighter said.

"I completely agree. Last time was far too chaotic; we need to do this with more strategy." Priestess said seriously.

"This is excluding the fact that the boss blasted the living hell out of the entire mountain ranger before we went in right?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Of course it is; Her Grace means the fight itself." H.E. Druid said.

"Well, I say we send in the big guns, namely Ranger and Goblin Slayer first and the rest of us just support you instead of getting involved directly." Rhea Fighter said.

"That's a pretty good idea." Ranger said.

"You cannot be ser- It is?" Rhea Fighter asked in awe.

"Very much so. Nevermind the nostalgia factor, me and Goblin Slayer are the most qualified for goblin-killing; the rest of you are best as support, and defense, and should join the attack as a last resort, just like we used to do." Ranger said.

"I remember when Priestess threw up Protection, and you and Fighter shot down the goblins while Warrior chopped them down and I charged up a fireball." Wizard said.

"That tactical know-how is why we lasted so long at the time. We killed probably a hundred goblins in one sitting at the time." Warrior said.

"Add all the new tricks we have now, and we probably could have done this faster if we did everything we could." H.E. Druid said.

"Yeesh, no wonder we were all completely winded." Rhea Fighter said seriously.

"Well, next time we'll be better-prepared, and more careful." Cow Girl said.

"And I'll use Empower more frequently." Priestess said.

"And Ranger, no more relying on a sickness." H.E. Druid said sharply.

"That _sickness_ is the War God's wrath speaking through me." Ranger said.

"War God this, War God that...what is it with you-?" Ranger cuts H.E. Druid off.

"It's probably for the best we didn't use all of our tricks, or to the extent of their limits, especially summoning." He said.

"Maybe Summoner could come with us?" Priestess asked.

"Or at least give us some summon stones." Cow Girl said thoughtfully as the team went back to see Summoner finishing his brunch with Guild Girl and Inspector.

"Hey boss, ladies. sorry to interrupt but my dear siblings-in-arms would like to ask you for some spare summon stones." D.R. said.

"As many as you can afford to spare." Wizard said and Summoner snickered.

"I'm not going to charge you for them. Thanks to...recent events, I have more money than I could hope to use in an entire month. As for your request itself...I have a stockpile of stones at my apartment, there should be 40 or 50 there easily." He said.

"Sheesh! How many stones does one person need?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Those stones are there to replace the elementals I lose, which thankfully doesn't happen very often." Summoner said.

"Let me guess: you're going to bust your ass to replace them?" D.R. asked.

"Don't have to...I have a literal miracle-worker with me." Summoner said as he took Inspector's hand.

"We actually discovered that empowering someone makes their summons more powerful as well." She said.

"I wish we knew that earlier..." Cow Girl said.

"Wait, how do you know that?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I had to test my new miracles sometime." Inspector said.

"The lady's got a point." Warrior said.

"Wait, what about that World Spawn you showed us at the beach that one time?" Guild Girl asked.

"Or the one you summoned at the festival?" Wizard asked.

"You can have them both. Just let me know when you're leaving, and where you're going, and they'll ambush your enemies, if they're even needed." Summoner said.

"_Two_ World Spawns helping us? Ouch..." Rhea Fighter said seriously.

"I could also de-summon them to get the stones back." Summoner said.

"You can do that?" Wizard asked.

"I don't do it often, but it is possible." Summoner said.

"Well, before we do anything major, I'm going to investigate the place we're going to attack...and maybe contact an old friend." Ranger said.

"Who?" Priestess asked.

"You'll find out..." Ranger said.

"O...k..." Priestess said.

"If you're going to look into that place, you should take this cloak." Rhea Fighter said as she removed her invisibility charm and gave it to Ranger.

"This will do..." He said.

* * *

The team arranged to meet again in the guild hall's main area hours later, but beforehand...Priestess had a meeting with Sword Mage.

"I'm glad to report that the guards have been as vigilant as ever Your Grace, and several adventurers even took quests that involved investigating and catching any criminals that got funny ideas." He said.

"Very good, and the Evil Sect?" Priestess asked.

"No word, in and out of the city." Sword Mage said.

"Also very good." Priestess said.

"Myself, Summoner, and even his two demon hunters-in-training patrolled the city in Limbo, and we didn't even find a trace of the demons' presence; I have good and bad feelings about this." Sword Mage said.

"The Demon Lord is returning sooner than expected, and we launched an assault on the goblins' homeland...maybe he's reinforcing their defenses." Priestess said thoughtfully.

"Hopefully Ranger will return with promising news, namely a battle plan." Sword Mage said.

"He rarely doesn't." Priestess said.

"Now...there it the leviathan in the pond: those cloned women." Sword Mage said.

"We brought them here for a reason, and it's not debatable: we are not killing them." Priestess said firmly.

"I...wasn't going to protest; I understand Ranger's distaste for such an act; you made his story quite clear, and I will not dishonor it." Sword Mage said.

"But?" Priestess asked.

"It's just...even with the treatment of their minds thanks to your Wizard comrades, I question their utility." Sword Mage said.

"How so?" Priestess asked.

"Well...they're all clones; identity crisis risk aside, would it not be strange to have so many women who are all copies of an original person who is or isn't out there somewhere?" Sword Mage asked and Priestess got up from the table and looked out the window.

"I never thought about that too deeply until now. I was so concerned with Ranger's troubles that I didn't pay any mind to what we'd do with the clones themselves..." She said and Sword Mage thought for a while himself.

"For what it's worth Your Grace, they can be of great use in this temple, but be that as it may, they are not slaves, at least not anymore...but in the true sense of the word, they are not people either. I dare say this is another way for the Evil Sect to mock us." He said and Priestess sighed.

"They can also free up the acolytes to be of service elsewhere...to have their own lives, or help others have their own lives." She said and Sword Mage chuckled.

"Spoken like a true archbishop." He said and Priestess turned to him.

"They will stay. Let the acolytes now they are always welcome here, but their duties have been extended to the entire city should they wish to partake in their affairs." She said and Sword Mage stood and bowed to her.

"At once Your Grace." He said.

"And tell Heavy Warrior that should he wish, she can be a paladin in his own right, at his wife's side." Priestess said.

"I will inform him the moment I am able to." Sword Mage said.

"That will be all." Priestess said and Sword Mage left to carry out his orders. Priestess then sat back down and deflated...then a knock was heard. "Come in." Abbot then opened the door and she was on alert again.

"You outrank me Your Grace; if anything, I should probably bow to you at this point." He said.

"I'm sorry Father, but I'm in no mood for casual talk." Priestess said.

"My apologies..." Abbot said before Priestess got up walked over to him and embraced him. "Is it so awful Your Grace?"

"Not now please..." Priestess whispered as she continued hugging her father figure for about a minute. She then let go of him and walked back to the window with him. "As deeply honored as I am to be archbishop in the Sword Maiden's place, especially since I still feel her presence lingering and driving me forward...it's alot to take it despite my hope that I'd fill the role well."

"From where I'm standing...you're an excellent archbishop. I'm certain the Sword Maiden would've done no different." Abbot said.

"I guess..." Priestess trailed off and Abbot makes her look at him.

"Just continue doing what you're doing, and this city is in good hands." He said and Priestess smiled.

"Thank you." She said.

"Now...I regret to inform you, but I must return to the monastery." Abbot said and Priestess sighed.

"Alright...but what about the Cambion? If he shows up there's a chance he'll be there to kill you." She said seriously.

"Don't worry, if he does bother me, I won't join him." Abbot said and Priestess grabbed his forearms.

"Please, don't do anything rash...losing the Sword Maiden was one thing, but you..." She trailed off before Abbot held her.

"Relax...you won't lose me like you lost your mother." He said and Priestess returned the embrace.

"Thank you..." She whispered, and eventually Abbot let go, and left. Priestess then sat down and started weeping into her hands. The difficulty of the clones' situation was bad enough, but the idea of losing Abbot the same way she lost Sword Maiden, even though she was still with her...it was too much. Eventually, she got everything out of her system, and resolved to continue helping her team; to be a hands-on archbishop unbridled by fear...unlike the Sword Maiden.

* * *

"Sir Ranger! You honor me with your return." Lizard Priest said with a bow.

"I'm happy to see you as well." Ranger said as he returned the bow.

"Shall I assume you did not merely arrive to see how my people fare?" Lizard Priest asked.

"You assume correct, although I _am_ still curious." Ranger said.

"You honor us with your compassion, and I am glad to inform you that we have nearly repaired the damage, although it will take a long time for us to recover from the pain we suffered, if we ever do." Lizard Priest said.

"Well...here's hoping that this loss will lead to greater gain, like with the Sword Maiden." Ranger said.

"I also took the liberty of paying our elvish brethren a visit...and their case isn't much better." Lizard said.

"I figured as much..." Ranger said somberly.

"How do your people fare?" Lizard Priest asked.

"I actually came here to fetch you to help put an end to the goblins once and for all." Ranger said.

"Truly? You found a way to do this?" Lizard Priest asked.

"We found where most of them reside, and who their leader is. Best of all, we discovered how the goblins are able to use the powers of Hell to attack wherever they please." Ranger said.

"Then I will inform with the elders and rejoin your mission to destroy the goblins at once." Lizard Priest said firmly.

"I'm sure the others will be delighted to see you...and of course we'll have a wheel of cheese waiting." Ranger said and Lizard Priest wagged his tail.

"Oh, sweet nectar! Your charity knows no limits Sir Ranger." He said.

"I had my servants practically gift-wrap one for you." Ranger said and Lizard Priest took off to the largest hut in the tree village, and Ranger sat down to wait a minute as Lizard Priest came out of the large hut, go to another, and them came out with a bag of items. "What are those?"

"Items for the miracles I use." Lizard Priest said.

"Oh right, I forgot..." Ranger said before opening a portal to his manor and they rejoined the team, and spent the better part of an hour recapping everything that happened since Lizard Priest was away with Cow Girl offering to cook them each a snack...with Lizard Priest of course feasting on meat drenched in melted cheese.

* * *

"This is most intriguing; the extraordinary often occurs around our kind, but I could never have anticipated a confrontation with the original Platinum Rank. You must feel honored indeed." Lizard Priest said.

"Very much so, we've trained in more ways than I can count." Wizard said.

"Speaking of which, Spearman was nice enough to give me some pointers with a spear. So now I can really take a page out of the guards' book." Cow Girl said.

"Good, a spear and shield is one of the best weapon combinations there are." Ranger said.

"I too have have grown stronger since we last met; I consulted with the ancestors and obtained more abilities, as well as improved mastery of my existing ones.

"I cannot wait to see them in action...although I doubt we'll see much of them on our very next mission." Ranger said.

"No matter, I am certain the future holds a bounty of goblins to slay." Lizard Priest said.

"You don't know the half of it..." Ranger said.

"Yeah, we killed millions of them in one night recently." H.E. Druid said.

"Millions? This is more dire than I thought..." Lizard Priest said.

"Which is all the more reason for us to go after them while we have the momentum." Wizard's brother said.

"Speaking of which, what's your plan boss?" Warrior asked.

"First off, Sword Mage's intel was solid: that Hell Ripper looks exactly like he showed us, and the place is absolutely infested with goblins, as well as demons of every type." Ranger said.

"Great..." Wizard said.

"There's more. The terrain itself can be used for all kinds of ambushes, including a wide open space which a single person can used to lure the goblins and demons towards it, and the rest can open fire to their heart's content." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: you're the bait, we're the trap?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"That would be most logical, you have faced down a legion of Hell's forces have you not Sir Ranger?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Right on both accounts." Ranger said.

"I swear...you've got more balls than anyone I know..." D.R. said.

"Yeah, welcome to Team Goblin Slayer..." Warrior said.

"How is this not Team Ranger?" D.R. asked.

"First off, Goblin Slayer's the one who inspired us to go after them like he is, so that's a giveaway right there. Secondly, Goblin Slayer is still the expert at killing goblins, has more motivation and did it far longer as well. Last, and most importantly...I only lead _half_ this team." Ranger said.

"Sir Ranger is correct. Sir Goblin Slayer has led myself, Lady Archer, and the late dwarven mage to victory countless times. As much of an honor as it is to have Sir Ranger and the rest of you with us, the facts cannot be denied." Lizard Priest said.

"It also makes sense considering my pregnancy." Fighter said while holding her lower belly.

"Speaking of which, I would like to see your spawn again if you so please." Lizard Priest said.

"Alright." Fighter said.

"On second thought...she probably slumbers; I will wait until this Hell Ripper weapon is destroyed." Lizard Priest said.

"Smart man." Warrior said.

"May I ask if you still wish to have more than one spawn?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Yes, when the goblins are dealt with for good." Ranger said.

"This isn't going to be a repeat of that awkward moment where you talked about having kids when our goblin-slaying campaign wasn't even close to done right?" Wizard asked.

"Awkward? Maybe not, but...we have still gotten off-topic." Fighter said.

"Will Lady archbishop join us in our assault?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Everyone here will join us." GS said.

"Including myself." Cow Girl said.

"I look forward to seeing what you can do with your new abilities and weaponry Lady Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said and Cow Girl facepalmed.

"How often am I going to be called that...?" She asked.

"I did not mean to offend you." Lizard Priest said.

"You didn't...I just can't get used to that, even though it's fitting." Cow Girl said.

"Well...shall we go destroy the goblins' superweapon now?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Maybe we should get Summoner, and maybe his two trainees involved." H.E. Druid asked.

"Not a bad idea. Your Grace?" Fighter asked.

"Not a bad idea." Priestess said and shared a smile with Fighter.

"Copycat..." She said.

"Well...the archbishop say we go so...let's go." Warrior said and they took a gateway to the guild hall, and Summoner was using a recaller with Guild Girl and Inspector sitting with him.

* * *

"Lizard Priest? Didn't think we'd see you again..." Guild Girl said.

"It pleases me to be here again with my teammates, especially with the destruction of the goblins drawing nearer." Lizard Priest said.

"May I ask what the recaller is for?" Priestess asked.

"I was about to show my big brother trashing the fear demon that attacked me." Summoner said.

"We get to see that demonic bitch can thrashed by the Sword Maiden's guardian angel? Hell yeah, fire it up." Dwarf Rifleman said and Summoner smirked before using the recaller to show Storm Mage's battle with the fear demon...with it's true form disturbing everyone. Storm Mage however wasn't pulling _any_ punches. Not only did Storm Mage use power from the summoned storm elementals, but used his own power to barrage the fear demon with lightning in every shape, size, and form without missing a single beat. On top of that...the fear demon couldn't hit him; Storm Mage sliced apart the fear demon's tentacles with his sword-whips everytime it lashed at the merciless demon hunter.

Eventually, Storm Mage of course reduced the fear demon to it's most pitiful form, then dragged it to the water before unleashed Thunderstrike on it, and watched it spend it's last moments feeling the pain it caused.

"Damn..." Warrior whispered.

"You have one serious big brother." Guild Girl said.

"I do now." Summoner said as Inspector held his hand, and he returned the favor.

"If that demon wasn't so reprehensible I'd feel sorry for it..." Ranger said.

"Why am I surprised you'd say that? You're getting to be as predictable as Orcbolg." H.E. Druid said.

"Am I wrong?" Ranger asked.

"Let's just go kill us some more goblins..." H.E. Druid groaned.

"Summoner, you should probably come with us." Priestess said.

"As Her Grace wishes." Summoner said.

"You should also bring those summon stones; we're going to need all of them." Ranger said.

"While we're at it...demon hunters in training! Front and center please." Summoner said and Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric rushed over to them.

"Yes sir?" R.W. asked.

"We're going to destroy a demonic superweapon in the middle of goblin territory, and you two get to watch the whole thing." Summoner said and the two recoiled.

"Say what now?" A.C. asked in awe.

"You heard me. You get to empower people so Her Grace can focus on offense if she pleases, and your husband can watch your ass." Summoner said.

"I...guess that would work out." R.W. said.

"Just promise you won't try to be heroes." Warrior said seriously.

"No way; we already feel like fish out of water when we're with all of you." A.C. said.

"Even me?" Cow Girl asked.

"You...not at all..." R.W. said, and Ranger caught him looking Cow Girl over...which wasn't a surprise at all.

"Anyway, let's go kick some goblin ass!" D.R. exclaimed as he pulled his rifle.

* * *

The team left the portal Ranger opened to the place he went to when he first scouted the place, and after several minutes, they exited a cave and found a small crop of sand with dead trees...and one of them had a cage with a dead body in it.

"Uh, what's with the cage?" Apprentice Cleric asked.

"It's a "keep out" sign." Ranger said.

"Well it almost worked." Warrior said, and they kept going...and then the ground shook and Ranger shoved Rookie Warrior out of the way and morphed a greatsword just in time to jam it into a demonic worm's face.

"What the hell?!" Wizard's brother exclaimed.

"Demonic worms!" H.E. Druid yelled and the team formed up to engage the worms...but no more showed up.

"Well that was underwhelming..." R.W. said.

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched." Wizard said and they kept going.

"It's too bad we never left any "keep out" signs before." Warrior said.

"What? The piles of mangled bodies weren't enough?" Fighter asked.

"Good point..." Warrior said.

"Putting dead goblins on display would have either frightened them away from the caves, or even driven them to attack more villages and make homes out of them. It's probably for the best you haven't done that." GS said.

"Again...good point." Warrior said.

"Hey! I saw moment by the mouth of that cave up ahead." H.E. Druid said and D.R. pulled his rifle...only for Ranger to put his hand in the way.

"No guns. We're supposed to do this quietly." He said.

"I wasn't going to shoot it; I don't even what what I would be shooting at." D.R. said.

"I don't sense any goblins here..." Fighter said as her cyan eyes scanned the area.

"Well, it's still better to not drop our guard..." Cow Girl said as they continued pushing forward. Eventually, they got to a cave that Ranger signaled to be o.k..but at it turned out, some goblins made it into a breeding chamber with some of the cloned women birthing goblins by the dozen, with a sleeping champion in the back...easy pickings.

The moment the goblins were all born, some adults took the children to the back, along with one of the dead women...probably as a meal. Priestess then used Silence to allow the whole team to go in and stab all the goblins in the face, or just smash their heads in, with the champion taking Cow Girl's morphed spear through the back of it's head. The babies of course were disposed of as well.

"I get over my fear of giant spiders only to encounter the most vile display of barbarism I've ever seen..." A.C. said while shaking and looking over the women who were all completely naked and had the infamous thousand-yard stare on their faces. She eventually turned around and threw up as R.W. sat down next to her.

"This is normal for goblins...that's why we take them down." GS said.

"That doesn't make it easier to deal with!" A.C. snapped.

"When we're done, no one will have to deal with this, ever again." Ranger said firmly.

"Right, now let's go find that Ripper, and rip it apart." Rhea Fighter said.

"Been waiting long to crack out that one?" Fighter asked and Rhea Fighter gave her a dry laugh.

"Well this vaguely beats running into a room full of goblin shit." Wizard said.

"Don't ask..." Fighter said and Priestess got to work cleaning the clones with Purify, and the Wizard siblings used their illusion magic to heal their minds and give them a well-earned rest before Ranger opened a portal to the Temple of Law for the clones to be recruited. Priestess then leaned against the wall and sat down.

"To think the Sword Maiden went through the same thing they went through..." She said somberly as Fighter approached her and sat with her.

"And now she's with Storm Mage having all of her pain made up for hundreds of times over." She said seriously as she held Priestess' hand, and got a smile out of her little sister before the two stood up and shared a hug.

"I love you so much..." Priestess said softly.

"And I love you too." Fighter said.

"These goblins are more devilish than I thought, to create females for the sole purpose of making them suffer. You made a wise and benevolent decision in saving them." Lizard Priest said.

"A decision that couldn't have been easier." Ranger said.

"I actually talked to Sword Mage and Father Superior about the clones...the latter said the Sword Maiden would've done no differently." Priestess said.

"Not hard to figure out why..." Wizard trailed off.

"I think she means even if the Sword Maiden wasn't...handled by them." Warrior said.

"Regardless, the women are free. Let's go deal with that Hell Ripper and get back to Water Town." GS said.

"Right." Ranger said and he led them further down the cave, and through more caverns, some filled with water.

"Wait, we can use that water." Priestess said as she pulled her canteen, filled it with water, then the team watched her hands glow as she held the canteen to her chest.

"More holy water." Rhea Fighter said as Priestess gave the canteen to Ranger.

"You need this more than I do." She said, and Ranger took the canteen, and returned some vials of holy water to Priestess.

"An excellent find." Lizard Priest said.

"No kidding. Holy water is no joke for miracle users." D.R. said.

"As those demons we keep running int learn the hard way." Fighter said as Ranger continued to lead the team through the network of tunnels, until they reached the summit of a small mountain...

"Are we on the right path Sir Ranger?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Of course we are...look." Ranger said seriously and the team looked at the expanse of the mountain range they were on...and lo and behold, the Hell Ripper itself was in view...and it was taller than the mountains by a landslide and it looked exactly like it was described.

"Dear Supreme in Heaven...!" Wizard said in awe.

"That's the Hell Ripper?!" H.E. Druid asked.

"Yes it is..." Ranger said seriously as the team eyeballed the demonic building that happened to be a goblin superweapon.

"Please tell me you have a way to take it down..." Cow Girl said nervously.

"No, but I _do_ have an idea of how it works. I managed to sneak past each of the guards with the good rhea's cloak and discovered that the Ripper is powered by no less than five pylons with hell energy inside them. I actually tried smashing them with my gauntlets, but as it turns out, they each have a shield that I couldn't pierce without holy arts." Ranger said.

"So, Restoration will suffice?" Priestess asked.

"Not even close; if it was that simple I'd just drag you with me, send you back when you were done, and finish the job myself." Ranger said.

"Then why do you need us?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Shared glory and subtlety for one thing...or two things...anyway, we could and probably should use other means to do some damage." Ranger said.

"Did you check that lake over there?" A.C. asked as she pointed at a nearly-dried up lake.

"That lake is too shallow to flood the place with." Ranger said.

"It still has a dam..." Summoner said thoughtfully.

"So?" R.W. asked.

"It warrants investigation." Summoner said.

"If you insist. As for the plan itself, I will attack them directly while the rest of you look at why that dam is there." Ranger said.

"I'm coming with you." GS said and Ranger smirked.

"Fair enough." He said as he and GS climbed down the cliff with their respectively grappling methods, or just plain jumped down some distances while the rest looked into the dam.

* * *

Ranger and GS went through a cave, with Ranger leading the way using Life Sight, and GS used a torch, and they eventually came across a cavern full of sleeping goblins...and the two glanced at each other before they morphed their blades and impaled every defenseless goblin in sight.

"89...95...121...and that makes 143." GS said before the two men progressed, and they left the cave to find a swarm of Pride demons flying around an open area with rocky outcroppings everywhere, and the opening to a canyon passage on the other side.

"This place looks promising..." Ranger said dryly and GS threw in a flash bomb to distract the demons and they all screamed in surprise as the bomb exploded, then Ranger opened fire with his pistols as GS charged in and butchered all the imps that charged at them. The Prides and imps rushed at them in droves, and some threw fireballs at the two, but GS either killed the imps beforehand, or took the hits without an issue. Ranger meanwhile hide behind a greatsword he planted in the ground while continuing to take potshots at the Prides. He then morphed his light armor, re-absorbed the greatsword, morphed his twin swords and rushed through the rest of the imps only for a series of rifts to open and each one spat out a troop of goblins, including hobs.

GS of course went for the smaller goblins, and he shredded dozens of them with his twin shotguns and blew the rest apart with his bombs, if he didn't freeze them or blind them with flash bombs; the ones who were frozen or blinded were the first ones he took out when he charged at them with his sword and shield. Ranger didn't bother with the little ones; he went for the hobs by jumping over their smaller cousins, or just bashed the little ones out of the way. Ranger morphed his greatsword and impaled the first one before charging through several other hobs, and when he reached an outcropping, he jammed his sword, and the hob impaled on it into the rock formation hard enough to make it crumble. Several goblins tried to attack Ranger from behind but Ranger dashed away just in time, and the rock formation buried the unlucky goblins underneath it.

GS then got attacked by some hobs, and he used the hook on one shotgun to grappled towards it, and kicked it's chest in with both feet hard enough to cave in it's chest...and blew two hobs' brains out while riding the first one to the ground. GS then turned to see Ranger chopping apart goblins and hobs alike by waving his massive blade around with the usual precision, speed, and brutality as he dashed through the horde from side to side. He even switched to his twin swords, and used them normally, or broke them into their whips forms to butcher the goblins up-close, to tear them to sheds at medium range. Ranger ended the massacre by vertically bisecting a hob, impaling another hob through the chest, splattering dozens of goblins with a wave of his massive blade, and stunning the rest with the wind. Ranger's finale was him morphing a gauntlet, superheating it, and smashing the ground with it, which blew the immediate area up from underground and the rest of the goblins were shattered in the explosion.

The rest of the goblins looked over their devastated brothers and the two titans who wrecked the havoc. They barely had time to turn around and run before Ranger shot them apart with his pistols, and GS unloaded two shells from one of his shotguns. The two then looked at each other, got themselves together and looked over the damage they did.

"Did you check this entire area out?" GS asked.

"No, getting too close to the Hell Ripper was out of the question, so this place is unknown to me." Ranger said.

"I see. Well, they know we're here now; those rifts don't happen by accident." GS said.

"And since we're at the goblins' front door it makes sense for the Ripper to be used at full capacity. We may run into a million goblins by the time we're done." Ranger said.

"Can you still use miracles?" GS asked.

"Of course, and just as many as I did last time, and since I didn't use any yet..." Ranger trailed off.

"We can still do enough damage." GS said before walking off with Ranger behind him, and they didn't even get halfway through the uphill passage when a multitude of boulders was rolled down the end of the passage, which Ranger dealt with by morphing his heavy armor and gauntlets and crushing most of them, and stopping the largest one as GS retreated. When he saw GS was in the clear, Ranger then let the boulder roll down freely and looked to see hundreds of goblins charging down the slope.

Ranger then morphed his guns and unleashed a storm of bullets into the horde, each one tearing into the bodies of multiple goblins and spraying the survivors with blood and flesh. Ranger then retreated to where GS was as the goblins swarmed him, and GS threw his shotguns into the mix as the two gave the goblins a nasty case of lead poisoning. Ranger then spotted reinforcements approach, downed some holy water and used an Immolation miracle to incinerate the front quarter of the goblins and stall the rest as he went off to fetch the boulder.

"Catch!" Ranger yelled as he threw the boulder through the center of the horde and crushed every goblin in it's path; it even rolled back and continued crushing goblins before getting jammed in the side of the cliff. GS then came out into the open and watched the remaining goblins burn to death while screaming in agony.

"That's Immolation..." GS trailed off as Ranger watched it with him. "Does it bother you to cause the same pain you felt?"

"Not at all. It's actually because I felt it that I think it's fitting they feel it; it makes the damage that much more meaningful." Ranger said honestly.

"I see..." GS said as the goblins continued burning.

"I rarely ever use Immolation with holy water boosting it; normally it's a quick but intense burst of flame. No where near enough to torch hundreds of goblins, let alone turn the sides of an entire cliff into lava." Ranger said and GS looked at the cliffs themselves.

"You're right. The cliffs are melting and glowing." He said as the two watched the cliffs liquefy..then GS shoved Ranger to the ground as a boulder flew past them. "Another goblin champion..."

"This sounds familiar." Ranger groaned and GS retreated.

"Fall back!" He yelled as Ranger followed him into the open. "Can you make a pair of cannons for us to use?"

"Yet another trick I haven't tried..." Ranger said dryly before morphing a gun as big as his greatsword, and then made a second for GS. The two then aimed the guns at the passage, and the moment the goblin champion showed itself...

"Fire!" GS yelled, and the two unloaded their cannons into he champion and the rest of the goblins, and not only did they all get splattered across the area, the passage collapsed and buried the survivors...except...

"There's still plenty more goblins coming this way." Ranger said as he used Life Sight, and GS left the cannon for Ranger to re-absorb and he morphed his gauntlets, superheated them, and punched the rubble into the rest of the goblin horde, crushing and scattering them in every direction. GS then led Ranger through the last group as they butchered their way through the masses. The two then took a breather and looked around the place.

"It looks like there's two ways to go: one that leads out of this canyon, and another that leads further up the mountain." GS said.

"The Hell Ripper will likely be in the most heavily-guarded place, and if I were the one setting up it's defenses, I would put the power sources in the middle of a place so daunting, that the average person wouldn't dare assault it." Ranger said.

"Into the mountain we go." GS said and the two stood up from their rest and walked up the hill, and eventually crouched when they reached the top and peeked over it...and Ranger sucked in a breath.

"Ten champions, plus a squad of paladins...and a lord." He said seriously.

"That's too much for us in direct combat. We will need a indirect approach." GS said.

"Implosion!" Ranger yelled and a vortex opened over the goblins' heads and they all screamed their lungs out as they were sucked into it and swirled around the center faster and faster before being slammed into the ground hear enough to cause a brief earthquack that collapses a few cave entrances.

"Well...I _did_ imply that stealth was pointless here." GS said honestly.

"And there's the first Hell Battery." Ranger said as he pointed to the swirling mass of hell energy where the goblins used to be.

"Any idea how to get rid of it?" GS asked.

"My best bet is probably a holy water-empowered Immolation. Other than that...we'll probably have to just find the rest of the batteries and clear them out for Priestess or Apprentic Cleric to get rid of them. But it's still worth a shoot." Ranger said.

"I'll warn you if any more goblins or demons arrive." GS said as Ranger walked up to the Hell Battery...and then drank more holy water.

"Immolation." Ranger whispered before spewing fire from his hand into the battery...and it goes critical, makes a low-pitched whirring sound and Ranger sprints back to where GS was and the Battery blows up and launchs Ranger the rest of the way to where GS was, and when the explosion passed, GS checked on Ranger.

"Are you alright?" He asked and Ranger groaned.

"I'll live..." He said before they both looked at where the Hell Battery used to be, and it was gone...and so was the surrounding area. "I recall them being destroyed in a much less spectacular fashion."

"It was destroyed with Holy Light then; this was destroyed with holy fire. We should keep going; that explosion is going to attract more gob-" GS shut up the moment dozens of rifts opened and thousands of hell goblins, and demons of every types poured out of them.

"Oh shit...!" Ranger said.

"Run!" GS yelled and the two sprinted down the hill, through the alternatre passage, and Ranger used his gauntlets to smash the entrance. "That won't stop them"

"But it will slow them down!" Ranger said as the two kept running for their lives. "Here's hoping the rest have a trap or something set up at that dam!" The two eventually exited the passage and saw the dam up ahead in front of a wide open space. The two then stopped at the dead end and turned to face the massive horde of goblins and demons coming their way, and just when Ranger was on the brink of using Army of One...the dam sprung a leak, then another. "Goblin Slayer, get to the top of those cliffs as fast as you can!"

GS then used the hooks on his shotguns to grapple up the cliffs as Ranger morphed his heavy armor and gauntlets, superheated one, then charged at the dam as fast as he could and punched it hard enough to not only shatter it, but make the water behind it retreat...and there was so much water behind it that he almost forgot to morph his light armor and climb up the alternate cliff as the water flooded the entire valley and the goblins and demons were swept aside as the dam burst. Ranger then watched the water continue to flow down the passages without pausing...it was as if the water was hungry for the goblins and demons and it's stomach was bottomless.

"How was that for a trap?" Wizard asked proudly.

"A better question is how did you-?" Summoner cuts Ranger off.

"We used water elementals and even ice elementals to fill the lake, and fire to melt the ice. Hell, we may even leave chunks of ice and stone in the water to make it deadlier." He said.

"Summoner, you're a damn genius!" Ranger exclaimed and Wizard's brother handed over a life potion.

"Here you are Your Greatness." Wizard's brother said dramatically.

"Fuck you." Ranger said as he took the potion and downed it as Wizard's brother snickered.

"Goblin Slayer got one too." Rhea Fighter said and the other half of the team were with GS on the other side of the lake that wouldn't stop flowing...and some water elementals were spotted inside the water.

"Those elementals are something else." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"Also boss, my familiars found the rest of the batteries, and we dealt with our own fair share of Hell Rifts." Wizard's brother said.

"And I had to seal them while everyone else dealt with the demons and goblins as usal." Rhea Fighter said.

"That seems to be a running theme: you seal the rifts while the rest of us save the people and deal with the threat." Wizard said.

"Now to be fair, sealing the rifts isn't something to take lightly; without that blessed sword we'd have to fight alot longer than we should have to." Summoner said.

"Thank you Summoner." Rhea fighter said.

"My pleasure. This is what happens when you have a master demon hunter with you." Summoner with proudly.

"No kidding." Wizard said.

"Ranger!" Priestess exclaimed as she ran up to Ranger and hugged her big brother.

"I'm alright Priestess." Ranger said softly before Fighter approached and gave Ranger a quick kiss. "The same can't be said for those poor drowned bastards below."

"The really sad thing is that the water is moving on it's own accord; this flood makes a normal one look like a fucking shower." D.R. said.

"So there will be plenty of poor drowned bastards where those came from." H.E. Druid said.

"That just leaves the remaining Hell Batteries, and they are more than likely to be guarded more heavily than before now that they know our targets." Lizard Priest said.

"Then we split up again. Priestess, you join Ranger and Goblin Slayer at the Hell Ripper's front, the rest of you go after the Hell Batteries. If we're lucky, we won't have to destroy all of them

"Good idea. I'll try leveling it with a Meteor when it gets weak enough." Ranger said.

"Why us?" A.C. asked.

"Technically, _you_ are going to destroy the batteries." Summoner said.

"Me?" A.C. asked.

"You're the only one aside from Priestess who has holy arts, which makes you the key player in this." Ranger said.

"What about me and Warrior's swords?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"It's...possible that could work, but we should stick to what we know will work." Ranger said.

"My sword is also blessed remember?" Priestess asked.

"Good point..." Ranger said.

"This would also be a good time to bring those two World Spawns out of Limbo...don't know where though." Summoner said.

"Why not have them distract them elsewhere?" Cow Girl asked.

"Good idea." Summoner said.

"Honey, we'll use a gateway to get back to Water Town's guild hall when we see that Hell Ripper go down, alright?" Fighter asked.

"Alright, good luck all of you." Ranger said.

"Let's take that damn thing out." Warrior said as he morphed his crossbow.

* * *

GS and Ranger led Priestess through the flooded canyons, and they eyeballed the countless thousands of dead goblins that were either smashed beyond recognition, or likely drowned or internally-crushed from the flood.

"That flood was not a fan of these things was it?" Ranger asked as they passed normal goblins, hobs, shamans, champions, and even lords until eventually, the trio reached an uphill passage...that led straight to the front yard of the Hell Ripper, and Priestess stopped cold.

"I have a bad feeling about this." She said nervously.

"These goblins will likely fight tooth and claw for this glorified monolith; I wouldn't be surprised if the Demon Lord himself had a hand in this." Ranger said.

"The two of you are strong enough to do anything the Hero's team can do. We'll be fine." GS said as he kept going with his two companions glancing at each other, and joining GS as he went over the hill's edge...and there was the largest Hell Battery they ever saw, and it had an overseer, one which made even GS recoil.

"That demon general..." Priestess whispered and the demon general unfolded it's wings and turned it's head to them.

"Don't you three ever tire of failing...?" The demon general asked before summoning an axe and hurling it at the trio , and GS reflexively deflected it with his shield...despite the axe being bigger than he was. "An Abyssal Hide?! Where did you get that?!"

"It's a gift." GS said simply.

"A gift that you will regret having in your possession." The demon general said while tensing up.

"Priestess...empower us." Ranger whispered.

"Right..." Priestess said and her scepter glowed before GS and Ranger were enveloped in the aura of an empowered person as Ranger morphed his twin swords and light armor. The two armored juggernauts charged at the demon general and Ranger unloaded his guns into the demon general who put up a forcefield between them...but the blessing made the bullets shattered it in time for GS to unload two shells with his shotgun before sliding under the general's legs and slicing his Achilles tendons as Ranger wrapped a sword-whip around the general's arm and yanked himself towards it, but before Ranger could jam a greatsword into his face...the general unleashed a burst of power that made the two recoil as he regenerated his leg.

"You'll regret that!" The demon general bellowed before flying up and charging up a fireball, which Ranger responded to by retreating to the edge of the arena, and launching a harpoon at it, and it impaled the demon general in the hip, and the fireball fell out of it's hands as GS grappled up to it and shot off it's wings with one shell per joint and rode him to the ground before impaling him through the back of the head.

"Priestess? Would you do the hon-" Ranger shut up the moment the general bashed GS off of it as the battery gave it more power, healed it's wounds...and even gave it an organic suit of armor.

"Did you really think I would fall so easily? A _general_ in the army of Hell?!" The demon general asked.

"I must admit it's not a surprise." Ranger said.

"Be that as it may...you're still less troublesome than the goblins." GS said simply.

"You have interfered with our machinations for the _last_ time humans!" The demon general growled as his wings grew back...and they unleashed orbs of hell energy at the trio. Ranger and GS destroyed each one with their blades while Priestess used Protection to stay alive. She then used Holy Smite to stagger the demon general as Ranger shot at him...but the bullet bounced off of his wings. GS rushed at the demon general from behind, but got bashed with the demon's other wing, got sent flying and rolled along the ground. GS then picked himself up to see Ranger in his heavy armor using his superheated gauntlets to clash with the demon general's own charged-up fists.

Priestess and GS both stayed back and watched the Platinum Rank before them match with a leader of Hell's army blow-for-blow. The demon general landed a punch to Ranger's face, and got an uppercut to the jaw, and the two went back to clashing fists, then the general kicked Ranger in the gut, then Ranger jumped up and punched the general hard enough to crack his horn and knock him down before Ranger landed and held his abdomen as the Empowerment wore off.

"Ranger!" Priestess exclaimed as she rushed to see Ranger who de-morphed his armor to check his abdomen...just his luck, that kick gave him a dislocated intestine which Priestess fixed with Heal and Ranger let out a deep sigh.

"If you hadn't empowered me, that general would have turned me into paste." Ranger said as he struggled to get up and checked his abdomen for signs of trauma, but nothing was wrong. "Thank you..." Their moment was cut off by the battery charging up the general...by two batteries that appeared on the sides of the area.

"Purge!" Priestess yelled and a burst of holy energy enveloped the entire area and all three batteries were nearly snuffed out by the display, but not quite.

"I know that power...it was your last gambit wasn't it? Unlucky for your two brothers-in-arms." The demon general said as he sat up then floated in mid-air with his wings.

"Not quite. You see...I'm the new Sword Maiden." Priestess said as she turned her scepter into her sword.

"So you claim...tear these whelps apart!" The demon general said as dozens of rifts opened on all sides, and GS dealt with the imps that attacked him while Ranger and Priestess craved through the imps that attacked them. The demon general meanwhile retreated to recover from the nearly-fatal blast it was caught it. The trio spent the better part of half an hour butchering one swarm of demons after another, with Ranger using his light armor to dash back and forth between each demon on the ground, or in the air as his twin swords, sword-whips, and greatsword worked the same magic his guns did...which was the same magic Priestess worked with the miracles she used earlier, which was the same magic she was using now with her sword; she learned from her two comrades quite well.

Eventually, the demons stopped attacking, and a pair of archdemons came through two Hell Rifts...which disheartened all three of them, until help arrived in the form of the two World Spawns Summoner mentioned. Both of them engaged the archdemons, and after a brief and pointless fist-fight between the two pairs, the archdemons were pinned to each wall by the World Spawns, and the trio just watched the elemental colossi pound their skulls in...then they heard a deep, yet feminine voice behind them.

"So there are others assaulting this place." The woman said, and the team turned to see a woman who must be in her late-20's, in the same armor Female Knight wears...only she had a different face and her hair was dark brown.

"Yes, and you are?" Ranger asked.

"An ally to the 11th Platinum Rank." The woman said with a bow.

"Well, that's good, because we're nowhere near done." Ranger said.

"How right you are..." The woman said seriously as the demon general absorbed the trio of Hell batteries into himself, and unleashed a burst of power that annihilated the two World Spawns.

"Priestess, empower us, now!" GS exclaimed, and Priestess gave the two men an empowerment as they dashed at the demon general who was too disoriented to charge up another attack so he wrapped his wings around himself and the new woman marveled at the two as they hacked away at the armored wings of a demon general...even though one was Platinum Ranked and both were empowered. After about a minute of relentless slicing, the wings came off and the demon general was left open to GS impaling it through the face, and Ranger craving it's chest open and tearing it's heart out.

"That was most impressive..." The woman said as the two came back.

"Thanks, now...what brings you here?" Ranger asked.

"Those two World Spawns; I tracked their summoners here, and was immediately intrigued; very few can summon them, and one is my youngest brother, who ironically happens to be here." The woman said.

"Wait...you're a summoner too?" Priestess asked.

"Yes, him and a Storm Mage are my younger brothers. Do you know them?" Female Summoner asked and the trio stared at her.

"Summoner is actually here with us...Storm Mage...well, we'll fill you in when we get back to Water Town." Ranger said.

"Very well, but for now, we must destroy that weapon." Female Summoner said.

"The shield around its core looks weakened...I could use Meteor on it." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"You know the Meteor spell?" Female Summoner asked.

"It's technically a miracle from the War God; like I said we'll explain everything later. Anyway, where did those two Hell Batteries come from?" Ranger asked.

"If I know Hell Batteries, that general called them here to help him defeat you...if they weren't in danger of being destroyed." Female Summoner said.

"Well, I saw a handful of them when I was first scouting this place out, but there's no way to tell-" Ranger shut up the moment the Ripper's core shield fell completely.

"Ranger! Hit it now!" GS exclaimed and Ranger reached his hand to the sky.

"Lord of the Sword...Master of the Mace. Bring down your fist from the Heavens upon the world's foes. Meteor!" He said and a portal opened in the sky and a massive burning rock came down and smashed the Hell Ripper's core. He then used the portal gem and they went back to the place they first saw the Hell Ripper and the entire building crumbled from the bottom-up...and then exploded in a mushroom cloud sending debris flying all over the mountain range as the four people watched in awe.

"We've done it...without the Hell Ripper, the goblins can't attack anywhere they please." Priestess said as she leaned into Ranger, clearly overwhelmed by the scope of their feat.

"Yes we have, now we can go home." Ranger said before opening a portal to Water Town's guild hall.

* * *

"Sister..." Summoner whispered.

"Hi brother." Female Summoner said softly before hugging her little brother who clung unto her like she was being pulled away from him.

"I missed you..." Summoner said with a sob-choked voice.

"And I missed you." Female Summoner said as her brother continued holding her without caring that the team was watching the whole thing, even though they were simply glancing at each other, smiling at their moment, or both. "Sorry I didn't come here sooner, but with that Ripper destroyed...I can be here for you as much as you want."

"Thank you...we have so much catching up to do." Summoner said.

"Well, we can start by getting me in the loop." Female Summoner said.

* * *

"...and after we liberated this place, I was chosen to take the Sword Maiden's place." Priestess said.

"And since she became the new Sword Maiden, we've been an even bigger pain in the Evil Sect's asses, and the goblins' asses for that matter." Warrior said.

"I'm honored to meet the new Sword Maiden, especially among a group so...distinguished." Female Summoner said seriously.

"Yeah we've got quite a few experiences under our belts don't we." Warrior said.

"I would very much like to see your child when the chance arises 11th." Female Summoner said.

"Alright, it's not often a Platinum Rank has their life saved by a stranger, even though this is the second time this happened." Ranger said.

"Right, you mean when that rhea who attacked you in the marshlands." Female Summoner said.

"I'd like to hear more about what you've been doing since we last met sister." Summoner said.

"I'd be happy to tell you all, but for now...you could use the rest, like me." Female Summoner said.

"Us too." Wizard's brother said.

"You can stay at the Temple of Law if you'd like." Priestess said.

"I'd be honored Your Grace." Female Summoner said.

"Well, good night all of you." Priestess said before hugging Ranger and Fighter and walking Female Summoner to the temple.

"I'd like to hit the hay as well." Warrior said.

"Well, let's go." Wizard said.

"Good night you two." Ranger said.

"Oh! I just remembered...when we were in Heaven...Dwarf Shaman said that he's thinking of you." Wizard said and H.E. Druid sighed and looking away while smiling.

"I see..." She whispered before getting up and walking outside as D.R. stood as well.

"Go get her." Cow Girl whispered and D.R. walked out after her.

"Well, good night?" Fighter asked.

"Good night." Cow Girl said before Ranger opened a portal to their home, and after hugging Fighter and Ranger, she and GS took the gateway to their fort.

* * *

When D.R. found H.E. Druid, she was sitting on a bench looking out at the lake, with the twin moons reflecting off the water's surface...he could see that she was weeping so he kept his distance until she calmed down.

"What do you want from me?!" She snapped and D.R. recoiled.

"I...I was trying to give you space, but I was still worried about you." He said and she sighed.

"Thanks. It's just...I wish things had worked out differently between me and that other dwarf. We elves and you dwarves have always been at odds but him and me...it was just so stupid." H.E. Druid said.

"I can imagine..." D.R. trailed off.

"I sincerely hope you can't; I never thought too much of it at the time, but now that I do...it's humiliating. I'm alittle amazed I have it in me to even recall it." H.E. Druid said.

"Then stop; let it go." D.R. said seriously and H.E. Druid chuckled. "I'm serious."

"I know...it's funny because it's true." She said.

"Oh...that." D.R. said.

"Remember all the stories I told you? About my times here? Or my spats with Ranger?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Of course, I also remember the stories you told of your time before even becoming an adventurer." D.R. said.

"You...my good sir, are as good at listening to stories as you are at telling them, one of many ways you've been there for me. You dwarves really aren't that bad once one gets to know you." H.E. Druid said softly before reaching out to him, and he approached her before she pressed her lips against his, and she sat there while her shorter lover held her while the twin moons continued to shine down on them. "I...I love you."

"I love you too...my princess." D.R. said and H.E. Druid smiled.

"When this is over...I want you to marry me." She said and D.R. recoiled.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yes, really." H.E. Druid said.

"Not that our time together doesn't mean anything but...you're still going to outlive me, by quite a bit, and don't get me started on everything else." D.R. said seriously yet softly.

"I know...but I have faith everything can be worked out, and if it turned out that I'm right, will you be my husband?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Yes...you're the single best woman I know, and if you believe the...problems can be worked out, then I'm with you." D.R. said.

"Thanks." H.E. Druid whispered before kissing him again while he joined their fingers.

* * *

**Score another one for the good guys. The team trashed the Hell Ripper, and got to see a nuke go off basically. They also got several cloned women out of that misogynistic hell the goblins love to wallow in, and hopefully they'll find a use for them later on, specifically. We also have two engagements in this chapter...that theme hasn't died yet. Anyway, I'll bet you weren't expecting Summoner and Storm Mage's big sis to make an appearance eh? That's yet another person who was hyped since the 1st act, albeit not as much making an appearance...speaking of appearances, that demon general who got his ass kicked by the team in act 1 came back to haunt them, only to get creamed. Also...Lizard Priest makes his triumphant return, even though he didn't do much, and there's...already been millions of goblins biting the dust in this chapter. That being said, I'm just getting started people, and with that Hell Ripper destroyed, we can start the countdown to the goblins' extinction. So be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while the rest of the carnage comes your way next time. Stay tuned...**

**Fun fact: That opening scene with Ranger unleashing Pestilence on the goblins and even the part where he used Meteor to bomb the crap out of the mountains was inspired by the 10 plagues in The Prince of Egypt movie, which makes sense since from the goblins' point of view, the world must've been ending, not that any tears should be shed for those...I would call them pieces of filth, but that would be a compliment...and I'll bet you all enjoyed reading about them getting massacred like I predicted at the beginning right...right? (just kidding)**


	47. Chapter 23 Part III

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I don't have much of an intro for this chapter since I covered everything in the outro of the last chapter so as a wise man said...DEATH TO THE GOBLINS!  
**

**Review Response: Don't forget that the team wiped out millions of goblins...which has to be new record in the entire GS fandom, and the official history of GS for that matter. They also kicked the shit out of a bunch of demons, but no one cares about them. Technically they _destroyed_ the Hell Ripper, not kill it...and who _wouldn't_ look forward to the goblins getting wiped out? Like TheCarlosInferno point out in a P.M., unlike the goblins in World of Warcraft which are actually civilized, if you can call it that...these goblins are, at best, a plague that need to be cured. Although...their extinction does make creating a sequel that much harder, cause...let's face it, without the goblins, it's not even Goblin Slayer anymore.**

**Female Summoner showing up was a last-minute choice since...why would Summoner himself join the battle when he's babysitting two trainees? Also...what is Lizard Priest? Chopped goblin steak? He's been gone for several chapters now and now he's back in action.**

**As for Female Summoner herself...well, she has been built up since the first act even though she's appearing at the end of this arc, and as established previously, the countdown to the end of this story has finally began...where's the band Europe to sing "The Final Countdown" when you need them?**

* * *

"SURPRISE BITCHES!" Warrior yelled as he smashed a door with his electrified hammer, and the dozens of goblins inside the abandoned building panicked before the rest of the rest burst in and shot the goblins to pieces...and this was just the start; the team spent the entire day tracking even the smallest goblin nests and exterminating them.

Some cases were as simple as trapping them in a building with Protection after one or both Wizard siblings threw it a fire spell, or Ranger used Immolation to cook the goblins alive. Others involved the team rushing into the fray after scouting the place out and finding nothing to stop them, and just taking it over, move on to the next place, take it over, and then take whatever loot they could find when the slaughter ended. Every now and then, Ranger even threw in a Rage spell to make the goblins kill each other...and then themselves.

One of the harder fights involved Wizard's brother baiting a dozen hobs with one of his crow familiars that kept sparking them to anger them as it flew away, and when they got far enough...Fighter extended some cables to sever their heads, or at least crushes or opened their throats. Wizard then used Firestream to finish off the smaller goblins...all 90 plus of them.

"Crispy..." Wizard said with a snicker as the smell of burning goblins filled the air.

* * *

Cow Girl and GS took point with GS getting his own spear from Ranger as Cow Girl extended her sword, into a spear of her own as they pressed further into a cave they were in, and eventually, more goblins appeared and the pair systematically stuck each goblin in the heart before the others retreated...then they pulled their respective shotguns and shot them all in the back.

"Running won't help! We'll just shoot you in your asses!" Cow Girl yelled, and the team chased the few that got away...then GS threw a freeze bomb into the den the rest of the goblins were occupying, freezing at least 20 solid, and partially freezing a pair of hobs. The team each picked off the smaller goblins, and Ranger punched one hob into the wall with a gauntlet before morphing claws on his alternate hand and tearing out the other one's spine.

"Ranger, do you _always_ have to make a mess?" H.E. Druid asked.

"There's plenty more where this came from." Ranger said thoughtfully...and he was right; the team hit several more smaller goblin outposts, some of which were huddled together, which gave GS a golden opportunity to live up to his name as the team sat back and watched the havoc he wrecked as he rushed through the little green abominations like a scythe cutting through wheat.

* * *

"Holy Smite!" Priestess yelled as a burst of lightning left her staff and blew apart a series of huts the goblins were using as a camp, then she and GS mopped up the survivors before they could recover.

"56...64...74...81..." GS growled as he and Priestess severed one head after another, then followed the rest of the team to a neighboring fort full of goblins.

"Mana Bolt!" The Wizard siblings yelled as they unleashed a pair of Mana Bolts that tore into the fort and blew it apart from the inside, and the whole team rushed in to mop up the survivors.

"That makes 122..." GS said, and H.E. Druid's ears perked and she rushed to a tower that was still intact.

"We got company!" She yelled and everyone took a position on the wall to shoot down the horde of goblins coming toward them...and not a single goblin even got close to the wall, let alone had to get a sword taken to them.

* * *

Cow Girl, Ranger, and D.R. took the next fort by taking position above a room full of goblins and blowing them apart with their guns. Priestess and Fighter then took another fort with her slicing open the door and Fighter unleashing a volley of blades into the goblins inside. The two ladies then heard gunfire in the one next to it, and lo and behold, Ranger came out holding his guns, and wearing his light armor. He then nodded and shared a smile with the two ladies, before he spotted the rest of the team approach and then followed them to yet another group of outposts... which gave Lizard Priest a time to shine. He took a reptilian skull the likes of which the team had never seen before, and he set it on the ground to prepare a summoning ritual.

"O skull of great Father Iguanadon, bring forth your spawn and have him stampede!" Lizard Priest said, and just like that, his summoned appeared...it was like a reptilian bull with an upward-curving plate behind it's skull, standing taller than any of the team members staring at the beast, and twin horns coming out of it's forehead and what looked like a beak instead of a mouth. "Behold the Dragonbone Charger..."

"Is this what you meant by additional abilities?" Ranger asked.

"This is only one of my new abilities Sir Ranger. I look forward to what the Dragontooth Warriors became." Lizard Priest said as he got in front of his summoned beast, before pointing at the goblins' home and then the Charger rushed right at the gigantic huts and smashed every one of them in it's rampage as the goblins lucky enough to not get smashed under it's feet ran for their lives...only for Cow Girl, D.R. and Ranger to snipe them with their rifles.

"Alright...your Dragontooth Warriors are next- wait a minute, I thought you could only summon one?" Ranger asked.

"I could...until now." Lizard Priest said proudly.

"What do you mean?" Fighter asked, and Lizard Priest smirked

* * *

A group of six Dragontooth Warriors charged through a palisade full of goblins, and when some goblins got their bows ready to unleash a volley...another group of five Dragontooth Warriors jump them from behind and crave through them as the goblins try to escape...only for Priestess to stop them with Protection, and the three goblins that make it out get to watch their brothers try to break the barrier screaming in fear as the skeletal reptilian monsters behind them butcher them...and then the trio turn their heads to see Ranger and GS before one gets it's brains blown out, another gets shot it the heart, and the last gets a bullet and a shell unloaded into it's gut, which disembowels it.

"To be able to summon an entire team of Dragontooths...you have improved." Ranger said.

"I do not make idle boasts Sir Ranger." Lizard Priest said from the top of the Charger he summoned.

"Apparently." H.E. Druid said.

"Now let's get in there, take the stuff and turn that fort into rubble." Warrior said.

"Technically it's a palisade." D.R. said.

"Whatever..." Warrior said.

"Let's just get the stuff and go." Wizard's brother said and the team went inside, luckily, there were no women to save, but there was also nothing worth taking; thank the Supreme they got there before the goblins went on a raid. When they were done, they used the portal gem to take the odds and ends to Ranger and Fighter's manor. Lizard Priest's Charger carried it's summoner as the small army he summoned came down on a wave of goblins that likely came as reinforcements, and the rest of the team watched Lizard Priest's army charge at the goblins and smash them aside in the case of the Charger, with the Dragontooth Warriors, and Lizard Priest himself using his twin sickle swords, as well as his tail to bisect, behead, dismember, and bludgeon every goblin smart enough to get close.

"That makes 672." GS said as he walked through the field of dead goblins.

"And we're not even done..." Fighter said.

* * *

The next fort the team hit was a golden opportunity to practice stealth. Ranger led Cow Girl from one room to the next while jamming a blade into the heads of a hob guard every now and then. Granted some goblins had to be dealt with directly, but thanks to the crossbow Ranger borrowed from Warrior, that wasn't a problem. He even made noise by throwing something into a certain place, then putting a bolt through the head of any goblins that check it out. Cow Girl even copied him, and took his crossbow to deal the carnage herself, which earned her a mutual proud smile from Ranger.

"Well?" H.E. Druid asked when the pair came back.

"It's done, and there's nothing worth taking, so light it up." Ranger said and he and Cow Girl sat down with D.R. and Lizard Priest as the rest of the team unleashed burning arrows and fire spells.

"This is just like that moment when we burned down that fort a year ago." Priestess said.

"Only this fort is _alot_ bigger." Fighter said before loosing another arrow, and when they were done...the entire fort was aflame, especially the entrances and exits; they actually spotted some goblins trying to get out, only to catch fire. Cow Girl then aimed her rifle at them, only for Ranger to stop her.

"Save your ammo; let them burn." He said and the group watched the goblins thrash around trying to put out the flames consuming their bodies, but it's no use.

"Have they ever heard of stop, drop, and roll?" D.R. asked.

"Goblins aren't bright, but aren't fools either." GS said.

"Except them right?" Wizard asked.

"Yes." GS said simply.

"Let's see you think straight when you unironically feel yourself on fire." Rhea Fighter said and several of her teammates laughed.

"It's funny because it's true!" D.R. exclaimed.

* * *

The team eventually started using bait-and-bash tactics; Cow Girl stepped up to the plate and summoned some water elementals to harass some goblins inside a decent-sized, stone fortress, and had them retreat as the goblins attacked them, and when the goblins all came outside to get rid of the elementals...the whole team came out from all sides and turned the space the goblins occupied into a death trap by unloaded bullets, bombs, bolts, harpoons, arrows, and shells into them. The team then went into the fortress, took everything worth grabbing, some jewels, chests full of tools, weapons and armor Ranger didn't absorb for once since others needed them more, and last but not least, some blank scrolls for later use.

Once they used the portal gem to take their loot back to Water Town, they returned and went onto the next goblin outpost, with the elementals baiting the goblins into the open for another ambush...and they found some women that weren't clones to be rescued and healed.

"You're o.k. now..." Priestess said softly as she and the Wizard siblings healed their bodies and minds respectively, and they took the women to the Temple of Law via another portal. The next outpost they ambushed had neither women or valuables, nor did the one after that, but the last one they ambushed...ended in disaster; these goblins had rifles with them, and Wizard's brother took a bullet right next to his eyes that traveled just under the skin on the side of his head, and an elemental had to be used to heal his grievous wound to save Priestess a miracle...or not. The goblins that charged the team as they were staggered by Wizard's brother's brush with death were blasted to bits by Priestess using Holy Smite on them.

She then charged in with her sword drawn to finish off the survivors with the rest of the team watching her dance through them and sending heads and limbs flying as the last elemental sprayed the goblins with rifles with pressurized water jets that crushed them even as it was riddled with bullets. Eventually, it dived at them and exploded, causing a small flood that washed the goblin riflemen off their platforms to the floor below, and the ones who survived the fall were met with Priestess plunging her sword into their faces.

"That makes 1,407..." GS said as Priestess returned while sheathing her blade.

* * *

The next goblin nest was another smash-and-grab: Warrior sliced open a door, and Rhea fighter jumped off his back into the middle of the room, grabbing the attention of the goblins as Warrior swung his sword around, which sliced apart even the goblins he didn't directly hit, as Rhea Fighter did the same. She eventually sheathed her blade, opened her chakras, and started splitting the goblins' heads with her fists...as well as flipping over them, throwing them around, slamming them into the ground, each other, or nearby hard objects. She even grabbed one, raised it up and slammed it into the ground head-first.

"And...faceplant!" Warrior exclaimed before laughing...but the humor was cut short when a champion came out into the open. Warrior then shot lightning from his hammer at it, which only paralyzed it, but that's where Rhea Fighter came in, and Warrior stopped sparking the behemoth as his smaller companion charged it, climbed up it's armor...then stabbed it through the chin, out the top of it's head, then she flipped off of it's chest and landed like a cat just as the champion's corpse hit the ground.

"Bigger isn't always better..." Rhea Fighter said.

"As our little friend learned the hard way." Wizard's brother teased.

"Really? Size jokes?" Rhea Fighter asked before exclaiming as Wizard's brother picked her up,

"Excuse me for trying to lighten your mood." He said.

"Says the nerdy yet feisty man who got shot in the face." Rhea Fighter said seriously.

"All the more reason..." Wizard's brother said, and Rhea Fighter smiled before clinging onto his shoulders and waist with her arms and legs respectively and kissing him.

* * *

Warrior dealt with the next fort all by himself; he rushed in, unleashed a storm of bolts that mowed done dozens of goblins that scrambled to take cover, only for Warrior to charge up his hammer, and threw it around the room, stunning every goblin that didn't get it's heart stopped by the discharge. He then jumped up as his hammer came back to him and smashed down into the middle of the room, blowing every goblin caught in the middle to pieces, launching the goblins on the edge of the middle into the walls, or each other hard enough to shatter bones, dislocate limbs, and cause concussions, and the few lucky ones were just stunned by the explosion.

Wizard and he brother then came in and got to work finishing them off with Wizard using her glaive to slice apart every goblin in sight, and impale the ones on the ground with her brother smashing their heads in with his mace. He then summoned a pack of wolf familiars to maul a wave of goblin reinforcement with a flock of crows flying overhead that sparks the goblins in the back or just peck at their heads until their beaks pierced brain matter with the trio of humans watching the massacre...before helping the rest of the team loot and then blow the place to bits.

* * *

"Now watch the master..." Fighter said proudly before taking a stance, and thrashed about, throwing punches and kicks aplenty at the dozens of goblins that pounced at her from all sides with the usual speed, fierceness, and precision. She spin-kicked them hard enough to splatter them across the floor, jammed her elbows into their chests which caved in their ribcages, and even kneed one then back-kicked one behind her before throwing the one she kneed into another...and that was just the start. Sometimes she rapidly punched a goblin until several bones were busted badly enough to poke out through their skin, or punched some goblins one time with enough force to split their heads open, others times she forcefully bent their backs inward, which made a loud crunching sound as their spines imploded.

Somehow, more goblins had the nerve to continue assaulting the armored, raven-haired she-devil before them, only for them to watch in horror as she grabbed some and slammed their heads into each other, grabbed more and snapped their necks, tore their limbs off to smack others in the face with them, then get kicked into the distance, into their friends, or within sight of their friends, or she just tripped them and either bisected them as they fell, kicked them away, or slammed them into the ground and stomped them to a paste with her inhumanly thick legs driving home the point at the speed of a bullet.

To add insult to injury, she even took a page out of Goblin Slayer's book and jammed their own knives into their brains, throats, hearts, guts, or even multiple body parts one after another. She also threw their axes, spears, and maces at the still-living goblins, and even shot their own bows at a group of goblins coming her way until she ran out of arrows, but she switched to another quiver until she got sick of using their arrows, and just absorbed their weapons into her armor as usual before bracing for the rest of the horde.

When the survivors got close enough, Fighter popped her arm and leg blades and got to work weaving through the crowd shredding their bodies in various ways, from simply kicking her leg blades into their guts and tearing them out, to bisecting some as they desperately tried to stop her with their bare arms, only for their arms to get smashed beyond repair in addition to the blades on her legs cutting them in half. Some were impaled, over and over in the chest, and Fighter occasionally opened their torsos by craving through them, and out their shoulders, while others thers simply got their throats opened, their brains scrambled with a stab through the face, their heads sliced off, sometimes with multiple heads flying with one swipe of her arm or leg, or just lost one or more limbs and was left to bleed to death in the chaos.

Occasionally she retracted her blades and just tore a goblin in half, or tore it open, which unsurprisingly made an even greater mess than she already did...but the goblins still insisted on trying to avenge their comrades by attacking her from every direction all at once...which led to an even bigger mess when she thrashed and spun around taking down at least a dozen goblins down every second and sending their remains scattering in every direction.

When Fighter was done, she spotted another wave coming, then she morphed her bow, ducked, and unleashed volley after volley at them, with the explosive arrows taking their toll by blasting the goblins to bits, even if her arrows didn't hit them. A troop of goblin archers then appeared and shot their own arrows at her...and she shot their arrows out of the air with her own, which surprised her friends and foes alike, especially H.E. Druid; an elf was just surpassed in archery by a human less than 1/100th her age! Fighter eventually let a pack of goblins get close, then jumped several meters into the air before loosing an explosive arrows into the top of one's head...and it took the entire group with it to the grave as the arrow exploded, and Fighter landed like a cat before turning to see the team watch her in awe...and Ranger smirking at her, which spoke for itself.

She then made the show even more entertaining by putting the nunchuk function of her bow to work and having it lash around to slice apart the goblins at medium range. Apparently she learned from her druid companion in both archery and with the ability to use her bow as a nunchuk; her secret training was paying off too. The goblins barely had time to react before the edge of Fighter's bow lashed them across the throat, the side of the head, the knees, or the abdomen, and the ones who weren't hit got to see their friends get maimed or eventually mauled when Fighter stopped the test run and went back to dashing around the place tearing the goblins apart up-close. She put her usual mastery to work by alternating between using her blades and not using them, like when she grabbed one, dislocated it's arm and tore it's back open before bashing several living goblins with the corpse until it was too mangled to use anymore.

Eventually, some armored hobs attacked her, and she started using her grappling moves, or hitting their critical points, like when she ducked under a punch, then sliced a hob's kneecap before jamming one armblade into the side of it's head, and flipped off of it as another hob tripped over the corpse, only to get it's face kicked in. She then turned and punched a hob in the groin, and when he it bent forward in pain, she ended it's pain by jamming her blades through it's eyes before picking it up and throwing it at another hob, who caught the body, only to get it's hamstrings severed, making it fall down and stay pinned down as another gets stabbed in the side over and over, and when it grabbed Fighter...she twisted her body hard and fast enough to dislocate it's elbow and kick it's throat hard enough to crush it before the pinned hob got up in time to get her legblade in it's throat. She then looked over the field of dead and dying goblins, then looked in the distance to see even more hobs join the party...

...and they fared no better than the last ones. One hob tried to bisect her with an axe, only for her to side-step it, hammerfist it's forearm, yank the axe out of it's grip and jam the axe into it's owner's chest. Another tried to impale her from behind with a spear, only for her to dodge it, run up the spear's length, knee the hob in the face, flip off of it's face with her alternate foot, and landed on it's back as it recoiled and held it's face trying to stop the pain...only for the master on it's back to use her blades to tear it's back open and remove a piece of it's spine. She then picked the dead hob up over her head, and some smaller goblins that were charging at her ran for their lives only to be squished under the hob corpse thrown at them. Fighter then grabbed the spear and hurled it at another hob charging at her, and lashed onto the other hob with her cables, grappled herself towards it...and went right over it's shoulder ripping it's head off in the process before jumping up to grab the head and beaning a third hob in the face with the head she threw before using a discarded sword from one of the two dead hobs to sever the stunned hob's legs, before cutting it in half, and then bisecting it's head.

She then slide under another hob's legs, ran up it's back and snapped it's neck before she jumped from one hob to another while stomping the crowns of the heads in, or just stabbing them through the brain and watched them all fall down when she landed. She then launched a pair of blades into the eyes of a hob deep enough to pierce it's mid-brain and it fell down dead where it stood. She then rushed between multiple hobs, tripping and kicking them into each other, punching them in the sides hard enough to make their bones and organs implode, or even dislocating one's knee with a punch, then smashing it's face into the ground. She then looked around, saw that she was alone, and took a breather.

A paladin got the drop on her...after turning visible, and the surprise was so serious that she barely had enough time to keep her head from getting sliced off. She then dashed away from it to calm down and open her chakras, and the moment she did...she dashed up to it close enough that she was right in it's face, and it was the paladin's turn to recoil...and it did. It put up it's shield and put up a magic barrier in front of the shield to reinforce it...only for Fighter to unleashed a burst of her energy from her fist into the barrier that shattered it and knocked the paladin to the ground. It then got up and charged at her before swinging it's sword at her, then she ducked it again, then continued to move out of the way of her armored' foe's swings over and over until he was exhausted and she finished him off with a kick to the gut that knocked it down. She then threw a punch at it's head, which it managed to stop...only for her to put her fist closer to it's face, pop her blades, and pierce it's eyes and brain, which of course made it drop dead.

"Anyone else?" Fighter asked as she eyeballed the dead and dying goblins and kept watch for another ambush...but none came. "That's what I thought..." She then turned to see the rest of the team were still there...especially her husband who was most likely thinking of throwing her onto a bed.

"That fortress in the distance is the last of the goblin bases in this region." Priestess said as she pointed to said fortress.

"Then let's get back to Water Town and get our shit together." Wizard said before Ranger opened a portal to his and Fighter's manor...

* * *

"I am so glad to see you again..." Summoner said softly while his big sister held his hands at the table they were at.

"I couldn't not come here." Female Summoner said.

"But how did you know I would be here, let alone want- no...need to see you?" Summoner asked.

"Our mother told me...in a dream." Female Summoner said and Summoner let go of her hands in awe.

"She what...?" He whispered.

"She told me about your encounter with the fear demon, how Storm Mage saved you...what you saw." Female Summoner said softly and Summoner sighed before Female Summoner held his chin up.

"How much do you know...?" He asked.

"Everything I can know." Female Summoner said.

"Then...you know about-" She cuts her brother off.

"Yes...I would be lying if I thought you being involved with two women sat right, but I know you; if you have room in that mountain-sized heart of yours for both of them, then there's no way you would be as corrupt as Storm Mage used to be." Female Summoner said.

"When that priestess asked to be involved with me alongside Guild Girl, I was against it because of her, but the Love Goddess condones love in any form, including polyamory." Summoner said.

"I'm aware, and the Love Goddess serves the Supreme God as faithfully as our later sister-in-law does." Female Summoner said.

"Alright..." Summoner whispered before his sister embraced him. "How is my niece and brother-in-law?"

"Our little girl turns seven actually, and her father has been looking after her while I take care of demons and goblins alike." Female Summoner said.

"You weren't...ensnared were you?" Summoner asked seriously before she backed up.

"I have even more elementals than you do, and I have familiars as well. I wish the goblins all the luck in the world if they want me to have their children." Female Summoner said.

"Right...I forgot you mastered summoning _years_ ago." Summoner said.

"I never summoned a World Spawn though, let alone multiple." Female Summoner said.

"Really?" Summoner asked.

"No. I never saw the need." Female Summoner said.

"Can you?" Summoner asked.

"I suppose it could be possible, although I'm already Gold Ranked; it wouldn't do me that much good." Female Summoner said.

"Still...World Spawns are famous for a reason, and we could use all the help we can get at this point." Summoner said seriously.

"You have a point little brother. Let's go make one or two...then get ready for your wedding." Female Summoner said before they stood up.

"I'm afraid you can't come. Weddings blessed by the Love Goddess are extremely personal." Summoner said.

"So be it...can't defy a servant of the Love Goddess can I?" Female Summoner said before they went to an area they could be alone, and she took them into Limbo.

* * *

"Hey there." Priestess said softly as Ranger and Fighter's baby reached up to her, and Priestess groaned after picking her up. "You're getting _heavy_."

"Won't be long before she's as big and beautiful as her mother." Ranger said before Fighter smiled and kissed him sweetly before leading them downstairs to the rest of the team.

"Another day, another bunch of goblins put down." Warrior said.

"And we're _still_ not done..." Rhea Fighter said.

"It doesn't matter; we'll kill them all." GS said simply.

"Damn straight." D.R. said.

"There's still the fortress that last horde came from." Priestess said thoughtfully.

"Then let us return and finish what we started." Lizard Priest said.

"Do you have a ranged weapon now?" Ranger asked.

"Alas, I do not." Lizard Priest said.

"How about a bow, crossbow, or even a gun?" Cow Girl asked.

"Isn't that a bit redundant?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Why? Fighter uses a bow just like me, and Ranger and Warrior used crossbows back in the day. Although...I can't see you using pistols like Ranger's to be honest, let alone shotguns like Orcbolg's." H.E. Druid said.

"Nor I Lady Archer." Lizard Priest said.

"How about a sling?" Priestess asked and the team looked at her. "I used one once, and our late dwarf friend had one."

"It would be an excellent way to honor him." Lizard Priest said.

"Then it's settled- wait, we don't have any slings." H.E. Druid said.

"We can make one." GS said.

"Here." Ranger said as he used Smith to create a sling made of the same flexible metal as Fighter's bow and handed it to Lizard Priest.

"I will put this to good use Sir Ranger." Lizard Priest said.

"What about throwing javelins?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"That would be possible, but I would never be able to carry enough to aid you enough against a legion of goblins." Lizard Priest said.

"Leave the supply to us." Wizard said as her brother nodded.

"Very well then." Lizard Priest said.

"What about the slinging stones? Where can we get those?" Cow Girl asked.

"Uh, the environment?" Wizard said dryly.

"Wait...what if he just slings bombs?" D.R. asked and everyone beamed.

"A sling that hurls bombs...yikes." Rhea Fighter said.

"That is...acceptable." Lizard Priest said.

"I cannot believe I'm piling on, but what about a larger version of my auto crossbow? A handheld ballista so to speak?" Warrior asked.

"Let's not get too crazy now..." Wizard said.

"I will take whatever is offered to me if I can assist you all." Lizard Priest said.

"O.k...seriously, this is just disrespectful. Wiping out millions of goblins is one thing, but we've been doing almost nothing but test new ways to kill them the entire time. Goblins are as vile as they come, and they deserve everything we have, and will do to them, but this is getting kind of sad." Fighter said.

"They're _goblins_..." Wizard trailed off.

"Who cares?" Everyone asked at the same time, which made them all laugh their asses off; even Lizard Priest couldn't help but smirk.

"Also...I'd like to treat your reinforce your outfit like I did with Priestess'." Wizard said.

"Absolutely not. While I do appreciate your desire to put time and effort into improving my defenses, my outfit is a ceremonial tribute to my heritage and should remain untouched." Lizard Priest said.

"O.k...how about I make you something to put underneath it, as well as give it a way to repair itself should it get too badly damaged?" Wizard asked.

"That depends on what you have in mind Lady Mage." Lizard Priest said.

"O.k...glad that's settled, now don't we have some goblin heads to bust?" Warrior asked.

"Baby? Would you do the honors?" Fighter asked before Ranger opened a portal back to the fortress...then noticed something...

* * *

"Looks like it's going to start raining." Cow Girl said before Warrior pulled his hammer and sparked it.

"Good." He said, then Ranger checked on the door, and banged on it.

"Knock knock!" He yelled before backing up and reaching his hand out to GS, who tossed him a shotgun, and once the doors opened, and a pair of goblins with spears came out...Ranger unloaded one shell into each of their heads and tossed the shotgun back to GS. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." GS said before they followed Ranger inside.

"I say we let the boss handle this." Wizard said.

"Right, we all had our moments." Fighter said.

"I didn't..." Cow Girl said.

"Yes you did. You and Goblin Slayer fought side-by-side that one time." Fighter said.

"Oh...right." Cow Girl said with an awkward laugh, then Ranger morphed his twin blades and light armor and charged into the fortress with the team is distant pursuit, and they saw each goblin that was curious about the noise lose a chunk of their heads as they peeked out to see Ranger's blade as it did the damage, and every goblin that saw barely had time to scream before they had their brains scrambled as well. When Ranger got to a room full of goblins who were fast asleep, they woke up to a hail of gunfire as the ones who didn't wake up, stayed asleep for good. The goblins who did wake got to witness a nightmare as Ranger spun and danced through the gun unloading bullets in every direction until he got to one goblins that got his gun shoved into it's face, and the last thing it saw was the inside of the barrel of Ranger's gun before he pulled the trigger.

He then charged through a hallway full of goblins that came to investigate the gunfire, all with weapons and armor equipped...for all the good it did them; Ranger still rushed through their numbers scattered their limbs, heads, and guts all over the walls and floor as his superheated blades craved through their flesh like it wasn't even there. The goblins that managed to process what was happening barely had any luck throwing hits, let alone landing them, and when one of them _did_ land a hit in the middle of the intense chaos...Ranger's armor did it's job to make sure the goblins' victories were short-lived.

"Don't know why it's taken me this long to say this but...strength in numbers my ass." D.R. said seriously as the team eyeballed the mess Ranger made in the hallways and the rooms.

"That's the boss for you: hates goblins as much as anyone should, and he wants _everyone_ to know it." Warrior said casually.

"No wonder he likes you so much: you're as scary as he is." D.R. said and Fighter smirked as they reached the room where Ranger was rushing around spinning and flipping around the room butchering, impaling, crushing, and kicking every goblin too enraged by his disrespect of their brethren to attack him with any thought except tearing them apart despite how much pain he was causing.

"Apparently these goblins are fools as well." GS said simply as he stood there watching Ranger continue bisecting goblins vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or any combination of the three.

"Maybe there's a paladin hexing them?" Wizard said.

"What?" D.R. asked.

"Paladins can work miracles as well; as far as I know, they can only have goblins fight without fear...for all the good it does that." Wizard said.

"Wait a sec...could they have done that before?" Cow Girl asked.

"Not likely. We didn't always fight paladins along with goblins this aggressive." GS said.

"So it's basically a situation where they're like, "if we're going down, we might as well do some damage in the process"." D.R. said.

"For all the good it's doing..." Rhea Fighter said as Ranger impaled two goblins that pounced at him then he flung their corpses to the side. He then eyeballed the last handful of goblins who were wise enough to not attack them.

"Well...?" Ranger asked coldly, and the goblins rushed out of the room, only for Ranger to morph a crossbow and shoot down all but one that he lets go.

"Why didn't you shoot that one?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"To let the fear spread..." Priestess trailed off.

"Not this time; yes that's a factor, but this time, I want the others to get flushed out, or give me a chance to flush them out, unless any of you want their pound of flesh?" Ranger asked.

"I'll go." GS said as he walked past Ranger, and he looked at the team before they followed GS down the hallways, and they watched GS get jumped multiple times in multiple ways, at multiple times by the goblins, from ones that drop down on his head only to get impaled and casually slammed into the ground, to another that jumped at GS from the side only to get stabbed and slammed into another that gets it's face stomped in, to a pair of goblins that get diagonally sliced in half one another the other, then a third gets kicked to the ground and GS reversed-grips his sword and stabs it through the face. One of the highlights was when GS grabbed a goblin by the face, severed it's head, and tossed it away as the body fell like a sack of potatoes.

He then kicked open a double-door, casually walked in as a group of goblins, hobs, and a pair of champions show up. When the rest of the team got ready to engage them...GS pulled his starlight sword, and the team stood down.

"Oh those goblins are _screwed_ now..." Warrior said, and he was right; even the light from GS' sword strained the eyes of the goblins, and made them easy pickings for GS as he charged at them and each individual swing burned through scores of goblins in various ways, with even the hobs getting their armor burned through as they were chopped in half. Even the champions were no match as GS sliced off one's leg, and stabbed it through the face before he jumped up and cut he other in half at the waist.

"That makes 347." GS said before progressing with the team going after him.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say the goblins are actually coming after us." H.E. Druid said.

"I wouldn't be surprised; we've been a Platinum tier pain in the ass for them, although them continuing to pursue us doesn't make sense since we've-" Wizard shut up the moment Ranger looked around a corner, recoiled and tensed up in fury. When the team looked themselves...they saw a woman chained to a wall, completely naked, and with cuts, bruises, and even bites on her from head to toe.

"Dear Supreme in Heaven..." Priestess whispered as Ranger approached her, then GS reached out to pull him back, but Ranger stepped back first as a trio of spears shot out of both walls into the place Ranger was standing. He then absorbed the spears for good measure before approaching the woman and lightly pinching a part of her neck where she wasn't wounded.

"She's alive...and she's shaking..." Ranger said somberly before brushing her hair out of her face...and saw the infamous thousand-yard stare, as well as drool and blood pouring out of her mouth.

"What the fuck did they do-" D.R. shuts up the moment a goblin jumps at Ranger from the side...only for Ranger to morph a gauntlet, grab it's face, and start squeezing. The terrified goblin frantically stabbed the gauntlet with it's knife in a desperate attempt to free itself, but it was no use; Ranger's grip was as strong as ever, and the gauntlet wasn't even scratched, let alone pierced. As if being suffocated by a giant metal hand over it's face wasn't painful enough, he then superheated the gauntlet, and it thrashed and let out muffled screams that fell on deaf ears as it's flesh was cooked until it finally expired and was thrown away like it was trash.

"Damn boss..." Wizard whispered.

"Heal her." Ranger growled before Priestess and Wizard got to work on the poor woman in chains, with the former healing her wounds and restoring her destroyed virginity, and Wizard putting as much of her mind back together as she could as the woman slept it off.

"This never gets any easier to watch." H.E. Druid said somberly as D.R. held her hand, and she sighed before squeezing his hand in return.

"This abominations are nearing their extinction; the pain they inflicted will be put to an end in due time." Lizard Priest said.

"The sooner the better." Cow Girl said seriously.

"She should be alright now, relatively speaking that is." Wizard said before Ranger opened a portal to Water Town, and Wizard carried the now-clean and healed woman through and then came back.

"You have done a great service." Lizard Priest said.

"Let's just finish off the goblins and get the hell out of here." Ranger groaned before walking off with the team behind him.

"This is like that time we saved Noble Fencer's bacon all over again." Warrior said.

"Right. This fortress isn't the same as the one we went to, but...it might as well be." Priestess said.

"What do you mean?" Cow Girl asked.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Warrior said as they neared a massive chamber lined with pillars and torches, with an alter on the far end.

"This must be where they did sacrifices to the Demon Lord." Cow Girl said.

"Not likely. Only virgins can be sacrificed to the Demon Lord, and...goblins tend to make sure their captives are disqualified pretty quickly." Ranger said.

"Please don't remind us..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Anyway, we should probably trash the alter, just for the heck of it." Wizard's brother said.

"I agree Sir Mage." Lizard Priest said as GS approached the alter with his starlight sword drawn and got to work slicing through every part of it, and there was nothing but a flash of the energy blade and sparks flying as it sliced through metal and stone alike until the alter was in a pile of melted pieces.

"Well...that's the end of-" H.E. Druid shut up when her ears perked and she turned to the door. "We've got more company!"

"Oh great..." Rhea Fighter groaned.

"Grab anything you can find, set up a blockage in front of those doors, and use everything let over to set up a barricade here. Move!" GS said and everyone got to work, with Wizard summoning some stone elementals to create rock formations by the door and further back to give the team's shooters better stability for when the shots fly. The Wizards even laid some traps to really spread the pain; Wizard's brother thought about summoning familiars, but choose to save it for later. Ranger then morphed no less than 20 harpoons for Lizard Priest, and anyone else for that matter to throw. Priestess even held onto some spare ammo for D.R. Cow Girl, GS and H.E. Druid; everyone else could make their own ammo, which was a problem they'd have to remedy when they got back. When the preparations were done, everyone got behind the barricade, and pointed their guns, bows, and crossbows at the door as the goblins started banging on it.

"As soon as that door opens, let them _have_ it." Ranger said seriously, and heard Rhea Fighter sigh nervously as the goblins continued banging on the door and the team continued aiming at it...until the banging stopped cold and there was dead silence, which made the team look at each other with concern. Next thing they knew, a massive armored foot burst through the bottom of the door, making pieces of wood fly everywhere, and goblins pour in by the dozen...only for the entire team to fill the air with bolts, arrows, shells, and bullets as the goblins were torn to pieces. Lizard Priest and Rhea Fighter then took the stockpile of harpoons and hurled them at the goblins, impaling several per throw.

"This is Water Town all over again!" H.E. Druid exclaimed before loosing a trio of arrows that each pierced a goblin's face and came out the back of their heads.

"You mean the time we fought them off when we got to that mirror?" Fighter asked before loosing another arrow.

"Right." H.E. Druid said and the team got back to mowing down the goblins...and some threw spears and shot arrows back.

"Protection!" Priestess yelled and a barrier appeared in-between the two sides, then Lizard Priest summoned a pair of Dragontooth Warriors that each take a harpoon and rush to the edges of the barrier, and they skewered every goblins that tries to break the barrier, while the rest continue to unload into the goblins. are the hole in the door was made bigger by a club that smashed through it...and several spark traps were sprung that paralyzed the champion as it came in and several smaller goblins were hit with enough lightning to stop their hearts.

"Trap sprung and goblins fried." Warrior said before unleashing another volley of bolts into the goblins.

"Fire in the hole!" Cow Girl yelled before launching a bomb at the goblins as more came through...and several got frozen. "Did I say _fire_?"

"Well thumbs up for irony..." Rhea Fighter said.

"Thank you reminding me of my other weapon Lady Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said before slinging one bomb after another at the goblins, blowing dozens to bits and staggering dozens more, which left them open to being shot down by bullets and shells.

"I'm out of arrows!" H.E. Druid yelled, then Priestess handed her a new quiver.

"Mana Bolt!" The Wizard siblings yelled at the same time before unleash a pair of mana bolts at the champion...who uses a Reflect spell to stop them, and shove them aside to blast a hole in the wall...and collapse half the room.

"Oh fuck me..." Wizard said.

"Levitate!" Her brother yelled as he raised his mace and stopped a pile of falling rubble, and hurling it at the door with enough force to crush the goblins, and stagger the champion, who prepared a lightning spell only for Wizard to do the same thing her brother did with some rubble that was already on the ground, and smash the champion's skull in with it.

"Denied!" Wizard said smugly.

"Nice going baby." Warrior said before she smirked and kissed him.

"They are _definitely_ hunting us." Fighter said.

"Yes they are; the Goblin Overlord is actually equipping his forces with more powerful weapons and armor...like that champion." Priestess said.

"But...it didn't take that much- wait a minute..." Wizard trailed off.

"It shrugged off not one, but two Mana Bolts, and that's one of the deadliest spells in the book." Ranger said.

"At least we're alot stronger than we were during that first assault." Cow Girl said.

"But we still have to find where they came from; that attack came from practically nowhere." H.E. Druid said.

"I hope it's not another mirror..." Warrior said before the elementals cleared the rubble and opened the door...

* * *

"Guess what? It's a mirror..." Fighter groaned as the team went into a chamber with a gate mirror...that led straight to another part of the Deadlands where goblins were stirring boiling pots, sharpening weapons, etc.

"Wait a minute...this really is like the one in Water Town! That mirror led here to the Deadlands!" H.E. Druid exclaimed.

"But where is-" Priestess shuts up the moment some goblins dragged some dead women out of a cave and some others made way before the corpses were dumped into the pots of boiling water.

"Just when you think they couldn't get any more disgusting." H.E. Druid groaned before more goblins came out of a stone building...and each one was wearing plate armor, and carrying metal shields various weapons, especially spears.

"It's a _barracks_..." Ranger whispered.

"So the goblins here were just place-holders." Priestess said.

"We should trash that place." Fighter said.

"No...we should _flood_ that place." Cow Girl said.

"What? How?" D.R. asked.

* * *

Next thing the team knew, Wizard's elementals were forming a huge pit, filling it with water and the team watched with the mirror at the ready.

"It is a brilliant idea forming a lake to use as a weapon LadyGoblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said.

"I just picked it up from Summoner." Cow Girl said.

"I'm sure he'll be proud to hear we're copying his plan when we get back." Cow Girl said.

"Who wouldn't be?" Wizard's brother asked before the elementals finished their work.

"I say we throw in some chunks of rock and ice to even the odds. Maybe even make the water boil." Warrior said.

"Not you to..." H.E. Druid groaned.

"Hey, not my fault that idea worked the first time." Warrior said.

"Now!" GS yelled.

"I hope you're thirsty assholes!" Ranger yelled before tossing the mirror into the pit.

"It's working; the water's going down." Rhea Fighter said.

"I wish we were there to see the goblins' faces..." Wizard said.

"It's probably for the best we're not." GS said as they continued to watch the water drain into the mirror, and when the water was finally drained, they looked at each other.

"Should...we go through the mirror and see how things went for them?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Yes." GS said simply as he climbed down the pit.

"Well, you heard the man." Ranger said as he led the team after GS through the mirror...

* * *

"Wow..." Fighter whispered.

"Sucks to be them..." Wizard said as they eyeballed the hundreds of crushed and drowned goblins that went on as far as the eye could see, and there was a bonus...

"It seems that the flood craved a trench through the goblins' homeland." Lizard Priest said.

"Eh, it's literally called the Deadlands. Let the goblins have it." Wizard's brother said.

"Here's hoping that trench is put to go use." Rhea Fighter said.

"Amen to that." Warrior said.

"Either way, we should check for survivors." GS said as he walked through the trench.

"Survivors of a flood _that_ massive?" Wizard asked.

"Never take chances remember?" Cow Girl asked as she followed GS.

"The girl is correct." Lizard Priest said as he led the rest of the team behind GS...and they found hundreds more dead goblins, hobs, champions, and even shamans and paladins as they marched.

"And we'd have to fight an entire legion of goblins after another like we did the first time if it wasn't for that flood..." Cow Girl said.

"Thank you Summoner..." Wizard's brother said.

"Wait a minute...I recall a certain long-eared princess saying water was out-of-the-question." Fighter said and H.E. Druid sighed.

"As distasteful as it may be...I came to terms with how getting rid of the goblins took priority months before I...became this." She said.

"You did?" Fighter asked.

"She actually said, and I quote, maybe Orcbolg can be helped when this is over." Wizard said.

"Right..." H.E. Druid said then GS stopped and pointed his sword at a series of caves dug into the sides of a natural canyon.

"We should check those caves." He said.

"I seriously doubt they would take cover in them; that flood probably filled them as well." Rhea Fighter said, but GS checked them out anyway. "Better safe than sorry apparently." The team then followed GS to the cave entrances...and each was was so full of water that they couldn't enter the caves.

"Well, what do you know...?" Wizard said.

"Now to be fair, they could have drained into a massive series of underground tunnels for all we know." Fighter said.

"I concur. Goblins are nothing if not cagey, not to mention dishonorable beyond words." Lizard Priest said.

"Regardless, let's move on." GS said and led the team through the canyon...and found even more dead goblins.

"How many goblins were in this damn place?" Wizard's brother asked.

"I counted 791 so far...make that 812...827...834...39...84-" H.E. Druid cuts GS off.

"We get it! There's lots of dead goblins in this canyon! Sheesh..." She exclaimed.

"Everyone...I have a feeling we're being watched." Priestess said.

"Me too...and I'll give you three guesses who it is..." Ranger said dryly.

"The Goblin Overlord, the Cambion, or the Demon Lord?" Cow Girl asked and everyone stared at her. "What?"

"Make that _four_ guesses." Ranger said...before a troop of goblin archers appeared and riddled Warrior, H.E. Druid, D.R. Wizard, her brother...and even Ranger, Fighter, and Cow Girl with several arrows piercing their armor and wounding them. Luckily, no one died, but their legs, arms, and parts of their torsos were completely shot.

"What the-?!" Rhea Fighter exclaimed as she eyeballed her teammates' wounds with Lizard Priest summoning Dragontooth Warriors and a Dragonbone Charger to counterattack while Priestess used Heal on the entire team. The summons only bought time for the healing to be completed, but they were quickly disposed of by the goblins' arrows.

"They're using enchanted bows!" Wizard exclaimed as GS charged at them...and their arrows bounced off his armor.

"How is..?!" H.E. Druid trailed off.

"His armor is called an Abyssal Hide...and it's a giant middle finger to...several rules of nature." Warrior said as the arrows piercing his torso made talking more painful, even with Priestess healing him and everyone else.

"Thanks sis..." Fighter breathed out before struggling to get up as GS continued to mow down the archers desperately trying to take him down, but their shots do nothing but aggravate GS even more...which they learn the hard way when he chucks a stun bomb at them, which leaves them wide open for GS to shred a group of them on either side of him with his shotguns, then harpoon further up the cliffs and run through the entire line of archers by chopping them apart, bashing their heads in with his shield's edge, or just kicking them off the edge to get impaled on the stalagmites below.

"That should do it." Priestess said as she finished healing the group as they slowly recovered and looked at each other.

"That hurt..." Cow Girl groaned, then they saw another horde of goblins approach...then Ranger pounded the ground with his fist hard enough to shake it.

"Alright...all stops pulled...!" He growled before morphing his medium armor, mask, and a pair of greatswords before he charged into a horde of goblins, all of whom were armed with plate armor, metal shields and weapons, and he swats a group of them away with a greatsword, which smashes them to a paste despite their equipment. The team then watched Ranger whirl his massive blades around as he weaved through the crowd with the same prowess he used when his swords _weren't_ so huge. Every seconds, he swung the twin hunks of metal with enough force to scatter parts of the goblins' bodies across the area, enough speed to prevent them from reacting, and enough precision to ensure each swing hit it's target without room for survival.

GS finished off the last goblin archer with a shotgun, before watching the massacre himself, and Ranger switched to his longswords when the goblins wisely gave him a wide berth...only to freak out when Ranger broke his swords into whips and lashed the superheated chains of glowing shards across the faces, guts, and legs of every panicked goblin in the area with their armor doing nothing to protect them as Ranger paid tribute to the fallen Storm Mage with the same skill he observed.

He swept his sword-whips from side to side, spun around like a tornado while moving toward the goblins only to finish with slower but more violent swings, with the last one tearing through a whole slew of them in one forceful swing. He then rapidly lashed at several more terrified goblins with rapid, precise lashes with sliced them open, impaled them through the chest, sometimes hitting goblins behind his targets, and even distracted the goblins with fake strikes over his head, only to throw real strikes at their legs which knocked them to the ground and horrified the others as they watched their helpless brothers scream and writhe in agony.

Ranger then wrapped things up by using his twin swords normally as the last goblins replaced their fear with rage and charged at him all at once...only to get

"Well...now we know what happens when you throw a hundred goblins in a cheese shredder." Rhea Fighter said.

"Like we didn't already." Wizard said dryly as GS came back.

"That should be the last of them." He said.

"For now you mean." Rhea Fighter said.

"At least we're alright now." Warrior said as Ranger approached.

"We are _not_ alright now. We threw everything and the kitchen sink at upgrading our defenses. How did they make our efforts pointless?" He asked seriously.

"Maybe one of their arrows can give us an answer." Wizard's brother said as a squirrel familiar returned with an arrow with the team giving him funny looks. "I made this little guy while you guys were yammering. Have you not been paying attention?"

"Just analyze the damn thing." Ranger said dryly before Wizard's brother ran his hand over the arrow and recoiled.

"Just our luck; those arrows have spatial-cut enchantments on them." He said seriously.

"Great...no wonder they tore through our armor like it wasn't there." Wizard said.

"Sword Mage isn't going to be happy to know his sword's power is being used against us like this." Priestess said somberly...before H.E. Druid snapped her head to the side, and lo and behold, an army of goblins were charging at them, with hobs and a few champions backing them up.

"Oh give us a fucking break!" D.R. yelled and Wizard chuckled. "You think that's funny?!"

"I've been waiting to try this out..." Wizard said...before making no less than five clones of herself, which surprises the team. "Mana Bolt!" The entire group unleashes a barrage of green energy orbs that decimates the entire front of the goblin horde, stuns the ones just behind them, and the champions and surviving hobs break ranks and charge at the team.

"When did you learn that?" Cow Girl asked

"Precisely what I want to know." Wizard's brother snapped as Wizard re-absorbed her clones.

"About an hour before we came here actually...although, I'm going to need a mana-restore potion- Actually, I'll be right back." Wizard said before pulling a gateway scroll and vanishing.

"She better have something good planned..." Rhea Fighter said.

"She's done this to us before: she uses a gateway to return home, and comes back-" Warrior shuts up the moment his wife reappeared. "-with something good."

"Of course I do." Wizard said smugly before doing a potion, then handing the bag to her brother to snatches it from her. They then saw another horde coming from the rear, and Warrior and Fighter then gave each other a look, each took half a life potion, made a dozen clones each, and the 24-person strong team charged at the goblins with Warrior's clones charging up their hammers and throwing them into the crowd, blasting hundreds to bits, and stunning the rest long enough for Fighter's clones to rush in and tear them all to shreds, smash them to a paste, or literally pull their bodies apart despite their armor.

Ranger then morphed his guns and unloaded superheated bullets into the ones recovering from the barrage of Mana bolts...and the superheating actually allowed the bullets to burn through their armor and shield, or at least weakened them to be destroyed by another volley of bullets from D.R. and Cow Girl, as well as one bomb after another from Lizard Priest's sling.

"Wish I had more arrows..." H.E. Druid groaned.

"Got more arrows right here." Wizard's brother said before handing her more arrows, then H.E. Druid wasted no time unloading her arrows into the goblins still getting shot down by everyone else. Ranger then took a swing of holy water from his canteen as another horde of armored goblins poured down another passage.

"Immolation!" He yelled as he unleashed a torrent of fire down the passage big enough to engulf the entire horde and melt the rocks on the sides. "More goblin barbarque anyone!?

"It's official: holy water is no joke..." D.R. said.

"Less talking more shooting!" H.E. Druid exclaimed before loosing another volley of arrows into the goblins, then the two got busy shooting at them.

"Firestorm!" Wizard's brother yelled as a barrage of fireballs left his mace and blasted dozens of goblins to bits as his sister and Rhea Fighter watched his back while Fighter and Warrior's clones continued butchering and clobbering even the paladins and champions they went up against as they barreled down the largest passage.

GS kept his own passage secured as he grappled towards one of the champions, and blew it's brains out with his other shotgun once he got close enough, and the corpse fell on top of some goblins before GS out of it to engage them himself...and it was the archer massacre all over again.

Cow Girl then summoned a pair of ice elementals, drew power from them, and threw her supercharged axe at the goblins, causing an icy explosion that froze dozens of goblins solid, gave others a nasty case of frostbite, or just made them feel so cold that they were stunned and slowed down, sometimes tripping and falling. The elementals then flew around shooting ice spikes at the goblins that survived the explosion, only to be smashed by a champion, and froze the champion when their bodies blew up in their own icy explosions, leaving the champion looking over it's frozen club. It then turned to see Cow Girl charging at it sword in hand.

"You can use space as a weapon, so can I!" She yelled before GS blew it's kneecap out with his shotgun and Cow Girl sliced though it's armor as the champion was bisected with one swing, without effort as well. "Sheesh, no wonder that Evil Sect captain was so proud of this thing..."

"Focus!" GS yelled as he continued to butcher goblins left and right, with his Abyssal Hide making their attacks pointless...despite their weapons being enchanted, and his own sword smashing through their armor and shields to cut through the flesh underneath.

"Alright goblins, get ready for a taste of your own medicine." Cow Girl said sharpy as she recalled the time she was nearly stripped and violated by them when they tried to take Ranger's child, and then she cleared the memory, opened her chakras, and true to her word...her sword acted as a taste of their own medicine as she sliced the goblins apart with the space enchantment on her sword bisecting each one, even when the sword itself only nicked them; the magic itself just kept going through them to finish the cut, and this happened even when she grazed multiple goblins at once.

The two continued their rampage until the champions were left. GS took one champion by slicing it's Achille tendons, and Cow Girl finished it by stabbing it through the face and then dodged a sword swing from another before vertically bisecting it by slicing into it's groin. She even jumped up, and kicked one half into another before GS took advantage of the champion being staggered by grappling up to it, and then unloading both shotguns into it's head before throwing a freeze bomb into a fourth one's face, stunning it long enough for Cow Girl to run up it's front and bisect it's head.

Ranger, H.E. Druid, Lizard Priest, and D.R continued holding off the goblins coming down their own passage...and Ranger had to modify his guns to fire larger bullets with sharpened tips to pierce the goblin's armor...and he took a moment to marvel at his new weapons.

"I should have done this earlier..." He said before getting back to shooting until the goblins all laid dead. The whole team regrouped in the middle of the canyon and braced themselves for another attack...but nothing came.

"I think that's all of them." H.E. Druid said.

"I'm sorry I didn't give you any help." Priestess said.

"Don't worry about it. If we needed you, you would've stepped in." Cow Girl said.

"Right. Don't beat yourself up over it. Besides, we might need you later on." Wizard said.

"And don't get us started on that healing session you gave us..." Warrior said.

"Alright." Priestess said softly.

"Well, could we please get back to Water Town? No, I'm not tired, I just don't want to wait for something worse." Rhea Fighter said.

"What could be worse than thousands of well-equipped goblins coming down on us all at once?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Another attack that brings more power to bare-" Lizard Priest stopped talking when a dart punctured his neck, and he removed it before passing out.

"A poison dart-" H.E. Druid shut up before getting knocked to the ground unconscious by an invisible force, then Warrior, D.R., Wizard, and even GS, Priestess, and Cow Girl were all floored before Rhea Fighter opened her chakras and threw a jumping uppercut at the space in front of her...and she connected with the jaw of a black-armored specialist that became visible and was barely staggered by the punch he took.

"What could be worse...you _had_ to open your mouth!" Rhea Fighter exclaimed.

"An elite specialist!" Ranger exclaimed before morphing his light armor and twin longswords.

"Paralyze!" Wizard's brother yelled before a small green bolt was fired by his staff...only for the specialist to casually swat it back to him and he fell down with Rhea Fighter catching him and eyeballing the lone assassin before them.

"Alright...leave it to the little girl." She said before drawing her sword, and engaging the specialist who dodged all of her attacks, no matter how outside-the-box they were, and was eventually kicked into GS who was just about to get up. Fighter and Ranger both engaged the specialist before he morphed a pair of curved scythe-like blades on his forearms and even their combined, tag-team assault didn't do much except push the specialist into a corner...which was short-lived as the specialist shoved them both back, and Fighter cartwheeled over several stabs to the guts, and sweeps to her feet before she was kicked away hard enough to have her reeling in pain.

Ranger then pressed the attack as Fighter recovered. Eventually he landed a stab into the specialist's gut...only for the wound to seal the moment Ranger's blade was removed.

"You're shitting me..." He whispered before the specialist continued their rapid frenzy of clashing blades. Eventually, Priestess got up in time to see the specialist blade-locked with Ranger, the former of whom kneed Ranger in the gut hard enough to stagger him, then spin-kicked him in the face hard enough to make him drop his blades. Ranger then stood up and engaged the specialist by throwing rapid and forceful jabs which was mostly dodged, but the few that did connect left the specialist open to a flurry of punches and a few spin-kicks from the 11th Platinum Rank.

Eventually...the specialist caught one of Ranger's punches, and punched him in the elbow hard enough to break his arm, making him scream in pain before the specialist picked him up and slammed him into the ground.. He then grabbed Ranger by the throat and submerged his head in a puddle of water as Ranger struggled to use his good arm to push the specialist off of him to avoid being drowned in the muddy water...but it was no use; that specialist wasn't letting up.

"Get off of him!" Priestess yelled before the specialist turned his head to see her _just_ before she jammed her sword into his chest through his underarm with the force of her charge staggering the specialist long enough for Fighter to engage him and buy enough time for Priestess to pull Ranger out of the water and check his pulse and breath. "Ranger?! Ranger!" She then pressed on his diaphragm over and over while checking the fight every now and then. "Ranger, please wake up!" Eventually, Ranger started twitching and violently started coughing up water and groaning.

"Dammit! Oh, Supreme above..." Ranger groaned before taking a minute to catch his breath before looking to see his wife holding her ground against the specialist that just worked him over.

"Your arm..." Priestess said.

"My armor can heal me rememb- o.k. it's not idiot-proof, but my bones are fine." Ranger said as he tried standing up, and Priestess stopped him.

"You need to catch your breath. She's can handle him." She said as Fighter continued throwing hands and feet with the specialist...with her chakras opened. Ranger and Priestess continued to marvel as her movements; she even grabbed the specialist's neck and twisted it while in mid-air, and upside-down...but as luck would have it, the specialist wasn't dead for long, and threw both feet into her gut like a horse would, sending her stumbling across the ground.

"To hell with my lungs, she needs help!" Ranger groaned as he stood up and morphed his claws before charging at the specialist.

"Empower!" Priestess yelled and Fighter and Ranger were both given a boost that allowed them to overwhelm the specialist from both sides. The rest of the team woke up one by one to see Fighter and Ranger both engage the specialist who was barely able to hold them off, let alone press the attack. Ranger and Fighter each took turns kicking their foe hard enough to break his bones, slash him with their blades deep enough to spill blood, and Fighter eventually ended the fight by grabbing the specialist's head, flipping over him and ripping his throat open as she landed, only for Ranger to finish the job by jamming his sword into the specialist's brain through the wound.

"I would advise that we take his body back to Water Town for study. It is unlikely these specialists are as formidable as they are because of enchantments alone." Lizard Priest said.

"That' not a bad idea." Wizard said.

"With our luck...they most likely have some sort of curse put on them." Rhea Fighter said before Ranger sat down on a rock to catch his breath with Fighter at his side holding his hand while the rest of the team eyeballed the thousands of dead goblins they took out.

"Those little green bastards are definitely going after us if they're bringing this kind of power to the table." Wizard's brother said.

"Well if anything good is coming out of it, it's that they're saving us the trouble of hunting them down." Warrior said.

"At the cost of us getting pummeled with one surprise after another." Rhea Fighter said seriously.

"Eh, we've got plenty of surprises of our own." Warrior said.

"With plenty more on the way. Remember the idea of setting up the same thing that our good Goblin Slayer did to that ogre a year ago I mentioned? Well, it's almost done." Wizard said smugly and the team stared at her. "Next time we go goblin slaying...I am so going to abuse that idea."

"Don't abuse it too much now; we might need that later on." Ranger said seriously.

"We've been fine so far haven't we?" D.R. asked.

"Only because of intelligent use of our skills, powers, and a portion of luck." Wizard said.

"She's right. We can't get too ahead of ourselves." GS said.

"I concur as well. Fortune has smiled on us in this battle, but for how much longer?" Lizard Priest asked.

"If we have a say in the matter...long enough. Wizard, I want the rest of us to get our own life-boosting jewelry." Ranger said.

"O.k. seriously, this "we get stuff after we need it" habit needs to break." Warrior said.

"Agreed." Lizard Priest said.

"At least improving our magic defenses shouldn't be an issue; I still have plenty of the power we took earlier." Wizard said.

"Do that too. But...in the morning of course." Ranger said before opening a portal to Water Town, and after Cow Girl encased the specialist's corpse in ice for preservation, and Ranger absorbed every weapon, ,shield, and suit of armor in sight...the whole team went straight to bed. Ranger and Fighter however spent some time with their baby first though, after making sure she was alright, the two took their clothes off, and washed each other with a towel and water bucket without saying a word, or even touching each other; somehow, Ranger didn't even get an erection despite him and Fighter rubbing and pressing into each other.

Eventually, the two met each other's gaze, and Fighter pressed her breasts into his chest as the two embraced. She then slowly dragged him to the floor and wrapped her legs around his waist one by one as they continued holding each other, feelings each other's breath and heartbeat, as well as the warmth, smoothness, and moisture of each other's skin, and even inhaling each other's scents. Occasionally, Fighter shifted against her husband as he loosened and tightened his hold on the powerful yet delicate woman in his arms. Ranger then helped her up, walked her to bed, opened the blankets, and even picked her up and laid her down as she graced him with an amused smile as he joined her and closed the blankets while she snuggled into him.

"Another day, another million goblins torn apart." Fighter said.

"All thanks to the Goblin Slayer, and company." Ranger said and Fighter sighed.

"And one specialist put down..." She said.

"Oh...that..." Ranger trailed off.

"That's yet another time you nearly died because of those damn specialists." Fighter said.

"Here's hoping Wizard finds out why they're so powerful...and some way to counter them." Ranger said.

"Well...until then, let's just have this moment to ourselves." Fighter said while sharing a smile with the man she married.

"Right..." Ranger whispered before Fighter snuggled into him and sighed dreamily. "I remember when I couldn't sleep when the Sword Maiden sent me to the north."

"Sleeping wasn't easy for me either. Without your gigantic muscles and even more gigantic heart to warm this bed with me..." Fighter trailed off.

"Truth-be-told...now that I think about it, I probably have more to thank you for than I thought. You not only warm this bed with me...but you also probably keep me from being haunted by the horrors the goblins put on display." Ranger said and Fighter sat up and looked down at him.

"Dear Supreme...you mean PTSD don't you?" She asked seriously.

"Yes. It's no secret to anyone worth their salt that goblin-slaying isn't for the faint of heart...especially with the women we save..." Ranger said.

"All the more reason for us to have married." Fighter said softly before snuggling into her husband's chest as he played with her hair.

"I married you because you're the perfect woman...the perfect woman with the perfect ass." Ranger said and Fighter giggled.

"Right, you only want me for my ass." She teased.

"And everything that goes with it." Ranger said.

"Does that mean you want to make love now?" Fighter asked.

"Maybe later..." Ranger said before Fighter snuggled into him again.

"I love you..." She said softly.

"I love you too." Ranger whispered before they kissed each other good night.

* * *

Meanwhile, Guild Girl was at home making herself presentable for her and Inspector's wedding with Summoner. She wore the same blouse and skirt she wore on her and Summoner's first date, some make-up and perfume, and even put coconut oil on her skin before changing. Just as she looked herself over in the mirror...she heard a voice she didn't hear in too long behind her.

"You always were a beauty; I dare say this much preparation isn't necessary." Sword Maiden said and Guild Girl's eyes widen when she saw the nephilim's reflection.

"S-Sword Maiden...? What are you doing here?" Guild Girl asked.

"How could I miss my new sister's wedding?" Sword Maiden said.

"Technically we're about to become sisters, but point taken." Guild Girl said.

"One would hope so. The guild does not employ simpletons, and it's not just your beauty that draws people in; just look at Ranger and his ilk, or even the Goblin Slayer." Sword Maiden said.

"Now they do their own quests, and get their own rewards..." Guild Girl trailed off.

"They sure have come a long way...but I digress. I came to see you because...well, I've spoken to Summoner, and his elder sister for that matter earlier, and she wishes to welcome you to the family...as do I. " Sword Maiden said.

"I can only imagine her reaction to seeing the Sword Maiden's ghost in front of her..." Guild Girl said.

"She had the same reaction Summoner's other bride had when we first met." Sword Maiden said.

"Wow...and she was bouncing off the walls with excitement." Guild Girl said.

"It was quite flattering at the time, and still is to an extent. How are you feeling?" Sword Maiden asked.

"It's hard to believe the one and only Sword Maiden is about to become my sister-in-law...even in death." Guild Girl said as she turned to face the former archbishop.

"Neither death or suffering can hold those with a true purpose." Sword Maiden said as she approached Guild Girl and the two women embraced. "When we do become sisters, I will love you as a sister should."

"Sword Maiden." Guild Girl whispered before her eyes watered and Sword Maiden looked her in her face before drying her tears and got a smile from Guild Girl.

"Go...go marry my brother-in-law, and join our family." Sword Maiden said before vanishing. Guild Girl then went home, and lo and behold...Inspector was there in the same purple dress she got on her birthday, and they walked hand-in-hand into their bedroom to see Summoner sitting on the floor on the other side of a circle made of different kinds of flowers in a robe with the Love Goddess' symbol on the chest...he also had his pitch-black hair grown down to his shoulder-blades, like his late older brother. There was also a bottle of wine and a glass on the table. Once he saw them, he smiled back at them, stood up and reached out to them.

"Come..." Summoner said as the two women joined him in the circle. "I see you followed the instructions well so far."

"The outfits we value the most? Check." Inspector said.

"Circle of flowers that symbolize our love being focused on the place in the world we all feel safest? Check." Guild Girl said.

"All that's left is the wedding itself." Summoner said.

"It's still a shame this has to be so private." Guild Girl said.

"This is for us, and us alone to share." Summoner said seriously.

"Well, show us how it's done..." Inspector said.

"Each of you...tell me why you love me." Summoner said while looking at Guild Girl.

"Summoner...I've probably met hundreds of adventurers inside and outside my career, and almost none were as compassionate as you are. That moment you gave that farm girl a home when she lost everything, your reasons for hunting demons, and your ability and desire to protect those around you...they all really touched my heart, and still do. We've known each other for about a year now and...even though things haven't picked up before that moment, I wish they had." Guild Girl said.

"As do I, because that compassion you see in me, is the same I see in you. Not one person worth their salt has ever said a single word against you...and it should be a surprise to absolutely no one. I've already praised you for getting those adventurers to help Ranger, Goblin Slayer, and their respective teams at the farm, and there's likely a great deal more I don't know about, and I look forward to hearing about those cases in the future. And...as tasteless as it may be, I have to admire how much you endured when so many aspiring adventurers lost their lives, sanity, or even their dignity, if not all three at once. I'm sure Ranger, Goblin Slayer and company wouldn't have gone as far as they did without you there to point them in the right direction, or simply be there for them...like you were for me when that fear demon assaulted my. Although...if anything good came out of that...it's that it cemented our love even further." Summoner said before hugging Guild Girl, then turning to Inspector.

"Summoner...I have no idea what to say that Guild Girl hasn't, but from where I'm standing, if you weren't so keen on following the path of the Love Goddess...you would make an excellent agent of the Supreme God. That compassion drives you to give those around you the justice they're denied, or owed. It's said those who suffered the most are the kindest, and you've definitely showed what that means, and how far it goes." Inspector said.

"I've been blessed myself for my efforts, and that suffering you mentioned. I got to see my mother, whom I never thought I'd see again, I have two of the most beautiful women I've ever met as my brides, my big brother watches over me from beyond the grave, now my big sister has returned...and the Sword Maiden is my sister-in-law...if I could tell the broken little boy I used to be one thing...it would be that justice always wins, even if it takes decades to do so." Summoner said before hugging Inspector, then took her and Guild Girl's hands and put them together. "Do the two of you wish me to be your husband, as I wish you to be my wives?"

"Yes." Inspector said.

"Yes." Guild Girl said.

"Then there is only thing left to do..." Summoner said before pouring a glass of wine, giving it to his brides who held it with one hand each, as he did the same and closed his eyes. "Love Goddess, Matron of Parents, Lady of Affection, Queen of Desire, a trio of souls stand before you to be united in body and soul. As your servant and son I ask...does this please you?" Next thing they knew, the flowers around them bloomed brighter, and pollen came out of them, and swirled around the circle as their fragrance filled the air. "It is done..." Summoner then took a sip of the wine and Guild Girl took her own before he pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss as Inspector watched them wrap their arms around each other and kiss like they were apart for months. Summoner then turned to Inspector and gave her the exact same treatment before he pulled them both into a group hug.

"So that's it?" Guild Girl asked.

"Yes...we're married now." Summoner said softly as the fragrance and pollen died down.

"Is there...consummation involved?" Inspector asked.

"If we want. Why?" Summoner asked.

"Because...we spoke a bit before this wedding, and...well..." Inspector trailed off before looking at Guild Girl who held her lower gut.

"We agreed I should carry your children first." She said.

"I even took some potion before the wedding." Inspector said and Summoner looked at them funny.

"Well...I suppose it's fitting that you planned things out like I did to prepare for our future together, but I would've liked to have been included in this." He said seriously.

"Sorry." Guild Girl said.

"But if anything, it sets things up quite nicely." Inspector said, and Summoner huffed in amusement before both his new wives took their clothes off as he did the same, leaving all three in only their underwear as the two ladies took turns kissing Summoner while caressing him from head to waist, and he unclipped their bras and felt their lovely breasts press into his chiseled torso.

While Guild Girl had her turn kissing him, Inspector went around his back to remove his underpants, and then sucked on his neck. Guild Girl moaned into their kiss as Summoner removed her underpants and groped her buttocks as Inspector continued sucking on his neck and caressing his sides and abdomen.

Guild Girl then broke the kiss, and pushed Summoner onto the bed as Inspector removed her own underpants, and the two crawled into bed with him, and continued going back and forth kissing and massaging him while he returned the favor. He wound up with their breasts in his face, which inspired him to stuff as much of their plump flesh into his mouth, and they each gasped and threw their heads back as he went back and forth between chewing on their breasts and licking their nipples until focusing his efforts entirely on Inspector.

Guild Girl watched from the side as Summoner got on top of his sexy priestess and sucked on her neck while she flexed her entire body against his, ran her hands through his newly-grown hair, and rubbed her silky legs against his. She then pushed him up, flipped over, and got on all fours as Summoner got behind her, gripped her waist and plunged into her womanhood. Inspector gasped at the contact right away as Summoner slipped into her over and over with enough speed and force to make the bed shake, and eventually make wonderful slapping sounds as he slammed into her soft buttocks. While she continued moaning her lungs out, Summoner glanced at Guild Girl who was watching her husband mate with her closest friend with anticipation until Inspector finally reached her orgasm, and continued groaning and spasming as Summoner kept slamming into her butt a few more times to make the pleasure sink in for her, and to achieve an orgasm of his own.

He then removed himself from Inspector's writhing body and got on top of Guild Girl who had a welcoming smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck as they kissed without an ounce of force, and occasionally shifted their lips. Summoner then pulled back and caressed her face while she ran her hands through his hair.

"That formula Wizard came up with really works wonders." Guild Girl said softly.

"The same kind of hair my brother had. How does it work for me?" Summoner asked.

"You look even more handsome than before..." Guild Girl said before pulling him into another kiss before the mood changed; he gently rolled them over and caressed her back and hair, taking his time going over how creamy her skin was, and how sweet her hair smelled. "I used coconut oil and perfume before I came here."

"I can tell." Summoner whispered before kissing her cheek and holding her close. "You always were a dream..."

"Summoner?" Guild Girl asked.

"I just recalled the time that fear demon got me...I dare not go too far into details, for every reason imaginable." Summoner said before Guild Girl tightened the embrace and shared a concerned look with Inspector.

"Forget about that. You're with both of your wives now, and we love you." Guild Girl said as Inspector touched Summoner's face.

"And I love you both...and I will love the children you bless me with just as much." Summoner said before Guild Girl continued kissing him and slowly rolled over again without breaking their kiss. She then spread her legs, allowing her new husband to gently push into her womanhood and she laid there focusing on his newly-erected organ stretching her opening as he slowly moved in and out of her. While she was laying there holding onto Summoner as he mated with her, he himself watched Guild Girl's face brighten with a smile, and her breasts rise and fall with her ocean-deep breaths. Inspector then watched Summoner pick up the pace as Guild Girl arched her back, and moaned with more enthusiasm while Summoner thrusted into her until she finally had her orgasm, and then Summoner had his own.

"You know it may take multiple tries to have a kid?" Inspector asked.

"We'll do this as many times as it takes. I want my own child, and we're more than ready for it." Guild Girl said seriously.

"You really think so?" Summoner asked and Guild Girl looked right at him.

"Yes. Look at us. We're married, we have a great home, all three of us have promising careers, especially in your case being a demon hunter, and now servant of the church. Everything is looking up." She said.

"I suppose so, and with my sister here, the two of us can make an entire legion of elementals to protect this place until the Cambion and Demon Lord are dealt with, and the Goblin Overlord of course." Summoner said.

"So we have _two_ generals now." Inspector said thoughtfully.

"Actually, you have one general and one empress." Summoner said and both women looked at him funny. "I mastered the art of summoning only recently; she's been a master for no less than _five years_."

"Wow..." Guild Girl breathed out.

"Wow indeed." Inspector said before Summoner reached for her to come closer, and when she did, she gave him a brief but sweet kiss before both women snuggled into him. "I couldn't help but notice how tender you were with the aspiring mother here."

"How could I not be? And don't worry, I'll be as tender, or as rough as you want when you want a child of your own." Summoner said.

"Good to know. Can't keep your sexy priestess out of the loop now can you?" Inspector teased while shifting her body against his, especially her legs and breasts.

"Really? When did this become a game?" Guild Girl asked.

"Oh zip it..." Inspector said.

"Summoner...I want to make more love." Guild Girl said softly.

"O.k.." Summoner said before removing himself from her womanhood, and moving down to lick her nipples, earning him pleasured gasps from the dreamy woman beneath him. Guild Girl then ran her hands through his hair to silently show how grateful she was to him for being so tender with her. He then released her breast, and moved up to kiss her. He then stuck his tongue through her lips to lash tongues with her, and they took their sweet time doing so.

Eventually, she flipped them over, and continued lashing tongues with Summoner while his hands rubbed both sides of her soft butt. They then stopped lashing tongues, and simply snuggled into each other, with Summoner no longer groping her butt, and instead caressing her back and braided hair. Guild Girl then sat up, and lowered herself onto his manhood as he gripped her plump waist and gazed at the woman slowly riding him as her face brightened still.

Her breasts eventually started bouncing as she moved up and down on his lap, and Inspector watched Guild Girl move up and down on Summoner's lap, while moaning and panting in euphoria. Guild Girl then threw her head back as she reached her orgasm, but kept going until Summoner had his own. She then collapsed on top of him, and they laid there catching their breath as Summoner stroked her hair, and felt her breath onto his neck.

"Had enough yet?" Inspector teased and Guild Girl let out an adorable giggle.

"Considering that her heart is racing, I would assume so." Summoner said.

"You're the reason my heart is racing so much...and I do thank you for it." Guild Girl said.

"Your pleasure is also mine." Summoner said before passionately kissing her. "Inspector? Be a dear and fetch that wine. This is a time to celebrate more things than one." He then watched Inspector get up to get the wine...and she noticed him staring at her buttocks as she went. The two ladies each shared sips of the wine, and kisses with their new husband, who eventually started gracing their breasts with the sweet pressure his hands could provide. Inspector then positioned her nipples near Summoner's mouth and he graced them with the mind-numbing pleasure his tongue could provide. Guild Girl followed in Inspector's footsteps as Summoner sat up and clamped his lips onto the four breasts around his head one by one as his two wives rewarded him with pleasured gasps and moans.

Inspector then got on Summoner's lap, and Guild Girl backed up to watch Inspector lower herself onto Summoner's manhood, and started bouncing up and down while holding onto Summoner's shoulders. He then gripped Inspector's soft, supple buttocks as the inside of her womanhood continued to pleasantly scrap against his organ, filling both of their minds with sparks of pleasure. Inspector then started bucking her hips when her lust got the better of her, and Summoner felt her butt rapidly flexed and relaxed as she moaned even more. Summoner then laid down with Inspector following his lead, and didn't slow her pace at all, but threw laughter into the mix when Summoner started thrusting into her to increase their pleasure even more. Inspector then threw her head back as an orgasm washed over her...and kept moaning as Summoner kept relentlessly thrusting into her, eventually making her let out high-pitched gasps until he has his own orgasm.

Guild Girl then watched Inspector get off of Summoner and lay down gasping for air with an ear-to-ear smile on her face, which Guild Girl completely sympathized with. She then locked eyes with Summoner, laid down on top of him, and then kissed him deeply. Summoner then held Guild Girl against him, reveling in how her soft breasts were pressing into his lean chest as their lips molded and shifted together. Guild Girl then giggled into their kiss as Summoner lightly spanked and fondled the creamy flesh of her buttocks. Inspector then recovered enough to see Summoner's hands playing with Guild Girl's butt, which made her giggle...and then she heard Guild Girl gasp as she moved up and Inspector saw Summoner sucking on each of Guild Girl's nipples one by one in addition to groping her butt.

"Should I get more wine?" Inspector asked before Summoner stopped licking Guild Girl's nipples.

"Might as well...although, I have a surprise for you both downstairs." He said.

"Oh?" Guild Girl asked.

"Just get off of me, and I'll show you both." Summoner said as Guild Girl got up, and Inspector took the wine as Summoner led them downstairs. Since it was everyone else's bedtime, and the place was practically on lock-down, they didn't bother getting dressed. Good thing too, because Summoner showed them a newly-installed secret door in the corner of the living room...that led to an underground hot spring with metal torches lighting the room.

"Did you make this?" Guild Girl asked in awe.

"My elementals did, yes. Now, hop in." Summoner said as Guild Girl tested the water with her foot, and then got right in while sighing.

"This water is just heavenly..." She breathed out as she sat down with the water submerging her up to her collarbone. Inspector then followed suit, and sighed as well.

"Is there anything those elementals can't do?" She asked before Summoner got in...on the other side of the spring.

"Probably not." He said and both ladies looked at him with disappointment on their faces.

"Why not join us?" Guild Girl asked.

"If you want more loving, you'll have to swim for it." Summoner teased, and the ladies looked at each other, before sighing, and wadded through the water to join Summoner on the other side and snuggled into him as he wrapped an arm around each of them.

"But the wine?" Inspector said...and a Water Elemental came out of Limbo, merged with the water, and carried it over to the trio. Summoner then grabbed the bottle, put it on the edge of the pool, and smirked.

"Happy?" He asked.

"Very much so..." Inspector breathed out before looking at Guild Girl, and then holding up her breasts, with Guild Girl doing the same. Summoner then looked at their globes of plump flesh with enthusiasm and recalled how he last sucked on Guild Girl's nipples, and went for Inspector's instead. Guild Girl then watched Summoner's tongue dance around one of Inspector's nipples, and his hand groped Inspector's alternate breast. He then went back and forth between the nipples, sucking each one, and his hands reached under them to squeeze them from underneath and adding to her already mind-boggling pleasure.

Summoner then finished with Inspector's nipples, and then went to Guild Girl's chest instead, groping her breasts from underneath as well while his tongue danced around her nipples themselves. Guild Girl gasped and deeply exhaled while holding Summoner's head in place as he worked on her delicious breasts. Summoner then spun her around, bent her over the rim, waited for her to get properly positioned, rubbed the tip of his manhood against her entrance, which made her tense up with both pleasure and anticipation. Summoner then slid into her and moved in and out as the water swished around them and Guild Girl immediately started moaning. Inspector then watched Summoner mate with her best friend from behind and slam into her buttocks with the fleshy slapping mixing with the swishing sounds.

Guild Girl eventually climaxed in-sync with Summoner, and she sat on his lap as he sat down on the seat under the water, and enjoyed the afterglow with Summoner gently massaging her thighs, hips, and the sides of her butt, all of which were made softer than they already were thanks to the warm water. He then started sucking on her neck as she let out a pleasured chuckle. Inspector then snuggled into Summoner's side and watched him suck on Guild Girl's neck, and then lick it like it was covered in honey, earning him a giggle from her. Guild Girl then gave Summoner a brief but sweet kiss before pulling back and they shared a bright smile.

They both looked at Inspector who was patiently waiting her turn with their husband, and Summoner glanced at the wine, before Inspector grabbed it...and then downed a gulp of it before smirking and giving it to Summoner, who downed a gulp of his own. They each deeply exhaled before Guild Girl got off of Summoner's lap, and watched him and Inspector mashed lips together. Inspector then moaned as Summoner caressed her legs on the outside...and he felt her trembling breath as he stroked her inner thighs. Her gasps then turned into moans as Summoner's fingers stroked her womanhood, and felt her entire body tense up from her pleasure. Guild Girl silently became envious as Inspector sat there twitching and moaning in bliss while Summoner handled her to the point where she had an orgasm in no time.

Guild Girl then put her hand on Summoner's shoulder to her his attention before she kissed him yet again, got on his lap while caressing his face while wrapping her legs around his waist, not caring about his still-erected manhood pressing into her lower belly. She then poked her tongue out and the two took their sweet time lashing tongues together while Summoner's hands traveled up Guild Girl's flat belly and continued playing with her breasts...and took his time feeling her soft skin, and plump flesh. He then noticed a change in her mood to fit his actions; she went from hungry for pleasure, to simply enjoying the moment itself. Guild Girl then backed up and leaned against the rim of the spring, and Summoner gave her womanhood the same stroking that he gave to Inspector...and gave the same reaction: pleasured gasps, moans, and convulses caused by the pleasure that eventually gave way to orgasm.

Next thing Summoner knew, Inspector was behind him rubbing her breasts against his back, with the contrast between his back's density and her breasts' softness taking it's place in both their minds without reservation. Summoner then turned around so Inspector could rub her breasts against his front...and he could see her angelic face as she returned his smile. He eventually stopped her by touching her chin, and the two simply looked at each other before Summoner pulled her into a kiss that deepened when he wrapped his arms around her. He then pulled away, and then looked at Guild Girl who was sipping some wine herself.

"Maybe we should get back before one or more of us gets too drunk..." Summoner said.

"Good idea. My head is starting to swim..." Guild Girl said.

"Pun intended?" Inspector asked.

"Hilarious..." Guild Girl deadpanned, before they all got out of the water, helped each other dry off with several towels that were on stand-by, and went upstairs. Once they got there, Inspector sat Summoner down on the edge of the bed, saw that his arousal was still as hard as before as she spread her legs and sat down on his lap, with his manhood slipping inside her entrance. Guild Girl then shook her head in amusement as she watched Inspector move up and down on Summoner's organ, and slammed her butt into his lap over and over, while moaning in euphoria.

Several moments later, Summoner flipped the script by picking Inspector up and drove into her while standing up as she laughed at the surprise. Guild Girl then watched as Summoner mated with Inspector, who was holding onto him with her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist as he held her up with his hands under his butt. Summoner continued shoving his thick, dense manhood into the priestess he was holding while they remained standing the whole time, and she moaned her lungs out until the two had an orgasm.

Summoner then placed Inspector on the bed, with her head on the pillow, and Summoner laid down himself as he looked at Guild Girl. She then got on top of him, and sighed the moment she felt her breasts touch his chest, and his arms wrapped around her.

"You really like this don't you?" Summoner teased and Guild Girl smiled and huffed in amusement.

"Why wouldn't I? I'm now married to a priest of the Love Goddess, along with my best friend...and I'm going to have a child with him." She said.

"Hopefully so." Summoner said and Guild Girl pushed herself up.

"Make love to me one more time." She said.

"Any ideas how?" Summoner asked.

"I was hoping my new husband would have an idea." Guild Girl said while sharing looks with Inspector.

"Sit up." Summoner said, and Guild Girl did what she was told. "Now turn around, and lower yourself onto me." Guild Girl then recoiled somewhat. "Inspector rode me earlier, and neither of you did that yet, so why not? Besides...there's more that can be done in that position."

"Like what?" Guild Girl asked.

"We can change to...other positions pretty easily." Summoner said.

"Alright..." Guild Girl said as she turned around and sheathed Summoner's manhood into herself, and moved up and down as Summoner's eyes were glued to Guild Girl's butt...and so were his hands. Guild Girl started gasping in bliss in no time, and her husbands hands groping her supple flesh helped alot. Inspector couldn't keep her eyes off of the display of passion from the two...especially when Summoner gently pushed Guild Girl forward. She then turned around to see Summoner sitting up, and she held herself steady on her hands and knees.

"I told you we could transition easily..." Summoner said sensually.

"Well, you could let me know how..." Guild Girl trailed off...before gasping as Summoner penetrated her womanhood again and kept thrusting into her.

"Surprises can be...pleasant..." Summoner groaned as he continued mating with the future mother of his oldest children from behind. All of a sudden, Guild Girl recalled the time Summoner took her behind the desk in Limbo and blushed heavily. She wasn't embarrassed, but the comparison in the raw feelings conveyed in that situation were identical to the ones felt here: raw, animalistic passion, mixed with a genuine desire to be there for the person one loves, and be with them...the whole reason this wedding was underway. Eventually, the last ounce of logical thought left Guild Girl's brain as sexual rapture flooded her entire being and Summoner followed suit.

Inspector then took the reigns and guided Summoner back down to the bed, and helped Guild Girl position herself at Summoner's side. All the while, Inspector had nothing but sympathy for them; she felt partially responsible for them being together, and was honored to be involved herself. When she saw her best friend's face-splitting smile, and heard the blissful gasps coming out of her throat, her sympathy solidified even more than Summoner's manhood did. The trio then laid together until they went to sleep in each other's arms without another word; they could talk in the morning.

* * *

Cow Girl woke up in their fortress home, looked up to see GS that was still asleep, and shifted against him while sighing dreamily.

"Good morning." GS said which made Cow Girl flinch.

"You were awake the whole time?" She asked.

"No, I just woke up." GS said simply and Cow Girl huffed in amusement.

"Yeah right." She said.

"I meant it. You're breathing woke me." GS said.

"I see..." Cow Girl said before GS tightened his hold around her.

"Your breathing felt good...really good." He said, and Cow Girl smiled and snuggled into his chest. "I love you..."

"I love you too." Cow Girl said sweetly before kissing his neck and snuggling into him some more while sighing dreamily. "I hope Ranger's alright."

"He'll be fine." GS said.

"Yeah...I guess so. He's as tough as you afterall." Cow Girl said.

"He's been like this since I first met him. I honestly don't think I would've killed as many goblins as I have without them." GS said and Cow Girl deflated.

"Do you...have you thought about what happens after we kill the Goblin Overlord? I mean, the goblins themselves are nearly extinct; you won't have to be the Goblin Slayer anymore." Cow Girl said.

"I will _always_ be the Goblin Slayer. Even when the last one dies...it will be because of me that they were wiped out." GS said.

"And we're no where close to done are we...?" She asked.

"Not at all, but the sun has yet to come up entirely, we can go after them later." GS said and Cow Girl casually traced his scars.

"Have you ever thought of getting these treated like Sword Maiden did?" She asked.

"Would you like me to?" GS asked.

"Yes...I know you got them from doing what you have to, but...it's not easy knowing you're always reminded about how much pain you went through." Cow Girl said.

"I see..." GS said.

"If you're really against it, I won't pester you, but...I just love you so much." Cow Girl said.

"I love you too." GS said and Cow Girl sighed.

"Goblin Slayer...I want sex..." She said softly.

"O.k..." GS said before Cow Girl down flat and spread her legs as GS downed a swig of the sterility potion, got between her legs and slowly pushed into her moist, warm, and swollen womanhood as she gasped at the feeling of GS' thick, dense manhood stretching her entrance inch by inch. She then laid completely still and focused on the feeling of GS moving in and out of the most personal place on her body and gasped at the pleasure he brought her.

"Goblin Slayer...take it slow; I want to savor this..." Cow Girl breathed out as GS picked up speed, then slowed down as she wished. She then wrapped her calves around the back of his knees as GS continued mating with her. "Although...don't be afraid to go harder." GS granted her wish by pounding her womanhood even harder, but with the same speed as before, making her groan and tense up as he went. GS then groaned as he felt her already-narrow womanhood get even more narrow to the point where she was practically crushing the organ that was being thrusted into her body.

Eventually, after about a minute of intense mating, Cow Girl reached her orgasm and GS followed soon after before collapsing onto her massive breasts and powerful muscles that have indeed grown in size, and somehow kept the thick, creamy skin that always coated them. All the while, her tree-trunk thick legs remained wrapped around his waist and his softened manhood remained inside her entrance. The two lovers laid like that catching their breath and bathing in the afterglow, especially Cow Girl whose face showed no signs of anything except bliss.

"I think that's quite enough. We should probably get cleaned up and join the others." GS said.

"Right..." Cow Girl breathed out as she reluctantly got off his waist, feeling his manhood exit her body, and they spent the next few minutes washing each other off with a bucket and towel. "Goblin Slayer? Do you really like how my body turned out since I became an adventurer?"

"Very much so." GS said and Cow Girl smirked.

"Is making love to me better than killing goblins?" She asked.

"Very much so." GS said and Cow Girl giggled and showed off her body by turning and rubbing herself in...various places.

"I would hope so. I put _alot_ of work into this body." She said.

"It shows." GS said, and Cow Girl gave him a series of deep, passionate kisses.

"Grab my bottom..." She said sensually, and GS wasted no time putting both hands on her massive butt and moved both cheeks around as Cow Girl tensed up and rubbed her heavy breasts against him while sighing and chuckling as GS had another erection. "How does it feel?"

"Great..." GS breathed out and Cow Girl rubbed the tip of his arousal.

"All that work was well-spent wasn't it?" She teased.

"Very much so." GS said as Cow Girl continued fondling him.

"What was it like, having this inside me?" She asked.

"Warm...warm, wet, and...peaceful." GS said.

"Peaceful...that's a good word for it." Cow Girl said as she let his manhood go and embraced him as GS let go of her butt and the two stood there simply hugging. "I love you."

"I love you too." GS said as Cow Girl shifted against him.

"Let's wrap this up." She said.

"Yeah." GS said before they finished washing up, dried off, got their armor on, and took the gateway back to Ranger and Fighter's manor to join the team.

* * *

"She's a really nice baby." Female Summoner said as she looked at the sleeping baby in Fighter's arms.

"Thanks." Fighter said.

"She kind of looks like my own daughter when she was first born." Female Summoner said.

"You should've seen Ranger. When I was pregnant with her, he _would not_ leave me alone; I had to practically beg him to leave the house and give me my space." Fighter said.

"That's unusual behavior from a servant of the War God." Female Summoner said.

"He wasn't a always a servant of the War God remember?" Fighter asked.

"Right. Must be quite a position to be in, to be the mother of the infamous Ranger's daughter." Female Summoner said.

"Infamous?" Fighter asked.

"I meant that ironically. Everywhere I go it's either "Ranger" this, or "his team" that, and don't get me started on Goblin Slayer himself..." Female Summoner said as Cow Girl and GS exited the gateway.

"Let me guess: people were actually calling for us? Or, him I should say." Cow Girl said.

"Welcome back." Fighter said.

"Good to be back." Cow Girl said as she approached and looked at the baby, who woke up just in time to see Cow Girl smiling down at her. "Hey sweetheart." She then puts her finger near the baby so she could play with it.

"Ah yes, the old baby-grabs-the-finger play. Never gets old does it?" Female Summoner said.

"Not ever." Fighter said softly.

"I actually wanted my third child for that reason alone, as ludicrous as that may sound." Female Summoner said.

"How many kids do you have?" Cow Girl asked.

"Just the three...well, it would've been four but...I had a miscarriage once." Female Summoner said.

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that." Fighter said.

"Do you plan on having more kids than her? Because if so, I pray to every god worthy of notice that this never happens to you." Female Summoner said.

"Actually we do, so thanks for the sentiment." Fighter said.

"I hate to cut this short ladies, but we have more goblins that need killing." Cow Girl said.

"Ranger and company are at the Temple of Law planning your next move." Female Summoner said.

"Thanks for the heads-up." Cow Girl said as Fighter gave Female Summoner her daughter and left with the two Goblin Slayers to get to the Temple of Law to meet the rest of the team.

"Let's go kick some more goblin ass." Fighter said as she cracked her knuckles.

* * *

Next thing they knew, scores of goblins poured down a particularly narrow hallway in the middle of yet another fortress. The team then unloaded arrows, bolts, bullets, shells and fire spells at them until they were a formless mass of unrecognizable body parts. GS then led the team, which included Sword Mage for once, as they charged through the mess they made into a chamber with multiple doorways. Ranger then used Life Sight, pointed at the ones that led to more goblins, and they split up to clear each room...and they caught the goblins with their pants down; dozens of them were still sleeping, and the ones who woke up didn't even have time to flinch before losing their heads, getting their chests stomped in, or their faces punched off.

When they were done clearing the fortress, and taking whatever treasure they could find, Priestess opened a portal to another series of outposts, and Cow Girl took charge by summoning a group of fire elementals, absorbing some of their power for good measure, and charged into the fray by herself. The fire elementals flew overhead, drawing any goblin archer's shots, only to burn to death afterwards as Cow Girl sliced apart the supports for the towers and collapsed them on top of the rest of the outposts. She then heard an alarm bell ring, and the team prepared for an ambush...only to see Cow Girl charge up a fireball in her hands, and blast a small wave of goblins to bits in one shot as the rest of the elementals fly overhead and rained down streams and balls of fire. In the end, some goblin shamans managed to hit them with lightning...before the elementals flew down at them and blasted the shamans, and themselves to bits.

When they got to the last outpost...a paladin was waiting for them. Ranger then stepped forward, only for Cow Girl to put her sword in his way, and look back at him, he then got back in line as the two combatants prepared to fight. Cow Girl even morphed her mask and GS recalled his own fight with the goblin paladin when Noble Fencer was with him as Cow Girl took a similar stance to his own. The pair then charged at each other...and Cow Girl's training with the rest of the team showed: she clashed blades with it over and over with her shield blocking a fair number of attacks itself, if she didn't spin away from the paladin, jump over him, or even ducked under the paladin's swing to the head and her own blade bounced off his enchanted armor; apparently it was space against anti-space now.

In the end, Cow Girl had to open her chakras when the paladin charged up it's armor and it's speed and power increased dramatically, and she managed to hit a weak spot in the armor on it's arm, which severed it completely, and Cow Girl delivered the killing blow with a stab through the paladin's face. She then closed her chakras to save her energy...then the Wizard siblings sprung a spark trap that gave another wave of goblins a fatal shock as they approached the area.

* * *

"That makes 1,171..." GS said.

"And this is just the start..." Warrior said.

"No kidding." Rhea Fighter said dryly.

"Any more nests Your Grace?" Fighter asked.

"There's a few down the road, and...there's also a temple devoted to the Death God." Priestess said.

"The Death God? He's not going to be happy that goblins are infesting it..." Warrior said.

"It's not just in ruins; if Her Grace hadn't looked into it's original purpose with the miracle of Vision, we never would've known it's purpose." Sword Mage said.

"Ever since you were hitting them, more and more of them retreated into the heart of the Deadlands, but a few outcroppings remain, as well as an old temple devoted to the Death God." Sword Mage said.

"The temple was reduced to scattered pillars and stones; the goblins themselves took refuge in a small series of caves nearby." Priestess said.

"And those caves are likely _full_ of goblins." Sword Mage said.

"They're about to be full of _dead_ goblins." Ranger said sharply.

* * *

The team then went into a large cave, with the Wizard siblings putting magic traps by the entrance, and Priestess of course used Holy Light to illuminate the place as they marched. Ranger then used Life Sight, to see down an alternate path that led to a small cavern full of sleeping goblins, and he rushed down the path to see them...and he unleashed Pestilence on them. Ranger then heard gunfire and retreated back to the team as the sleeping goblins succumbed to the sickness one by one.

The traps at the entrance were sprung, and they formed a crude Protection barrier that held off the goblins coming from outside as Cow Girl unloaded shell after shell into them, tearing multiple goblins to shreds with each shot. The rest of the team pressed into the caves when Cow Girl finished up...and they found another cavern full of sleeping goblins that were easy pickings for Pestilence.

After a brief but fruitful mining run through the caves, and the Pestilence wore off of course, the team sent the iron, jewels, and even precious metals like silver to Water Town and left the caves...only to come face to face with no less than five goblin champions, all wearing armor, and two using ballistas. Ranger then got an idea: he opened a portal to the location just behind one of the champions' heads, morphed a greatsword, jumped through it and jammed the massive blade into the champions' head, collapsing it on top of the goblins below, and then flipped over the second champion and it ducked just in time to save itself from suffering the same fate.

The rest of the team attacked the rest of the goblins with GS charging into the fray and the rest of the team covering him with their respective ranged weapons and spells, which included summons from each respective team member. Cow Girl then unloaded her rifle into the goblins before pulling her new sword and butchering her way through the goblins like they weren't even there until she reached one of the champions whom she tricked into splattering dozens of goblins with a swing of it's club before she ran up it's front and the enchantment on her sword made vertically bisecting it as she ran up the beast a piece of cake before it complete split down the middle.

Priestess then shined Holy Light on the goblins as the rest of the team rearmed, and Sword Mage danced through the closest goblins with the same finesse he demonstrated during his actual dance at the wedding, and even Fighter had her eyes glued to how fluid his movements were...before Holy Light wore off and Sword Mage retreated to the group who continued to fire upon them. Ranger meanwhile had an array of greatswords he made attack and defend against the champion while he himself mentally controlled them as he recalled his training with the War God...and how much he neglected this part of his skillset. He even had smaller sword attack the goblins stupid or brave enough to attack him from behind. Eventually, the champion swats away the last of the greatswords, and closes in to kill Ranger...only for him to call every greatsword back and impale the champion from all sides, before he caught the champion's corpse and threw it across the battlefield and smushing dozens of goblins under it.

"Is it me, or is using the big goblins to kill the little goblins becoming a theme?" Warrior asked.

"Hey, if it works, it works." Wizard's brother said.

"Less talking, more shooting!" D.R. exclaimed before continuing to fire at the goblins along with everyone else, and eventually concentrated their shoots on the last pair of champions GS was fighting...before Cow Girl grappled up to one champion and blew it's brains out with her shotgun and threw her ice axe into the other one's face as GS grappled up to it's head and unloaded both his shotguns into it's face. The two then glanced at each other before getting up and looking over the few goblin survivors and they ran away, only to get shot down by Ranger's rifle.

The team then regrouped before a goblin archer de-cloaked and put an arrow in Fighter's butt with the tip coming out of her hip as she screamed in pain and fell down. Priestess was on her right away as the rest of the team, especially Ranger and GS braced for another ambush, which came from two different sides as the two of them engaged one side and the others hit the other side with everything they had, including Warrior and Wizard using clones to multiply their lightning strikes, firestorms, and of course, melee prowess as the rest of the team covered them.

GS engaged the armored goblins with their enchanted weapons bouncing off it's armor, if not breaking outright, and Ranger unsurprisingly went for the archer with the nerve to shot his wife and leave her powerless and launched a knife into each of it's knees, it's gut, and it's groin. Fighter then managed to look back and see her husband morph his light armor, and use no weapons as he grabbed some goblins and pulled them apart in various ways, stomped on their spines, punched their faces in, tore their heads off. Eventually, he morphed his medium armor and each inhumanly strong and fast strike with his hands, feet, knees, or elbows became hard enough to make the lucky goblins' bodies implode or even shatter.

Sword Mage meanwhile did his duty and either slaughtered any goblins that got too close to Priestess and Fighter, or at the very least discouraged them from attacking. The rest of the team regrouped in time to see Ranger continue literally tearing the goblins apart in a frenzy.

"Wow...so all this time, he only ever needed his fists." D.R. said dryly before Ranger grabbed the last goblin, lifted it over his head and ripped it in half before extending chains to absorb their armor and weapons. Ranger then did the unthinkable: as another volley of arrows approached...he rushed straight at them, morphed twin longswords and rapidly swatted down one arrow after another with the same inhuman speed as before. He then jumped up and spun like a tornado which made the wind itself lash around and scattered the arrows from a second volley as he stayed in mid-air...which amazed the whole team.

He then flew up even higher, morphed several rifles in mid-air, and unleashed a storm of bullets into the goblin archers in the distance. He then looked his weapons over, and got an idea: he combined them all into a single rifle, with multiple barrels. More goblins then showed up, only to let him test his new toy by unloading a storm of bullets at them four times faster than his guns. He then looked over the quad cannon and smirked.

The team then regrouped with the now-healed Fighter, and Ranger de-morphed his quad cannon to check on her...only to see her get up on her previously-injured leg, and hug him.

"I thought the whole point of us upgrading our magic defenses was so we wouldn't have to deal with injuries caused by space weapons." H.E. Druid said.

"Apparently, I didn't make our defenses strong enough." Wizard said.

"To be fair, space magic is absolutely nothing to make fun of." Sword Mage said.

"I have half a mind to ask my sword to be given a space enchantment of it's own." Warrior said.

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves now. Although that is a damn good idea." Wizard said.

"On another note: using the miracle of Healing wasn't entirely necessary thanks to that pendant Fighter wears." Priestess said.

"I'm actually working on similar pendants for everyone who doesn't have them, but getting the right materials, and making the enchantment strong enough has been a huge pain in the ass." Wizard said.

"We can deal with that later. First, we look at that temple of the Death God." GS said.

"Alright. Let's go." Ranger said as he let go of Fighter, and they went to the ruins...and everyone held their noses.

"Looks like the goblins have been busy." Rhea Fighter said.

"There's goblin shit everywhere. Do these things have any respect for their homes?" D.R. asked.

"Well, we _did_ ask the Death God to curse them." Priestess said.

"You remember that?" Fighter asked.

"I just now remembered that." Priestess said.

"Can you purify this place?" GS asked.

"I believe so." Priestess said, and Ranger gave her his canteen, then she took a swig and handed it back. "Purify..." With that, a wave of holy energy swept through the temple and all the goblin dung was removed. The team then let go of their noses, and let out a sigh of relief.

"That's more like it..." Wizard said.

"Since we're here, and the ruins have been cleansed, shall we explore the temple itself?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Why not?" Ranger asked, and the team went inside...and found the only chamber they could enter half-way buried in rubble. "Nevermind..."

"Alright, back out again." GS said and they left.

"Shall I use Restoration?" Priestess asked.

"No, we're still in goblin territory. Maybe after we reclaim this place you could, but now? Forget it." Ranger said seriously.

"Oh...it's not exactly stealthy is it?" Priestess said.

"Massive light from the sky? Please..." Wizard's brother said.

"Should we return to Water Town? It has been an honor to see all of you in action, but I must return to my duties." Sword Mage said.

"You've got a point, and we can always come back." Ranger said.

"And we will." GS said before Priestess opened a portal to Water Town, and everyone went home.

* * *

When Ranger and Fighter got home, the former went to get their baby while the latter set up their room for the night.

"Hello." Ranger said softly.

"Hello." The baby said, and Ranger couldn't help but smile and put his finger near his daughter's face so she could play with it. He then used the same finger to caress her face, and then held her to his chest in an embrace.

"You may not know it my dear daughter, but you nourish me as much as all of us nourish you. Just the idea of you turning out as powerful as myself or your mother is enough to spur me forward. But even if you have no intention of following in our footsteps...you deserve every ounce of love you get by default, and I love you as much as I love your strong, beautiful mother." Ranger said softly before continuing to hold his child in silence while walking around casually. He then put his now-sleeping baby in her crib, and looked around at the room, and went back to see Fighter was under the blankets, laying down on her front completely naked. He then de-morphed his armor, removed his underwear, and sat down with her.

"How is she?" Fighter asked.

"We need to give her some more toys to play with; she's not going to be a baby forever." Ranger said.

"Right." Fighter said before Ranger removed the blankets and looked at the part of her butt where she was shot. "You really do have the perfect ass; even an arrow through it doesn't make a difference."

"An ass made for grabbing, not getting shot." Fighter said and Ranger huffed.

"I never thought I'd see the day where touching your ass isn't appealing." He said.

"O.k...who are you and what have you done with my husband?" Fighter asked.

"Fighter...baby...you got shot. I don't want to irritate you." Ranger said seriously and Fighter smiled.

"Even though I'm completely healed you still don't want to risk hurting me..." She said before Ranger snuggled into her.

"I love having sex with you as much as ever, but it's never worth it if it hurts you, even if it's...a _hell_ of a painkiller." He said.

"Try it." Fighter said and Ranger looked at her funny. "If I ask you, then it's my own fault. Besides...only one cheek was hit." With that, Ranger rubbed her butt cheek where she was shot, and she didn't even wince in pain, but smile in pleasure as the man beneath her groped her fleshy buttocks with the same passion he always uses as she snuggled into him and moaned in bliss. "You are such a man..."

"So I've been told." Ranger teased before spanking the cheek that wasn't shot which earned him a horny chuckle from his wife.

"When I fully heal...you are _all_ mine." Fighter said.

"I cannot wait." Ranger said before they went to sleep.

* * *

Over the course of the next week, aside from keeping their word and getting some things for their daughter to play with, and giving some more decorations to the place, Ranger, Fighter, and the rest of the team did nothing but go after any goblins nest Priestess found with the miracle of Vision, and their creativity didn't fade either. Baiting the goblins into traps, ambushing them with a small horde of summons, charging in and tearing them apart, blasting them and their homes to pieces with magic, using Ranger's miracles to crush them with meteors, strike them down with illness, sucking them into an implosion and launching them across the battlefield, everything went.

Wizard also gave everyone their own body-enhancing pendant, including a diamond one for Ranger...they even joked that he was now the first Diamond Rank. Warrior also got the ability to shoot explosive bolts from his auto crossbow; they were going to have him use a rifle with a bomb launcher like Cow Girl's, but he insisted on keeping the crossbow to pay tribute to the old days when Ranger used a crossbow...which he himself used on occasion in conjunction with Warrior as a tribute of his own when they unloaded on a horde of goblins in an ambush. Lizard Priest even got involved with an enlarged version of the auto crossbow just as a test-run...and Lizard Priest tore apart a horde of goblins by himself as a consequence.

Cow Girl even had a moment to shine when she took on an armored champion with no one helping her, and she got rid of it by launching an ice bomb at it's face, which blinded just long enough for Cow Girl to jam her sword into an unarmored part of it's knee, then when the champion tried to stomp on her, she went for it's other leg and tripped it before running up to it's face...and the ice was removed just in time for the champion to stare down the barrel of her rifle as she pulled the trigger.

Eventually, they reached a fortress that Ranger crushed with a meteor, and the rest of the team set up a perimeter as Ranger and GS went into the ruins to take out the survivors, and a dozen armored hobs jumped them, only for GS to shoot some with his shotguns, and Ranger chopped them in half with a greatsword, a champion shows up, then Ranger morphed a slew of greatswords in mid-air that he launches at it which pierce it's armor in various places and leaves it open to a harpoon through the face as GS took out a group of goblins that snuck up on Ranger. The last act of the fight was when Ranger launched himself at the retreating goblins and smashes down on them with his superheated greatsword which blows up the ground from the inside.

True to their word from earlier, Priestess used Restoration to rebuild the temple of the Death God, and they explored it...only to find the place completely empty; the artifacts and others important features were removed a lone time ago, either by the people who lived there, or by someone brave or stupid enough to steal from followers of the Death God. It was most likely revenants, but...maybe some people didn't want to become revenants but still worship death, or at least the dead, no one knew.

When they took a day to get themselves together, Cow Girl took a promotion exam, and her feats against the goblins, especially her solo fights against the goblins' elite forces, and her aid in destroying the Hell Ripper, or at least setting things up raised her to Bronze Rank. She was then pardoned to go home and have her own celebration while the rest of the team took their own time off.

* * *

Next thing she knew, Cow girl and GS were in the bathhouse in their fortress, as naked as the day they were born while semi-hot water poured down on them from above. All the while Cow Girl mashed lips with GS while they caressed and massaged each other's bulk and she moaned into their kiss while GS' strong, calloused hands squeezed her large, dense, and supple buttocks. She eventually pressed her massive breasts into his chest over and over with various amount of force while tensing and relaxing her butt while he continued squeezing her abundant flesh like it was dough.

"Awful nice of the wizards to give us the waterfall feature first." Cow Girl breathed out as GS continued fondling her butt.

"Yeah..." GS said as Cow Girl leaned her head back, silently asking him to suck on it, and he did so while holding her up by supporting the thigh she used to caress his waist with his other hand at her softened butt cheek. Her reaction was a blissful giggled which became more enticing as he licked and sucked on her swan-like neck.

"Goblin Slayer..." Cow Girl breathed out while GS continued his work on her body, much to her delight...then she gasped as GS slid a hand along her entrance. "Oh Goblin Slayer...!" GS continued stroking her womanhood as her gasps and moaned spurred him onward as he groaned with the same euphoria she felt as she returned the favor by fondling his manhood until they each had their orgasm.

* * *

Back at her apartment, Wizard took her clothes off, opened the blankets and flopped down in them. She then got comfortable and wrapped one blanket around her form, and looked over a small box, and chuckled over it and put in back on the nightstand until eventually, Warrior came in to see her sighing with a smile on her face.

"Someone's in a good mood. Usually you only look like that after getting your brains fucked out." He said and Wizard giggled.

"I might as well have; I just recalled how you are in bed...in pretty serious detail." She said as Warrior approached.

"Nice to see I can leave an impact, but...what is that box for?" He asked and Wizard sat up, and didn't bother covering her ample breasts as she reached to grab the box and opened it to reveal an orange pill.

"You know what this is?" Wizard asked.

"I'm guessing some sort of medicine." Warrior said dryly.

"I actually worked on it in my spare time; it's supposed to help a certain monster killer I married stay hard after he's had his fun with me. I even tested it." Wizard said and Warrior stared at her the whole time.

"How?" He asked.

"I made a dummy and treated different kinds of medicine on it until I got the right result. Don't ask me how it went." Wizard said.

"O...k...so you want me to be your guinea pig?" Warrior asked.

"I want you...to put this to use. Let me taste the fruits of my labor of love." Wizard said before Warrior smirked and took the pill before yanking her into a session of passionate kissing and tongue-lashing. She then put his hand on her breast and he wasted no time kneading her flesh like the dough it felt like, and she rewarded his efforts with pleasured moans. He then de-morphed his underarmor, and she broke the kiss to look at his already-swollen manhood. She then looked at him and he took the pill and swallowed it.

"How long does it take to have an effect?" Warrior asked and Wizard slowly fondled his manhood.

"Well, you're solid as a rock as it is, but to answer you about duration...about, as long as it takes for alcohol to be absorbed." She said as Warrior sucked in one deep breath after another as his wife handled him.

"Do you...have a plan for how I should use this thing...?" Warrior asked and Wizard stopped.

"How about you use it on me?" She asked before making three clones, all as naked as she was. "Or should I say them?"

"You sly fox..." Warrior breathed out as the clones approached him.

"Fighter shared a thing or two with me, although...she didn't give me any details about what she and the boss did, nor did I care to ask." Wizard said.

"I can think of some things." Warrior said as he stood up.

"So can they. Ladies? Show him what I mean." Wizard said and got up to lean against the wall as all three clones bent over on the bed.

"Well come on, fuck us." A clone said as they all shook their butts, and Warrior got behind one of them, slipped into her womanhood and rapidly yet gently moved in and out of her as the clone immediately starting moaning and flexing in pleasure. Warrior then glanced back at the real Wizard as she watched her husband pound her clone from behind as her flesh rippled. Her euphoric gasps, combined with the musical slapping sounds his groin made when it made ripples in her fleshy buttocks inspired him to mate with her with increasing speed and force until her blissful gasps turned into lustful groans as she spasmed and flexed with a series of minor orgasms..followed by a major one.

Warrior then pulled out, and Wizard's pill did it's job; his erection didn't go away. Warrior then took his place behind the second clone who spread her legs and bent over even further so he could mate with her as well until she had her own orgasm. His erection still held firm as he got behind the third clone and pounded her until she had her own orgasm as well. He then pulled out of her and all four of them collapsed on the bed completely spent from the bliss.

"Best...quickie...we've ever had..." Warrior breathed out as the clones pressed their lovely breasts into him as Wizard approached.

"And you're _still_ hard as a rock." She said and Warrior smirked at her.

"I've had quite enough baby." He said.

"I haven't." Wizard said as she re-absorbed the clone one by one...and moaned in euphoria when their memories sunk in, and she eventually collapsed as her knees buckled when she absorbed the last clone. "So much...too many orgasms..."

"Welcome to my world baby." Warrior said and Wizard chuckled before looking at him.

"We still have to take that shower. But first...let's take a moment to get our shit together." She said before laying down on her husband as he ran his hands through her hair, over her back, and hips, and eventually her butt. "I hope Fighter's o.k."

"She's with the boss; she'll be fine." Warrior said while continuing to caress her hair. "I ever tell you how much better you look with longer hair?"

"Once or twice." Wizard said casually.

"Well, I meant it." Warrior said before Wizard sat up.

"Charmer." She said before kissing him deeply. "You know...I took some potion while you were fucking my clones' brains out."

"You don't say..." Warrior said.

"Hey, we haven't had sex this entire week; we have some catching up to do." Wizard said.

"We've been over this: we don't need to have sex every day." Warrior said.

"First off, of course we don't, but it's still a damn good idea, for multiple reasons. Secondly...I wasn't entirely serious. Lastly...going this long is debatably a good excuse to go crazy like this." Wizard said.

"Let me guess: you still want some more?" Warrior asked and Wizard scoffed.

"I took potion a while ago...so yes." She said before she sat up and gripped his still-slick manhood. She then lowered herself onto it as Warrior held her softened waist and Wizard started bucking her hips. Her breasts bounced and the mattress creaked as she gasped in bliss while bouncing and rubbing her buttocks against his lap. Warrior eventually thrusted up into her in-sync with her bounces as she threw her head back groaning as she reached another orgasm. She then collapsed on top of Warrior who was breathing hard himself.

"Still want to take a shower...?" He asked.

"Yes." Wizard said as she kept smiling and gasping.

"Can you walk there?" Warrior asked.

"Maybe...but I'd like my monster-killer of a husband to carry me, like the lovely sorceress he sees me as." Wizard said and Warrior sat up, and carried her bridal-style to their new shower as she held onto him. He then sat her on the sink and turned on the waterfall, before going back to her, and gave her a brief but deep kiss and they got into the semi-hot water.

"Wow...you really worked your magic on this waterfall." Warrior said as Wizard smirked.

"You excepted less?" She asked smugly and Warrior spanked her, and watched her flesh jiggle before spotting the horny smirk on her face.

"Cocky fox." He said.

"I love you too." Wizard said before mashing her lips against his, and they spent the next ten minutes kissing, groping, massaging, soaping, and washing each other both with and without clones. One moment included Wizard getting pinned to the wall and finally having her luscious breasts played with as Warrior rubbed soap against them while listening to her moan while mashing lips and lashing tongues with him while the two clones watched. When he was done, he picked her up by the butt, and she gasped in pleasure as her husband started sucking on her nipples with vigor. The two then wrapped it up after Warrior put her down and let her recover; Wizard bent over and one of Warrior's two clones plunged into her and rapidly slammed into her butt yet again as she groaned in bliss.

To spice things up, the clones, and the original actually swapped places while in the middle of thrusting into her tight, swollen womanhood and eventually, the clones had burst inside her womb, and Wizard's womanhood was slick with Warrior's abundant but useless seed as he took her as well. Afterwards, she was completely spent, and Warrior held his wife when they sat down in the water. He then watched her gasp and pant as her mind was overpowered by the bliss he drowned her in. He then smiled with pride as Wizard smiled brightly and gazed at him as her mind finally cleared.

The two then got dried off, and walked back to their rooms as Warrior's erection finally died down, and Wizard got in bed again.

"I think I'll go." Warrior said.

"Come back soon o.k...?" Wizard groaned as Warrior looked at the unfocused yet blissful look on his wife's face and then smirked before leaving. When he got downstairs, he put the box holding the pill with the rest of his wife's stuff, before joining her in bed.

* * *

In the morning, Fighter woke up to see Ranger sitting next to her, and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Good morning baby." Ranger said.

"Good morning baby." Fighter said before sitting up, not bothering to cover her breasts as Ranger's eyes feasted on them. "Seen enough?"

"You know what I'm going to say to that." Ranger said simply.

"Right..." Fighter said before sniffing.

"Made some breakfast for the two of us." Ranger said as he pointed at the cabinet he set it on, which included fish, potatoes, and broccoli.

"Aren't you sweet..." Fighter said, and they went from his eyes feasting on her breasts, to their mouths feasting on the food. "Hey, eyes on what you're eating. Can't have you making a mess on the blankets."

"No...we...can't..." Ranger teased and Fighter sucked in a breath at his tone of voice before they chowed down. "How's your ass?"

"You know I haven't had any pain since I was healed, but thanks for asking." Fighter said.

"Right." Ranger said before they each took their last bite, and Ranger removed the tray holding their dishes, and he removed his pants before laying down at her side, under the blankets."I believe I owe you a massage...should be easy once I learn that clone spell myself."

"Oh, I get my own orgy with clones of my muscle-bound husband?" Fighter asked.

"Maybe..." Ranger trailed off before Fighter pulled him into a hungry kiss and he got on top of her as they continued mashing their lips together. Eventually, he pulled away as Fighter caught her breath. "First...would you like a massage"?

"Would I ever." Fighter said as she laid down on her front as Ranger sat up...and looked over her enchanting legs and buttocks before going for her legs. She moaned and chuckled in bliss as Ranger's hands dug into her flesh, and groped and squeezed her from every angle, and went back and forth between each of her powerful, yet thick-skinned legs, especially between her legs as she trembled in pleasure. "Aren't you going to touch my butt? I know you like it more."

"Until the image of you getting an arrow through it goes away, I'm not going to even think about it, even though your butt still looks as inviting as ever." Ranger said.

"Good to know." Fighter teased before Ranger got back to work on her legs, and gave her calves and feet some attention as well.

"We...should try our new shower." Ranger said.

"That would probably be better..." Fighter said and the two morphed on their underarmor to cover up until they reached the bathroom, and Ranger ran the water as Fighter leaned against the wall, and eventually turned him around and pulled him into another kiss. He then broke the kiss and pinned her to the wall, with both of them panting in atnicipation. After a moment of staring at each other, he kissed her with passion instead of hunger, which reminded her of why she always wants his touch: despite how much fury he held deep down, there's no fury for anyone close to him, least of all her. "You used to touch me like this all the time a year ago..."

"I remember. You weren't as big as you are now, but dear Supreme you were just as beautiful." Ranger said softly.

"And you have gotten more handsome...something I didn't think was possible." Fighter said while caressing his face, and received another kiss from him.

"Do you remember...last time we were like this?" Ranger asked.

"I mentioned you fucking me against the wall..." Fighter breathed out.

"Would you still like that?" Ranger asked and Fighter smirked.

"Did you take any potion? Because I didn't." She said.

"As a matter of fact, I have." Ranger said.

"In that case..." Fighter said as she put his hands on her chest...and he tears her underarmor open, watches her breasts spill out of their confines, and stuffed as much of her plump flesh into his mouth as he could. She groaned in bliss as her man vigorously licked her nipples and continued ripping off pieces of her clothing. She held his head against her stimulated breasts the entire time, and moaned even more as his hands found her hips and buttocks and dug into her toned yet plump flesh. Ranger then groaned as Fighter fondled his manhood and felt it swell even more than it already has."Tell me...do you prefer my body dry or moist?"

"Right now...dry." Ranger breathed out before kissing her neck and getting her hands run across his rippling back and shoulders. She then wrapped one of her thick legs around him, and he held her up by the butt, put her completely against the wall and slipped his manhood into her entrance as she gasped in pleasure while he slowly and gently thrusted into her. She then pushed him back, and he removed himself from her body as she turned around and bent over before he reentered her body. "You...like this position...don't you...?"

"Just...want you to...know my...ass is...fine...oh _yes_!" Fighter breathed out as Ranger continued pounding her until she eventually reached her orgasm. Ranger then removed himself from her body as she straightened out, and they got in the waterfall. The pair then got to work massaging, caressing, kissing, and of course soaping and washing each other, with no small amount of care given to each motion.

At one point, Fighter made a trio of clones, and Ranger soaped their breasts for them one by one, and gave them playful squeezes in exchange for his ears being filled with their pleasured gasps and moans. When he was done soaping their breasts, they all held their breasts up for him to play with, and he rubbed and groped them all, with one clone getting all the attention at one time. Before he could get too carried away, he stopped so they could all rub their lovely breasts against his bulk, from his chest and abdomen, to his back, to his legs, before he got in the water fully and washed himself off.

The three clones then rubbed their large, shapely butts against him while he rubbed their womanhoods with his fingers, and listened to their euphoric moans, all of which picked up overtime until they each reached their own orgasms. He then pressed the clone who had an orgasm first against the wall since she had the most time to recover, and then sucked on her neck as she let off a chuckle, and the original watched her husband fondle the clone's deeply-curved butt...as Ranger looked the original in the eye and made sure she was watching him play with her clone's flesh.

Fighter then went over and stopped Ranger, re-absorbed the clones, and Ranger had to hold her up as the pleasure made her body lock up. She then took a moment to get a hold of herself, before looking up at him, and couldn't help but smile at the loving man whose arms she was now in as she wrapped her arms around him in return.

"Feeling better?" Ranger asked as she snuggled into his chest.

"Oh yes...will you ever stop being good at making love?" Fighter breathed out.

"Not as long as I'm making love to you." Ranger said before pulling Fighter into the deepest and softest kiss they could have.

"Did you have to tease me by getting these greedy hands all over her ass like that?" Fighter asked seriously.

"Don't tell me you mind all of a sudden." Ranger said, and Fighter put his hand on her butt for him.

"Does that answer your question? Now...be a good husband and _spank_ me." She said sensually and Ranger hit her butt just like he was told, as Fighter chuckled and continued kissing her lustful yet affectionate husband as he kept fondling her butt. She then stopped him cold and backed up. "Alright...that should get me by for a while."

"I still can't believe you let me see Miss Goblin Slayer's ass with the recaller..." Ranger teased.

"Hey, you saw Wizard's naked breasts once, and don't get me started on Witch, or especially Sword Maiden...and you still prefer my body. Right?" Fighter asked.

"What kind of question is that? I kept my hands off the vampire queen, and her body is on-par with all of theirs, plus...need I remind you about my encounter with the Sword Maiden after she healed my burns?" Ranger asked.

"You made your point...anyway, I do appreciate how much you value my body." Fighter said and Ranger touched her face.

"And I _love_ the heart that beats inside it." He said softly, and Fighter smiled as he pressed his lips against hers. She then wrapped her arms around him, and two then spent the better part of a minute holding each other against their bodies, with their lips fused together without an ounce of force, or even any groping or caressing. In that particular moment, the rest of the world meant nothing...just like their first kiss.

"I can't remember the last time we kissed like that..." Fighter said with a sob-choked voice.

"Nor I...but that's probably why it was so sweet." Ranger said as Fighter actually started weeping before he held her close.

"I love you so much." She whispered.

"And I love you." Ranger said as he ran his hand through her freshly-washed hair and gazed at her smiling face before pressing his forehead into hers. Fighter then pulled Ranger to their knees and starts kissing his neck and pressing her breasts into his chest over and over while Ranger turned his head to give her a better angle of his neck. She then wrapped her legs around his waist and lowered herself onto his manhood, and held his shoulders as Ranger sat against the wall and squeezed Fighter's flopping breasts and watched the few strands of her soaked hair that weren't glued to her shoulders flail about as she rode him with her face lit up with a toothy smile.

Ranger eventually met her movements with his own thrusts with her butt rubbing against his thighs with each motion. Her throaty moans inspired him to continue his movements as she rode him harder and faster, with him thrusting in-sync with her the entire time as her womanhood practically crushed his organ with how tight it was. She then threw her head back, let out an elongated moan, and spasmed out as she finally climaxed before collapsing on Ranger's chest, while continuing to involuntarily flex with the aftershocks of her intense orgasm. The pair continued sitting in the water with his softening manhood still inside her as she caught her breath despite the steam filling the air, and the waterfall continued pouring down on them.

"I am so happy..." Fighter breathed out.

"Apparently. I can still feel you shaking." Ranger said and Fighter giggled. "Did I ever tell you how sexy you are with you spasm like this?"

"I'm always sexy in your eyes." Fighter said.

"True, but when I point it out..." Ranger trailed off.

"Then I'm truly shining right?" Fighter asked.

"That's not how I'd put it, but yes." Ranger said.

"You know I say it the way you wouldn't on purpose." Fighter said.

"Right...but still, you twitching out in pleasure like that? Ho boy..." Ranger said.

"You know you're still inside me right?" Fighter teased.

"Keep that up and you're going to get fucked twice in a row." Ranger said.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Fighter said with a raised eyebrow.

"Good point, but...we should get out sooner or later." Ranger said.

"Right, but...could we sit like this a bit longer?" Fighter asked with her eyes brightened.

"I cannot say no to that face now can I?" Ranger said and Fighter snuggled into his chest while sighing dreamily. "I remember the first time we were like this; the first major part of your body I touched when we were like this was your chest...and seriously, you have really nice breasts." Ranger said.

"Thank you very much my dear." Fighter said.

"As for the rest of you? Well...I'm pretty sure I made my feelings pretty clear." Ranger said while caressing her thighs.

"Legs made for stomping." Fighter said sensually.

"And an ass made for grabbing, although...your legs are still good for grabbing." Ranger said.

"Your whole body is good for grabbing; if Warrior is a hob compared to a goblin, you're a champion...which is more distasteful than I thought it would be." Fighter said.

"That is probably one of the best metaphors for goblins there is." Ranger said.

"Still...you were quite handsome when we met, but nowadays? I don't think I'd be able to stop staring at you, even in the middle of a battle." Fighter said.

"Well...I was staring at you more than my fair share of times too, like when you helped Goblin Slayer burn down that fort a year ago...I couldn't stop staring at your butt to save my life." Ranger said.

"I also recall how the elf queen gave us our space in that hot spring...in hindsight, it was pretty odd being so exposed like that. Then again, she probably forbade everyone else from entering until we were done." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"I wouldn't put it past her." Ranger said before Fighter kissed him.

"I'd like to have our own moment like that at some point, here, in the Temple of Law, you name it." She said while caressing his face.

"Anything for my love and life." Ranger said before Fighter tightened her hold on him.

"You haven't called me that in too long..." She whispered.

"I'm sorry." Ranger said.

"It's alright. If the Sword Maiden can handle...that, I can handle you waiting a while to use our phrase." Fighter said before sighing. "This is like that minor weeping spell I had a while ago."

"Hey, emotions are fickle sometimes, just look at how I was at the pond the first time you hugged me." Ranger said.

"That was different; you were a complete wreck at the time, and for good reason." Fighter said.

"Right..." Ranger said, and with that, they got out, dried off, and after Ranger groped Fighter's butt one last time, they put their suits back on, checked on their baby, and left for the Temple of Law.

* * *

"Welcome back." Sword Mage said as they rest of the team joined him and Priestess.

"Any news on the goblins?" GS asked.

"Well, the good news is that the goblins near any populated areas are finished." Priestess said.

"But the bad news is that the goblins are focusing their efforts on the heart of the Deadlands, specially...the Goblin Overlord's citadel." Sword Mage said and Warrior scoffed.

"He has his own citadel? How bad could it possibly be?" He asked, and Sword Mage raised an eyebrow before using a recaller to show the citadel...and it heavily resembled the Hell Ripper, only it was an entire city wrapped up into a mountain-sized fortress. Warrior then stared at the structure as the rest of the team glowered at him. "Son of a _bitch_..."

* * *

**What's that saying about "being careful what you wish for"? Well, in this case it's more like "don't jinx it" but still. Anyway, scratch more goblins, and chalk up another Bronze Rank for the team. Also...Warrior has a point: using goblins to test weapons on is pretty disrespectful, even by goblin standards, but at least Summoner got two hot wives now, and is a priest of the Love Goddess officially. Who knows what he and his big sis will come up with to help the team, but I guess the rest of you will have to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait, and stay tuned of course.**


	48. Chapter 23 Part IV

**Happy Labor Day people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I actually wanted to do this part as an addition to the previous chapter but, nah, too much to do. Although just a warning, this chapter will have a few twists in it's timespan because of how much happens, or doesn't happen, so let's get going.**

**Review Response: No kidding, hitting forts at nauseam tends to do a pretty serious number on the goblin's numbers. What do you mean they learned not to tempt fate? And for that matter, may I ask why you haven't been anywhere near as descriptive as you were in Year One? Like what was so enjoyable in the last chapter specifically?  
**

* * *

"Dear Supreme, look at this mess." Sword Saint said as she, Hero and Sage looked over a ruined fortress full of butchered goblins.

"This has "Ranger and Goblin Slayer" written all over it." Hero said.

"They're waging an all-out war against the goblins. This shouldn't be a surprise." Sage said.

"Still. I'm amazed those guys never complain about how much they have to wash up." Hero said.

"They're probably used to this. They've been at it for an entire year now." Sword Saint said.

"Right." Hero said before the ladies kept going until they reached a temple. "Hey, didn't we pass this place before, and wasn't it completely run down?"

"Maybe someone rebuilt it." Sage said.

"Hey, there's someone going inside." Sword Saint said, and Hero led them to see who it was, and lo and behold, it was Elder Revenant absorbing the souls of the goblins, out of the bodies that the vultures no doubt pecked clean.

"If it isn't our favorite dead guy." Sage said as said dead guy went inside, and Hero went after him.

"Are you nuts!?" Sword Saint asked as she and Sage went after her. When they entered, Elder Revenant was sitting on a stone bench with his scythe's blade facing behind him as he looked at a mural in the back.

"Hey. Long time no see." Hero said and Elder Revenant side-glanced at her. "What? Not happy to see one of your living friends?"

"We're not friends." Elder Revenant said dryly before continuing to look ahead.

"Right. Who's friends with a servant of death?" Hero said.

"That's not the point." Elder Revenant said.

"What are you doing here?" Sword Saint asked.

"I sensed millions of souls littering the Deadlands, and I discovered this temple to my lord was restored by the new archbishop. This warranted further investigation." Elder Revenant said.

"And?" Sword Saint asked.

"No and; that's it." Elder Revenant said.

"So...you just came here because you just happened to be here at the right time? The Death God didn't send you here?" Sage asked.

"Of course not." Elder Revenant said as he got up and went further into the temple...and looked the place over. "This...this is where I became what I am..."

"What?!" Hero asked in awe.

"Yes..." Elder Revenant trailed off as he looked around...and the memories came back. When he saw a mural of a man laying on a table with priests surrounding him, he recalled how he was in that position, and then how they summoned the Death God to take his soul, and replace it with a piece of the Death God's will itself. He then recalled how he fought through a small horde of demons, just to get to the soul of a woman they sacrificed to the Demon Lord before her soul was damned, and how he used the powers of death to rip through them, which included his scythes channeling said power to slice through the demons' very life forces despite the scythes themselves not breaking skin, and it ended with one scythe being casually plunged into the side of a demon's head before he left the chamber.

"Are you alright?" Sword Saint asked and Elder Revenant sighed.

"I was just recalling...nevermind." He said before moving on.

"That's you on the wall isn't it?" Sword Saint asked and Elder Revenant stared at her, which made all three ladies nervous.

"Yes..." He said before walking away and leading them down a hallway. "I wandered this world, and others so I could take any souls that needed to reach the afterlife, and it all started here. I discovered a few decades into that crusade that the reason I was raised here, is because there weren't enough revenants at the time. Among the things they taught me was that life and death were interchangeable; being dead, and being alive were not only there to balance each other, but also that there's no difference...and I believed that for five..._thousand_ years, never once questioning it...until now."

"Sorry but...did I hear you correctly? They specifically raised you to become a revenant?" Sage asked.

"You heard right." Elder Revenant said.

"Why are you telling us this?" Sword Saint asked.

"Because you're right." Elder Revenant said and she raised an eyebrow. "When we last met, you told me that the living do concern me because I used to be alive myself, and that I aided living people as well as the dead...and I exercised that same hypocrisy for millennia. I must be the greatest fool in the country."

"Well, at least you know better now, and as Ranger once said: Heaven is sweetest when you've tasted hell first." Hero said.

"As one who has been to both Heaven and Hell...I can tell you he is correct." Elder Revenant said.

"Nice to see you and Ranger on good terms for once." Sage said.

"Oh zip it." Hero said and Elder Revenant kept going down the hall, until they reached a chamber with a stone table in the middle like the one in the mural.

"This is where you were turned isn't it?" Sword Saint asked.

"Yes..." Elder Revenant whispered before approaching it and looking it over as the ladies searched the room. Elder Revenant then recalled the moment he stared into the eyes of the Death God himself before having his soul removed...then killing the same priests who raised him at the Death God's decree. The moment that memory ran it's course...he recalled the moment Sword Maiden made him feel alive and cringed with a hand over his chest and inhaled deeply. "Sword Maiden..."

"I found something!" Hero exclaimed and her teammates rushed over to see the book she was holding.

"Yeesh. Becoming a revenant doesn't sound too fun." Sword Saint said.

"But at least it's not done by accident." Hero said.

"That being said about the people who are either groomed, or give up on life to become walking corpses that harvest souls." Sage said dryly.

"Our undead friend lived with it for five millennia." Hero said.

"And now regrets it from the look of it..." Sword Saint said seriously yet softly as she looked over the revenant who was still looking over the table.

"Maybe we should leave him be." Sage said and Elder Revenant walked out.

"Or not..." Hero said.

"Where are you going?" Sword Saint asked.

"I have more souls to harvest...and I need a sacrifice to use to summon the Death God." Elder Revenant said as he walked outside, and left with the ladies following him at a distance.

* * *

Back at Water Town, Ranger and Fighter were in their backyard throwing punches and elbows at each other, and occasionally trying to kick each other and failed miserably every time. Neither wore their armor minus the plating covering their arms and legs, but they were so evenly-matched that neither of them landed a single hit to their heads or torso, and even if they did hit each other...their life-boosting pendants would ensure that's not a huge loss. It was like their first spare all over again...only this time, they took pauses, usually after one grabbed the other, in order to catch their breath, and let the tension sink in before deeply kissing and caressing when it got too heated. When things died down, they backed up and continued their match.

Eventually, Fighter wrapped it up by getting behind Ranger, grabbing his waist, and picking him up over her head and tried to piledrive him, but he caught himself and reversed the attack by throwing her behind him with his legs, but she avoided injuring her back by landing like a cat. The two then stood there looking at each other panting and smiling before she marched up to him, yanked him into a series of passionate kisses as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed her curves against him...before she giggled into their kiss.

"You get solid way too easily." Fighter teased.

"Fighter...baby...we were attached at the waist since Day One; being attached at the waist literally is virtually poetry." Ranger said seriously and Fighter stared at him.

"Wow...even during a scrap you're the most poetic man I know." She said and Ranger ran his hand through her hair...that was in a ponytail for the first time in ages.

"Ironically, I meant that in the same context you meant...but who cares?" He said.

"Let's just go inside and see our child." Fighter said before they did just that: Ranger watched Fighter supervise their child as she played with some building blocks, and then when she had enough of building and destroying the houses they made, Fighter took their child to the bathroom to clean her with lukewarm water and some soap. Ranger couldn't keep himself from smiling at his two favorite girls the entire time; fighter has always been a loving person, but with her daughter in her arms...she wasn't even human.

When she was done, Fighter let Ranger dry their baby off with the same gentleness he always shows with their daughter. After Fighter was done breastfeeding their baby and put her back in her crib, they went to their room, took their clothes off, and laid down together..before Ranger began sucking on her breasts himself, much to her delight. She held his head against her pillow-like breasts as he swirled his tongue around her nipples like the master he was and went back and forth between them as he sucked on one breast, and groped and fondled the other. All the while, her pleasured gasps spurred him forward to remind her of the euphoria he has the ability to drown her in. He then released the breast he was sucking on, watched it bounce and looked up at her smiling face as he kept kneading her plump flesh.

"Should I wrap this up?" Ranger asked and Fighter thought for a moment.

"Let me make a clone; I want to watch you." She said before Ranger let her breasts go.

"You mean watch me return the pounding you gave me?" Ranger teased.

"Right..." Fighter said with a smirk.

"Well..?" Ranger asked, and Fighter then made one copy of herself, who then stood up, and gave Ranger a quick kiss before rubbing her butt against his hip. She then bent over the bed as Fighter herself got up and hung onto Ranger's side as he looked over the clone's perfectly-shaped buttocks that matched Fighter's perfectly...including the lips of her womanhood which was already dripping with her fluids and ready for his manhood to be stuffed into it.

Ranger couldn't keep the clone waiting as he rubbed the clone's butt and hips, earning him a giggle from her as he looked eyes with Fighter, who quickly glanced at the clone. He got the message right away, and spread the clone's cheeks before slipping his manhood through her moist, swollen lips, and into her womb. The clone rewarded his thrusts by immediately moaning her lungs out as Ranger mated with her, and making his favorite sound: the plopping sound his groin makes when he slams into her flawless butt.

Fighter continued holding Ranger as his entire body flexed with the same power the clone felt as Ranger relentlessly thrusted into her from behind. Fighter watched the same organ her husband used to give her a child get shoved into her clone,and be removed afterwards multiple times every second. Ranger himself watched his manhood slip in and out of the clone's entrance, which matched the sweet friction he and the clone felt perfectly, especially with her musical throat being put to good use.

Ranger then groaned himself as the clone's womanhood tightened around his thick, rock-solid organ as she convulsed with an orgasm...and continued doing so as the well-build man behind her continued thrusting into her impossibly tight entrance until he groaned with his own orgasm. Fighter herself caressed him from top to bottom as he and the clone caught their breath. Ranger then removed his softened manhood from the clone's body. Fighter then reabsorbed the clone, anticipating the orgasm coming her way...but it only somewhat helped; she was still overwhelmed by the pleasure and collapsed on the bed, with Ranger doing the same.

"Hell of a show..." Fighter groaned before Ranger groped her butt.

"I'll bet, and when I master that clone spell...you'll get fucked as many times over as you want." He said and Fighter exhaled deeply.

"Don't torture me baby." She said.

"I'd never. You're too beautiful, and too loving to hurt...but not too beautiful and loving to consume." Ranger said.

"Right..." Fighter said before getting up, and then turning her head to see Ranger's eyes glued to her butt. She then smirked and backed up closer to him as he sat up. She then let off a horny chuckle as he roughly gripped her buttocks with a fleshy slapping sound, and kept standing there letting him grope, rub, and squeeze her flawless butt from every angle for the better part of a minute while she graced him with an alluring smirk. Fighter even flexed her buttocks occasionally to give Ranger's hands a contrast between how soft it was when relaxed, and how hard and strong it was when flexed...just like the rest of her lovely body.

"You know I was tempted to bite you quite a few times?" Ranger asked while continuing to fill his hands with her flesh.

"That's...I don't know how to process that..." Fighter said.

"I'm not going to, but...licking your breasts is enough." Ranger said.

"Says the man who can't keep his hands off of my ass." Fighter teased.

"And said to the woman who's ass might as well have glue on it whenever my hands are on it." Ranger said.

"That's it..." Fighter said before turning around, pushing Ranger back down, and making another clone. Ranger then sat up as the clone mashes her lips against his while wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Fighter herself then watched her lucky clone get her breasts squeezed and fondled while passionately lashing tongues with Ranger. When she finally breaks the kiss, she lowers herself onto Ranger's manhood and immediately groaned in pleasure as his organ filled her womanhood.

Fighter then watched her clone buck her hips as her tight, moist entrance swallowed her husband's swollen manhood, gasping and groaning in bliss all the while. Ranger meanwhile watched the clone's enticing breasts bounce and her hair flail about while he groped and squeezed her round, and supremely fleshy buttocks which was slamming and rubbing against his rippling thighs as it rapidly flexed and softened as she took his manhood into her lower body. The entire display made the organ the clone was stuffing herself with swell even more, which made the clone slow herself down, and savor the increased friction, and the raw satisfaction of being filled up so intimately.

The clone's moans completely replaced her gasps as Ranger couldn't resist her lustful noises, and the power she displayed, and thrusted up into the clone's entrance to double the _sweet_ friction as her clone drew more power from her dense and vigorous muscles to help buck her hips with more force and less speed. Ranger groaned as her womanhood tightened enough to practically crush his organ while she kept rubbing her flawless butt against his thighs and enveloping his manhood with her body.

The clone then squealed and laughed in surprise and delight as Ranger picked her up with his hands holding her up by the butt before continuing to stuff his swollen manhood into her with Fighter continuing to watch him do so with interest. The clone moaned and gasped in pleasure as Ranger continued to rapidly mate with her, with her musical throat inspiring him to mate with her harder and faster, but as always, never roughly. Ranger then slowed down and Fighter's clone tightened her legs around his waist and bucked her hips in-sync with him while he dragged his tongue up her neck while his hands dug into the flesh of her buttocks even more.

Ranger then locked eyes with Fighter herself who was sucking in deep breaths and staring at her husband as he stood there holding up her clone with his mighty muscles practically straining as he kept thrusting into the lucky clone in his arms as passionately as ever. He then slipped out of the clone, and she stood on her own two feet before kissing Ranger deeply and noisily as the two caressed each other and moaned in bliss, especially since Ranger's powerful hands were filled with the clone's strong yet plump flesh.

She then placed her hands on the edge of the bed as she bent over, and Fighter got an even better angle as Ranger spread the clone's butt cheeks with his hands, and thrusted into the clone with even more vigor than before. The clone's throat became dry as she kept moaning with Ranger's groin making musical slapping sounds as he slammed into her butt with impressive speed and power.

The pair continued devouring each other until the clone moaned and spasmed as an orgasm flooded her mind, and Ranger did the same, while thrusting into her a few more times to make the omnivorous bliss last as long as possible. Fighter then looked over the clone's unfocused and blissful face as she giggled with the aftershocks of her orgasm, and Ranger looked her over as well as he panted as well with his own euphoria.

Fighter then locked lips with Ranger as he removed himself from the clone and Fighter absorbed her, moaned in delight while claiming her husband's mouth with her own, and the two took their place on the bed and casually massaged each other. From him running his hands through Fighter's hair, caressing her thick, milky skin, to lazily kissing her neck and groping her breasts, nothing on her beautiful body went unattended. Meanwhile, Fighter was stroking his enormous muscles, from his arms, to his back, and rubbed her thighs against his waist. She even pressed the breast Ranger wasn't kissing against him, and then gripped his manhood that was still slick with both their fluids.

"How much hunger do you have woman?" Ranger groaned.

"As much as you bestow upon me." Fighter teased as she kept running her hand along his length as he groaned and laid down flat as she put her head on her husband's chest and he closed his eyes to focus on his wife handling his most prized body part. "You're such a good man, giving your loving wife the pleasure you promised her; being the husband you promised to be, and the complete badass you promised the country you'd be."

"You always gave the greatest encouragements, in bed...and out in the world." Ranger breathed out and Fighter stopped stroking him.

"I would continue but...I think you've had quite enough." She said.

"True. Well, before we break this mattress, how about we get going." Ranger said.

"Right...unless there's anything you have left in your system?" Fighter said before she snuggled into him. He then ran his hands through her hair, and she casually placed kisses on his chest, then his neck...and kept at it. Ranger groaned in bliss, flexed enough that she felt how much strength he still had, and she moaned into his neck as he held the back of her head.

"Enjoying yourself...?" Fighter asked before licking his neck.

"Oh yes..." Ranger breathed out as he felt his dazzling wife drag her tongue along his neck.

"I sure am. Although you fuck better than you taste." She teased.

"Oh really? Is there anything I do better than fuck you?" Ranger asked and Fighter sat up.

"That's the least fair question you've ever asked." She said seriously.

"If you say so..." Ranger said before groaning as Fighter gripped and fondled his manhood again.

"You know...truth-be-told, watching you stick this little thing into one of my clones over and over is in the top ten percent of things I love to watch." She teased.

"Little...?" Ranger asked.

"Oh that was _completely_ ironic; I'm amazed it fits inside me so well." Fighter said.

"I'll bet..." Ranger breathed out.

"I'm serious; you're not the only one who has quite a body to work with." Fighter said as she rolled the tip between her fingers.

"Lady...either give me another clone to fuck, or get off of me..._now_." Ranger said seriously, before giving his wife one last spank as she got up, and both of them got dressed, and kissed one last time before they left to take a soak in the waterfall. When they got there, Fighter made three clones and they all soaped and massaged Ranger from head to toe, and of course used their lovely breasts as sponges, rubbed their thick legs and deeply-curved butts against him, kissed and licked his neck, shoulders, chest, back and abdomen, and fondled his manhood, all while he rewarded them with pleasured groans.

Fighter herself soaped and rinsed her hair as she watched her husband have a good time with her clones, which she then absorbed after they were done. She then washed Ranger's hair and then pulled him into a kiss that quickly escalated when they rubbed their entire bodies against each other...which included her fondling his dense manhood and him rubbing her entrance with his fingers. Ranger then groaned as one stream of his seed after another sprayed all over Fighter's lower belly, but she never stopped until he was completely soft again, and he responded in kind as his fingers slid up and down the swollen lips of her womanhood, and her knees buckled as she had her own orgasm. The two then sat down with her butt in his lap, and Ranger casually kissed her neck and listened to her chuckle and moan while he groped and rubbed her breasts, legs, and hips.

"And you ask about _my_ hunger..." Fighter breathed out while Ranger continued wrapping his entire hand around one of her breasts while the other rubbed her belly.

"Not my fault I have the most passionate, and most voluptuous woman in the frontier in my arms, who also happens to be better at shredding goblins than she has a right to be." Ranger said.

"Oh really?" Fighter teased as Ranger continued working her flesh.

"Oh yes...I'm amazed I'm not getting hard again just thinking about it." He said and Fighter stopped his actions, turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck and smirked as he stared at her breasts.

"Most women would find that unsettling...but when have I ever been most women?" She asked sensually, before Ranger turned her head to him.

"It's not the shredding that makes me desire you...it's that power you exercise." He breathed out.

"The same power I promised would always be available to you." Fighter said before passionately kissing Ranger and chuckled as he groped the side of her buttocks as she rubbed it against his lap. She then broke the kiss, and graced Ranger with a toothy grin, before kissing them again and lashed tongues with him,..before he clapped onto her breast and went back and forth between her nipples as she gasped and threw her head back as he swirled his tongue around her nipples and groped her breasts themselves with his powerful and loving hands.

* * *

At the guild hall, Cow Girl was sitting on a bench, with her hair cut short again, watching the rookies train on obstacle courses, and sparring each other with Ranger's dad supervising them. She then looked over her new Bronze Rank tags and smiled to herself; it won't be long until she's Silver Rank like GS...who happened to be on his way with Wizard.

"There you two are." She said.

"Why are you waiting here for us?" GS asked.

"Everyone else is inside, and I wanted to see where you were." Cow Girl said.

"Wizard needed me to check on that gateway attack she and her brother were working on. It looks fine to me." GS said.

"One would hope so. We've been working our asses off on it." Wizard said.

"It shows." GS said.

"Well...nice to see you're both back." Cow Girl said.

"You said everyone else is inside?" GS asked.

"Yes I did." Cow Girl said.

"Goblin Slayer, you go ahead, I'd like to talk to her girl-to-girl." Wizard said.

"Alright." GS said as he went inside.

"What's this about?" Cow Girl asked.

"I...I also did a physical on him...it wasn't good. You once said how you were concerned about his health and...like I said, it wasn't good." Wizard said and Cow Girl gulped.

"Dare I ask?" She asked.

"Where do I start...? He had so many scars I couldn't tell where one started and another ended. When I looked at his muscles and bones themselves...same deal; his scars ran pretty deep, and don't get me started on his internal organs; his stomach and intestines alone had signs of being ruptured and then healed again. Thank the Supreme alchemy came a long way since I was Porcelain Rank." Wizard said and Cow Girl deflated.

"That's what I was afraid of. What did you have to do?" She asked.

"Well it took more than a simple potion that's for sure. I actually had to persuade him to let me give him a biological reconstruction; I had to do to him, what that alchemist did to that elf archer lady at the demon hunters' fortress. The results were an almost complete success despite how much of a Platinum Rank pain-in-the-ass it was, but I blew through more materials than I'm comfortable talking about; turns out powering a magical machine takes more raw materials to work than I thought." Wizard said.

"Say what?" Cow Girl asked.

"Long story, but every now and then I make trips to the oceanic city via a gateway, and I was allowed to buy some materials from them. One of which was a machine that let me do...well, what I said I did. Granted I had to work out..._alot_ of bugs, but it was worth it. I probably increased his lifespan by at least five years too." Wizard said.

"Thank you so much." Cow Girl said before hugging Wizard, who returned the embrace a moment later.

"I never got a chance to ask, but why did you cut your hair?" Wizard asked.

"I just thought this suited me better, plus I actually mind having hair too long in the middle of a battle." Cow Girl said.

"Funny, none of us have that problem; even I don't." Wizard said.

"Well...I do." Cow Girl said.

"I meant I don't get why you stand alone." Wizard said.

"Me neither, but when this is over, I might grow it back." Cow Girl said.

"Suit yourself. Want to come inside?" Wizard asked.

"You go ahead, I'll catch up." Cow Girl said.

"Alright." Wizard said before she went inside, and eventually, she got more visitors.

"Welcome back." Cow Girl said as Ranger and Fighter approached.

"Hey. Where's everyone else?" Fighter asked.

"There's getting their lunch, and you're just in time apparently." Cow Girl said as they looked inside to see everyone at a table eating ,drinking and talking.

"Aren't you hungry?" Ranger asked.

"I've already eaten, and last I saw them they were recapping our feats to some rookies." Cow Girl said.

"Figures..." Fighter said.

"Honey, could you give the two of us a minute?" Ranger asked.

"Why not?" Fighter said before she went to join their team.

"Yes...sir?" Cow Girl asked and Ranger hugged her.

"I'm proud of you. Despite everything, you got your hands on your very own Bronze Rank, and I can practically hear a Silver Rank marching your way." Ranger said and Cow Girl smiled before returning the hug.

"I'm on a good team...and have a good teacher." She said softly before they kissed each other's cheeks.

"You really would make a solid ranger, but you're a solid Goblin Slayer already so...eh, semantics." Ranger said.

"Right." Cow Girl said.

"Do you know what you're going to do after you get rid of the Goblin Overlord?" Ranger asked.

"Wait, first off, you're not coming?" Cow Girl asked.

"I didn't say that; we haven't even discussed our plan of attack yet. Now, could you please answer me?" Ranger asked.

"Well...me and Goblin Slayer talked about that, and...we might end up living at that fort in peace, although if you need us, don't hesitate to let us know. I for one plan on continuing to keep myself as ship-shape as I am now." Cow Girl said proudly.

"I'm sure you do." Ranger said.

"I even told Goblin Slayer he wouldn't need to be the Goblin Slayer anymore and...he actually told me and I quote, I will always be the Goblin Slayer." Cow Girl said.

"Why am I not surprised...? Have you looked at the farmlands yet?" Ranger asked.

"Yes we have, although...there's not much to them; most of the time, the farmers are in the city hawking their produce or getting involved in other things. I'm alittle amazed they can get as much done as they do." Cow Girl said.

"Well, they live next to a city with master alchemists; maybe they have their hands in this." Ranger said.

"Maybe..." Cow Girl trailed off.

"Didn't think of that eh?" Ranger asked.

"No I did not. But whatever, let's go eat." Cow Girl said as they went inside and saw the rest of the team eating, drinking and eventually talking.

"So, what's new?" Ranger asked.

"Well, I sent a letter to my sister." H.E. Druid said.

"What would you need from Her Majesty?" Ranger asked.

"To prepare my wedding." H.E. Druid said simply and several people exclaimed.

"You too?" Wizard's brother asked and D.R. took H.E. Druid's hand.

"The two of us really bonded over the course of this month, and after hearing about...our other dwarf friend, I told him to marry me." She said.

"Yep. A dwarven demon hunter and an elven princess. How charmed it that?" D.R. asked.

"But...seriously, dwarves and elves are infamous for not getting along. No offense, but that's bound to raise a few eyebrows." Ranger said.

"We'll blast that bridge when we come to it." H.E. Druid said and Warrior raised his mug.

"To Dwarf Shaman." He said, and the rest joined in and took a sip...except for H.E. Druid who raised her mug last.

"In life he was a pain in the ass, but in death...he is an inspiration." She said somberly before drinking her ale and slammed the mug on the table with her head lowered.

"There is no shame in taking time to grieve Lady Archer." Lizard Priest said.

"That would probably be best." H.E. Druid said as she stood up and let go of D.R.'s hand.

"Your Highn-" She cuts him off.

"Don't...I appreciate everyone's concern, but I need to be alone for a bit." H.E. Druid said before walking off.

"Well shit..." Wizard said.

"Let her go. If she needs her space, she needs her space." Ranger said, and the next hour was spent continuing to feast and then train other rookies in various ways. Eventually...Summoner and his trainees showed up.

"Nice of you all to join us." Summoner said.

"Very funny." Fighter said.

"How is your goblin hunt going?" A.C. asked.

"Well, we've been hitting every single goblin nest close to a populated area, and we're going to get back on it later on." Cow Girl said.

"Sorry we haven't been keeping you in the loop." Priestess said.

"Don't worry about it. We've had our own training to do, what with our patrols around the city keeping an eye peeled for criminals, demons, and even spies." R.C. said.

"Speaking of demons, their presence has been...underwhelming as of late." Summoner said.

"Maybe they just wised up and called it quits, or maybe my threat to the Demon Lord paid of." Ranger said.

"Wait...you threatened the Demon Lord?! Ranger, you've got more hangers than a closet." Summoner said and several people laughed.

"I suppose so." Ranger said.

"Oh, by the way...I'm a quartermaster now." R.C. said.

"You're kidding." Fighter said.

"Not at all." R.C. said.

"How'd that happen?" Wizard asked.

"Let's see, we got in touch with the guards, we proved how well we could handle supplies, and to top it all off, thanks to my lovely wife being there to empower me, I'm basically a one-man worker force." R.C. said.

"It's also helps I got over my fear of spiders." A.C. said.

"What?" Warrior asked.

"She mentioned she got over her fear of spiders before, remember?" Fighter asked.

"No...I did not." Warrior said.

"To be fair, it was a pretty obscure moment." Wizard's brother said.

"Anyway, the two of us were on a spider extermination quest with Heavy Warrior and Female Knight, and...seriously, just the little spiders put me on edge; a cave full of spiders three feet wide was a nightmare, especially with dead people infesting the webs. I actually told myself I would have nightmares over it...and I was right." A.C. said while breathing hard, and R.W. held her hand before she got a grip. "We also had one of our revenant friends with us."

"Wait...you mean that Elder Revenant who makes the first one we encountered look like a pushover?" Warrior asked.

"Apparently." R.W said.

"So long-story-short, it became apparent that even giant spiders are easily-beaten by any adventurer worth their salt, and my fears went away...and even the nightmares I had were easy to deal with." A.C. said proudly.

"We're well on our way to becoming Silver Ranks ourselves." R.W. said.

"We're glad for you." Priestess said.

"Damn straight." Rhea Fighter said and the others either nodded, smiled, murmured in approval, or any combination of the three.

"Thanks." A.C. said.

"Now, about that revenant...?" Priestess trailer off.

"What about him Your Grace?" R.W. asked.

"What part did he have in this?" Priestess asked.

"Well...he was there looking for something, but ironically wound up being a walking shield for us. One time a spider came out of nowhere, sank it's fangs into it's chest...then he cursed it to rot down to it's...bones, cartilage...?" R.W. said.

"Spiders don't have either; they have a hard shell that holds and protects their insides." Wizard's brother said.

"O...k...well in any case, he never said anything about what he was after aside from showing it was a piece of an armor." R.W. said.

"The Abyssal Hide. That's what it's called, and guess who's wearing it." Warrior said as he pointed at GS with his thumb.

"You're kidding me..." A.C. said.

"Not at all." Wizard said.

"So...is it good?" R.W. asked.

"Is it good? Is it good?! He took a storm of arrows that tore through the rest of our armors like it was a storm of pebbles!" Warrior said seriously.

"Abyssal Hides are a gigantic fuck you to even the laws of magic, nevermind nature. I.e. those arrows were enchanted with the same space magic that Sword Mage's sword uses, and-" Summoner cuts Wizard off.

"The goblins are using magic weapons, that's new..." He said.

"And...it's getting worse. Anyway, the Abyssal Hide resisting space weapons pretty much confirms that it's basically unbreakable; if something resists something that tears through the fabric of space...yeah, you might as well slit your own throat." Wizard said.

"Noted." Summoner said.

"You know seeing that revenant got two fangs through his heart and lungs was...pretty unsettling." R.W. said.

"It's not easy to kill someone who's already dead." Wizard said.

"What about the vampire queen?" Ranger asked.

"Or the zombies she had working for her?" R.W. asked.

"Or the rest of the vampires?" Warrior asked.

"None of them were in league with the Death God!" Wizard snapped before getting a grip. "Sorry, please continue."

"Anyway...when that spider bit him...he didn't even seem bothered; I nearly had a heart attack when it happened. I know revenants don't feel pain, or anything for that matter, but still." A.C. said.

"So how did you conquer your fear?" Cow Girl asked.

"I had to fight some while everyone else was occupied, and...well, I just discovered they're not so tough, as long as me and my team fights smart. But, what else is new?" A.C. said.

"The revenant also killed their queen...so to speak." R.W. said.

"Thank the Supreme he was there to fight it for us; that thing was a living nightmare." A.C. said nervously.

"Speaking of nightmares, how was that matter handled?" Fighter asked.

"Surprise-surprise, my new husband handled that, and no we didn't do the deed; he was just there to ease my panic." A.C. said.

"Can't argue with that." Ranger said.

"Well, that was a nice chit-chat, but we have some things to do." Summoner said.

"Alright, lead the way boss." R.W. said and they left the team to what was left of their meal.

"So...I did some more research on that specialist we brought back, now I'm not finished, but it's extremely apparent they aren't human." Wizard said.

"What? They look human to me." Fighter said.

"On the outside, but on the inside...good luck not telling them apart from a human being." Wizard said.

"Any idea why that is?" Ranger asked.

"I did say I'm not done." Wizard said.

"Well excuse me..." Ranger said and H.E. Druid came back.

"Sorry, I...lost my cool." She said.

"Are you alright now?" Cow Girl asked.

"I'll live." H.E. Druid said.

"So...are we going to not talk about the citadel?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"What's there to talk about? That place makes the vampire queen's fortress look like a baby's crib." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: we'll need another army to deal with it?" Warrior asked.

"What was your first clue?" Wizard asked.

"Oh, just the sight of a mountain-sized, demonic fortress in the middle of a place with less life in it than a field of dead goblins." Warrior said dryly.

"Yeah, that's a good clue..." Cow Girl said.

"Are we ready for the next assault on the goblins?" GS asked, and the team looked at each other and nodded.

* * *

The next week went by without too much of an issue, although the number of goblin-slaying trips was...underwhelming. Ranger wound up handling most nests by himself and then they just went home, even though the team got to witness his usual over-the-top brutality. From him calling down a meteor and smashing an entire nest in one blow, to unleashing a plague upon an entire fortress, and of course robbing the place blind, to the team watching him rush at a fort head-on. The 11th Platinum Rank dashed at it directly, deflecting and dodging every arrow shot at him with his twin swords, and then grappled up to their ledges, butchered them, and then switched to his greatsword and made the ground shake and debris fly all over the place as he smashed the entire place to pieces and splattered every goblin in the area to a paste.

On some days, he simply let the others do the killing while he looted the place, and sent the stuff to Water Town with his portal gem. He watched the rest of the team slaughter goblins with their usual brilliance the whole time as well. Wizard and her brother roasted dozens of goblins with fire, paralyzed the hobs so someone else could knock them down, like when Warrior severed one's head after it was paralyzed and fell to the ground, and Fighter kicked it's rolling head into another, before yanking it down with her cables, and Warrior stabbed it through the face as it came down.

The Wizard siblings themselves continued roasting and incinerating hundreds of goblins in each nest, and she sliced them apart with her glaive, and her brother crushed their heads with his mace. Either of them, or Ranger for that matter burned down the wooden fortresses, or they even used flaming arrows like old times...if the Wizard sibling didn't blow the forts up with Mana Bolt, or Warrior didn't blow them up with his new Thunderstrike miracle he discovered he could use. Wizard then used a gateway scrolls to try an elemental trap like they planned...and it worked wonders: a stockpile of molten metal she and her brother placed in the sewers of Water Town was teleported through the scroll and engulfed an entire fortress, and when they were done...the fortress was melted down as well, like it was never there.

* * *

After Ranger absorbed the metal after it was cooled off, the team went back to Water Town for some R and R, and more practice for their most advanced moves, especially with Ranger's ability to fly, which of course he did in secret. Priestess got on her role as archbishop with Sword Mage actually making notes about what was going on while she was away, and she made amends in response. From giving due promotions to some people who showed their mettle in their respective fields, inside or outside the guild, to transferring resources to where they're needed, and even giving quests to adventurers herself. The quests were mostly supply quests with the occasional investigation quest, and the worst case that happened was when all but one member of the four-person group came back without an injury, and the case was when a minor natural disaster happened, and a landslide caught them. Several members of the Temple, including Inspector used healing spells and miracles to get the group back on their feet, but now Priestess had some thinking to do.

"Your Grace?" Sword Mage asked as he walked into the main chamber.

"I was just thinking about that group that came back..." Priestess said softly.

"They understood the risks." Sword Mage said.

"No...no one could've. I'm just glad no one died." Priestess said.

"I suppose that's a good way to look at it. What about the one who wasn't hurt? How did he handle it?" Sword Mage asked.

"Not well. I spoke to him personally and...he felt guilty for not sharing their fate; he confessed that he felt pride that they were hurt and he wasn't. He even questioned whether or not he's worthy of being an adventurer." Priestess said.

"And?" Sword Mage asked.

"He told me that he knew he should feel guilty, but didn't know if his guilt was enough to vindicate him. His exactly words. In return, I told him that he wouldn't be worthy if he wasn't guilty, and he should see this as a cautionary tale of what could happen on quests. I also told him that if he was truly arrogant, guilt would have no say in this, and would lead him to become no better than the Evil Sect." Priestess said.

"You demonstrate why you're the archbishop more and more every day Your Grace." Sword Mage said with a bow.

"Ironically, I feel alittle guilty myself by making him afraid of becoming like the Evil Sect, even though he shed his fear right away." Priestess said.

"With all due respect, there is no shame is making people afraid of the consequences, especially if those consequences aren't your fault. Even more so when you give fair warning about those consequences being part of the equation." Sword Mage said.

"That is true. Thank you Sword Mage." Priestess said.

"My pleasure." Sword Mage said.

"Before you leave...and I regret not asking you this sooner, have you given any thought to having a woman in your life?" Priestess asked and Sword Mage recoiled.

"No...I have not. May I ask where this is coming from?" He asked.

"I have seen love blossom in the lives of not only my family, but people outside of my family. I'm curious if you either were, or intend to be one of them." Priestess said and Sword Mage took a moment to think.

"Well...I have been involved with some women over the centuries, but it never lasted; they either stopped loving me, left before I could tell them my feelings...and in one case, the woman I cared about died from a sickness." He said.

"Oh...I'm sorry." Priestess said somberly.

"She was human; I would've outlived her regardless. Although, I estimate I will die in less than a century, if the history of human-elf hybrids are anything to go by." Sword Mage said.

"Haven't you said that before?" Priestess asked.

"I don't recall." Sword Mage said.

"Anyway, is there anyone else you have eyes for, or is there anyone who has eyes for you for that matter?" Priestess asked.

"Well, there was that Noble Fencer woman whom I fought beside when this city was assaulted, and her lightning magic was impressive, and she is reasonably easy to look at, plus her devotion to serving this county in what few ways she can is admirable...but I never looked at her in anyway that wasn't professional." Sword Mage said.

"She cannot say the same." Priestess said and Sword Mage sighed.

"I...I will consider this. Is there anything else you require?" He asked.

"Not at the moment." Priestess said, and Sword Mage bowed and turned to leave. "Wait...there is one more thing."

"What is it Your Grace?" Sword Mage asked and Priestess turned to the alter behind her.

"Nevermind how I am as archbishop, do you think I'm a worthy replacement as the Sword Maiden?" She asked.

"No one can replace the Sword Maiden...just like no one can replace the Priestess." Sword Mage said and Priestess tensed up and lowered her head as her enforcer left her alone to weep in silence. She hadn't thought of it like that at all, and it hit her..._hard_.

* * *

The rest of the team spent their spare time showing some rookies how it was done with Ranger watching from the sidelines. His presence inspired the rookies to give it their all...even though their desire to show off made them make stupid mistakes that cost them, mostly in the form of them getting knocked down, sometimes by Fighter when she fought no less than three of them. To be fair, the same trio had the same luck against Cow Girl, and it was a safe bet they didn't want to fight the two ladies because of their looks. Ranger then turned to see that Female Summoner was approaching.

"Nice to see you sharing your wisdom with the others." She said.

"This is hardly new." Ranger said.

"All the better." Female Summoner said.

"Are you enjoying yourself in Water Town?" Ranger asked and Female Summoner sighed.

"The city itself is as pleasant as ever, but...even aside from the somber fact the Sword Maiden was murdered there, the Temple of Law is one of the most depressing places I've ever been to. Those women you saved from the goblins are a mess, even with their minds and bodies being healed." She said.

"Right..." Ranger whispered.

"Seriously, every time I go there to check on them, I keep hearing them ask "how could they" over and over. Did I mention the place is depressing?" Female Summoner said and Ranger tensed up.

"Yes...and I seriously wish you hadn't." He said.

"Sorry." Female Summoner said and Ranger sighed.

"Forget it. This isn't the first case I've seen, and I doubt it'll be the last." He said and they went back to watching the team train the rookies, and this time, Wizard was up against some mages, and they used ice magic in combination with each other against one of her fireballs, and it was a stalemate. The entire area watched the exchange in total silence, until Wizard launched their spell into the sky.

"Nice going. If I hadn't deflected it at the last moment, you would've gotten me. Now, show me what else you've got." Wizard said, and they tried another series of ice spells that she used a weakened Reflect spell to protect herself.

"Is she serious? She could get killed." Female Summoner said.

"She'll be fine." Ranger said.

"Are you certain?" Female Summoner asked.

"She's dealt with far worse; we're Gold and Platinum Ranked for a reason." Ranger said and the mages stopped using their magic as Wizard lowered her Reflect spell.

"I think you've had quite enough. Go get a magic-restore potion and meet me back here in an hour." Wizard said as the mages left murmuring to themselves about how outclassed they were.

"She's not even tired." Female Summoner said.

"Like I said, she's dealt with much worse." Ranger said.

"Dare I ask?" Female Summoner asked.

"I don't know where to start." Ranger said seriously.

"Alright then. May I ask if you trained them yourself?" Female Summoner asked.

"As a matter of fact, I have." Ranger said.

"Must have been quite an endeavor for them, training with the infamous Ranger." Female Summoner said.

"Infamous?" Ranger asked.

"Yes. When I asked around, everyone talked about you like you were a force to be reckoned with, and their voices were filled with relief, as well as fear. It's like they're glad you're on the side of good, but absolutely _dread_ the idea of having you as an enemy." Female Summoner said.

"Well...that does make sense." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"I even asked why they were so scared of the idea when there was practically no chance of you turning evil, and it turns out that it was just the idea itself they're scared of, nothing else." Female Summoner said.

"Unbelievable. We've known each other less than a month and you know me almost as well as the Sword Maiden does." Ranger said.

"I heard numerous claims from numerous sources, and I believe what I heard and see, especially the proof is right in front of me." Female Summoner said.

"If these rookies follow that trend, then forget Silver, they'd be Gold Rank in a reasonable amount of time." Ranger said.

"Speaking of which...a handful of them using that kind of teamwork against a Gold Rank was pretty impressive." Female Summoner said as Rhea Fighter swapped out with D.R. who trained some people with shooting guns.

"Some of them asked me if I could vouch for them before the War God." Ranger said.

"And?" Female Summoner asked.

"I let them know the War God's path, but I doubt most of them will be willing and able to do more than summon a weapon or two." Ranger said.

"Figures." Female Summoner said.

"They're probably hoping that they'll get a fast road to greatness...like your first brother did for me." Ranger said.

"I remember that...he's come a long way since becoming an outlaw." Female Summoner said.

"From an outlaw, to the Sword Maiden's guard...and husband." Ranger said.

"Is it true that they mixed their ashes together and put them in the same urn?" Female Summoner asked.

"Yes it is." Ranger said and Female Summoner shook.

"That's so romantic..." She whispered and Ranger looked at her to see her eyes watering.

"That man really loved her." He said softly and Female Summoner dried her eyes.

"Well, at least he's at her side, where he belongs." She said.

"On top of that...he introduced me to the War God, so if it wasn't for him, I never would've become Platinum Ranked, and get everything I did done, and don't get me started on everything my team did since becoming Gold Ranked." Ranger said.

"Right..." Female Summoner said as the training resumed, with Rhea Fighter training with some rogue-type rookies, and she took full advantage of her size by flipping over and ducking under their attacks...if she didn't weave around them. The way she made them look around for her and fail to attack her, especially after tripping over each others' feet made Female Summoner giggle. "They're having less luck then the others did against the girls."

"Well, it's no secret that facing an opponent someone is attracted to tends to take away their will to fight, even if they're spoken for." Ranger said.

"In this case though...bigger isn't always better." Female Summoner said.

"Right. Oh, here comes your brother." Ranger said and pointed to where Summoner was coming, and his sister went to hug him.

"That hair fits you like a glove..." She said.

"I'm never cutting it again." Summoner said as he let his sister go.

"So...what's the deal?" Ranger asked.

"I just wanted to talk to you two, especially her. But also...well, I'll let them speak for themselves. Demon hunters in training! Front and center please." Summoner said and R.W. and A.C. walked up to them.

"Do...you know if it's possible to serve the Supreme God, and the War God at the same time?" A.C. asked.

"I supposed so, but if you're asking me to vouch for you, forget it." Ranger said.

"What? We can hand-" Ranger cuts R.W. off.

"No you can't, and you're certainly not going to become Platinum Ranked as a result of it." He said.

"O.k...where did that even come from? We're just curious." A.C. said.

"Sorry, but I'm getting alittle sick of people walking up to me with the opposite intentions to what they're supposed to be, although...this isn't the first time a servant of the Supreme asked me about the War God." Ranger said.

"What?" R.W. asked.

"Remember the time I gave you that greatsword? Well, I spoke to Inspector beforehand, who happens to be a priestess herself last I checked. I even used the miracle of Smith to create it." Ranger said and R.W. recoiled and pulled the sword out.

"All this time..." He trailed off.

"Yep. That's a gift from the War God himself." Ranger said.

"Well, then it's both a good and a bad thing it's rarely used; it's a weapon, but it's still good only for training, and it's good for remembering certain times. Right?" Female Summoner said.

"I guess." R.W. said.

"So...could you at least make them advocates of the War God like I am?" Summoner asked.

"I suppose...follow me." Ranger said as he led the pair away, with the two summoners leaving. They then spotted Fighter leaving the arena to do her own thing...and then she ran into an old friend.

"Guru?" She asked as she saw the man sitting on a carpet as some people left.

"Hello my dear. Good to see you again." Guru said as Fighter bowed to him.

"Likewise. May I ask what brings you back?" She asked.

"I simply wanted to visit, and those people were interested in their chakras like you were. In fact, how have you done since I taught you?" Guru asked.

"If it wasn't for my chakras, I would've died in several situations, from the vampire queen's forces, to an archdemon, to multiple goblin fights." Fighter said.

"Oh...well, it's a good thing I came to you when I did..." Guru said.

"You can say that again." Fighter said.

"It's a good thing I came to you when I did." Guru said and smirked at Fighter as she deadpanned at him.

"Hilarious. I also talked to my husband about the chakras...but I've never seen him use them." She said.

"Oh well, he will use them when he uses them." Guru said.

"Right. It's not like they're going anywhere." Fighter said.

"Most definitely not." Guru said.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you again, but I have to get going." Fighter said.

"Good luck in your future endeavors." Guru said as he put his hands together and nodded, as she returned the favor.

"Good luck to your initiates in theirs." Fighter said before leaving, and ran into Priestess holding her baby and talking to Cow Girl who took the baby.

"Fighter?" Priestess asked.

"Welcome back Your Grace." Fighter said before hugging Priestess.

"Where's Goblin Slayer?" She asked.

"Last I saw, he was with our resident elf princess talking about how Ranger said he'd would make a good one, and she agreed with them." Cow Girl said.

"Oh yeah, that's right. She's a ranger herself. How'd I forget that?" Fighter said.

"Any news from Her Majesty about the wedding?" Priestess asked.

"Not yet. But there's no way she'd leave her sister hanging like this." Cow Girl said, then H.E. Druid showed up.

"Would you do me a favor and send me to my sister with that portal gem?" She asked harshly.

"What's wrong?" Priestess asked.

"She actually sent me a letter in return, and she's concerned that me being with a dwarf might make cause problems." H.E. Druid said.

"What? She seemed o.k. with it last time we saw her." Fighter said.

"My thoughts exactly, now send me to her." H.E. Druid said and the trio of ladies looked at each other before Priestess used the portal gem to send her to the forest city, and H.E. Druid took the gem with her as she went through it.

"Why do I feel like things aren't going to go well?" Cow Girl asked.

"She and her sister are very close, but she apparently loves our new dwarf companion, so she probably feels conflicted." Priestess said.

"She has a good point; I'd hate if my feelings for Ranger conflicted with my feelings for my father. Thank the Supreme they hit it off from the first moment." Fighter said.

"Same goes for me, Goblin Slayer, and his sister." Cow Girl said.

"Ranger told me about his encounter with his sister in Heaven...she sounds like a great woman." Fighter said.

"She was; she was like a second mother for me...I miss her." Cow Girl said somberly, and Fighter hugged her.

"You can use the Ether Gazer if you'd like." Priestess said and Cow Girl thought for a moment.

"No...I'm going to wait until we leave to go after the Goblin Overlord, to make sure I really know what I'm fighting for at the best moment." She said and Fighter chuckled.

"My husband is rubbing off on you." She said.

"Yes...he is..." Cow Girl said softly before weeping into Fighter's hair, and Priestess watched the two women stand there holding each other. "I love you..."

"I love you too...sister." Fighter said, and after a while, the two separated, Cow Girl dried her eyes, and the three went inside...and saw dozens of adventurers dancing, rhythmically clapping, and banging on tables as none other than Sword Mage was dancing across several table with even more speed and vigor than he displayed at the wedding, and Bard was there stung his lute.

"Oh, welcome to the party ladies." Guild Girl said as she subtly danced along.

"What's going on here?" Cow Girl asked with amusement.

"It's a celebration. Dozens of adventurers graduated and got their Porcelain Ranks, and dozens more got Obsidian and Steel Ranks while you were away, and now they organized this." Guild Girl said.

"Unbelievable. A year ago getting a Porcelain Rank was just the start, now...people are throwing parties over it." Fighter said.

"It wasn't a big deal back then." Guild Girl said.

"That is true..." Fighter said as the ladies kept watching the festivities.

"They sure look like they're having fun." Priestess said as Sword Mage continued spun and rhythmically skipped across the tables. The ladies also noticed some staff, and other civilians joining the festivities...including Noble Fencer who couldn't take her eyes off the holy knight on the tables dancing like a master.

"Your Grace? Did you...talk to Sword Mage about...the thing we mentioned?" Guild Girl asked and they spotted Sword Mage kneeling down, offering a hand to Noble Fencer to join him on the tables, and after frantically looking around to see people motion for her to join him, she took his hand and joined him, and she couldn't stop blushing and smiling as Sword Mage watched her...and her lack of confidence showed with her trying to keep up with him, and failed. He then eventually snatched onto her as she squealed in surprise, and the crowd clearly supported them.

"Does that answer your question?" Priestess asked and Guild Girl nodded with the smirk never leaving her face a Noble Fencer got thrown around and got pulled to her crush, and the music, and dance ended with Sword Mage dipping Noble Fencer, and the two stood there looking each other in the face panting as the crowd applauded.

"This makes his dance at the wedding look like playtime with my daughter." Fighter said seriously as Noble Fencer caught her breath, got off the table with the crowd praising Sword Mage's moves, and Noble Fencer herself joined the ladies at the desk, and sat on a chair backwards still overwhelmed.

"Wow..." Noble Fencer breathed out.

"Have fun?" Cow Girl asked.

"Did I have fun...? Did I have _fun_? That was the most fun I've ever had!" Noble Fencer said seriously.

"Apparently." Fighter said with a smirk as Warrior came in. "You do not know what you missed."

"No kidding. What did I miss?" Warrior asked.

"I just finished...dancing with Sword Mage...and it was _intense_!" Noble Fencer said.

"Apparently." Warrior said with a raised eyebrow.

"That's what I said." Fighter said.

"I wasn't here lady; how could I know that?" Warrior asked.

"So what's going on?" Cow Girl asked.

"Well, the rest of them are still training the rookies, with me doing most of the work by the way. The Mrs is also studying that specialist we picked up earlier." Warrior said.

"Specialist? You mean those cheap-ass bastards that move too fast to track, run around hiding behind everything, hit you in the back, cripple you, break through everything you throw at them when you can't do anything about what they can do?!" Noble Fencer snapped with the others staring at her as she ranted.

"Yes...them..." Warrior said.

"We also almost lost Ranger to them multiple times since we've known them." Fighter said seriously which made Guild Girl recoil in horror.

"Again?!" She asked, and Fighter nodded. "They're not going to stop until he's dead are they...?"

"Not likely. It's as if they were bred to fight him..." Warrior said.

"I sincerely hope not. Just the idea of a person who can take him down terrifies me." Guild Girl said.

"Join the club lady..." Warrior said.

"He's still not alone." Priestess said seriously.

"Right." Fighter said.

"I ever tell you it was a specialist that put me in that vat you found me in?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Once or twice." Cow Girl said.

"Make it three times then." Noble Fencer said simply.

"Well, I'm going to get some lunch, and maybe give our fans some love." Warrior said before leaving, and Fighter shared a look with Priestess before getting their own lunch.

The next hour was spent with the team showing up one by one to get their own lunch, with Guild Girl, and her co-workers sorting things out, and then getting their own lunch. The Summoner siblings had lunch by themselves, which made sense since they haven't seen each other in years and likely wanted to catch up, or make up for lost time. No one knew for sure, but they respected the pair's privacy. When they were done, Guild Girl went back to work, and Warrior sat by the desk with her, waiting for Ranger and Wizard who still didn't return.

"Where are those two?" Guild Girl asked.

"Who knows. My wife's always been a workaholic, and the boss is probably throwing some trainees a bone." Warrior said.

"That's what they do...that's what they do..." Guild Girl said, before she got some more papers worked through.

"Won't be long until the last goblin bites the dust." Warrior said.

"The sooner the better." Guild Girl said.

"You know, every time we went on a goblin-slaying trip this week, I half-expected them to give us the finger by rebuilding the Hell Ripper and using it to jump us." Warrior said.

"I sincerely hope that never happens. That thing should stay destroyed for the sake of the entire country, not just yourselves." Guild Girl said.

"No kidding. There's a reason we've been fighting this little war against the goblins for over a year. Wow, to most people, going after goblins is, or at least was a starter quest, for Goblin Slayer it's a mission...but for us, it's a full-fledged war." Warrior said.

"A war I for one am happy you're waging on behalf of the whole country." Guild Girl said seriously.

"Although recently, it was more like a series of massacres- well, it's always been a series of massacres, but especially now...and especially in the boss' case." Warrior said.

"Let me guess: he was carrying you most of the time?" Guild Girl asked.

"Not really carrying us, but...well, let's just say he and Goblin Slayer are practically the same person, but with different attitudes towards goblins." Warrior said.

"That doesn't make any sense..." Guild Girl said.

"Well...the thing is, the two hate goblins and neither are afraid to show it, but they go about showing it in pretty different ways. Sure, Goblin Slayer does some messed up things to them but Ranger makes it _personal_." Warrior said.

"I'm alittle afraid to ask..." Guild Girl said.

"Oh you couldn't pay me to give a list of what he does, but be that as it may...are you aware of just how Goblin Slayer works?" Warrior asked.

"He...never really talked about it..." Guild Girl said thoughtfully.

"Well, normally he just takes out one goblin, goes to the next one, and then keeps going until he wins, and when he does win, he just gets on with his day. Ranger however...takes his time, just like the goblins themselves do, only he doesn't get rid of his honor obviously." Warrior said.

"Really?" Guild Girl asked.

"One time, we invaded a fortress full of goblins, found a woman chained to a wall, and when he approached her, a goblin ambushed him, and he made one of his super-huge gauntlets, grabbed it by the face and started suffocating it as it frantically tried to stab his hand to free itself." Warrior said.

"Yikes..." Guild Girl said.

"It gets worse. Ranger was so pissed off at what happened to the girl that he heated the gauntlet which of course cooked the goblin's face. I'm still amazed the smell didn't bother him." Warrior said as Ranger came in.

"It's called retribution, and not one tear should be shed over that little bastard." He said seriously.

"Where were you boss?" Warrior asked.

"Well, our sweet little elf princess came back from yelling at her sister, metaphorically, and we had a talk about who should come to her wedding, and-" Guild Girl cuts him off.

"Wait a minute! There's another wedding?" She asked.

"Yes, between her and our new dwarf companion. Anyway, she also asked me to talk to the queen, and I had to vouch for him...as much as I could anyway; I barely know him personally. She also said me, and the rest of you should come since, and I'm directly quoting her, "we are still indebted to you for saving our home"." Ranger said.

"Nice lady." Warrior said.

"You don't know the half of it." Ranger said.

"Can me and Inspector come? And the summoners of course?" Guild Girl asked.

"I don't see why not. It's in 48 hours though." Ranger said.

"That's plenty of time to get ready." Guild Girl said.

"Well, I'll go let everyone know." Warrior said, as Ranger sat down.

"What were you two talking about?" He asked.

"Mostly the goblin war you're waging." Guild Girl said and Ranger huffed in amusement.

"That's probably what historians will call this: The Goblin Wars. Has a nice ring to it actually..." He said thoughtfully and Guild Girl deflated.

"Ranger...do you enjoy hurting goblins?" She asked.

"In a word? No. In more than one word: I don't hurt them because it pleases me, I hurt them because they have displeased me." Ranger said.

"I get it...well, in any case, I can't tell you how much of a service it was, and is, to go after the goblins and do other things as well." Guild Girl said.

"Inspector mentioned how much of a load off your mind it took." Ranger said.

"She couldn't have been more right; almost no one took the goblins seriously, and now look where we are: they probably amassed in that citadel you told me about because no one got on them." Guild Girl said.

"Also because we pushed them into a corner out of both fear and necessity, but I see what you mean." Ranger said.

"Right." Guild Girl said.

"As for us doing other things? Well...I know Goblin Slayer never did anything but kill goblins, but why should we?" Ranger asked.

"That is a good point. You climbed through the ranks much faster than most people, and you did it by mixing it up in ways most people never think about." Guild Girl said.

"Like imbuing our blades with dragon blood?" Ranger asked.

"You remember that?" Guild Girl asked.

"I just now remembered, and I'm abit upset that I haven't thought of it in ages." Ranger said.

"Well, it was still impressive. And speaking of those blades, where are they?" Guild Girl asked.

"I swapped them out for my armor...best trade ever." Ranger said.

"What?" Guild Girl asked.

"Well...I can't say too much, but I offered them to the War God in exchange for this armor." Ranger said.

"How does that work?" Guild Girl asked.

"I just said I can't say too much." Ranger said.

"Alright, I hear you." Guild Girl said, and then sighed.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"It's just...it's hard to believe it's almost over..." Guild Girl trailed off.

"You have any plans to celebrate the goblins' extinction?" Ranger asked.

"No...but I'm definitely going to sleep better knowing that nobody else is suffering because of them." Guild Girl said.

"I don't even know how to celebrate myself, but we're getting _far_ ahead of ourselves." Ranger said.

"Right...well, on behalf of the entire country, thank you so much for putting a nail in the goblins' coffin." Guild Girl said.

"That has got to be the darkest thing you've ever said." Inspector said as she approached.

"Oh shut it." Guild Girl said.

"Where have you been?" Ranger asked.

"Talking something over with one of the trainees actually." Inspector said.

"Must be nice having a priestess of the Supreme to dump your troubles on." Ranger said.

"Hey, giving people a hand is my obligation." Inspector said.

"O.k. bad choice of words, but still." Ranger said.

"How much of our talk did you hear?" Guild Girl asked.

"Just that last thing about the goblins." Inspector said.

"Well, guess what? We've got another wedding to prepare for." Guild Girl said and Inspector squealed.

* * *

H.E. Druid was outside talking to some elf trainees in their tongue when Ranger came outside, and the group broke up.

"What do you want?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I just had an idea...you know how you used to get on Goblin Slayer about going on a real adventure?" Ranger asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I think it would be a nice pre-wedding gift if you and I did one." Ranger said and H.E. Druid looked right at him.

"Are...are you serious?" She asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ranger asked.

"You and I have never done anything serious together, even though we rangers apparently have to stick together." H.E. Druid said.

"That is true, but better late than never right?" Ranger asked and H.E. Druid sighed.

"That is also true...what do you have in mind?" She asked.

"You'll find out..." Ranger said.

* * *

"You call looking into a freak accident an adventure?" H.E. Druid asked as Ranger surveyed a collapsed tunnel.

"I call it a start. Besides, no one died in this tunnel, or so Her Grace told me." He said.

"As good as that news is, how are we going to-" H.E. Druid shuts up the moment Ranger morphs his gauntlets, and removed the debris piece by piece as she took cover. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Take it easy you big brute! You almost got dirt all over me!"

"You've dodged worse." Ranger said simply before getting back to work.

"I regret coming with you already." H.E. Druid grumbled as Ranger cleared the entrance...and then stopped cold before looking over the mouth of the cave again.

"This is no cave...it was a mountain pass..." He said.

"Yeah, look at the shape of the rocks. That doesn't happen naturally." H.E. Druid said and Ranger sighed.

"I came here once when I put my swords on the rack. It's not an important trade route or anything..." Ranger trailed off.

"But for how much longer?" H.E. Druid asked.

"My thoughts exactly. We need to clear this place." Ranger said.

"How?! I can't shatter dams with a single punch!" H.E. Druid asked.

"Your point?" Ranger asked.

"I'm not strong enough to help you clear this." H.E. Druid said.

"Then save your strength for whatever comes up later. It's not lobotomy." Ranger said before punching out a chunk of rock so hard the ground shook. H.E. Druid then got to cover as Ranger worked relentlessly to clear the rubble for the better part of ten minutes; he could've done so faster, but working too hard was out of the question because he didn't want to start an earthquake and do more damage to the environment. When he reached the end, he sat down, and caught his breath.

"Life potion?" H.E. Druid asked as she handed one over.

"Thanks..." Ranger said as he downed the brew and handed it down.

"Have you been out here before?" H.E. Druid asked as they went down the mountain pass.

"I haven't even left home if I could help it while Fighter was carrying our daughter." Ranger said.

"Well, at least you had a good reason for not venturing out like this." H.E Druid said.

"And now I have one of the best reasons to venture out like this." Ranger said and H.E. Druid smiled.

"This really does mean alot, even though it got off to a rocky start...no pun intended." She said and Ranger snickered. "I said no pun intended."

"The pun still exists, even though it's a childish one, it's still good." Ranger said.

"Right..." H.E. Druid said.

"Our friendship, or association, whatever you want to call it also had a rocky start now that the memories have stirred." Ranger said.

"I remember. I used to make fun of you for using a crossbow that was simpler than most other crossbows, but that changed pretty quickly." H.E. Druid said.

"I didn't even want another crossbow because of how much slower they were than my original crossbow...but I didn't think of one being enhanced like it was. Boy did I feel stupid at the time..." Ranger said.

"Hey, I'm a hundred times your age, and I make stupid mistakes." H.E. Druid said.

"You may be a hundred times my age, but I'm a thousand times stronger." Ranger said.

"Don't remind me..." H.E. Druid groaned.

"I'm also a thousand times smarter." Ranger said smugly.

"What?!" H.E. Druid snapped.

"I'm kidding. I'm not that stuck up." Ranger said.

"That's what I thought you said." H.E. Druid said and Ranger scoffed.

"Well, you thought right..." He said with a snicker. The two then kept going down the pass...for over ten minutes with nothing happening

"This is turning out to be one dull adventurer so far." H.E. Druid said.

"At least there aren't any goblins." Ranger said and H.E. Druid thought for a moment.

"True..." She said, and about a minute later, they found a plain that had evidence of a battle.

"Wow...something serious happened here." H.E. Druid said as she surveyed the area.

"You don't know the half of it." Ranger said.

"What do you mean?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I did this, when me and the Hero's team went after the Evil Sect." Ranger said.

"Why am I not surprised...? Wait! They set up a base _this_ close to Water Town?!" H.E. Druid asked in alarm.

"Apparently." Ranger said and H.E. Druid looked over the place.

"To think they had a base this close to one of the most holy places in the country..." She breathed out.

"It makes sense. They laid siege to it multiple times in a row, and there's no way there weren't being coordinated from somewhere." Ranger said.

"That's pretty well-thought out. You ever think about becoming a general?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Lady...I have probably forgotten more about warfare than most people ever learn. But to answer your question: I'm not thinking about any part of my future until the goblins are wiped out, and I jam my greatsword up the Cambion's ass." Ranger said.

"Vivid. Now, to the matter at hand, this answers my theory about this pass leading to somewhere that may become important..." H.E. Druid said, and Cherub appeared, which surprised both of them.

"Sorry, I just thought you'd like to know that this place is a prime mining zone." He said .

"What?" Ranger asked.

"Mining for what?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Oh, iron, jewels, some precious metals like gold, silver, and even platinum, maybe some relics. Who knows?" Cherub said, and the lights went on in both their heads. "Yeah, what would you do without-" He shut up when Ranger and H.E. Druid made a beeline back to Water Town. "-me..." Cherub then poofed away.

* * *

The next week involved little more than a series of trips to the plain for a mining expedition, which was was prime opportunity for Cow Girl to work on her summoning with stone elementals with the two Summoner siblings coaching her if she needed it. She also drew power from the elementals to become a one-person mining team, with the rest of the team putting their own skills to work with Warrior and Rhea Fighter slicing up the ground with their swords, Fighter digging with her blades, Priestess being there to empower them, the Wizard's using their own elementals and familiars to dig, and use spells, especially Levitate to either move large chunks when their stronger teammates weren't there to help them, and Transmute to make their hauls larger.

Ranger and Lizard Priest used their armor and Partial Dragon forms respectively to do the most serious digging. H.E. Druid used her enhanced strength to do some digging, although most of the time she just carried the haul back and forth to their carts with her speed making the trips easier for her. Not only did that save everyone else time and energy transporting the goods, but also kept them from getting buried under their own haul. GS even got involved, and he and D.R. used bombs to collapse some tunnels, but that was done on purpose for once to soften the soil for digging.

When they were done in the two days before H.E. Druid, and D.R's wedding, half the plain had been dug up, and when they got back, Priestess commissioned an expedition of adventurers to make some easy money in the mine, as well as add to their war chest to fund the army they were going to need for the goblins' citadel.

Cow Girl even took it upon herself to look after the place so no one got any ideas...which went surprisingly well. She caught a multitude of men undressing her with their eyes, but some others recognized her as GS' girl and then backed off...while others required her to slice through a piece of stubborn rock with her enchanted sword like it was melted butter. After that, none of the men were turned on by her anymore. She even walked off with her inhumanly wide hips swaying and smiling innocently over by her display of power...which ironically made her even more daunting; a display of deadly force and an adorable mannerism do _not_ go together.

When it came time for the wedding...H.E. Druid dressed in the same gown the Elf Queen dressed in on her wedding, and D.R.'s interest in human culture showed; he dressed in a suit similar to the one Ranger wore on his own wedding, only...D.R.'s suit was custom-made for his size. When he finally saw his bride, and she saw her groom...it was like the time Ranger and Fighter saw each other before their blessing all over again. H.E. Druid even let her light green hair flow without the ties she wore keeping it contained.

The wedding itself wasn't much different from theirs aside from the fact that it took place in a forest, their were _alot_ more guests, most of the guests were elves...with a few dwarves who wanted to witness history of an elf princess marrying a dwarven soldier-turned-ambassador, and instead of the Sword Maiden...the wedding was being blessed by the queen herself. After she glorified the occasion of a union between an elf and a dwarf, especially her own sister as the princess and now a Druid, she chanted a blessing in the elvish tongue, that the elves in the audience joined in as the new pair embraced and kissed as husband and wife.

* * *

H.E. Druid then snuck her new husband away as the celebrations with the people themselves were underway, and they could barely hear the flutes, lutes, and drums as she pushed the dwarf onto the bed and removed her gown to reveal the new body she put herself through a secretive ritual to obtain...for _his_ sake.

All the while, D.R.'s eyes were glued to her breasts that were easily three times their original size, her hips that were at least twice their original width, and her muscles that were twice as large, but not overshadowed by her thick, milky skin he was itching to feel. The elf princess must've read his mind because she slowly but steadily removed his suit for him, but allowed him to get up and removed his pants before she pushed him back onto the bed and hover over him.

"What did your sister say...?" D.R. asked.

"Two loving souls, joined in union and love, meeting in war and muck, bathed in power and beauty, forever forged in Heaven's great fire." H.E. Druid said softly.

"Wow..." D.R. breathed out before his new wife caressed his face.

"Enough talk...make love to me." H.E. Druid whispered before D.R. pulled her into a deep and sweet kiss. She then flipped them over so her shorter lover-turned-husband could be on top, and they lashed tongues while running their hands through each other's hair.

"Wait...you know what's going to happen if we go far enough." D.R. said.

"My dear, as a druid, I can choose whether or not I get pregnant." H.E. Druid said.

"One of many reasons this was one of the best decisions I've ever seen anyone make." D.R. said softly, and H.E. Druid returned his bright smile as he caressed her face...and then fondled one of her ears, as she burst out laughing. "Ticklish?"

"Was before, certainly am now..." H.E. Druid said, and D.R. resumed stroking her six-inch-long ear as she continued laughing, and eventually stopped him and gave him a quick but sweet kiss before holding him close.

"I cannot believe I'm asking this, but...how does a woman like yourself go for two millennia and remain a virgin?" D.R. asked.

"A lack of princes for one thing, but also because...well, no one caught my eye, and as an elf, I was in no hurry to have a husband." H.E. Druid said.

"You didn't have any urges to satisfy?" D.R. asked.

"We elves aren't as hung up on sexuality as other races are. Besides...compare my body now to how it was." H.E. Druid said as she touched one of her breasts.

"You have a point there, but that doesn't change the wisdom of your choice." D.R. said seriously.

"Speaking of my choice...did I ever tell you that all my senses can be dulled or sharpened at will, including my sense of touch?" H.E. Druid asked.

"You didn't mention that last part no...especially not in this case." D.R. said and H.E. Druid replaced her hand with his own as he gently squeezed her plump flesh, as she gasped in bliss.

"Like...this for example...oh dear spirits that's good...!" H.E. Druid groaned while she spasmed out as D.R. handled her breast.

"If you keep your sense of touch at this level you won't survive this." He said seriously.

"Then...I'll keep it level..." H.E. Druid breathed out.

"Word play intended?" D.R. asked.

"Not at all, now shut up and make love to me." H.E. Druid said and D.R. fondled both of her new breasts, and she got more proud of them by the moment as D.R. rubbed and squeezed both her breasts at once. He then went down to her flat but toned abdomen and she giggled and tensed up as he caressed her sensitive core muscles, and then her enticing hips and legs.

She then flipped over and gave him a very nice view of her buttocks before she let off a horny chuckle as D.R. dug his hands into her perfectly round and supple cheeks and squeezed away. She rewarded him with blissful moans and chuckles the entire time, and shifted occasionally...which sometimes made her butt harder as her muscles flexed, but it didn't stop him from getting his hands on her fleshy lower body.

"Is my dear princess enjoying herself?" D.R. asked.

"Your dear princess would like to get her hands on you for once." H.E. Druid said seriously.

"Can't say no to that, now can I?" D.R. said as H.E. Druid grabbed him, made him lay down, and returned the favor by massaging his slender but lean muscles...then removed his underwear and sucked in a breath at the sight of his arousal. "Now you know one of the reasons people wear underpants."

"You remember me saying that?" H.E. Druid asked.

"What conversation between us do I not remember?" D.R. said.

"Clever dwarf." H.E. Druid said with a smirk.

"_Sexy_ elf." D.R. said before sitting up and pulling her down to kiss her with him on top. The elven princess then turned it up a notch by poking her tongue through D.R.'s lips, which made him groan in surprise, which quickly turned into fervor as their tongues danced around in their mouths. He then turned her head and licked and sucked on her neck as she gasped in bliss...he then went down on suck on her nipple and she gasped even louder and more rapidly as he sucked and licked her chest like a hungry infant.

"How are you so good at this...?" H.E. Druid asked.

"How are you still a virgin after living a hundred times longer than me?" D.R. asked as he backed up and fondled her breasts.

"Good point...although I'm not clueless." H.E. Druid said before flipping them over, sitting up to display her body in it's entire glory to him, and lowering herself onto his manhood...and groaning as he filled her impossibly tight entrance, and eventually broke her barrier. She then sat like that as her discomfort slowly faded.

"Love?" D.R. asked softly as he watched his wife sit there in discomfort.

"I...am a druid now, and I waited 2,000 years for this..." H.E. Druid breathed out as she let her womanhood adjust to being filled. When she did she moved up and down slowly but steadily as D.R. watched her muscles flex beneath her skin and her breasts sway back and forth as she eventually supported herself on her hands just above his shoulders. The princess then gasped as D.R. started licking and sucking on her nipples while fondling her breasts themselves.

Eventually she started bucking her hips and D.R. groped her butt as her sharp gasps turned into blissful moans as she rapidly swallowed his organ with her womanhood, especially when he thrusted into her in-sync with her until she went back to sitting on him. Occasionally, he stopped sucking her nipples to watch her breasts bounce around and her face twist in pleasure, as well as feel her butt and legs soften, and then go right back to sucking on her nipples. The pair continued consummating their marriage until she finally convulsed and let out an elongated moan as her first orgasm washed over her, in tandem with his own no less. When she got a hold of herself, she got off his lap and collapsed next to him trying to catch her breath as he did the same.

"There's nothing more beautiful for a man than seeing his woman enjoy herself like this." D.R. said as he got on top of her, and she graced him with a toothy smile before he locked lips with her.

"I enjoyed myself alot. This was totally worth waiting 2,000 years..." H.E. Druid breathed out.

"It was worth waiting only 20 years for...actually, you have me beat there." D.R. said.

"Took you long enough to figure that out." H.E. Druid said.

"Hey, I just gave you the time of your life." D.R. said seriously.

"And I thank you for it...and all the other good times you showed me." H.E. Druid said before pulling him into another kiss, one where H.E. Druid's tongue entwined with D.R.'s. Within, or outside of their mouths, the two added the flavors of each other's tongues themselves to the euphoria they were swimming in just minutes ago.

"You know what was going through my head this whole time?" D.R. asked.

"What?" H.E. Druid asked.

"The first time I got to see you naked, as a druid...it's the best sight I have ever seen, and it matched our relationship flawlessly." D.R. said.

"Oh?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Yes. You wold think it would be strange, but no...not at all; it fit us like a glove." D.R. said.

"Some would say it was strange, a woman letting a men she knew for less than a few weeks see her bare-skinned." H.E. Druid said.

"Your point?" D.R. asked.

"Cheeky devil." H.E. Druid said with a smirk...before flinching as D.R. groped her butt.

"Headstrong princess." He said before mashing lips with her again as he got on top of her, and she held him close.

"You know that mining trip was due to a quest me and Ranger had?" H.E. Druid said.

"I remember. People complained about the shockwave from his punch on the side of Water Town away from where you two wear. I'm never challenging him to arm-wrestling." D.R. said and H.E. Druid giggled.

"Ironically, he lost an arm-wrestling match to Orcbolg." She said and D.R. recoiled. "Relax, he wasn't wearing his armor."

"That...actually makes sense. Still, it was awfully nice of him to treat you like that." D.R. said.

"Yes...it was. I actually hope we can do that again when this is over." H.E. Druid said.

"But until then, let's enjoy ourselves here. If they need us again, they can come get us." D.R. said as he snuggled into her chest. "Wait a minute...what about my longevity?"

"We can find a way to transfer some of ours to you. I don't know how it works, but if I can get my body altered like this, you can alter your own body as well." H.E. Druid said.

"I sincerely hope so; you losing me to old age and living on without me is the last thing I want for you." D.R. said.

"I know...I love you." H.E. Druid said softly before kissing her new husband good night.

* * *

The rest of the five days of the week, the team continued looking for goblins...but no more nests were found the whole time, so they got back to their training, and of course supervising the mining trips the miscellaneous adventurers aided with in droves in-between training sessions with the team. Dozens of them were asked to join the siege of the Goblin Overlord's citadel, at first they were hesitant, but when information flowed about how the siege of the vampire queen's fortress went, any hesitation was crushed, and they lined up to ask about how to go about it.

GS of course stepped up to the plate and shared his knowledge about goblin behavior, especially their tactics, if you can even call them that, how tough they are, and how they've improved. All of this lead to them engaging in a mock war in Water Town's training area with different groups fighting in small contained areas to simulate caves, or other tight spaces, or just because the area was coincidentally small. Naturally, it was one member of the team vs multiple trainees or low, to mid-ranks since the members of the team were the strongest people in Water Town without question.

Ranger's turn came up...and his opponents were advocates for the War God that each used the miracle of Smith to make weapons of different types, as well as a few shields. The fight would normally be one-sided, but he obviously held back, which especially included using his most advanced weaponry and miracles...until he pulled the greatsword and smashed the ground to not only get a laugh out of it, but to teach them never to trust their enemies. Based on the looks on their faces, the point got across, although some of them called him out of it, even though fights to the death aren't fair by nature. Ranger then took a breather after teaching some rookies how to handle guns, and had some visitors while wiping off his bare torso with a wet towel.

"Hell of a show Mr. All-powerful Platinum Rank." Spearman said.

"Very funny. You here for some advanced training or something?" Ranger asked.

"No. we were just wondering where your dwarf and elf teammates were?" Witch asked.

"They stayed behind to enjoy their honeymoon, and asked us to come get them when we're ready to go after he Goblin Overlord. Can't say I blame them either." Ranger said.

"Heard you encountered a shitload of goblins when you went after them on their own turf." Spearman said.

"More like 9,999 shitloads..." Ranger said.

"Huh?" Spearman asked.

"We literally killed_ millions_ of goblins when we went after them. Took us a few weeks to do it, but we still did it." Ranger said.

"Alright alright, we get the point, but what's the first shitload?" Spearman asked.

"All the goblins me, Goblin Slayer, and the rest of us took out, which I guarantee you was less than a million." Ranger said and both of them stared at him.

"Oh my. A feat indeed worthy of a Platinum Rank, and a team of Silver and Gold Ranks." Witch said.

"Although, while we haven't gone over the details, me and my original four teammates won't join the siege; we're going after the Cambion." Ranger said.

"Oh really? Well, considering that he kicked your asses before, I guess it would be a personal matter." Spearman said seriously.

"It goes far beyond that; it even goes beyond him murdering the Sword Maiden. We don't know what his plan is in detail, but whatever it is, it cannot be good." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: you're going to kick the shit out of him until he talks, and then put him six feet under." Spearman said.

"Basically yes, although...he's not the go-down-without-swinging type, hence why when me and the rest of us weren't killing goblins, and saving their captives for that matter, we were training our asses off." Ranger said.

"Well then, should you face this demon spawn, I'm sure you'll find a way to win." Witch said.

"If we don't, the whole country is screwed..." Ranger said before getting up and leaving to go inside the guild hall...after he morphed his upper armor back on.

"Welcome back." Guild Girl said.

"Hey." Ranger said and looked around to see Priestess, GS, and Lizard Priest eating lunch together...then gets an idea.

"How's it going?" Guild Girl asked.

"I have a favor to ask..." Ranger said.

* * *

When they were done with lunch, Priestess went to Ranger's home, and looked around for him.

"Sir? Are you here?" She asked...and then found him, in his old outfit, much to her surprise. "Sir?"

"Welcome back Your grace." Ranger said.

"Guild Girl asked me to come here to see you...but why are you wearing your old armor?

"If Your Grace so pleases, I'd like to try our quest again." Ranger said and Priestess gasped.

"I...I'd love to, but you didn't answer me." Priestess said.

"I'll explain later, but I have a quest in mind already. One I myself came up with, an exploration quest to be precise." Ranger said.

"What do you mean?" Priestess asked.

"Well, we haven't been to the oceanic city, and especially the north in ages, and I want us to wear our original outfits so fewer people recognize us. I even borrowed some Porcelain Ranks so it really feels like a fresh start for us." Ranger said and Priestess covered her face as her eyes watered.

"I'll gladly go exploring with you...!" She whispered before leaning her staff against the wall and rushing Ranger to hug him.

* * *

They then took a gateway to the fort GS and Cow Girl live at, and after Ranger summoned his horse, he helped Priestess climb up to sit in front of him as they rode through the farmland.

"You know on the way to our first quest, I thought about making room on the saddle for you? But of course, that lost it's point when we got our cart." Ranger said.

"Ranger..." Priestess whispered.

"Sorry, too much sentiment?" Ranger asked.

"A little bit..." Priestess trailed off, and they spent the rest of the trip in silence, as he held her hand, which calmed her down. When they reached the gate, the guards welcomed them and let them inside. They then went to Master Fighter's dojo, and found him training a few students. When they took a breather, Ranger and Priestess went inside.

"Can I help you?" Master Fighter asked...before taking a closer look at them. "Ranger?"

"Hello master." Ranger said as he and Priestess bowed to him.

"Welcome back my old friends! How is your wife?" Master Fighter asked.

"She's doing great. The two of us just came here to check on your dojo actually." Ranger said.

"Although it seems you're doing quite well." Priestess said and Master Fighter looked her over.

"Have we met?" He asked and the two looked at each other.

"Oh! Right, you haven't met in person have you?" Ranger asked.

"No we haven't. Well, me and Ranger are the first two to form our team." Priestess said.

"And now the current archbishop." Ranger said and Master Fighter gasped and got on his knees.

"You're the Sword Maiden's successor! I've heard of you..." He said.

"Please stand up. There's a reason we're dressed in our original outfits." Priestess said seriously and Master Fighter got up.

"Sorry Your Grace...but this is such an honor, to have the new archbishop in my dojo...! May I ask how you became archbishop? I mean no disrespect, but you seem awfully young to be archbishop." He said.

"Well, since it's public knowledge, I can tell you. The Sword Maiden's ghost appeared and choose her in the Supreme God's name. Did it in the middle of her own funeral to." Ranger said and Master Fighter stared at him.

"Ranger...I have no idea what to say to that...and that's a first..." He said seriously.

"The Sword Maiden was, and still is, an extraordinary woman, and an even more extraordinary mother..." Priestess said softly.

"You were close in that way were you?" Master Fighter asked.

"We still are." Priestess said and Master Fighter smirked.

"Of course. How can one see another as dead when they make a public appearance that serious?" He asked.

"You really can't." Ranger said.

"How has your dojo been since we left?" Priestess asked.

"Quite well. With the crime boss behind bars, and at least most of his minions dead, people are free to come and go as they wish. I've actually received no less than 19 new students since you left, and more are likely on their way." Master Fighter said.

"Very good." Priestess said.

"And I have your team to thank for it. I wish I knew how to repay you." Master Fighter said.

"You can let us know how much of an impact we made." Ranger said.

"That will not be a problem good sir." Master Fighter said.

"Well, as nice as this was, we have other places to be." Ranger said.

"Farewell you two. Please come again whenever you please." Master Fighter said as the two left. They then went to the docks, and there was no sign of the monster hunters Amazon Warrior led, which was quite a shame. They then went to the guild hall, and there was still no sign of them. They then settled on a quest that happened to be an escort quest for a ship that went to he northern kingdom. They were going to use the portal gem, but a service to the country wasn't going to go unattended. Despite the protests for a couple of Porcelain Ranks to undertake a quest so serious...little did they know...

* * *

Priestess and Ranger looked around their ship at the sea itself, and the weather, which were both quite calm, as the sailors kept up their work to keep the sailing smooth. The two then went below deck to get some rest after a few hours of lookout duty, and Ranger sat on their bed, with Priestess leaning into his side.

"Nice change of pace isn't it?" Ranger asked.

"Very much so." Priestess said.

"Some people would spend their adventuring careers sticking to this for quite some time." Ranger said.

"Still, as slow as ranking up from this would be, it's a nice change of pace like you said. We've been running ourselves into the ground with the challenging quests, as well as things we took on ourselves." Priestess said.

"Can't argue with that. Does it make you more nostalgic?" Ranger asked.

"I wouldn't say that; we never had anything like this, and I never thought of having a moment like this before becoming an adventurer. Have you?" Priestess asked.

"Not really, but we were past the point of no return after...you know what." Ranger said and Priestess sighed.

"Right. If this escort mission does have anything to do with what actually happened, it's that it makes what happened before look..." Priestess trailed off.

"Calmer?" Ranger asked, and Priestess nodded. "You're talking about me too aren't you...?"

"I'm sorry I doubted your self-control when you continued pursuing revenge. I was just afraid of you losing what made you our strong, faithful, and loving leader, and not be able to get it back." Priestess said.

"I don't blame you. In hindsight...I really was in control, but...for how long?" Ranger asked.

"I know you were in control, but...even the Sword Maiden was afraid for you, and except for goblins, she feared nothing. Not even the Demon Lord himself could intimidate her. It was expected that Goblin Slayer would be so focused on the fight but...his rage against the goblins made him a block of ice that made him a daunting person even from the moment we met him. Your rage made you a wildfire that burned with the same heat...and just the thought of you being completely consumed by your rage to the point of no return, and it seemed like you were more than once...was _frightening_, especially for the Sword Maiden...and me." Priestess said.

"Are you still afraid?" Ranger asked and Priestess thought for a moment.

"No..." She whispered, and Ranger hugged her.

"I'm still sorry I scared you. I even talked to the Sword Maiden about instilling the wrong kind of fear...and here I am making my kind and gentle little sister shake in terror. You said you're sorry for doubting me, but I'm the one who needs forgiveness, not you." Ranger said and Priestess snuggled into him more.

"We're alright. " She whispered...and Ranger felt her tears moisten his undershirt.

"I love you, and the rest of the team more than anything, I always have, and I understand that you were all concerned for me, but if it wasn't for all of you I would have given up on adventuring after our first quest. Becoming Platinum Ranked would've been unthinkable..." He said softly as Priestess continued pouring her heart out in her older brother's large, welcoming arms for the better part of a minute, before she backed up, dried her eyes, and felt Ranger kiss her forehead.

"I love you too brother." Priestess said before looking up at him and smiling before they laid down and snuggled together on the bed.

"For the record, I always focused more on why I was furious than the fact I was furious. If it was the other way around, your fears would be completely justified, and I wouldn't be able to argue with you to save my life." Ranger said.

"We understand as well-" Ranger cuts Priestess off.

"Please let me finish...it's no secret the goblins are monsters beyond any hope of redemption, but that's the problem right there; they're beyond hope, but why should the rest of the world be dragged down with them? That kind of hopelessness itself is unacceptable, and like you, and the Sword Maiden for that matter, I care about the world too much for that hopelessness to slide. My rage against the goblins, and my desire to punish them was, and to an extent, still is the only way I know how to solve it...and combining that with the desire to be the one who does it personally did _not_ help." Ranger said.

"That's the Ranger I know and love." Priestess said and Ranger looked at her smiling face, and returned it before kissing her forehead. She then snuggled into him even more, and simply laid there bathing in his warmth, feeling his dense, gigantic muscles and feeling him run his hand through her golden, silky hair. The contrast between the bulk of Ranger's body and the slenderness of Priestess' lingered before they went to sleep.

* * *

They reached their destination in the morning, left the port town without getting their unnecessary payment; they had more money than they knew what to do with, and the money could've gone to someone else, not to mention the pay was too small to be noteworthy. When they got to a place where no one could see them, they used the portal gem to get to the town Ranger went to when he first got to the north. They then checked the town, and thanks to their outfits, no one recognized them...nevermind that Priestess wasn't there before, and after asking about Herbalist Girl, they went up the road just enough so that no one could see them, and opened a portal to the Jarl's front gate. They then morphed their current outfits since it was more fitting now, and the guards opened the gates for them.

"Ranger! The slayer of the vampire queen has returned!" The Jarl exclaimed as he stood up and approached Ranger and embraced him.

"Good to see you again good jarl." Ranger said before the Jarl looked Priestess over.

"Priestess? I almost didn't recognize you." He said.

"The Sword Maiden choose me as her successor; I'm the archbishop now." Priestess said and the Jarl's eyes widened.

"Truly? So her death was not in vain..." He said.

"You know?" Priestess asked.

"Your Grace, the entire country knows. The High King called for a statue to be built in her honor in the capital to immortalize her." The Jarl said.

"They did so in Water Town as well." Ranger said.

"I can imagine." The Jarl said.

"Have you had any more vampire troubles?" Ranger asked.

"None whatsoever. Whatever vampires remained were either disposed of at the siege on her fortress, or are too scared of their queen's killer to try anything so bold." The Jarl said.

"Good." Ranger said.

"I never thought I would have the future 11th Platinum Rank in my hold before you arrived." The Jarl said.

"No one did good jarl, although...Priestess becoming archbishop was predicted, or at least theorized." Ranger said.

"It was a fairly logical guess." Priestess said.

"So it seems." The Jarl said.

"How is your hold aside from the vampires?" Ranger asked.

"With the vampires out of the way, night time adventures are free to flourish, and as a result, resources of every type are flowing through the country like water. Even the bandits that roam the country are too scared to do anything about it; I suppose that if there's someone out here strong enough to take care of the vampire queen, then what would happen to them should they encounter that person?" The Jarl said.

"Smart..." Ranger said seriously.

"Do you plan to visit His Majesty?" The Jarl asked.

"Yes we do, but first, I want to visit the girl I first came here with." Ranger said.

"By all means. She lives in the same place she did when you arrived first...and she's an aunt now." The Jarl said.

"What?" Priestess asked.

"Yes, her sister gave birth to a healthy baby boy a few days ago." The Jarl said.

"Then we should pay her a visit first." Priestess said.

"I agree completely." Ranger said.

"Farewell you two." The Jarl said, as the two left and visited the temple for the sake of it, but no one was there, and then they went to Herbalist Girl's house, and Ranger knocked on the door, and saw H.G's father who's eyes widened.

"Ranger! Welcome back!" He exclaimed.

"This is a bad time?" Ranger asked.

"Not at all, come in." H.G.'s father said as the pair came in, and H.G. herself rushed Ranger and hugged him.

"Ranger! What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Among other things, we came here to see you." Ranger said.

"We? Oh...I didn't see your Priestess friend." H.G. said.

"She's the new archbishop, hand-picked by the Sword Maiden herself." Ranger said and H.G. let go of him in shock.

"Say what?! You mean the new archbishop, and the 11th Platinum Rank are in our home?!" H.G.'s father asked.

"Apparently." Ranger said with a smirk and H.G. held Priestess' hand.

"Please come see my nephew...!" She said, and they went to see the baby, and her mother and father in the back...and Priestess approached, and put a hand on the sleeping baby before closing her eyes.

"She did the same thing when she blessed my daughter...only she wasn't archbishop at the time." Ranger said softly.

"Can't wait to have my own child." H.G. said.

"Speaking of recent events...how are you doing?" Ranger asked.

"Well, ever since you left, things have been much more peaceful around here, especially since my nephew's birth. Oh, and I got my hands on the miracles of Healing and Purify." H.G. said.

"Lovely. Now you can really serve the Earth Mother. Are you having any problems?" Ranger asked.

"No...why?" H.G. asked.

"Well...because of the goblin attacks." Ranger said.

"Not really. There were some attacks here, but they were dealt with pretty quickly." H.G. asked.

"Were you scared, or attacked personally?" Ranger asked.

"Yes on both accounts, but I was saved by the guards." H.G. said.

"Good." Ranger said seriously, and noticed H.G.'s face fall.

"I still can't believe some goblins got their hands on me..." She said.

"It didn't go any further than that remember?" Ranger asked.

"Still...it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it. I know you saved me, which...I'm immensely grateful for, but I get chills just thinking about how bad things could've gone." H.G. said.

"There's a reason I told you not to think about it too deeply. I fight those abominations tooth-and-nail every day, and the results of what they do to their captives...especially female ones, doesn't give me chills, it make my blood boil. Ironic, but the difference speaks for itself." Ranger said.

"I get it..." H.G. whispered harshly.

"Well, enough of that, let's just eat." Ranger said, and with that, he and Priestess were asked to stay for dinner, and had some venison chops with the family, along with some fish fillets and veggies.

* * *

When they were done, they left the hold, and opened the portal gem to head to the capital's gates, and the guards let them in as well with encouragement. The city was completely rebuilt after the goblin invasion, and the people gave the two looks and murmured among themselves in awe that the 11th Platinum Rank has returned. Ranger and Priestess then checked on the manor they were given...but neglected for weeks on end, and they found it refurbished. The walls and floors were clean, the furniture was spick and span, and so on. The pair then asked the castle guards to inform the king they've arrived, and they waited for a go-ahead to see the high king...who was in the throne room and stood up the moment they showed up.

"The 11th Platinum Rank has returned to my kingdom!" The high king exclaimed and Ranger and Priestess bowed to him.

"It is good to be back Your Majesty." Priestess said.

"And even more so to see it has recovered." Ranger said.

"Ah yes. It hurt my coffers greatly, but I showed those pesky goblin bastards that it will take more than whatever they have to throw at me to erase my kingdom...and of course I am grateful to you and your team for driving them away." The high king said.

"We have actually paid a visit to the goblins' kingdom over the past few weeks and slaughtered millions upon millions of them. Before long, there won't be anymore goblins left." Ranger said and the high king laughed.

"I expected nothing less from a small army of Gold and Silver Ranks with a Platinum Rank among their number." He said.

"We are formulating a plan to destroy the goblins' main citadel as we speak." Ranger said.

"If I can assist you in any way, you need only ask." The high king said.

"We thank you Your Majesty." Priestess said and the high king deflated.

"I have heard of the Sword Maiden's fate...you have my deepest sympathies; I know you were close." He said.

"Your compassion is welcome, but unnecessary. She not only still lingers on Earth as a nephilim, but she also choose our dear Priestess as her successor." Ranger said and the high king looked her over.

"I must admit this is a quite surprising, but it is not unwelcome..." He said.

"I am doing everything I can to follow in her footsteps as well as I can." Priestess said.

"And I for one have total confidence in you my dear." The high king said.

"Thank you Your Majesty." Priestess said.

"Aside from your plan, may I ask why else you came here?" The high king asked.

"Well, we checked out the manor you gave us but haven't used...but we can remedy that later." Ranger said.

"How so?" The high king asked.

"We have gateways to different cities in the homes we have there. We were going to have a gateway placed there and have the rest of our team make themselves at home there before returning to Water Town." Ranger said.

"Understandable." The high king said.

"Priestess? Would you mind fetching the rest? I would like to speak to His Majesty alone, if I may?" Ranger asked.

"I suppose so." The high king said, and Priestess left them be. "May I ask?"

"I think you should know what has happened since we were last here." Ranger said seriously.

"Walk with me Ranger." The high king said and as they went down a corridor, and through a hallway that lead them to a series of balconies that gave them a view of the city.

* * *

"...amazingly, the Evil Sect hasn't attacked Water Town since." Ranger said.

"I...cannot believe...to face the first Platinum Rank in preparation for an apocalyptic battle." The high king breathed out.

"He didn't want to, but he felt he had no choice." Ranger said.

"Is all this preparation even necessary?" The high king asked.

"Quite necessary. The first time I faced the Cambion, I threatened him with my greatsword...and he pinched it between his middle and index fingers and snapped it in two like it was a_ stick_." Ranger said seriously.

"How is such strength possible?!" The high king asked in alarm.

"I do not know...but whatever the case may be, he is a threat to the entire country, and has the Sword Maiden's _blood_ on his hands...and he needs to be stopped." Ranger said.

"I pray to every god in existence you succeed Ranger." The high king said seriously.

"As do I Your Majesty." Ranger said.

"Before you leave, I must ask. If you know time is not on your side, why pay my kingdom a visit when there is nothing for you here?" The high king asked.

"There are several reasons Your Majesty. The first is that I owe it to Priestess to give her a memorable quest for just the two of us, but that is utterly personal. Another reason is that there may very well have been something for us, either now or in the future; me and my team have been quite fortunate in such matters, like when we had a man of the cloth join us in our campaign and he gave us a multitude of items to aid us. Last but not least...I don't forget my friends, simple as that." Ranger said.

"Spoken like a true adventurer..." The high king said.

"My friends, family, and proper planning are three of many reasons I obtained the Platinum Rank you bestowed upon me, and the moment I betray those things, is the moment you should rip these tags off me with your own hands." Ranger said.

"I have never been more proud to give anyone their rank, to you...or anyone in your team. Even other lands have been cleansed at your doing, and I am certain this is just the beginning. Now go...get what you came for, and resume your preparations for the upcoming battle." The high king said.

"Yes Your Majesty. Oh, by the way, do you still have those goblin heads?" Ranger asked.

"Yes I do." The high king said.

"Well...they're going to become alot more valuable in the near future." Ranger said.

"You may take a single jar to your home, but no more." The high king said.

"I...wasn't going to ask, but I do appreciate the offer." Ranger said.

"Well get going then. The sooner you crush those little green bastards, the sooner we can lead this country to the prosperity it deserves." The high king said as Ranger left the castle, and eventually ran into Priestess.

"Sir...I'd like to see the vampire queen's castle." She said.

"What for?" Ranger asked.

"The memories mostly, but also...I want to see more of this land." Priestess said.

"Alright, hand me the gem." Ranger said and then she handed him the gem and he opened a portal to the ruins of the vampire queen's fortress. The moment they got to the place...the memories came flooding back, especially the part where Ranger used Army of One for the first time and turned the grand and ominous-looking castle into the pile of rubble and heavily damaged bastions that is is now.

"Ranger...I want to restore this place." Priestess said.

"What? Why?" Ranger asked.

"So the place can be reused." Priestess said.

"You know this place's history." Ranger said.

"I know I know, but...the environment around it needs to be fixed, and I do still serve the Earth Mother deep down. Besides, this place can be used for good." Priestess said.

"And if any vampires want to use it to cause trouble...I will tear it down again. A hundred times over if I must." Ranger said.

"I doubt they could; this place will be sanctified, not just restored. Maybe this place will be used as a base for holy warriors or something." Priestess said as Ranger sighed.

"One can hope..." He said seriously, and with that...Priestess knelt, put her hands together, and the environment...and the fortress, were rejuvenated with a Restoration miracle as Ranger watched in awe.

* * *

The team then spent a few hours refurbishing the manor with a bath and waterfall like in Water Town, as well as alter the woodwork with stone, metal, and so on. Some training equipment and even a baby's playroom was added for when Ranger and Fighter wanted to spend some time there, and they did for about and hour with their daughter as she crawled around and interacted with some toys before she had enough and they went home...and had a surprise.

"You're pregnant?" Ranger asked and Guild Girl rubbed her lower belly.

"I just now found out." She said.

"Well, good for you." Priestess said.

"Where's the rest of your team?" Guild Girl asked.

"Wizard said she wants to improve our weapons with silver, but never said why that is..." Ranger said.

"Huh...well, I'm sure she has a reason." Guild Girl said and Wizard walked in.

"Yes I do...it's that specialist. I finally finished the autopsy and...holy shit..." She said seriously.

"What's the deal?" Ranger asked.

"The deal is that their strength, speed, and skill comes from blood taken from both the Cambion and...well, from you." Wizard said.

"What...?" Ranger breathed out.

"But the good news is that they're vulnerable to silver; holy arts might be useless against the Cambion, but if silver works on the specialists..." Wizard trailed off.

"Well that explains why you put silver in most of our weapons." Ranger said.

"And why my sword weakened that specialist." Priestess said as she recalled the time she impaled the specialist that was choking Ranger.

"Exactly. I'd hate to be in the Cambion's shoes when you're spraying silver bullets at him boss." Wizard said.

"I can imagine..." Ranger said, and they left the guild hall to meet up with the team...and ran into Hero's team.

"11th." Hero said.

"Tenth." Ranger said.

"Where have you been?" Wizard asked.

"Well, while you were away doing who-knows-what, I was going around the country spending the word." Hero said.

"About what?" Ranger asked.

"The formerly old man has a plan to combat the goblins, and wants to share it in person." Sword Saint said.

"He's at the Temple of Law." Hero said.

"And we have news for you, about the revenants." Sage said.

"What do you mean?" Wizard asked.

"It's in this book." Sage said as she handed it over, and Wizard looked it over.

"Where did you get this?" She asked.

"We'll explain on the way, but we also had a run-in with our favorite dead guy, the Elder Revenant." Hero said.

"Great..." Ranger groaned, and with that, the group walked to the Temple with Hero explaining their encounter with the Elder Revenant.

"...he then tore open a rift with his scythe and left us at the temple." Hero said.

"Are all revenants made like that?" Ranger asked.

"Apparently so..." Wizard said as her eyes were glued to the book.

"What? What's in that book?" Ranger asked.

"Everything you wanted to know about revenants but were afraid to ask..." Wizard said as she put the book away and they entered the main chamber, and Abbot was there.

"I would like a moment with Ranger alone. Hero? You know what to do." Abbot said and everyone left.

"What's the story?" Ranger asked.

"Well, thanks to you, this war against the goblins is coming to a close, and they just cut their own throats. Every goblin in the country is holed up in their citadel, if we destroy it, then they will never again plague us." Abbot said.

"But haven't they tried rebuilding the Hell Ripper within the citadel?" Ranger asked.

"If they could have, they would have, but this is a last stand for them. Although as you can probably guess, it won't be easy...we're going to need-" Ranger cuts Abbot off.

"An army." He said.

"Yes, which what I had Hero roam the country telling people about. Quite perspective of you to figure that out." Abbot said.

"It was an obvious guess old man." Ranger said simply and Abbot smirked.

"Then you know what's ahead of us...and how high the stakes are." He said.

* * *

As the sun went down, everyone went home to rest for the upcoming preparations, and Inspector saw fit to take a soak in the waterfall at the Temple of Law's bathhouse with Summoner soaping her hair, massaging her slender yet plump body, and kissing her deeply as she sat in his lap. She then backed up to look at her husband with lust on both their faces, and then she slowly and passionately kissed and lashed tongues with him as water poured down from above. The priestess then moaned as Summoner squeezed her shapely bottom and rubbed her thighs and hips , and she massaged his lean chest, abs, and shoulders in response.

"Summoner?" Inspector asked.

"Yes baby?" Summoner asked.

"You're going to join that siege are you?" Inspector asked.

"Yes, but all I'll have to do is summon elementals to assist the army, especially World Spawns, and I'll have my sister there to do it as well." Summoner said.

"But...me and Guild Girl will hold our breath until you get back." Inspector said.

"You don't have to. Come with me." Summoner said.

"What? I've never been in a warzone before, and Guild Girl has to stay here and carry your child." Inspector said.

"You can empower my elementals by empowering me. My sister had it done to her plenty of times, and there will be plenty of elementals around to protect us, and I'll be there too. Like I always was, and always will be." Summoner said.

"Summoner..." Inspector said softly before hugging him tightly.

"I love you." Summoner said.

"I love you too..." Inspector said before kissing her husband. She then backed up and lowered herself onto his manhood, and moved up and down with her arms around his neck and his hands on her hips, and even his mouth on her nipples as she gasped in bliss. Summoner moved his hands up her back, and through her hair as she continued riding him slowly but steadily as her breasts rubbed his chest. Inspector then groaned as she had a minor but satisfying orgasm.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cow Girl went under the city to the Ether Gazer, and swallowed before she could approach it...and then both her parents appeared.

"Mom...dad..." Cow Girl whispered.

"Hello baby." Her mother said as Cow Girl approached and hugged them both.

"Our little girl, a Bronze Ranked adventurer. Who would've thought?" Her dad said.

"I never did...but I'm glad I thought of it." Cow Girl said.

"We're proud of you, we always were, and even death hasn't decreased our love for you." Her mom said.

"I love you too." Cow Girl whispered.

"Alive or dead, you're still our little girl, and you became a fine young woman, and an even finer adventurer." Her dad said.

"If it wasn't for Ranger and his family, I would be completely lost, even with Goblin Slayer at my side. I know he always loved me and I loved him but...there's nothing he could've done by himself. I hate to say it, but he's only good for killing goblins; he's hopeless when it comes to mending broken hearts...I guess that was my job wasn't it?" Cow Girl said.

"You did a good job at it." GS' sister said and Cow Girl let go of her parents to see her...and she just stared at her the whole time.

"W-what?" Cow Girl whispered.

"It's me." GS' sister said as she approached, and Cow Girl still stared at her, until she put her hand on Cow Girl's face. "How you've grown...in every possible way."

"Even with an Ether Gazer, I never thought I'd see you again." Cow Girl said softly as she held the hand against her face.

"Just like your parents, I never left...and neither did her." GS' sister said before Cow Girl's uncle appeared, and got a hug from his niece right away.

"Uncle..." She said softly.

"I have nothing to say that your parents haven't, aside from that I'm a bit surprised." Her uncle said.

"If I was as strong then as I am now...I could've saved you." Cow Girl said.

"Maybe...but you have other things to worry about. Don't blame yourself for what happened; there is nothing you could've done." Her uncle said.

"I know...it's just not easy to think about." Cow Girl said.

"Hey, if you're going to blame anyone, blame the goblins." Her uncle said and Cow Girl back up and steeled herself before looking at the four people in front of her.

"Right." She said.

* * *

The final days of the month were spent with Ranger training alone as the rest of the team recapped the training with the adventurers who volunteered to join the siege, and true to the plan, Hero's team went around gathering forces from humans, the elves, dwarves, and even lizard people to besiege the goblins, and most of them either wanted revenge for the goblins attacking them in their most vulnerable cities, or in the lizard people's case especially, they felt they owed the team for their services.

Ranger also gave Cow Girl some training on how to use the revolvers he uses, and logically she had to get used to shooting one with both hands first, but once she got a feel for it, she tried it with only one hand, then moved on to one in each hand. She was nowhere near as comfortable with it as Ranger was, but she had her rifle and it's modifications to make up for it, which she was certainly comfortable with.

Ranger even offered to train her with a greatsword...but why use that when she had a sword that could cut through anything that wasn't heavily enchanted? However...when she figured out that the space enchantment wasn't perfect; that it could be countered like they did, she took up a greatsword of her own and it was the deal with her revolvers all over again: be predictably lackluster at first, at least compared to the fact that she had prior experience, but become a complete monster once she got back into the swing of things.

At the end, Ranger flew back to the city with the flight training he went through with the Champion taking full effect. At first, his flying speed was nothing noteworthy, but he flew back and tried to increase the speed, but went too fast and his vision became too blurry to trust his speed, so he slowed down, and then he flew right back, and slowed down just enough to land without breaking the ground, but he was too shook up to try it again.

Ranger then went into his manor, found his daughter in her crib, and waited for her to wake up, but she was fast asleep, so he simply smirked and spoke anyway.

"Your father and mother are almost done sweetheart. For better for worse the war we're in will end soon. But...if we don't make it, I'm sure my own mother and father will take good care of you. Then again, they will probably go down with us, as will you...so we cannot lose this, and we won't. We have come too far, for too long to fail now, and with the Supreme as my witness...we will come back to you. I love you daughter, with all my heart and soul." Ranger said softly before stroking the baby's cheek with the back of his index finger. and leaving her to her nap.

* * *

He then saw the whole team assembled, including H.E. Druid and D.R. both of whom had a metallic bow like Fighter's, and a quad-rifle respectively. They then went inside the guild hall to see some adventurers from up north banging on a table and chanting.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed as they kept banging, then one man stood on the table.

"See the blood and organs, splashed across the floor. We'll cut their necks, and kill their pets, and go back for more!" He exclaimed before sitting down and rejoining the banging and chanting.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed, then another man stood up.

"To be the masses' sword-arm, this is why we act. We go on, and be the polearm that'll break their back." He said.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed and another man stood.

"We beat them once before, but still they come to play. Well they come, to be shown, another round of shame." He said.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed and a woman stood up.

"We will crush the goblins, we'll beat them to their knees. We'll crush their skulls, and break their legs, and march to victory!" She said.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed and a man stood up.

"You pathetic maggots, you think you can survive? We will come, and run you down, and smash you like a hive!" He exclaimed.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed and another stood.

"See our battle march, hear this battle cry! Have it show, let it flow, and fill you with our pride!" He exclaimed before jumping off the table.

"CHIEF GOD! CHIEF GOD! CHIEF GOD! CHIEF GOD!" They exclaimed, before stopping their chanting, and the hall exploded in yelling and weapons clanging.

* * *

GS then left the guild hall, and looked at the horizon.

"Hell of a way to prepare for a battle isn't it?" Ranger asked.

"Yeah." GS said and Ranger huffed.

"You never change..." He whispered.

"Neither do you..." GS said.

"No...I guess not." Ranger said.

"Did you enjoy your trip with Priestess?" GS asked.

"It was...character-forming." Ranger said.

"Good." GS said.

"You know one of the things we haven't discussed is whether or not Priestess should go with you, or with us..." Ranger said.

"I see..." GS said.

"She's terrified of the Cambion, and with good reason, but she could be of better service to you than us...or could she...?"

"I don't know." GS said.

"You know...it's hard to believe it's almost over." Ranger said.

"Yeah." GS said.

"It seems an eternity ago we started slaughtering goblins side-by-side, and now...you're going to destroy all of them in one fell swoop." Ranger said.

"You're not coming?" GS asked.

"Absolutely not. The Cambion is still out there, and my team is going to hit him before he hits us." Ranger said.

"I see." GS said.

"Do you have any thoughts about him yourself?" Ranger asked.

"I believe what you say about him, but I will still leave him to you." GS said.

"Right. It's a shame that Wizard couldn't copy the Abyssal Hide's properties and add them to the rest of our armor, but in time...who knows?" Ranger said.

"I see." GS said.

"You know...I never really gave you anything myself did it?" Ranger asked.

"You gave me plenty." GS said.

"No, Wizard gave you plenty...I barely gave you a damn thing. Normally I'd give you a greatsword to use in a pinch, but you already have that starlight sword." Ranger said.

"Right." GS said.

"Do you have any long-range weapons? You're probably going to need one." Ranger said.

"No." GS said, then Ranger morphed a rifle and handed it over.

"Now you can snipe like Miss Goblin Slayer can." He said and GS looked over the weapon, took it, and fired into the distance.

"You even silenced it." GS said.

"Isn't technology great?" Ranger asked.

"Yes...it is." GS said before slinging the gun over his back.

"You know, none of this would have happened without you there to inspire us." Ranger said.

"Right." GS said...and Ranger held his hand out, and to his surprise...GS removed his helmet before shaking hands with Ranger.

"Best of luck with the Goblin Overlord." Ranger said.

"And with the Cambion." GS said.

* * *

**Show of hands, how many were stoked that GS and Ranger finally shook hands? Anyway...this chapter was one hell of a nostalgia trip wasn't it, not to mention the tidbit about the revenants, the preparations for fighting the Goblin Overlord like they did with the vampire queen, although...spoiler alert, that siege will make the siege of the vampire queen's castle look like Fisherprice playtime, and then there's the umpteenth wedding in this story. So...next couple of chapters will be when all that training pays off, so be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait for the final showdown, so stay tuned...**


	49. Chapter 24 Part I

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. It's the moment you've all been waiting for, the siege of the goblins' last stronghold...and the boss fight against the Cambion.  
**

**Review Response: I see your point with the reviews' briefness; life is throwing me it's fair share of curveballs as well. Thank God it's just minor spurts of writer's block on rapid-fire, for lack of better description.  
**

**As for Elder Revenant, yeah he's getting a pretty healthy dose of character development isn't he? Although, truth-be-told, I'd rather deal with him than the 1st Revenant, who was basically the personification of "I don't give a shit", even though he was written that way.  
**

**Priestess has been getting into her role for some time, but in hindsight...her progress spiked last chapter didn't it?**

**Hehe "Only took about 70 chapters" that's a good one...but seriously, it's only fitting the two big cheeses do that at the end time.**

* * *

Cambion walked into the guild hall of the frontier, and looked around. Dozens of adventurers, rookies, and veterans alike sat around minding their own business in every way imaginable. None of them recognized him, or at least knew enough about him to care as he approached the desk with an auburn-haired woman behind it.

"Oh! Welcome sir." She said.

"Good day madam. I am here...to change the future." Cambion said.

"Really?" The receptionist asked.

"Yes, and I will need the help of all these good people to do so." Cambion said.

"Well...I'm sure at least some of them will be open to whatever it is you have in mind sir, but you'll have to ask them yourself." The receptionist said.

"Thank you very much." Cambion said before approaching the tables and the adventurers socializing turned to him. "Greetings gentlemen."

"Uh, greetings. Can we help you?" One of them asked.

"I'm looking for volunteers. Some nice people looking to improve their station in life." Cambion said and the adventurers looked at each other.

"Uh, the quest board's over there. If you have one in mind, set one up and let someone who's interested check it out." Another said.

"This is no quest mind you. It's a campaign." Cambion said.

"Say what now?" An adventurer asked and others looked at Cambion, who walked around the guild hall.

"I've seen the way the wind is blowing; how many people are left in the dust while the highest-ranked adventurers swell their pockets and bellies while the rest of us have to wade through rivers of blood for a modest living. Why? Because they are given chances or abilities no one else has, no matter how much drive they have to acquire greatness. And then there's the non-adventurers! Those that have to rely on people who aren't even competent enough to handle the dangers, or wait for those that are to arrive too late. Where is the justice in that? More importantly...where is the _honor_ in that?" Cambion asked and some adventurers murmured to each other. "But...what if we could change that? What if we could be _true_ agents of justice, like those who claim to serve the Supreme God? I beseech you all, join me, and not only will we give this country what it deserves, but all of you will get to become Platinum Ranks yourselves, and live just as well."

"O.k. this _does_ sound pretty sweet, but why the hell should we think you can pull this off?" An adventurer asked.

"I'm very glad you asked me that. Have you noticed the Evil Sect has taken the most serious blow it has ever receieved? Well...that was because of me." Cambion said and several adventurers murmured in curiosity. "Don't get me wrong, I did not deal the carnage; that was the Ranger and Hero's doings, but...I am the one who set them up, from the inside no less."

"Are you saying you joined them and betrayed them? What's stopping you from doing the same to us?" A female adventurer asked.

"Don't insult me. The Evil Sect got precisely what was coming to them, and I myself obtained plenty of their ill-gotten power for myself, to be used for a cause actually worth pursuing. A cause I could most likely succeed at myself, but if I did, it would be pointless. Which is where all of you come in. There's fewer of you than I would have liked, but it makes no difference to one who has seen Heaven and Hell." Cambion said.

"What?" A priest adventurer asked.

"I'm hardly unique; countless people have traveled to other worlds through out history, and I have done so countless times over the centuries. In that time, I have discovered countless means to acquire holy and unholy powers. Powers I can share with all of you, and make my campaign of revolutionizing the way this world works to how it's supposed to take significantly less time. So I ask you once and for all: Are...you...with me?" Cambion asked, and then set one hand on fire, and used Holy Light with the other, and the adventurers gasped and murmured to themselves again, and then exploded in cheers.

* * *

Back at Water Town, GS's team was getting their last batch of supplies before heading out to join the siege force, with Ranger's team giving them a hand. Ranger himself even went to Cow Girl and gave her rifle a quad-cannon modifications.

"There, now you can snipe, shred goblins that get too close, or shred goblins that are just close enough." Ranger said as Cow Girl tried her new weapon, and snickered.

"Now I can _really_ be ranger material." She said proudly.

"More like Goblin Slayer material." Ranger said.

"Eh, what's the difference?" Cow Girl said casually, and the two share a smile before hugging.

"I would be genuinely surprised if you don't get a Silver Rank or above after this." Ranger said.

"No kidding." Cow Girl said before pulling away and putting her rifle away. "I would say wish me luck but...it's the goblins who will need luck."

"Did I ever tell you you sound like my wife when you talk like that?" Ranger asked.

"Only about a million times..." Cow Girl said.

"Eh, I have things in common with Goblin Slayer, and you have things in common with Fighter...it's only fitting." Ranger said.

"Oh, and between you and me...he's getting better, if you get my drift." Cow Girl said.

"You mean...in bed?" Ranger whispered.

"Yep." Cow Girl said.

"Well, unless I don't know enough about him, he's got alot of catching up to do if he wants to beat me in the do-something-special department." Ranger said.

"Actually..._I'm_ the one who does the special things." Cow Girl said and Ranger huffed.

"O.k...he and Storm Mage are officially the luckiest bastards I know." He said.

"Charming as ever. But on a serious note, Fighter is possibly the luckiest woman I know, in the same context too." Cow Girl said.

"Right. Well, enough quasi-flirtation. Get back to your team." Ranger said before kissing Cow Girl's cheek, and she went back to her team.

"You trained one hell of a woman." Hero said.

"Who gets to work with another hell of a woman." Ranger said.

"What about us?" Sword Saint asked.

"I'm not saying that twice more." Ranger deadpanned.

"I for one will pretend you did." Sage said.

"Smart." Ranger said.

"Well, if you need help with the Cambion should you even find him, you give us a call." Hero said.

"Please. If anything, I would give you a hand like I did against the vampire queen." Ranger said.

"Oh really?" Hero asked.

"Uh, yes! Last I checked, you got your ass kicked the first time you fought her, and the second time...I, a _Silver_ Rank, had to step in and save _you_." Ranger said.

"She had the Supreme's protection. Of _course_ I lost to her!" Hero exclaimed.

"Whatever. You have goblins to, crush and a legion of humans, elves, dwarves..._and_ lizard people to support. You get to be part of history for a second time." Ranger said.

"And you don't? The Cambion is a national menace like the goblins are, and it's only a matter of time before he makes a move." Sage said.

"Have you fought him-? Oh, right, with that Elder Revenant who makes the first one that came to this country look like a pushover." Ranger said.

"Right, and from what we've seen...he's nothing to laugh at." Hero said.

"Apparently. The first revenant we met claimed he could kill all three of you." Ranger said.

"That's...quite a claim." Sword Saint said.

"You saw what the recaller showed. He took and gave more abuse than can possibly be funny, and he was perfectly fine with either case." Ranger said.

"Still." Sword Saint said.

"And now we're dealing with the most powerful revenant in recorded history." Sage said.

"Who also happens to be her boyfriend." Hero said.

"O.k...first off, he's undead, so...gross. Secondly, just because he's stronger than me, doesn't automatically make him attractive. Lastly...he a complete stiff." Sword Saint said.

"Says the girl who had some pretty touching moments with him." Hero said.

"Anyway...thank the Supreme I used Smith to equip the adventurers here, and guess what? I did so for myself to make things to absorb." Ranger said.

"You know, normally I would ask if you're trying to make me jealous, but in this case...the world is probably at stake, so we'll need all the help we can get." Hero said.

"Wait...you _do_ have some miracles leftover right?" Sword Saint asked.

"Of course. I never used Army of One this week, or this month for that matter, I have a whole canteen of holy water, I never used any normal miracles, you name it." Ranger said.

"Good. Well...we're off to join the army itself. Don't wait up." Hero said, then Ranger shook her hand and the two shared a smirk before the ladies left. Ranger then walked over to his clammering teammates.

"This also gives me an idea: the goblins have a superweapon, why can't we?" Wizard said.

"What do you call the World Spawns?" Fighter asked.

"I meant something else." Wizard said.

"Like...a _Heaven_ Ripper?" Warrior asked and Wizard facepalmed.

"I mean a crossbow the size of a building or something like that." She said.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if the dwarves had something like that up their sleeves." H.E. Druid said.

"The dwarves are indeed a resourceful people. Having a properly-equipped army would be critical at a time like this." Lizard Priest said.

"What about your own people? Do you have anything special?" Ranger asked.

"Aside from the various summons, or transformation our priests and warrior can perform, we do not use these superweapons you speak of." Lizard Priest said.

"Have you ever found a way to become a dragon like you wanted? Because now would be a good time." Warrior said.

"Alas no. I have found a way to obtain the power of one, but I cannot become a dragon myself." Lizard Priest said.

"Too bad we can't recruit that elder dragon; he'd probably spit in our direction and tell us to fuck right off." D.R. said.

"Then again, if we could, we wouldn't need a siege force." Wizard's brother said.

"Priestess? Would you like to come with us, or Goblin Slayer?" Fighter asked.

"Goblin Slayer." Priestess said.

"You say that like it's obvious." Fighter said.

"It sort of is. The Cambion is immune to my holy arts, so there's nothing much I can do, and you all have the ability to heal now thanks to those necklaces and the improvements made to their enchantments. You don't need me as much as the siege force does." Priestess said.

"Good point, and having the archbishop with us would be a pretty serious morale boost." H.E. Druid said.

"On top of that...I sincerely doubt any of the goblins are immune to having a bolt of holy lightning shoved down their throats." Wizard said.

"Speaking of lightning..." Warrior said, and the team watched in awe and his hammer morphed into a two-handed version with a head half as big as Warrior himself.

"When did you get that?" Cow Girl asked.

"Worked on it myself for several days now...and I wanted it to be a surprise." Warrior said proudly.

"Well...mission accomplished." Fighter said.

"You did train with it right?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Yep. Now I can bust the Cambion's head like a goblin's. Actually..._alot_ like a goblin's." Warrior said.

"Well...I wish you the best of luck with that." Cow Girl said.

"As do I. That Cambion completely floored us last time. I hope all that training we did prepared you for this moment." Wizard's brother said.

"We'll be fine. Just make sure you crack goblin heads on our behalf as well." Warrior said.

"Hey, I get to outrank everyone on my team for once." Wizard's brother said.

"Uh, not to burst your bubble, but Priestess technically outranks all of us as archbishop, and she's Gold Ranked as well." Fighter said.

"Right..." Wizard's brother groaned.

"And definitely don't fall behind Sage." Warrior said.

"This is no time for her and me to compete." Wizard's brother said.

"That is very true." Rhea Fighter said, then Wizard hugged her brother, and he returned it.

"Take care of yourself." She whispered.

"You too sis." Her brother said softly, before Wizard sighed and let go.

"I'll watch her ass for you." Warrior said.

"One would hope so; you two are married." Wizard's brother said seriously, and Fighter hugged Priestess.

"This isn't good-bye." Fighter said.

"I know." Priestess said.

"Look after those people o.k.?" Fighter said.

"Of course...the Sword Maiden would do nothing less." Priestess said, and Fighter kissed her forehead.

"Well, let's go. Those goblins aren't killing themselves." D.R. said.

"Right." GS said and his team turned to leave.

"Hey. When you finally get to the Goblin Overlord do me a favor: cut off his head to remember him by." Ranger said.

"I will." GS said as he led his team out the door, and Hero's team each shared a smile with Ranger's team before following GS' team...and Priestess took a last glance at her family, sighed, and then went after the others.

"She's going to look after an entire army...this will be quite an endeavor for her." Ranger said.

"A proper Sword Maiden in her own right." Fighter said, and Ranger side-hugged her.

"Well, while she's off helping crush the last of the goblins, how are we going to find the Cambion?" Warrior asked.

"First, we should head to the frontier to see what the people there could tell us." Ranger said.

"Naturally." Wizard said before heading out to the manor, and when they got there, the whole team took a look at Ranger and Fighter's sleeping baby, and left her in peace. They then went to the room with the gateway portal, and heard a knock on the door, Wizard answered it, and it was Bard.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" He asked.

"No. We're just getting ready to go get the Cambion." Wizard said.

"Ah, yes...I thought it was strange none of you were there, but I forgot about the Cambion...somehow." Bard said.

"Where's Songstress?" Fighter asked.

"I thought she was here." Bard said.

"Maybe she's bathing?" Warrior asked, and Wizard went upstairs...then came right back down.

"You called it, she just got out. Yes, she was in a towel." She said.

"Well, as usual, we'll keep an eye on your baby for you. But...please, for the Supreme's sake, don't let us become her full-blown caretakers." Bard said.

"We'll do our best. Now, let's go. We have a mission to do-" Ranger shuts up when they hear a voice outside, and went to see Abbot running towards them.

"Ranger! Everyone! Oh, thank the Supreme you're here..." Abbot said as he approached.

"Of course we are. Wait did something happen to the siege force?" Ranger asked.

"No...but I still have terrible news..." Abbot said seriously.

* * *

Cambion approached the monastery as the monks were looking after the grounds, and doing their daily rituals and routines. Abbot himself stood before the alter, and cringed when Cambion walked in, and the rest of the monks gave him a wide berth as well.

"You have some nerve coming here." Abbot said seriously.

"Calm yourself Father. I am not here to fight." Cambion said.

"Irrelevant. I know what you are, and what you have done. You trespass in the home-" Cambion cuts Abbot off.

"Be quiet! Where is the Heaven Key?" He asked.

"Safe...from you." Abbot said, and Cambion glared at him, then smirked.

"It's in Water Town isn't it?" He asked.

"Of course not." Abbot said.

"Don't bother denying it. The hands of the new archbishop is one of only two places it would be placed. But no matter, I have other things to do before I pay her a visit." Cambion said.

"Like what?" Abbot asked.

"That's none of your concern. But if you're so inclined, I suggest you use Vision to see for yourself, not that it will matter in the long run; you'll actually do me a favor if you did." Cambion said.

"Is that why you haven't killed me in cold blood like you did to the Sword Maiden?!" Abbot asked.

"I murdered the Sword Maiden because she represented everything that made this world stall. I gave her a fair chance to be of greater use than she ever was, but she apposed the services I mean to provide...and accepted the price." Cambion said.

"You pollute this house with your heresy!" Abbot snapped.

"Heresy? Interesting term. Your beloved Supreme is a passive and self-righteous idol that merely _claims_ to be a patron of justice, but leaves countless to fend for themselves despite the fact they _can't_! I mean to put an end to all of that...and I will." Cambion said.

"Spoken like one who does not understand the true meaning of justice." Abbot said.

"If you want justice...then enforce it." Cambion said as he spread his arms out, and Abbot and the monks eyeballed each other. "What are you waiting for? I'm guilty of a heinous crime, you're a demon hunter...why not give me what I deserve?"

"Because...I am not an avenger." Abbot said as Cambion lowered his arms.

"No, you fear me, as you and everyone else who supports how stagnant this world has become should be. Now if you want to truly be of use, go find Ranger and his team and let them know I wish to see them again, and that my offer still stands. They will know what you mean." Cambion said seriously before leaving via a Hell Rift.

* * *

"Damn..." Warrior whispered harshly.

"It gets worse. I got to the frontier and discovered he recruited every adventurer there." Abbot said.

"What?! How?" Fighter asked.

"And why?" Wizard asked.

"He promised them all a chance to become Platinum Ranks, and live as such. As for why? I suppose he's either going to use them as a power source like the Demon Lord does with his followers..." Abbot trailed off.

"Or he's building an army..." Ranger said seriously and the whole team was alarmed.

"That would not be good. Not good at all!" Abbot said.

"Why? Well, aside from what's obvious..." Wizard asked.

"Because...he knows ways of empowering people with both Holy and Demonic power. The idea of an army of corrupted adventurers is frightening." Abbot said.

"Where are they going?" Fighter asked.

"My guess, the capital. After the Cambion is done with

"Alright...how do we find a guy who can use Hell Rifts to be literally _anywhere_ he wants?" Warrior asked.

"Can you use Vision Father?" Ranger asked.

"Yes, but I can't tell you where he will be, only where he is currently. If nothing else, I can't tell where his ultimate destination is." Abbot said.

"Dammit...so what else could we use?" Ranger asked.

"My chakras!" Fighter exclaimed and everyone looked at her. "Remember before we fought the leviathan we had the idea of using my chakras to search for it?"

"But...that could kill you." Warrior said.

"It could, but I've gotten so much better at using them it's not even funny." Fighter said.

"I hope you're right. The Cambion could set his sights on the heart of the church for all we know." Abbot said.

"Then we should waste no more time. To the frontier!" Ranger said, and they all took the gateway to the frontier.

* * *

Cambion exited a Hell Rift, and looked over a cathedral in the middle of an open plain, surrounded by hills, and a few cities in the far distance. Inside, he saw acolytes aplenty going about their business, and some apparently noticed Cambion's aura because they either fled from him, or shuddered without even seeing him. When he reached the main hall, he saw none other than the Pope in front of an alter, who turned to see the half-blood demon behind him.

"Greetings Holy Father." Cambion said.

"What are you doing here?" The Pope asked.

"Simple, I came to deliver a message. One of great importance, if Your Holiness would oblige?" Cambion said.

"There is nothing you have to say that would vindicate your crimes." The Pope said sharply.

"My crimes? _My_ crimes? Ah...of course, the all-seeing eyes of the Supreme, that ironically, are always blind. Fitting they lay within the skull of a fool. I have come to bring word of a new sun rising; a new authority to bring the order you will not." Cambion said.

"That is hubristic blasphemy you speak of, nothing more. There is only one authority here, and it is not you, one that lights no more darkness than it must to keep the world balanced." The Pope said.

"And that pathetic excuse is why you turn your head away from the lost? Why you call this place home and look to the horizon, while others drowned, in despair and horror!? No...I have given all the respect your authority deserves. Now, where is the husk of the Demon Lord's pet?" Cambion asked and the Pope recoiled.

"The pet? You cannot be that mad!" He exclaimed.

"Madness? Hardly, it is a pet in more ways than one, as you should know well." Cambion said.

"Whatever you plan for it is futile. It obeys only the Demon Lord, you must know this!" The Pope said.

"Oh I am stronger than ever, and my bond with the pet can and will be greater than his could ever hope to be." Cambion said.

"You're wrong. Whatever new world you have planned will be the same as it was when the Champion himself was needed." The Pope said.

"The new world I have planned will be one where everyone can be on the Champion's level, as they should rightfully be." Cambion said.

"No. If you persist you will drown in demons just like he did all those centuries ago." The Pope said.

"But not demons Father...or goblins, a _new_ people. One who will see weakness itself as nothing but a footnote in history, and will feel all the stains on their ancestry wiped clean. A people made in the image of the _true_ Supreme God...me." Cambion said as he approached the alter and backed the Pope into it.

"Holy Smite!" The Pope exclaimed and a bolt of lightning shot out of both his hands, and the Cambion simply stood there taking the lightning to his chest...and took no damage, much to the Pope's terror.

"A pathetic effort from a pathetic deity. Fitting..." He said.

"Just what are you...?" The Pope breathe out.

"I already told you..." Cambion said simply, and then opened a Hell Rift, casually reached inside, and removed a burlap bag before dropping it at the Pope's feet. He then backed up to give the Pope some air, as he knelt to search the bag...and pulled out a handful of Gold Rank tags, before his eyes watered.

"The paladins..." The Pope whispered.

"Yes, Every one of them has joined the Sword Maiden in the same paradise they belong in, and the one I plan to turn Earth into. You yourself are a general without an army, in a war you are destined to lose. How could an all-powerful Supreme God forsake their followers like this? I assure you...I will make no such mistake when I rule." Cambion said.

"Please...shed no more blood. I will do your bidding...my Lord." The Pope said.

"Wise decision. Now I ask you again...give me the pet's husk." Cambion said and the Pope somehow muscled past his grief and fear, stood up, went behind the alter, stepped on a secret panel, the alter moved forward, and the Pope presented the Cambion with three pitch-black, dog skulls fused into one. Cambion then took the skull, looked it over, and then looked at the Pope. "Send a message to the rest of the church. The days of their failures being excused are over; now they have a choice to make. Join me and give this world the justice they have cast a blind eye and a deaf ear towards, or follow the Sword Maiden's example...and die for it."

"It will be done..." The Pope said, and with that, Cambion opened a Hell Rift and left the old man to grieve the lost paladins.

* * *

Back with the siege force, The sun lit the way as some adventurers scouted ahead as vanguards while the rest of the army got themselves together. Female Knight, and Heavy Warrior led R.W., A.C., and a group of human skirmishers all wearing light armor, carrying throwable weapons like axes or javelins, to scout ahead. Eventually, they reached a plain filled with gigantic skeletons.

"The boneyard. Seems like a nice...quiet place..." Heavy Warrior said nervously as he surveyed the area.

"Let's just get going. I for one don't want to wind up as part of the landscape." A.C. said as they went forward.

"What are you two worried about?" Female Knight asked.

"Look around. This isn't exactly a welcoming environment." A.C. said.

"You have a point there." H.W. said.

"O.k...if this is about the vampire queen, then- o.k. everyone knows she's dead..." Female Knight trailed off.

"But what if the Goblin Overlord is even worse than her, and he killed these...things, himself?" R.W. asked.

"Hey. If push comes to shove, he'll have the entire world's army coming down on his head, and Ranger destroyed the vampire queen with almost no one helping him. Speaking of whom, we have servants of the War God in our army now with the new Sword Maiden watching over us. We can win." Female Knight said.

"True..." R.W. said.

"Alright. Now, let's move it." Female Knight said,and a skirmisher approached.

"Ma'am! Scout report." He said.

"Let's hear it." Female Knight said.

"There's a series of caves, tunnels, and natural depressions in the land to the east of here. They're likely invested with goblins of all types, but it's a sure-shot to the citadel." The skirmisher said.

"I see..." Female Knight said.

"I also spotted a man in black stalking me. His purpose and identity are unknown." The skirmisher said.

"O.k...that's kind of spooky." R.W. said.

"Orders ma'am?" Another skirmisher asked.

"We should head back and let everyone know what happened...and what hasn't happened." Female Knight said, and they went back to camp. Everywhere they looked, hundreds of troops of all races were sorting out their armor, weapons, sometimes magic supplies like spell scrolls, enchanted items, and potions. Dwarf engineers, human alchemists and elf battlemages were constructing and supplying siege engines from balistas, to trebuchets, to siege towers armed with cannons...and this was just the first wave.

* * *

"...and some man in black was apparently stalking him." R.W. said.

"Man in black? Oh...I know who he is, thanks for the info." Hero said as she stood up and grabbed her sword.

"What? You're going yourself?" H.W. asked.

"Believe me, we're the only ones qualified. This guy is not only a revenant, but the strongest of them." Hero said.

"Wait...this is that guy who helped us with the spider nest isn't he?" A.C. asked.

"Apparently." R.W. said.

"Don't worry. We're old friends him and us, and keep your jokes to yourselves." Sword Saint said and Hero snickered.

"What?" Female Knight asked.

"Don't ask." Sword Saint groaned.

"Well, let's go see to our undead friend." Sage said as she followed her two teammates to the boneyard. The team the left behind went to do their own thing, as GS, Cow Girl, Priestess, Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother approached.

"I heard you found the goblins." GS said, and a skirmisher nodded.

* * *

Next thing they knew, GS lead his team, and the skirmishers through a series of small ravines, hills, and tunnels, and GS' training with the skirmishers showed; they all did things he would do, and a few things Ranger and his team did, such as drawing goblins out with smoke bombs, or even the infamous clapping trick and slaughtering the goblins they baited out of their hiding spots with axes, javelins, or other light weapons. They also had moments where they rushed into a place to take care of some goblins as quickly as possible, before going dead silent, and Wizard's brother used Life Sight to see another group coming to investigate the noise...before Priestess engaged them herself by slicing them apart with her usual sword dance.

The skirmishers stuck with the group the entire time, and sometimes held off goblins that managed to attack them from behind as GS' team engaged the front. One case was as simple as Wizard's brother using Firestream to incinerate dozens of goblins pouring down a tunnel...and melting the sides of the caves thanks to his now-blue and orange flames being stronger than before. The skirmishers also threw bombs into the smallest goblin nests and took cover as the goblins were blown to pieces, or frozen solid. Cow Girl had a moment where she used her quad-cannon to shred a pack of goblins as they charged out of a cave, and then GS went after the survivors and hacked them down.

* * *

They then heard rapid gunfire, and rushed through the field, with the skirmishers going to every other direction to hunt down the other goblins. When GS' team reached the noise, they found Dwarf Rifleman inside a dug-out hill, holding off goblins with his quad-cannon. He then used the axehead of his rifle to chop down goblins until a goblin slung a rock at him, and he was knocked off-balance and fell down. Just as the goblins were about to close in for the kill, GS threw in a flash bomb, and Cow Girl sniped a pair from afar, and GS rushed in to sever the heads of the survivors.

"Glad you could make it. My shooting muscles were starting to cramp." D.R. said.

"Yeah right. We saved your ass." Wizard's brother said.

"Right...where's my dear princess?" D.R. asked.

"Doing her own thing, while we do ours." Wizard's brother said.

"Let's get killing!" Rhea Fighter exclaimed before drawing her sword and following GS down a ravine as Cow Girl grabbed her rifle, used the shotgun mod, and unloaded into the goblins that jumped them from overhead.

"Empower!" Priestess yelled and everyone in the area that wasn't a goblin, including the skirmishers, all received a strength boost. Lizard Priest, H.E. Druid came out of nowhere and ambushed a group of goblins from behind as they charged at them from down a trench with Lizard Priest crushing them up-close, and H.E. Druid picked them off from above-ground.

"There she is..." D.R. said with a smirk.

"I am pleased to have reunited with all of you so quickly." Lizard Priest said.

"As am I. This place is enormous; I thought the first couple of mountain ranges we visited were huge, but this place must be a thousand miles wide, and ten thousand miles long." H.E. Druid said.

"9,999 shitloads, just like Ranger said to Spearman that one time." D.R. said.

"There's certainly enough room for it. Thank the Supreme we brought an army." Cow Girl said.

"Speaking of whom, when are they getting off their asses and helping us?" D.R. asked.

"They should be on their way any moment. They do have quite a few preparations to make, especially in light of the goblins' new arsenal." H.E. Druid said.

"Indeed. Goblins are devious by nature, but with the kind of weaponry they have at their disposal as of late, there is nothing we should not prepare for." Lizard Priest said.

"All the more reason for us to kill as many as we can before they get here." GS said as he walked off.

"Right." H.E. Druid said as they followed GS down a ravine, blasting, burning, and shooting the goblins out of their homes as they went, and eventually, ran into the skirmishers who were throwing spears at the goblins who weren't being bashed with maces or hammers, chopped down with axes, or sliced and stabbed with shortswords. GS' team left them to do their own brand of ass-kicking, and traveled down another ravine, encountered no goblins, and then ran into another group of skirmishers who were looking around at the goblins they took out...and then disaster struck.

Without any warning, dozens of armored goblins de-cloaked and the skirmishers barely had time to widen their eyes before they were pinned down, and thrashed about as the goblins ruthlessly stabbed and bashed them, sometimes even holding one limb so another could slice the flesh off that limb. The skirmishers spending their last moments thrashing and screaming in agony stunned the entire team...except for GS.

He pulled his shotguns and unloaded all four barreled into them, and their armor protected them only somewhat; some died, but most of the goblins hit were only injured or angry. The rest of the team had more luck with their weapons; Cow Girl and D.R. unloaded on them with their quad-cannons, and the goblins were staggered until their armor finally gave way, and their bodies were torn apart just like the skirmishers were. Priestess then checked on the skirmishers as some were still alive...but just barely.

"Heal..." Priestess said softly before her staff glowed and all the still-alive skirmishers had their bones mended, their wounds closed, and any lost limbs reattached.

"All of you should clear out. Let the others know-" Priestess cuts GS off.

"Goblin Slayer! You saw what they just went through! Show some sympathy." She exclaimed.

"Sorry." GS said.

"Thank the Supreme they were somewhat prepared for this..." Wizard's brother whispered.

"No kidding." Rhea Fighter said.

"Your Grace...please tell me this won't be for nothing..." A skirmisher said and Priestess put her hand on his shoulder.

"Of course not. Let's get you back to the others." She said and opened a portal to the vanguard camp.

"We will tell them about what happened. These goblins just doomed themselves...!" A skirmisher said as he and his comrades limped through the portal.

"If we had been here a second or two earlier..." Cow Girl trailed off as she looked over the butchered carcasses...and recalled Ranger doing the same thing to the goblins.

"But we weren't, but like that troop said, these goblins just cut their own throats. We already had a mission in mind, but now it's personal- well, more personal." Wizard's brother said.

"Right." Cow Girl said, and GS finished loading his shotguns.

"Let's go." He said.

* * *

The team then came across a network of trenches dug into the earth itself...which was a clear sigh of how much effort was put into the defenses. It made no difference for the goblins though; dozens of armored goblins rushed through the trenches only for Wizard's brother to incinerate them with his fire magic, or just mowed down by the team's guns. Lizard Priest had a small army of Dragontooth Warrior charge through the trenches and butcher every goblin he himself missed, and H.E. Druid ambushed the goblins from above...if she wasn't using her superhuman ears to hear goblins sneak up on her and jam a knife into their faces.

For her part, she ran across the tops of the trenches themselves so enough speed to keep the goblins that managed to spot her without being shot dead couldn't keep track of where she was. The empowered elf princess even jumped over the gaps in-between trenches and unleashed a group of arrows in mid-air, each each hitting a goblin in the head...or exploding behind a group of them. Wizard's brother stayed behind Rhea Fighter who opened her chakras and threw her sword at the goblins at distance, and her enhanced strength and speed made the goblins she punches, kicked, or threw away implode on contact before her sword came back and she resumed slicing the goblins in half up-close even without hitting them physically.

Wizard's brother of course unleashed streams and orbs of fire that traveled through the trenches, torching and blasting every goblins in the area, and even collapsing the trench with the raw force. Logically, every goblin that got close had it's head smashed in by his mace, if Rhea Fighter beat him to it. Wizard's brother also launched a Mana Bolt at a group of hobs after getting out of the trenches, and every hob and lesser goblin was vaporized...except for a paladin with an enchanted shield that was behind them.

Rhea Fighter then shared a look with him, and then charged at the paladin, only to be repulsed by a bolt of lightning from it's mace hitting her holy sword as she put it in front of her. Wizard's brother then unleashed a Paralyze spell at the paladin, who blocked it as well, and Rhea Fighter rushed to it's blind spot. The paladin, as it turned out, was partially effected by the spell and it's speed suffered just enough for it's smaller opponent to close in. When she did, she had to dodge a few mace swings, and eventually jumped over it, and severed it's head before landing.

GS and Cow Girl took turns moving forward as they weaved through a crowd of armored goblins, with him rushing forward and beheading several, then she rushed ahead of him and bisected several more, and then he took his turn with a shotgun blast. Rinse and repeat with the alternate partner throwing a bomb to cutting down a goblin with the balls to attack them from the side or back. Cow Girl wrapped things up by jumping off of GS' back and using her space sword to split a hob right down the middle as she jumped over it.

The entire team then reunited with Priestess who was surrounding herself with Protection as she stabbed every goblin that tried to pierce her barrier. She then impaled the last goblin in the face before unleashing a Holy Smite against another wave of armored goblins in all directions. She then spotted her teammates approach, and then they reunited with Lizard Priest who was with his Dragontooth warriors, crushing and craving their way through a wave of goblins; so much for backing him up.

They then heard gunfire, and rushed through and over the trenches until hey found D.R. in the middle of a three-way intersection in the trenches, gunning down goblins by the dozen from all three sides with his quad-cannon. GS and company watched the entire thing from other the side of an elevated trench, and when their dwarf friend was done, all three pathways were littered with shredded goblin corpses. He then watched the smoke stream out of his barrels, and smirked before looking back at his teammate.

"Nice of you to join me...about 30 seconds after I need you." D.R. said dryly.

"Not our fault you're such a beast with that gun." Cow Girl said.

"Says the lovely lady who has a gun like this herself." D.R. said.

"It pleases me to see you still live Sir Dwarf." Lizard Priest said.

"Likewise my good Lizard Priest." D.R. said.

"Um, I hate to break up the pleasantries, but there's likely alot more goblins further ahead." Rhea Fighter said.

"We don't have to deal with them all at once you know." Cow Girl said.

"No, but I doubt they won't have more surprises like that ambush earlier." Rhea Fighter said, and then H.E. Druid's ears perked, and she turned behind them.

"The siege forces got started without us." She said.

"But...if they're fighting over there, then...where are we...?" Priestess trailed off, then closed her eyes. "We're going the wrong way!"

"But this place is full of trenches. How could we be going the wrong way?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Technically we're not; we're going down a path that leads to another set of ruins. It's like the places we raided the first few times all over again." Priestess said.

"Great, how are we going to destroy them without Ranger here to drop a meteor on them?" Wizard's brother asked.

"What about another gate scroll trap, or we just go in and wipe out as many as we can?" D.R. asked.

"Wait...I've got an idea. Priestess, how many goblins are still out there?" Cow Girl asked.

"Thousands of goblins, hundreds of hobs and shamans, and dozens of champions and paladins, plus a few lords." Priestess said.

"Ouch, that's an awful lot to take on." D.R. said.

"Which is why we're not going to take them on, we're going to bait them out into the open...and make them regret it." Cow Girl said.

"That spells trap to me." Wizard's brother said.

"Can you do it?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yep. Me and my sister made dozens of gateways scrolls and linked them to various places, including some volcanoes we found here in the Deadlands." Wizard's brother said.

"That is most fortunate Sir Mage." Lizard Priest said.

"Well, we saw the size of the Hell Ripper, and the citadel for that matter, and being the genius that I am, I brought up the notion of not taking any chances with a siege like this." Wizard's brother said.

"Well, while we're going on about how to do this, the rest of the army is back there taking a beating." H.E. Druid said seriously.

"O.k. o.k., so we have the traps, but how are we going to bait thousands of goblins...and company?" Cow Girl asked.

"We'll need something loud, very loud." GS said and the group started thinking.

"Like what?" Cow Girl asked.

"My familiars! A whole flock of crows could fly around and do nothing but squawk around." Wizard's brother said.

"That could work." GS said, and Wizard's brother summoned one flock after another flew around, as GS' team themselves took care of the goblins closest to the center, where they were, and held the line as Wizard's brother prepared the traps. After no less than half an hour of intense, and relentless fighting, several champions appeared, and they actually combined their efforts to create a swirling ball of ice shards to throw at them.

Unsurprisingly, GS' entire team retreated, and Priestess drank some holy water and put up Protection as the rest of the goblins charged them...and triggered one trap after another which blew up the ground under them, launched several champions into the air, crushing more goblins along with the rubble flung up with them, and even shooting bolts of lightning that traveled from one goblin to another. The familiars then came back, pecked through the heads of the goblins that weren't sparked to death by them, and the team opened fire with their respective guns until the ones closest to them were all mowed down.

Wizard's brother then unleashed a Mana Bolt to finish off the last of the goblins, and the familiars flew around to mop up the survivors, with Life Sight helping him direct their attacks. When they were down, they used a portal to get back to the siege force...and it wasn't going well at all. The team watched as hordes of goblins ambushed the ground troops from all sides, and picked them off slaughtered them one by one. Some female troops were even captured by the goblins, some even got a limb or two broken to make their capture easier. The goblins then dragged their captives into a hole for...later use, then rejoined their brothers in the battle.

The siege towers evened the odds with gunfire and ballistas, but some goblin champions unleashed fireballs at the tower's bases, which must have ignited the towers' supply of gunpowder because the towers blew up from the inside multiple times. Some towers were lucky enough to have mage support which stopped the fireballs launched at them, but it was still a losing battle. The goblins covered the entire battlefield for miles, and the united army were losing ground slowly but steadily, not unlike a fire burns up a leaf. The team themselves were the toughest people in the army, but they weren't strong enough to handle that many goblins, especially not without hurting their allies. The first wave's attack on the citadel was a complete failure, and the team could do nothing but watch in horror and sorrow, with Priestess putting her hands together.

* * *

When they got to the Frontier, Abbot followed Ranger, Fighter, Warrior, and Wizard to their old apartment, and Wizard cobbled together a special chair which had a mind-focusing enchantment on the entire apparatus. Fighter then sat down on it, and opened her chakras...she then discovered Cambion in the Pope's palace. She then explained the situation to her team, and Ranger gave his portal gem to Abbot who knew where it was specifically.

"He's already been here..." Abbot whispered as he eyeballed the doors that were blown out and smoldering.

"This happened recently; the doors look like they were blasted from the inside-out, and the flames didn't have enough time to burn through the wood for too long." Ranger said as he examined the doors.

"Boss! Look!" Wizard exclaimed as she pointed inside and they saw several people on the ground shaking in awe. Abbot then rushed in and looked them all over.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

"No but...His Holiness locked himself in the main chamber, and he hasn't come out." A priest said.

"Father...we were-" Abbot cuts another priest off.

"Yes, we already know." He said seriously, before banging on the door. "Holy Father! We've come to help you! Holy Father, can you hear me?!"

"Leave me..." The Pope said quietly, and Abbot looked back to the others with concern, then Ranger approached.

"Holy Father, we're coming in." He said seriously as he morphed a sword.

"Please don't. I am not worthy-" Ranger cuts the Pope off, by cutting through the lock...and they saw the Pope in a corner with his face in his knees. Fighter then rushed to see to him.

"Holy Father, what happened here?" She asked.

"It's the skull...he came here for the skull." The Pope said and Abbot rushed to the alter.

"Cambion..." Ranger whispered.

"I failed the Supreme. It was my sworn duty to protect it, and I turned my back on Heaven itself..." The Pope said.

"What do you mean?" Ranger asked.

"I used Holy Smite on the half-blood, and it did nothing. I once used Holy Smite to vanish a small army of demons myself, and it failed me. I believed the Supreme God failed me." The Pope said.

"That's not true Father." Fighter said seriously.

"But it is..." The Pope whispered.

"No! He took the husk of the Demon Lord's pet!" Abbot exclaimed.

"What?!" Ranger exclaimed.

"What do we do now?" Wizard asked.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cambion was at the same pit he had the slaves dig up, chanting in the Demon Lord's tongue as purple fire engulfed the skull he took from the Pope. Occasionally, orange lightning struck the skull from various directions as a large Hell Rift opened overhead. The wind even swirled around the area and kicked up dust as a weak tornado formed around the area that pulsed between being weak and strong as the skull gathered more power. Eventually...a surge of Hell energy lashed out in all directions, pushing down several trees in the area.

* * *

Back at the palace, Fighter violently shuddered.

"Everyone...I have a bad feeling about this." She said.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you sounded like Rhea Fighter used to." Warrior said.

"No...really...that skull is being worked on as we speak." Fighter said seriously.

"Supreme above." Abbot whispered.

"He's done it. He's waking the pet as we speak. I've doomed us all..." The Pope said.

"Stop it Father! This is the Cambion's doing, not yours." Abbot said.

"And he's right in doing so!" The Pope snapped.

"How could you say that?!" Abbot asked.

"Because when he came here he blamed me for having the church abandon the people! And he's correct...the people cried out for salvation and peace as hordes of goblins and demons poured down upon them, and we have done nothing but ignore them. No, worse than ignore them; we have claimed to have prepared for the threats the people faced, and covered the damage instead of fixing it. We! The church the Supreme God, the one people have looked to for justice for centuries if no millennia! Now a single person, half-blood demon or not, approaches me in the heart of the church...and the powers I was granted fail me, miserably. There could not be a clearer sign: the Supreme God...is not the Supreme God afterall." The Pope said.

"No...the Cambion is simply abusing the power of the human spirit to vent his wrath upon those he blames for the country's problems. The church would never forsake the people, and I'll prove it myself!" Abbot said seriously.

"How Father?" Wizard asked.

"By joining the siege of the Goblin Overlord's citadel myself. Priestess is there now, and she alone can make a difference, but two major servants of the Supreme God will make the victory a certainty. Ranger, send me there now, the rest of you stop the Cambion...at all costs." Abbot said, and the team looked at each other, steeled themselves, then Ranger handed him the portal gem, Abbot used Vision to see his destination, then opened a portal to the army that the team could see getting pummeled by the goblins. Abbot then tossed the portal gem back to Ranger and rushed through the portal.

"Where's the Cambion now?" Ranger asked.

"I can feel him; he's on the other side of the forest to the east of here." Fighter said.

"Lead the way." Ranger said and Fighter rushed out of the room toward the woods, and the pressure coming from the Cambion's ritual became more and more stifling as they got closer...and there he was, the Cambion. Once the team got close enough, the ritual stopped cold, and he lowered his arms.

"This is interesting. I would have thought your new archbishop to have been more tactful than to abandon you in your hour of greatest need." Cambion said before turning to face the team...and singled out Fighter. "How is your arm?"

"How's your _spine_!?" Warrior snapped, and Cambion smirked and lowered his head.

"From the look of things, you've all healed from your wounds as well as I had hoped...and you brought your fearless leader. I do hope you have improved your skills as much as you could with the Champion." He said.

"How do you know that?!" Wizard asked.

"There is little that escapes my notice, such as whether or not you are more agreeable now." Cambion said.

"You mean you still want us to join you after everything you did? All the damage you caused?!" Fighter asked.

"Yes." Cambion said simply, which astonished the team. "I am more than alittle amazed you put all of this time and effort into opposing the forces crippling this world, but paid none to why they were allowed to flourish in the first place."

"If you're going to tell us that the Sword Maiden was making this country weak or whatever bullshit you have to throw at her, forget it. There's more to life than power." Warrior said.

"You're right, and the most important one is balance. Why do you think the guild exists in the first place? To address the lack of balance between the righteous and the corrupt. Ironic since the guild is filled to the brim with both. The goblins that were allowed to thrive for ages being so looked down upon, only for those who do to suffer and die in unspeakably unjust ways, is merely an inkling of the lack of justice no one bothered to address. And why were the goblins left unchecked? Because no one knew? No, it's because no one cared, not even the church- no..._especially_ not the church. Otherwise, this country would have been infested with Goblin Slayers who would have wiped out the goblins a _long time_ ago!" Cambion said.

"Well, in case you missed the memo, they're being dealt with as we speak." Wizard said.

"Yes they are...after _far_ too long!" Cambion snapped.

"And those adventurers you tempted?" Ranger asked.

"Tempted? Interesting term for a chance to make something of themselves when you take all the glory yourself, along with that little girl who happened to have gotten her hands on one of the strongest weapons in the world." Cambion said.

"I cannot speak for her, but I got my Platinum Rank because I _chose_ to go down the path I went down, despite the risk." Ranger said.

"And if there was another way? One that had no risks and had the same results?" Cambion asked.

"That's bullshit; everyone knows risks and rewards have to balance each other out." Warrior said.

"But is that an actual law, or something everyone is told?" Cambion asked, and the team looked at each other. "Exactly. I don't know how it all started, nor do I care to find out, but there is a reason I continue to press you all for your aid. You condemned me earlier for supposedly making false promises; what I can and will do is give them and everyone else the same level of power you possess, and when I am done...everyone will be Platinum Ranked!"

"They will have the power required, but how can you trust them with using it properly?" Fighter asked.

"They will have no choice. They will have to use the power I grant them to shape the world as it was meant to be shaped, or they will have to answer to me. Now...I ask you yet again, join my cause. I know the people revere all of you; with you working with me, we can end the forces twisting this world in no more than half the time." Cambion said.

"Cambion...you have spoken more sense than anyone I have ever met, but you have gone too far in the wrong direction, and even if your cause has merit...it will not come to fruition like this, especially with the price being far too high. One way or another, everything ends here." Ranger said seriously as Warrior pulled his sword, Wizard readied her glaive, Fighter popped her blades, and Ranger morphed a greatsword. Cambion then sighed deeply.

"Ranger...I regret your choice, but I understand. If anything it's rather poetic, a group of people, vs a single half-blood demon, no one is a hero, or villain...but both sides are still foes." He said before morphing his arms into blades. Fighter made the first move by charging right at Cambion who barely had enough time to put a blade in her way to block her armblades, she then jumped over him to dodge a slash at her gut. Warrior and Ranger rapidly slashed at Cambion as Wizard charged up a drain spell..although watching the two men clash blades with Cambion from every angle, and with both the men attacking Cambion from opposite sides never getting old distracted her from focusing on her magic.

Ranger then wrapped things up by blocking a stab to his chest, and Warrior deflected a slash into the ground, and Fighter took advantage of the distraction to jump up and kick Cambion in the back of the head, and then jump off him into the air. Cambion then morphed his blades back into his arms, and pushed off the ground hard enough to launch himself backwards. Ranger then morphed his guns and opened fire on the Cambion, who blocked the bullets with his arms...then started trembling.

"Silver bullets. Didn't expect that did you?" Warrior asked as Cambion dug the bullets out of his body, and looked over the shiny piece of metal that were making his body ache. Although, when he removed the last one, his wounds healed normally, and he got back up.

"Clever...although, you will need more than poison if you want to win this." Cambion said as he grabbed the skull, tossed it into a Hell Rift, then went into it himself...and then came out from overhead, with his fists morphed to be significantly larger, with organic armor coating them. Ranger then jumped up with his own gauntlets morphed, and the clash between his superheated gauntlets, and Cambion's overgrown fists created a shockwave strong enough to send Cambion into the sky and launch Ranger back into the ground hard enough to shatter it, and send Fighter and Warrior flying into trees.

"Oh no..." Wizard whispered as she rushed to checked on her teammates...all of whom stood up thanks to their necklaces healing them.

"Thank the Supreme I married a genius." Warrior said softly, and Wizard gave him a brief but sweet kiss as the three stood up. Cambion then exited a Hell Rift further away from them.

"Ranger, when last we met, I was able to snap your giant blade in half with my fingers alone. I must compliment how much more you have improved; if you had remained stagnant like your friends have, you would all be dead by now." Cambion said.

"Stagnant? Hardly." Wizard said.

"Prove me wrong." Cambion said before unleashing a fireball from his fingertip that turned into five fireballs, each one bigger than he was. He then pointed at the team which sent the fireballs flying right at them.

"Firestream!" Wizard yelled as she unleashed a torrent of fire from her glaive which held off the fireballs, but that was it. Ranger then drank some holy water when he saw Wizard struggling.

"Immolation!" Ranger yelled as a burst of fire exited his hand and the two overpowered Cambion's fireballs, and pushed them back at him. The team then watched Cambion get engulfed in the flames, and take all five fireballs as they exploded in his face. When the dust cleared, Cambion was on his knees, breathing deeply and covered in dust and gravel, but otherwise unharmed.

"Congratulations...you have indeed proved me wrong, but I guarantee you this will not be an easy fight." Cambion said seriously.

"Not for you maybe." Wizard said, and Cambion stretched out his arm to grab her, then Fighter opened her chakras and swatted Cambion's arm away before it got halfway to her pseudo-sister. She then rushed at Cambion, kneed him in the gut, and threw punches at him, which were either blocked, dodged, or countered, but she matched him step by step, despite his inhuman speed. She then caught a punch to her face, twisted his wrist hard enough to make him growl in pain, and then gripped his throat, and shoved him into the wall of the pit despite his feet digging into the solid rock ground.

"Impressive..." Cambion whispered before pushing off the wall with one foot, which pushed Fighter back just far enough that he could get an angle to pick her up and slam her into the wall hard enough to bring part of it down on top of her as he jumped out of the way.

"Fighter!" Warrior yelled as Fighter got buried under the rubble, and Ranger shot Cambion with his guns, and Cambion had to open a Hell Rift to retreat from the gunfire. Cambion then reappeared behind Ranger, who barely had enough time to morph a greatsword before Cambion tackled him into the pit...and Ranger flipped them over so Cambion landed on the ground instead of Ranger. Cambion then laid there as Ranger got some space, then glanced to see Warrior working to uncover Fighter, Cambion then rolled back to morph his blades again as he clashed with Ranger's greatsword over and over.

"Fighter..." Wizard whispered as she watched her husband frantically try to get Fighter out of the pile of rocks she was buried under, until she was finally uncovered...and unconscious.

"Fighter? Fighter?! Fighter, answer me!" Warrior said as he continuous shook her.

"I hear you...!" Fighter groaned.

"Oh thank the Supreme..." Warrior said as he looked back to see Ranger and Cambion were still clashing blades, or pushing against each other at this point.

"I heard you the whole time..." Fighter said as she held her head.

"Then why didn't you answer?" Warrior asked.

"I just got buried under a ton of rocks, some of which are bigger than I am, and they hit me harder and faster than I could handle! Healing from that is no joke, even with my chakras opened." Fighter said.

"Right." Warrior said before the ground shook, and they turned to see Cambion slammed Ranger into the ground with his hand on his throat. Warrior then pulled his hammer, made it spark, and Cambion jumped away before Warrior unleashed a bolt of lightning that Cambion narrowly dodged by jumping into a Hell Rift. "Yeah, you _better_ run away!"

"Ranger?" Fighter asked as she checked on Ranger who was catching his breath.

"I'm fine..." He whispered, before Fighter smiled at him. Cambion then reappeared behind Wizard, who was saved by a rock elemental she pulled from Limbo. She then tag-teamed Cambion with her glaive as the elemental kept punching him. Cambion was actually able to keep pace with both Wizard and the elemental at the same time...until Cambion grew his fist and punched the elemental to the ground, and Wizard quickly absorbed power from it, then grabbed Cambion with her spare hand and threw him behind her hard enough to tear up the ground as he landed. She then used the power she absorbed to have the rocks Fighter was buried under be merged together into a large spike, and Cambion got up in time to get the spike smashed into him. Amazingly, he wasn't even scratched, but merely staggered, and of course angry at her.

He then charged at her, but he was still staggered enough to have too little equilibrium to go at full speed...and that was all it took for Warrior to use the whip function of his sword to tie up Cambion's feet, and Ranger jumped up to hurl a harpoon right through Cambion's collarbone from above. Warrior then wrapped it up by charging up his hammer and throwing it at him, making it smash into the harpoon hard enough to cause an explosion violent enough to shatter the ground even more than it already was. They then retreated to wait for the dust to clear...and Cambion was still alive and well.

"You've got to be kidding me! How is he able to take a hit like that?" Warrior asked, as Cambion tore the still-intact harpoon out of his torso, slammed it on the ground, and glared at everyone one by one.

"You learned significantly more tricks over the course of these last several weeks, and your leader is clearly worth his salt..although, I sincerely doubt you can do more than throw tricks at me." He said.

"Tricks?! We've been _beating_ your ass for almost an hour!" Wizard exclaimed.

"And look how far you've come. If you're intentionally trying to kill me, you're going to have to do better than this." Cambion said seriously.

"This guy is brutal...!" Wizard whispered harshly...then Warrior made a dozen clones of himself, much to Cambion's surprise, and half of them charged at Cambion with swords in hand, and the other half morphed their crossbows, and as the first half clashed blades with Cambion as the crossbow-users took pot shots at Cambion when they got a chance. The frenzy Cambion made with the clones slashing at him was so intense that even Fighter couldn't tell what was going on clearly, even though her chakras were closed. Eventually, it became apparent that the clones gained the upper hand by slicing into Cambion is various places. The real Warrior then whistled, the clones backed off, and rushed back to him as he reabsorbed them.

He then charged up his sword and unleashed several waves of holy energy that Cambion easily blocked...but then Warrior ducked under Cambion's defenses and jammed his sword into Cambion's gut, then unfolded his shield and used the edge to bash Cambion in the face hard enough to send him flying into the wall of the pit they were in. The crossbow-using clones then pelted Cambion with a storm of silver-headed bolts while he was down, and Cambion unleashed a surge of Hell energy that not only deflected the bolts flying at him, but also paralyzed the entire team. Cambion then took a moment to compose himself, and the tore the bolts out of his body and stood up as his wounds closed.

"You are starting to anger me..." Cambion said seriously, and Ranger smirked, which made Cambion raise an eyebrow.

"I've been waiting to try this out..." Ranger said before opening his eyes...which were now cyan; his chakras were open.

"You as well-" Cambion couldn't finish his thought before Ranger went from being several meters from Cambion, to having his gauntlet colliding with his face in a split second. The Hell energy Cambion unleashed empowered him enough to withstand the punch, and then he took yet another punch to the face, and then the next minute became a barrage of punches and other strikes between the two, as they engaged each other with every unarmed trick in the book. From Ranger throwing fake strikes to one place, and changing it to throwing a real strike to an unprotected place, to Cambion dancing and flipping over Ranger as he pushed him into the ground, to Ranger flipping himself over and tripping Cambion, to Cambion trying to use his armblades o cut Ranger in half, only for Ranger to put his greatsword in the way.

After that, it became a clash of their blades violent enough to create massive yet brief gusts of wind, and the ground shakes from the force of each individual blow...of which there are several ever split-second. Ranger then locks blades with Cambion yet again, and then a pair of clones of his appear out of his back, which surprises everyone in the area, Cambion and his team. The clones both impale Cambion in the sides with their greatswords, and then the original morphs a gauntlet and punches Cambion in the torso hard enough to stagger him, only to see the gaping wounds in Cambion's sides close up, and then Cambion puts a bolt of Hell energy into Ranger and both clones, as they fall down spasming out.

"How much abuse can this bastard take?" Wizard asked, and Fighter then morphed her bow and loosed an explosive arrow that blows up in Cambion's face, but he doesn't stop shocking Ranger. Wizard then summons a pair of ice elementals that flew around and shot ice beams at Cambion, which encase him in ice, just not for long, even though Ranger did get himself together and throw another punch at Cambion, only for it to be caught. Cambion then morphed his right arm into a blade bigger than he was, and Ranger had to retreat before he could take a lethal blow. Ranger than clashed blades with Cambion yet again before Cambion pushed Ranger back.

"I think you should know that this is the weapon I used to kill the Sword Maiden; based on how much damage I did with one blow, it's easy to see why she didn't last long, she and her guardian." Cambion said.

"You rotten son of a _bitch_!" Ranger growled as his greatsword superheated, and he pressed the attack as his two clones retreated, morphed their quad-cannons and opened fire on the Cambion...and he put up a Hell energy barrier to stop the storm of bullets, and then the clones stopped shooting, before Cambion blasted both clones before kneeing Ranger in the chest hard enough to send him rollnig across the ground.

"Alright...that's enough. I think it's time we put an end to this before it ceases to be entertaining." Cambion said.

"Drain." Wizard said as a spark of energy flew at Cambion...who unleashed another barrage of fireballs her way, which snuffed out the spark, and made Wizard retreat into the woods as the fireballs blew up the trees and cliffside she was on.

"I'm not falling for _that_ again." Cambion said seriously.

"Wizard!" Fighter yelled.

"You son of a bitch!" Warriorr yelled, then he attacked Cambion from the side as Fighter attacked from the other side, and Cambion jumped over them, stretched out his arms to grab them and threw them both back to where they were hard enough to knock them unconscious. He then stretched his arm out to grab the harpoon from earlier and used it to impale Ranger in the gut, out through his back. As Ranger screamed in pain, Cambion raised him up, and slammed him into the ground before sparking Ranger's entire body with Hell energy, and his pained screams lasted until his body started smoking and he stopped struggling.

"Remarkable. You all beat me hard enough to kill most of the most powerful entities in existence into submission several times over, and it takes me hitting you as hard as I can a few times, and you're all out of commission." Cambion said simply.

"Why...? Why are you doing all of this...? The Sword Maiden...the church...us..._everything_. Why do you even care?!" Ranger asked.

"Why do I care? Ironic question coming from one who meddles in every affair he sees, or hears about. Your team is no different last I checked...although I cannot fault them too much considering how much pain they prevented. As for myself...well..." Cambion trailed off.

* * *

Back at the Deadlands, Hero and company went through the Boneyard, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. In the meantime, the three ladies were greeted with nothing but the sight of the gigantic skeletons of various creatures.

"I'd hate to meet up with whatever these bones belonged to." Sword Saint said.

"Or whtever killed them." Sage said.

"Hey, we took down the Demon Lord didn't we?" Hero asked.

"And as Ranger said, we got ur asses kicked by the vampire queen." Sage said as dryly as ever.

"Killjoy..." Hero said before they kept going. Eventually, they got through the seemingly endless field of bones, and spotted a temple in the distance.

"Why does this situation look familiar...?" Sage asked.

* * *

Next thing they knew, they were inside the temple, looking over the murals of goblins, raising their hands to a symbol in the sky.

"That's the symbol of the God of Wisdom..." Sage trailed off.

"Figures..." Hero deadpanned before they kept going.

"Leave it to the goblins to make a temple to the God of Wisdom in the middle of an oversized graveyard." Sword Saint said.

"I don't think they built this; it's too refined. Maybe the Evil Sect made it for them." Sage said.

"You mean what's left of them." Sword Saint said.

"They could've made this before we and Ranger tore them apart." Sage said.

"Even if they did, it's not going to be long before we tear this-" Hero shuts up when they enter a room that had evidence of a massive fire.

"Whoa, what happened here?" Sword Saint asked.

"A fire happened." Sage said.

"I meant how, and why?" Sword Saint asked as Hero looked around.

"This room was a library." She said.

"What? How do you know that?" Sword Saint asked and Hero held up a burnt book.

"And this place is full of them." Hero said as she casually dropped the book, and they all looked around.

"Why would someone do this?" Sword Saint asked.

"A better question is who did this in the first place?" Sage asked.

"Maybe to spite the goblins, or at least the God of Wisdom." Hero said.

"When did _you_ become the detective here?" Sword Saint asked.

"Oh shut up." Hero said.

"Maybe Ranger is rubbing off on her." Sage whispered.

"I heard that!" Hero snapped and her two teammates snickered. They then moved onto the next room...and saw the glow of a flame coming out of it. When they peeked into it, they saw none other than Elder Revenant walking around holding a book and reading it via a large multi-headed candle.

"Him again? Talk about copy and paste events..." Sage said.

"Huh?" Hero asked.

"Nevermind." Sage said, and then Elder Revenant lit the book he was reading on fire and tossed it across the room into another batch of books.

"What the...?" Hero asked, and Elder Revenant turned his head to her.

"I didn't think I would see all of you again so soon." He said before lighting a case of books on fire.

"What are you doing?" Sword Saint asked.

"I've read every book in this place...and they're all full of lies." Elder Revenant said.

"What?" Hero asked.

"The one I just read tells about how souls are nothing than the energy of a body, and that the body is just an object to be used. That's only somewhat true; it goes deeper than that, although the way that book was written makes you think otherwise." Elder Revenant said.

"What's the truth then?" Sage asked.

"Sage...one single soul has more worth than a _castle_. I may have questioned my place in this world as a person, but the worth of a soul that so many spit on is one I will _never_ toss aside." Elder Revenant said seriously.

"O...k...sorry I asked." Sage said as the undead man before her sat down.

"There's also things that justify the goblins' unsatible lust for suffering, or at least attempts to, like how pain and pleasure should go hand-in-hand; one suffers, another benefits, that's the law of nature, and torture is the pinnicle of that law." Elde Revenant said.

"Sheesh, no wonder you're burning this place..." Hero said.

"Precisely." Elder Revenant said as he got up and walked off, with the ladies following him at a distance.

"So...what have you been doing over the past few weeks?" Sword Saint asked.

"Aside from reaping the millions of souls litered throughout the Deadlands, I was reflecting more on why I was doing what I was doing since I died." Elder Revenant.

"You reflected on several millenia in a few weeks?" Sage asked.

"I'm a revenant; time means almost nothing to me, physically or mentally; I remember harvesting the souls of a single elf that was used by goblins to breed 3,000 years ago, as if it just happened a minute ago." Elder Revenant said.

"Thanks for the information..." Sage said.

"Now, why are you here?" Elder Revenant asked.

"We're bringing an end to the goblins once and for all." Hero said.

"I already know that, I meant why are you here specifically." Elder Revenant said.

"Well, we heard you were here, and didn't want anyone panicking." Hero said.

"Typical..." Elder Revenant whispered.

"_And _we wanted to see if there were any major threats that only we could deal with." Sword Saint said.

"Well, I am not interested in stopping your siege, although I highly doubt you would be able to get rid of me without at least one of you losing your soul." Elder Revenant said.

"Oh really? Can you handle the Demon Lord? Or the vampire queen?" Hero asked.

"If I couldn't before, I can now." Elder Revenant said simply.

"What?" Hero asked.

"Millions of souls being given to the Death God entitles me to more power than every revenant combined, and that is including the power I already used against the Cambion." Elder Revenant said.

"O...k...then why not get rid of the Goblin Overlord yourself?" Sage asked.

"Because it's not that simple. The Death God doesn't just increase my power, but also restores them, especially when I use them to save souls in either Hell, or te Abyss itself." Elder Revenant said.

"The Abyss?" Sage asked.

"Yes. Not long before Ranger and Goblin Slayer's led the assaults on the Deadlands, I was sent to deal with the Fear Demon, one of the cruelest, and cageist demons in existence, and because of me, not only are the souls free, but the Fear Demon isn't leaving the Abyss anytime soon." Elder Revenant said.

"Unless someone releases him." Sage said simply.

"I wish them luck; few have ever entered the Abyss and left." Elder Revenant said.

"Well, congrats are in order for saving those people." Hero said.

"Even though they're dead souls that needed my attention?" Elder Revenant said.

"Point taken." Hero said.

"Do you intend to do anything about the invasion?" Sword Saint asked and Elder Revenant stopped walking.

"I suppose so...there will be a bounty of souls that need to be collected afterwards." He said thoughtfully.

"You would save alot of lives, and work, if you got involved during the siege." Sage said.

"Unless the living still don't concern you that is." Sword Saint said and Elder Revenant sighed.

"I suppose...it wouldn't hurt." He said and the ladies shared a smile with each other.

"Alright, so what else do you need to do in here?" Hero asked.

"I have scoured this entire temple except for one place; the place we're going to now." Elder Revenant said as he led them to a larger chamber with murals everywhere.

"Well, this place looks important." Sage said and Elder Revenant looked round at the murals of Evil Sect priests and priestesses raising their hands to the Demon Lord himself, some being turned into demonic soldiers, and even one involving the Champion of the Supreme with hundreds of people behind him going against the Demon Lord alone, and despite the legend saying that the Champion was alone, and the Demon Lord had a legion with him, the mural portrayed the opposite. Elder Revenant then reached a mural that was the Death God's mark, that turned into the God of Wisdom's mark much to his surprise.

"What's wrong?" Sword Saint asked.

"Did you see that?" Elder Revenant asked.

"See what?" Sword Saint asked as Elder Revenant looked back to see the mark was that of the God of Wisdom.

"Nevermind..." He said before moving on.

"Vision of beauty isn't it?" A goblin high priest said, and everyone snapped their heads to see the goblin in question.

"Beauty isn't the word someone worth anything would use for deception." Elder Revenant said simply.

"Well that wasn't friendly." The high priest said.

"What does a goblin know about friendly?" Hero asked.

"Oh...I can show all three of you friendly...like I did with the others" The high priest said with a sneer...before Elder Revenant appeared in front of him with a scythe brandished to the side, and the high priest recoiled in awe, before blood sprayed out of his gut and he feel to his knees. The three ladies were all as stunned as the high priest was; their undead companion was several meters from the high priest before, and not only was he right in front of the high priest, but also has a scythe out that he didn't have before, and now the high priest was on the ground holding in his intestines. So Elder Revenant ran over to him, morphed his scythe, and slashed the goblin's torso in less than a split-second. How fast is this man?

Next thing, they knew, the high priest completely healed his torso, then tried jamming his bone claws into his opponent...then his arm flew off as the scythe tore through it. Elder Revenant then grabbed the high priest's face and ripped out his soul before looking at it swirl around in the palm of his hand.

"I must ask...how many times do you need to be ripped out of your flesh before you stay dead?" Elder Revenant asked.

"You know this one?" Sword Saint asked before Elder Revenant absorbed the soul.

"It's the same one who lead the assault on that farm while you were fighting the Demon Lord, the same one who fought the last revenant in a fight that cost them both their lives." He said before moving on.

"Well, let's see him do that again." Hero said.

"Wait...even if this siege does work, what's going to stop the goblins from returning later on?" Sage asked.

"If they do, they'll just get sent back to Hell where they belong." Hero said simply.

"O.k...now you're _really_ starting to sound like Ranger." Sword Saint said.

"Well it's true." Hero said, and then they reached a chamber lined with pillars...as well as an alter in the center with a woman on it, and surrounded by goblins.

"This can't be good..." Sword Saint said seriously, and several goblins perked their ears and turned to the group and several prepared to charge at them. Elder Revenant then tore open a portal with a scythe as one of the goblins was about to get on top of the woman and rape her, reached through the portal, tore the goblin's soul out, and reanimated it to attack the goblins from behind with it's claws and even it's teeth. Elder Revenant him then jumped through another portal and severed the heads of every goblin in the back in one stroke. He then threw two scythes at a pair of goblins, recalled the scythes before reanimating the two dead goblins, and as the first undead goblin was overwhelmed, the two new ones jumped on the still-living ones and sank their teeth into their throats as they tried to scream but wound up spitting out blood.

"Well...that wasn't disturbing at all." Sword Saint said, as Elder Revenant taking the goblins' souls, and reanimated their bodies as Hero approached the woman, who was staring at the ceiling.

"Are you alright?" She asked, and the woman didn't even budge. Hero then checked her pulse and breathe.

"She's still alive, and pure for that matter." Elder Revenant said.

"She must've been a planned sacrifice..." Sage said.

"Yes, and chances are the fist goblin I killed was going to remove her virginity just to spite us." Elder Revenant said, and then tore open a portal to Water Town, much to the ladies' surprise as they looked at each other. Hero then picked the woman up and carried her through the portal, and Sword Mage received the captive.

"Well, looks like the living are starting to concern you afterall." Sword Saint said, and Elder Revenant actually smirked before Hero came back.

"Yes...yes you are..." He said.

"Well score another one for the good guys..." Hero said proudly, before Elder Revenant turned to leave along with the undead goblins after him. "O.k...would you mind killing those-" Elder Revenant severed the undead goblins' heads before Hero could finish. "-things...off."

"How can you move so fast?" Sage asked.

"I get more power as I give souls to the Death God, and that includes increased physical and magical power, as well as my ability to heal, my longevity, my immunity to pain-" Sword Saint cuts Elder Revenant off.

"Yeah...we read the book." She said.

"It's awfully nice to have the powers of death on our side...somehow." Sage said.

"The truly embarrassing thing about how little power I used to get rid of that high priest." Elder Revenant said.

"What?" Hero asked.

"You didn't notice? I didn't empower myself..." Elder Revenant said seriously.

"How strong are you?!" Sword Saint asked in awe.

"The Death God grants me as much power as I'm entitled to, no less." Elder Revenant said before they reached the exit, and he looked up at the clouding-up sky...before several Hell Rifts opened around him, which surprised him greatly as he gets impaled with multiple harpoons on chains.

"What the hell?!" Hero exclaimed.

"Ambush!" Sword Saint yelled as she pulled her sword as more Hell Rifts opened, to let out dozens of demonic soldiers that blocked her from reaching Elder Revenant who was completely pinned down to the point of helplessness. Hero then jumped over Sword Saint and unleashed a burst of energy that blew the demonic troops away and closed several rifts, but the ones that didn't close were opened again. Hero then swung her sword again, and the rifts were all closed. She and Sword Saint then sliced through the chains and harpoons coming Elder Revenant pinned down, and removed them one by one and watched their undead companion's wounds close one by one, even though he was impaled through several vital organs like his heart and lungs.

"Are you alright?" Hero asked as Elder Revenant slowly stood up.

"Of course I am." He said.

"That attack was not an accident." Sage said seriously.

"No. The Demon Lord is probably angry that we interrupted a sacrifice; there's probably going to be more on the way." Sword Saint said, and the next thing they knew, a barrage of purple fireballs was flying at the temple. Hero then jumped up and unleashed a wave of energy from her sword that snuffed them out...and then a swarm of imps and Prides rushed out of a series of Hell Rifts in the distance, all of whom were charging at the temple. The three ladies then braced for combat...before Elder Revenant unleashed a surge of black energy that targeted the massive skeletons around the boneyard.

"What are you doing?" Hero asked.

"Saving you some trouble..." Elder Revenent said seriously as the demons stopped their charge and eyeballed the hulking undead creatures staring down at them as they rose from the earth one by one. The demons then turned their attention to taking down the monsters, but even the fireballs, which as t turned out were thrown by archdemons, had no effect on the monsters.

The monsters in turn were able to crush and swat away imps by the dozens with casual swipes of their limbs, or those without arms sank their jaws into the earth itself, chewed up every demon they caught, and spat out the dirt onto other demons who were crushed under the dirt. Some monsters had wings and took to the sky, then they circled around and sprayed blackish-green bile on the demons in the back. Most of the monsters were multi-legged spider-like creatures the size of Wrathers, and they trampled every imps they could get close to...although they were by far the easiest to get rid of; several Wrathers actually succeeded in crushing them, only for the larger monsters to crush them in turn.

"O.k...now it's really nice to have the powers of death on our side..." Sword Saint said.

"Let's leave the demons to them; we have a siege force to save!" Hero said.

"You go...I'll catch up with you." Elder Revenant said, and the ladies rushed off to save the siege force...who were getting torn apart by goblins by the hundreds.

"We're too late..." Sword Saint whispered as they watched the men get butchered alive, and the female troops get crippled and captured...and they had a disgustingly good guess why they were being captured in the first place. Hero then tensed herself, charged up her sword, and jumped into the air.

"The Hero had arrived!" She yelled before unleashing a burst of holy energy strong enough to blast half the goblin horde off the face of the earth, send another quarter flying, and stunning the survivors. Sword Saint and Sage rushed off to get to the captives before the goblins could violate them, and after slicing and blasting through dozens of goblins, including a few armored hobs Sword Saint crippled by slicing their legs and finished off by either stabbing their hearts, or slicing through the back of their necks, they reached a cave where panicked screams were heard.

The two ladies rushed in, and when they got to where the screams were coming from...they were just in time to see several troops get their clothes ripped off entirely. Luckily, their training drove them to kick and beat the goblins off of each other as well as themselves, which only made the goblins angrier. But before the goblins could do anything too vile...Sword Saint rushed in and left no head attacked to the goblins' respective bodies. They then gave the women a chance to get themselves together since they were logically in a frenzied state thanks to the infamous fight-or-flight response. When the women got ahold of themselves and saw the goblins were dead...they recognized Sword Saint and Sage, and their terror and rage, was immediately replaced, with self-consciousness and grief if their watering eyes were anything to go by.

"You're alright now." Sword Saint said.

"Alright?! Alright!? Those damned things just tried to use us as toys! We won't be alright until they citadel gets brought down around the goblins' ears!" A soldier yelled.

"And it will, but as it stands, we have to get you out of here." Sword Saint said.

"Repair..." Sage whispered as the soldier's clothes, armor, and even some weapons the goblins broke out of spite were fixed. When the women got their stuff back on...they charged out of the cave screaming in rage as Sword Saint and Sage watched them get their revenge on the goblins by plowing through them in droves. In combination, they were probably as effective as GS himself is at killing goblins...although they lacked his fluidity for various reasons.

Sword Saint and Sage then saw Hero cover the skirmishers' retreat as she wove through a mass of goblin champions, by either running up one, flipping off of it and slicing through another, bisecting several in one swing, and even stabbing the ground to unleash an explosion underground which sent dozens of goblins flying, and the debris was launched everywhere, which of course crushed more goblins.

"It's official...Ranger is rubbing off on her..." Sage deadpanned. Sword Saint then shoved Sage to the ground as a champion hurled a spear at them, and Sword Saint barely had enough time to deflect the spear herself, but the force knocked her to the ground herself. Sage then unleashed a Mana Bolt at the champion...but it used a Reflect spell to send it flying off to where the rescued skirmishers were fighting, and they never stood a chance.

"You bastard!" Sword Saint yelled as she stood up and charged at the champion...only for it to smash the ground in front of her, staggering her and leaving her open to the champion's mace. But before it could finish her off, a thrown scythe tore through it's throat, and came back to Elder Revenant. He then charged at an approaching swarm of goblins, jumped into the air, morphed a two-handed scythe and when he brought it down, he tore through the ground itself as the goblins who couldn't retreat were ripped in half. He then charged through the goblins with his twin one-handed scythes and craved through them like he was a scythe himself.

He threw his scythes around which not only tore through goblins as they flew, but also as they returned to him, he jumped over a hob, and severed it's head as he hooked the two-handed scythe's blade around it's neck, he then spun the scythe around, shredding dozens of goblins as they tried to dogpile him, and then threw a one-handed scythe at another wave of goblins, and morphed a two-handed scythe to whirl around and tear through another group of goblins. He then stood there with his two-handed scythe's blade over his shoulder as the one-handed scythe returned. He then spotted the biggest wave of goblins yet approach, and the harvester of souls was clearly not afraid of them.

Once the goblins worked themselves up enough to charge at him...a flying undead monster from before appeared and spewed it's bile on them, which dissolved their bodies and horrified the survivors. Elder Revenant then reanimated the dead goblins he killed, and had them charge at the living goblins, who were too scared to fight anymore and retreated.

"Nice of you to join us." Sword Saint said as Hero showed up to watch the army of undead titans tear through the goblins' frontlines in various ways, from the flying ones spitting bile from above, to the land-based ones smashing up the trenches and the smaller ones rushing through and around the goblins' troops.

"We should get back to the others." Hero said as she approached.

"You should come with us." Sword Saint said.

"I'm not sure that's wise considering what I am." Elder Revenant said.

"Man's got a point there." Sage said.

"However..." Elder Revenant trailed off before unleashing a burst of black energy that reanimated the entire field of dead bodies, goblins, and non-goblins alike.

"What are you doing?! Those are our troops!" Hero asked.

"Even in death, they will still aid us." Elder Revenant said and Hero sighed.

"I guess you have a point." She said.

"I can feel no souls in them either; I assume the Death God took them in my absence. Ironic since it's usually the other way around." Elder Revenant said.

"Let's just go." Hero said and the group left their undead companion behind to rejoin the group.

* * *

"...and after we looked into the temple's origins, he brought those monsters back from the dead, and now here they are." Sword Saint said.

"Well...nice on have the powers of death on our side." Female Knight said.

"That's what we've been saying." Sword Saint said.

"Shame about those skirmishers though." Cow Girl said.

"They can be avenged, and they will be." GS said.

"Right." Cow Girl said, and then a portal opened...and Abbot came through.

"Father? What are you doing here?" Priestess asked.

"I came to aid the siege." Abbot said.

"Well, we just lost-" Abbot cuts Priestess off.

"I already know...a great many soldiers lost their lives here, but there is still a great deal that can be done without them. That citadel must fall before we are done, and with not one, but two servants of the Supreme God on this army's side, we _cannot_ fail." Abbot said seriously.

"Father...you don't sound right." Priestess said and Abbot sighed.

"This is not the only front on which things have gone awry; Ranger and his team are dealing with the Cambion as we speak, and he raised the stakes higher than they have ever been raised." He said.

"What? How?" Cow Girl asked.

"I'll explain later, but now...I have an army to address." Abbot said as he went to the back of the siege camp to see the rest of the thousands-strong army.

"Armies of the human, dwarf, elf, and lizard kingdoms! I come to deliver a message from the frontlines. The goblins have made their power and presence known, with deadly consequences. Now, none of you need to be told why you are here; all of you know what the goblins are like. They are a race of rabid monsters who will fight tooth and nail...but they do not know what _we_ are like. Heaven...is balance. Heaven...is stability...Heaven...is...power! And out here...we...are...Heaven!" Abbot exclaimed, and the rest of the army let out a rallying cry the echoed throughout the mountain range.

* * *

As the undead monsters continued rampaging through the heart of the goblins' defenses, the humans in the army sent a brigand of heavy cavalry to soften their offensive forces sent to stop the rest of the army from launching their attacks. Abbot even threw in an Empower miracle to turn the cavalry into a force that the goblins had no chance to defeat.

The lizardmen then had a century of their warriors spring out of one of the goblins' own trenches to ambush a brigade of goblin wolf-cavalry and skirmishers. They were also supported by a platoon of dwarven riflemen and elf archers and battlemages who shot down a group of goblins archers, and deflected their arrows respectively. Some dwarven heavy infantry held the line against some hobs with their gigantic shields while some human crossbowmen shot them down. A pair of elf battlemages then charged up a lightning spell to unleash on a goblin champion that tried and failed to protect itself with a Reflect spell. The dwarves then grabbed their spears and closed in to stab it to death.

Summoner and Female Summoner each unleashed a World Spawn to charge at the goblins' back defenses to support the undead monsters who were getting no where with the goblin shamans and high priestess who were barraging them with magic. Inspector even threw in an Empower miracle...and Summoner was right; he and his sister getting empowered made the World Spawns stronger as well, but all that did was keep them from getting overwhelmed.

"Thank you baby." Summoner said softly before giving Inspector a brief but sweet kiss.

"You're welcome...baby." She said.

"Must you two do that in the middle of a battlefield?" Female Summoner teased.

"Hey, grimdark much?" Summoner said.

"Good point..." Female Summoner said, and they looked out to see the chaotic battle take place in the middle of the entire valley in front of the citadel in the background...miles from where they were.

"I wish Ranger and company were here." Summoner said.

"If they were, there probably wouldn't be any need for an army now would there?" Female Summoner said.

"Good point." Summoner said.

"Well, they had as much influence on these people as Goblin Slayer did, which is quite a feat. Besides, we have the new Sword Maiden with us, aka, the woman who was with Ranger and Goblin Slayer's teams for no less than a year and a half now. If she believed it wasn't enough, she wouldn't allow anyone to fight." Inspector said.

"You really like Priestess don't you?" Female Summoner asked.

"Why wouldn't I? The Sword Maiden was legendary at worst, and still is to this day. If she choose Priestess to be her successor, there's no was she didn't know what she was doing." Inspector said.

"Here's hoping it's enough." Summoner said.

* * *

Back in the pit, Ranger was staring at Cambion while twitching in pain with the harpoon still impaling him into the ground.

"You asked me why I'm doing what I'm doing, although truth-be-told, I have no faith my answer will do any good. But on the off-chance I'm wrong, what would you propose?" Cambion asked.

"I have nothing to say to you..." Ranger growled.

"Then listen. My goal is one even you yourself supported; I told you before, I believe in fairness, and I meant every word." Cambion said.

"Fairness...? Fairness!? Are you out of your mind! You killed the Sword Maiden, a woman who loved the country as much as she loved it. You brainwashed countless people, hurt their families and friends, destroyed the church itself! Who are you to talk to anyone about fairness!?" Ranger snapped and Cambion simply stared as Ranger glared at him.

"Then what is _your_ definition of fairness?" Cambion asked.

"You getting your head severed, then the rest of the ones who follow in your footsteps to get the retribution they deserve!" Ranger said.

"That _would_ be fairness...but what about those who have already fallen...fell from grace...were denied _salvation_?! They are so far beyond your definition of fairness that you have no chance of reaching them! What fairness is there in flaunting a Platinum Rank while those less fortunate than you are left to their own devices?" Cambion asked seriously.

"We don't acquire power for the sake of it, nor do we welcome the suffering of others for our benefit!" Ranger snapped.

"Yet you follow the War God's path that demands you do just that. Sure you fight the Evil Sect and you cannot be condemned for that...but what of their victims? What if they are brutalized in the same way the Sword Maiden herself was?" Cambion asked.

"We save them like we always have!" Ranger said and Cambion huffed and circled Ranger.

"That would be a death sentence for the entire country. What you speak of only involves the guilty being punished instead of the crimes being prevented in the first place, and what's worse...you cannot be on this Earth forever; you will eventually die, and abandon this country to it's fate." He said.

"What are you talking about?" Ranger asked and Cambion stopped circling.

"What else? The people who rely on others for salvation. Other who are either too weak, too ignorant, or too slow to be there before the damage has been done, and the victims broken, behind _any_ kind of repair. You have seen this yourself too often haven't you? When you free women, beautiful, kind, innocent women defiled and desperate at the hands of goblins, the most pathetic of all creatures. The most disheartening part is that this is only a fraction of the pointless tragedies that plague this world. The disgust I feel towards the imperfections the people suffer for, is no different from the disgust you feel towards the goblins; it's the same thing every time. Those adventurers I offered power to is only the first step towards making the people strong enough, and when I am done...no one will suffer for their weakness, ever again. So I ask you, as a servant and friend of the Sword Maiden...what would you do to enforce your idea of justice, and why is it superior to my own?" Cambion asked...and Ranger stared at him the entire time in thought.

He then recalled the Sword Maiden talking about how she was ironically happy the goblins tore into her, and how much sweeter it made her love for Storm Mage when she compared the two. He also recalled how Priestess summoned him for a personal meeting to discuss what the Champion told her about how the Cambion didn't even understand his own goal...and how the Demon Lord was returning sooner than they thought. But...strong as it all was, none of it changed a thing.

"I don't know..." Ranger whispered as his eyes watered and his hands clenched. Cambion then knelt next to him.

"Now you know why I do what I do. This insanity has infested our world for far too long, and I can put an end to it, but I cannot do that peacefully; I needed to obtain the Sword Maiden's power not for my own sake, but for everyone else's. You said yourself she loved this country, and even in death she serves it through me, in a way she never believed in but is confirmed to be real. I am sorry for the pain I caused you, and everyone else. I don't expect any forgiveness, but I am not a goblin; I take no pleasure in the strife I sowed; were there a more peaceful option, I would take it no questions asked, but I cannot. You and I are the same in this matter; we each seek to aid the world in our own way. This is why I wanted you to join me, you and your family. Let us save this world together...like _true_ Platinum Ranks." He said and Ranger thought for several seconds before sighing.

"I can't. You yourself acknowledged how much the people look up to us. How can we do this without making it look like a betrayal?" He asked.

"Well...for what's it's worth, before I killed the Sword Maiden, I told her that Heaven has enough riches to make up for her pain...but I only said that to ease her passage. The moment I heard of her story, and how she became the archbishop...the contrast between her past and future cut me deeper than I could ever cut her. A person goes from Hell into Heaven, but Hell still haunts them at every turn. So long have I seen this over the centuries, powerless to do anything about it...until now. And you, great Platinum Rank, have tried to stifled my efforts at every turn. I may be a monster, but I have never been dishonest. In this regard, what difference is there between an avenger and a monster, if being a monster is what is needed to give the world what it truly deserves? Those that look to the one who dares to be called the Supreme God are even more guilty; what justice is there in letting all of this senseless misery last centuries- no..._millennia_? What I did to the church could not have happened to anyone more wretched." Cambion said.

"But...you were right. We've been to Heaven and the Sword Maiden is perfectly fine. She overcame her trauma, she found love...she's happy! Others went through the same thing as well; their past trauma was made up for." Ranger said.

"Not good enough. The damage done to them is a stain on this world that cannot be wiped away. _History_ saw to that. The power I obtained from Heaven and Hell is only the beginning. When I am done...Heaven, Hell, and Earth...will be one." Cambion said and Ranger gasped.

"You can't do that!" He exclaimed.

"I have no choice. The conflict between these worlds are the cause of this madness, and I will be the one who puts an end to it. When I do, there will be no more conflict, no more weakness, no more suffering. From the look of it...this doesn't appeal to you. Am I wrong?" Cambion asked.

"No...I agree with you. The people do need to be made stronger, but not like _this_." Ranger said.

"And what would you have me do? Go around training and inspiring people? Believe it or not, I already tried that, but the effects never lasted. The God of Wisdom made a weapon out of the goblins, uniting Heaven, Hell, and Earth should be possible as well." Cambion said.

"Shut up!" Fighter exclaimed, and the next thing Cambion knew, he got her foot to the side of his head with enough force to launch him into the side of the crater they were in, and shatter the wall.

"Fighter..." Ranger whispered.

"Every time you open your mouth, all I hear is despair, doubt, and false love, and I'm _sick_ of it!" Fighter snapped.

"What? There never was any love in the first place, which is precisely why not a single tear should nor will be shed for this world." Cambion said.

"Not when there's no one to shed them right? You claim to have witnessed people's cases over the course of who-knows-how-many centuries. Do you think we're dumb enough to think you saw cases like ours and their merit wasn't there? It's much more likely that you're just _blind_!" Fighter said.

"No _you're_ the ones who are blind! This crusade, as noble as it may be, is just using love as a painkiller when the disease itself was still there waiting to cause the symptoms all over again." Cambion said.

"You mean the goblins? They're being mopped up as we speak in case you forgot." Fighter said.

"The Demon Lord is still out there! He comes back every decade, and that's not even mentioning how twisted the people you eagerly defend are. How many go straight to their deaths or worse at the hands of the goblins? How sharp of a contrast is the difference between them and yourselves? A band of adventurers who were simply lucky!" Cambion said.

"Luck had little to nothing to do with it. We obtained the power we have because we went out and got our hands on it; the rest simply didn't look at all, or not in the right places. We gave ourselves a life worth living, and we're going to let others know how to do the same...after we kill the monster who only _claims_ to support them." Fighter said as she popped her armblades.

"Monster...? If you truly want a monster, who am I to deny you...?" Cambion said, and the next thing the team knew, Cambion gave off an increasing amount of Hell energy, and molten metal appeared to bleed out of his skin, and form a suit of organic-looking armor, complete with four wings, two pairs of horns, one pointing backward, and the other pointing forward, and the rest of his body was covered in spikes, plates, and blades, especially his hands and feet.

"Dear Supreme almighty..." Wizard whispered as Cambion spreads his wings and flexed in his new armor.

"You...had a chance, to aid me in bringing true salvation, but you cling to a failed philosophy and champion a worthless cause instead...just like the late Sword Maiden. Your ignorance has decayed your vision to the point of no return. Consider your lives forfeit!" Cambion growled.

* * *

**Dun dun duuuuuh...Cambion has his own Devil Trigger like Dante and Vergil in DMC, guess it comes with the territory of being a cambion. Also we get a taste of Cambion's motives and goals, although it would be quite a feat for him to pull any of that off, even though alot of crazy bullshit has taken place over the course of this adventure. I said it before, and I'll say it again: Cambion is supposed to be an anti-villain; yes he does not-very-nice things, but it's the end that justifies the means supposedly. Is he right, is he wrong? You decide. Anyway, can you say Battle of the Five Armies with the siege of the goblin citadel? Although there's technically six if you count the undead horde Elder Revenant's overpowered ass summoned. So...I hope you found this chapter worth the wait, and be such to Rate, Review, and Share and stay tuned for the rest of this fight, because I'm not even close to finished.**


	50. Chapter 24 Part II

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2...well...I hope this was worth the wait folks, I really do.  
**

**Review: I take it you agree with Cambion's ideology Engineer?**

**Technically, Fighter isn't wrong; being lucky is one thing, but doing what you're supposed to do because you know better is another.**

**I said it before, I'll say it again:the only reason that disgrace of a pilot episode happened was to show how messed up the goblins are, and in a pretty hamfisted way to boot. There's no excuse for those people not having even half the level of smarts Rangers possessed. Yes, he knew what was what from the smart, but that's only because he's a mentally-sound human being, simple as that. I do admit this story itself is supposed to be a tribute to those three, especially Fighter herself...but there really is no excuse for it to be necessary.**

**On that note: I don't get why Fighter's fate gets literally all the attention and the other two get jack squat. Bottom line: that pilot episode deserves every ounce of hatred it got. I understand the point was to make you hate the goblins, and feel bad for them...but like most sane people, I don't want that in a series; who intentionally spends time on something that makes them feel bad? There's too much b.s. in this world as it is. Well, I for one say "forget it"; I will not add to that proverbial cesspool; this is a story that's supposed to make the reader want to spend time on it, and I sincerely hope I everyone reading this far has enjoyed themselves. And for those of you who can look past that mess of a pilot episode...well, I applaud your ability to look past it, but also question how it works.**

**As for this story? Well, has a husband who treats her as well as he can, in as many ways as he can, an infant daughter who's likely going to grow up to be as lovely and fierce as her mother, is close enough to not one, but multiple women to the point where they're practically sisters, is likely going to be an aunt when Warrior and Wizard have their own kid(s) and even has a manor to live in while filthy, stinking rich. So even if I don't have a sequel to this, which I legitimately doubt this time...I've paid her and the rest of the team for that matter, more than enough tribute.  
**

**O.k. now, sorry but I had to get that off my chest. Now that the rant's over, and without further ado, let's get on with the rest of the siege...and the boss fight.  
**

* * *

Some rhea skirmishers moved the entire battlefield while using an invisibility spell, and it was the same thing everywhere: goblins and the united army exchanging magic attacks, arrows, bolts, bullets, and even bombs. Heavy infantry clashing with hobs, and even agile light infantry dancing circles around champions. Some assaults on either side succeeded, and others failed, but the areas where the World Spawns and undead behemoths were needed no looking into to see what havoc was being wreaked there...not that the little men were stupid enough to go there. Eventually, they got to another area no one checked out yet, and saw goblins running and screaming in terror as some shoot magic and various projectiles behind them.

"What's their deal?" A female rhea asked.

"Looks like our boys are kicking some serious ass." A male rhea said.

"I don't think so. No advance parties came this far. Must be something else going on." Another female rhea said, and they all mustered up the gall to press on, and they couldn't see anymore goblins thanks to the rocks blocking their view, but they all heard the gunfire, enraged yells, and dying screams, as well as the sound of flesh being sliced through. Eventually, they got to an outpost on the edge of the battlefield, and saw dozens of goblins retreating into it while others shot at the attackers...who were also goblins.

"What the-? Why are they fighting each other?" the male rhea asked.

"Guys? There's something off about those goblins." A female rhea said.

"What do you mean?" The male rhea asked.

"Some of them were grievously wounded and didn't seem to care." The female rhea said.

"O.k...that's pretty creepy. We should get back to the others and let them know what's going on..." The second female rhea said.

* * *

"...then some goblins that were serious injured showed up and went after them." A female rhea said as Hero and GS' teams were finishing a light snack.

"That's the Elder Revenant's handiwork. He can raise the dead and have them fight for him." Sword Saint said.

"Is he the one who brought us those gigantic undead things?" The male rhea asked.

"Yes he is." Hero said.

"Then why do we bother? Let him sort this mess out!" The male rhea said.

"It's not that simple. He might be insanely powerful, but his magic itself has limits, and even though his body doesn't...he'll get captured or trapped eventually." Sage said.

"Right, we saw it happened earlier with our own eyes. Granted it took alot of effort, but...this is the goblins' homeland; they'll think of something." Sword Saint said.

"Right. Goblins aren't bright, but they're not fools either." GS said.

"You haven't said that in a while Orcbolg." H.E. Druid said.

"I know." GS said.

"It's kind of funny having goblins on our side for a change, especially undead ones." D.R. said.

"Indeed. It is not unlike the siege of your farm home Sir Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest said.

"Good point..." Cow Girl said somberly.

"I do apologize for bringing up any bad memories." Lizard Priest said.

"It's alright. We're here to make sure it wasn't for nothing." Cow Girl said.

"Is everyone read to get back out there?" Priestess asked and they all stood up.

"Yes we are Your Grace." Hero said with a smirk.

* * *

Hero's team went out to the frontlines, tearing through any goblins champions, or paladins in their way, and when they reached the front, they spotted Elder Revenant standing on a small hill with a legion of undead goblins tearing into another legion...with champions on each side sweeping aside the living and undead goblins alike. Eventually, only the living champions were left standing and they swept aside the undead goblins. They then retreated when the battle was over. Elder Revenant then hit one of them with a beam that made it decay to the bone, horrifying the others, making several vomit from the stench, and above all, letting them know the fight was far from over.

The champions then grabbed huge chunks of rock and threw them at their undead opponent, and each rock was sliced in half by his two-handed scythe the moment it got close enough; even the small bits of rubble hitting his eyeballs didn't bother him. The champions then charged at Elder Revenant, only for him to charge at them with twice the speed, and before any of them knew it, their legs were sliced apart, their guts were ripped out, their backs and throats were sliced open, and their heads were cut off.

Next thing he knew, a champion hurled a massive barrel at him, and he didn't even bother moving before he sliced into the barrel...which as it turned out was filled with tar. He then spotted a small group of goblins who were all laughing at him...and a shaman hurled a lightning bolt at the tar, setting it ablaze as the goblins all burst out laughing. The lack of any screaming must've been strange to them, because they stopped laughing and looked at each other in confusion. They then exclaimed as Elder Revenant walked out of the burning tar, and even though he was covered from head to toe in fire, which would normally make a person scream their lungs out in pure agony...he didn't even care; his black and blood-red flesh returning to normal only added to the goblins' terror. Even his hair and clothing reconstituted.

Terror which was completely justified since their undead foes unleashed a plume of ash and bones fragments out of his body that flew right at the goblins, muffling their dying screams as they were either torn to shreds, or their lungs were filled with the ash. Some goblins were filled with so much ash they literally popped. The shamans who survived tried pelting him with lightning, but either the ash was in the way, the shamans were too frantic to aim correctly, or their lightning didn't hurt them anymore than the burning tar did. Elder Revenant then recalled the ash, cut open a portal and jumped through it, leaving the shamans frantically looking around. They then heard a slicing sound, and a few pebbles hit the ground before they looked up and saw the rock formation above them was coming down on top of them, and it crushed them flat as soon as they let out their final scream.

"Spineless creatures..." Elder Revenant groaned before absorbing all of the souls into his hand as Hero's team approached.

"Are you alright?" Hero asked.

"He can't feel pain remember?" Sage said.

"It's still polite to ask." Hero said.

"A better question is how much power do you have left?" Sword Saint asked.

"Not enough, I will need to summon the Death God...and soon." Elder Revenant said thoughtfully.

* * *

Elsewhere, some human footmen were forming a wall of shields and spears as goblins and especially hobs poured down on them. At first, they were doing pretty well, with the hobs being pierced until they were dead, and some elves throwing their spears at the hobs to even the odds even more, and cutting down the goblins that get too close. A platoon of dwarf engineers arrived to deal with more hobs and a champion with the cannon they brought, and the first shot crippled the champion, and stunned the hobs, which gave the humans a chance to advance and finish off the hobs by cutting their legs, and spearing their heads, necks, or chests. The champion got up just in time to see it's friends get slaughtered, and then stood up to smash a squad of troops with it's club...only for the dwarves to avenge their fellows troops with a second cannonball to it's face.

Some elf light cavalry rode across the battlefield to jam their lances into the goblins that weren't strong enough to take them on, and some hobs ambushed them, and the elves had just enough time to form up and charge them...with both sides taking losses, with the elves on the losing end. Most of them had their horses crippled, killed, or finished off, and the ones on foot ditched their lances for one or two swords and danced around the hobs until they could hit a weak spot, or make one themselves. A platoon of human archers then arrived to distract the hobs, and the elves finished the job by climbing up the hobs and cutting the backs of their necks, or cutting their legs and chopping at the hob's heads until they died.

A platoon of dwarf gunmen were holding off a group of goblins archers and shamans, and the rocks they took cover behind did it's job, but the dwarves still lost a man every now and then, mostly due to them being staggered or injured, with a goblin occasionally getting lucky and hitting a neck. One goblin did just that, and celebrated...before getting riddled with bullets. A paladin then arrived, and the dwarves' bullets bounced off of it's armor, and especially it's shield, forcing them to retreat, only for the archers to seize the moment and loose arrows aplenty at them, with most being crippled, and their fellow dwarves stayed to go back and get them, but only a few could be saved with the rest of the goblins closing in and finishing off the unlucky ones as they were butchered alive.

They then joined the human archers, and what was left of the elf cavalry as they were surrounded by goblins on all sides. The united forces stood their ground with their wounded in the middle, and looked at each other occasionally, seeing the fear and indecision in their faces before resolving to take as many goblins with them as they could. The moment the goblins were done laughing at their doomed prey and began their charge...Holy Light blinded them, Holy Smite vaporized half a wave of them, the troops' injuries were healed, and they got an empowerment, all in one fluid motion.

Next thing the troops knew, Priestess herself was dancing through the goblins masses, craving through their numbers like a living scythe as her still-shining staff continued to blind them. Her entrance, on top of the miracles she used inspired the troops as they charged into the remaining goblins hordes who were still taking a mauling from the Sword Maiden's successor. Even the hobs were no match for Priestess as her holy blade followed it's wielder's wish to sever goblin heads from their torsos, extract their entrails, or remove limbs.

The troops she saved covered every inch of ground she herself didn't as the goblins regained their vision, only to scream in fear as bullets, arrows, axes, maces, blades, and other weapons silenced them. The few goblins and hobs that got a chance to fight back were swarmed by the lighter troops and picked apart, while the smaller goblins were simply smashed aside. Once the massacre was over, the troops looked around, at each other, then let out a scream of victory before Priestess composed herself, and then smiled as the troops she saved knelt before her like she was their goddess.

* * *

Back at camp, Summoner and his sister were busy summoning elementals to join the war effort, and it was mostly water elementals to help heal injured troops, and stone elementals to help rebuild and supply the lost siege engines, and help make new ones. Inspector of course stayed with them to keep them empowered as Abbot kept a lookout for any threats...and it's a good thing he did. Inspector screamed in panic as a group of goblins de-cloaked and pounced at her, only for Abbot to dash over to her and bash the goblins away with his staff. Inspector stood there frozen in fear as she tried to catch her breath, and the summoner siblings looked at the goblins Abbot struck...but none of them moved, let alone stood up.

"You should probably leave and compose yourself my child. I will take over for now." Abbot said and Inspector finally composed herself.

"But... what about...?" She trailed off.

"You did everything you can, now go consult with the Supreme; you could use more miracles, and so could they." Abbot said.

"O.k..." Inspector whispered before leaving.

"Inspector..." Summoner said softly as he watched his shaken wife walk away.

"She'll be fine; she just needs some time alone, and if she does need you, you'll be there like always. Right?" Female Summoner asked and Summoner nodded. They then got back to work summoning elementals to help the war effort.

* * *

The same rheas from earlier continued to monitor the battlefield and bring word to the officers to coordinate assaults on different positions accordingly. On one scouting trip however, the rheas were ambushed by goblins and every time they tried to run, more goblins appeared and their shorts swords wouldn't do any good against their armor, but it was better than nothing.

"Hey guess what?" Cow Girl said as she tapped a goblin on the shoulder, and it turned around..before taking a shotgun blast to the face. Another goblin tried to pounce at her, only for her to put her gun in the way and push it into the other one, and then cocked her shotgun and shot both dead in one blast.

"Thanks for that..." The male rhea said..while looking her over.

"You're quite welcome, now I suggest you get your butts out of here before things get nastier." Cow Girl said.

"But...what about you?" A female rhea asked.

"I can handle this..." Cow Girl said proudly, and the rheas looked at each other before running off. GS then walked out of a ravine covered in goblins blood. "You're late."

"Sorry." GS said.

"I'm just kidding." Cow Girl said softly.

"Sorry." GS said.

"Let's just go kill more goblins..." Cow Girl deadpanned.

* * *

R.W. and A.C. were up ahead holding off a wave of goblins with R.W. doing most of the fighting with his wife empowering him, and using Holy Smite on occasion. Eventually, a goblin paladin showed up, and the goblins made way for it. R.W. then shared a look with A.C. who braced for action with him. The paladin then charged at them, and they returned the favor, and split off at the last moment to hit it from both sides, but nothing happens; A.C.'s mace, and even R.W.'s empowerment doesn't phase it's armor. The paladin then clashed with both of the two at the same times, and the fight was a complete stalemate; neither the paladin nor the couple it was fighting gained any ground despite each of them trying multiple tricks. Logically, R.W. kept in front most of the time thanks to Empower making him more durable, with A.C. taking moments to swing her mace at their foe, but it's shield did it's job perfectly.

Eventually, a few goblins snuck up behind them and yanked. A.C' off her feet, and her scream distracted R.W. long enough for the paladin to bash him across the face with it's shield. He then saw A.C. scream and thrash around as the goblins tried to tear her clothes off...and he forgot about the paladin entirely and charged at the goblins slicing through every one he could reach in a frenzy. Eventually, the goblins laid dead, but he empowerment wore off, and A.C. was too disturbed by the fact the goblins nearly raped her to defend herself anymore as the paladin closed in for the kill. R.W. then looked at the paladin, and tried to get up...but he was too tired. A.C. then looked hands with him, and then the paladin turned it's head to see GS and Cow Girl approach.

"About time you two decided to show up!" A.C. snapped as the paladin tried to finish her off, only for the paladin to get it's sword-arm shot by Cow Girl.

"Hey! We're your opponents now. You already beat them." She said, and the paladin charged at them...then Cow Girl pulled her space sword and just like that, the paladin was hacked in two.

"That makes 843..." GS said before approaching the couple still on the ground and gave them a life potion. "Drink this. You both could use it."

"Thanks..." R.W. whispered before downing some, and alternating with A.C. until they could stood up properly, giving each other a hand as needed, with Cow Girl smiling at their subtle display of love.

"I suggest you get off the frontlines for now." GS said.

"You don't have to tell us twice. I've had enough excitement for one time." A.C. said.

"This siege isn't over, but...point taken." R.W. said as they walked off.

"Let's join up with the others." GS said.

"Right." Cow Girl said firmly.

* * *

Back at camp, the siege force finally got some trebuchets up and running, hurling massive rocks provided by the summoned stone elementals, and even masses of flammable items like tar-covered hay, set ablaze by a fire elemental. Some officers even looked out through scopes to see where the shots landed, and coordinated the siege forces accordingly, and the goblins paid quite a bit for it. Reinforcements coming from beyond the frontlines were either smashed to a paste because of the artillery, or were too scared to continue and fled back to where they came from.

Eventually, Inspector went into a hospital...and her heart sank like a rock. Soldiers with injuries of all kinds laid out in droves all across the inside of the building, from minor but still excruciating burns, to major gashes in their torsos, to missing limbs, and even eyes, noses, and ears. She then recalled that she had the miracle of Heal, and left to get ahold of herself. She then went back inside and used Heal on the most serious cases she saw that weren't being taken care of. Suddenly...it dawned on her: some troops weren't being cared for because they were going to die anyway, and others that did need help and could survive weren't just the top priority, they were the only priority.

That realization combined with the nightmare she was constantly witnessing was too much as she left the hospital, power walked back to her tent and buried her face into her hands. She wept for what could've easily been ten minutes before finally getting it out of her system, and took out a flask of holy water. She then sighed before downing some, and went back into the hospital, and thanks to the holy water she drank...several troops who were either dying, or crippled, were able to stand on their own two feet again. Granted it took her a few tries for some of them, but it still worked. When she was done, she and the rest of the doctors and priests were switched out with another group, as some healed troops went out to get some well-earned rest. Eventually, Inspector sat down on a bench, and then Summoner showed up, much to her relief.

"There you are." Summoner said, and then Inspector got up and approached him before throwing her arms around his waist, much to his surprise. "What's wrong sweetheart?"

"Just hold me..." Inspector whispered, and Summoner held her as close as he could. He then felt the priestess in his arms shake with grief, and shift against him desperate for the affection he gladly gave to her. Over the course of the next minute, Summoner felt the tension and grief leave Inspector's mind and body as she inhaled one deep, calming breath after another., especially when Summoner ran his hand through her hair over and over. She then shifted against her husband and tightened her hold on him. Eventually, she pulled away and felt her husband dry her moistened cheeks, which earned him a small smile from her as she returned to her normal self..

"May I ask what you're doing in a hospital?" Summoner asked and Inspector sighed.

"It's just...I wanted to help, if not you, then someone. So I came here and..." She trailed off.

"You helped heal the troops and got more than what you paid for." Summoner said seriously.

"I've been in hospitals before; I knew what I would see but...not on this scale." Inspector said.

"And you still saved multiple lives. You should be proud." Summoner said.

"I am...but at first, it was too much for me; I don't recall ever crying that much before." Inspector said and Summoner tightened his hold on her.

"For what's it worth...I probably would've had the same luck, if not worse luck." He said.

"I can imagine. That's why I love you so much." Inspector said before pulling away, and Summoner then gave her a series of kisses so gentle they tugged her heartstrings. She then pressed herself into him, as he tightened his hold on her lower back to deepen their kiss. Inspector then broke the last kiss and snuggled into his shoulder again.

"Are you alright now?" Summoner asked.

"I think so." Inspector whispered.

"Good..." Summoner said.

"Wait, why are you in here instead of out there summoning?" Inspector asked.

"We ran out of summon stones, and my sister is much better than me at making them, so while she does that, I'll stay with you until you're back in top form." Summoner said.

"Thanks." Inspector said softly before Summoner held her closer.

"I also wanted to get you to see if you'd like to see a waterfall I found a while ago." He said and Inspector huffed in amusement.

"You liar." She said.

"You still smiled." Summoner said.

"And I needed it...thank you." Inspector said softly.

"Of course." Summoner said before kissing her forehead. "You know, normally I'd take you into Limbo, but...now's obviously not the time."

"Right..." Inspector whispered.

"Would you like to go back to Water Town?" Summoner asked.

"No, I had a moment of weakness, but I can handle this. Besides...you still need your sexy priestess." Inspector said and smiled brightly as Summoner gently caressed her face.

"And I always will." He whispered before kissing her as sweetly as before.

* * *

Meanwhile, the whole team stood in their respective places staring at the monstrous behemoth Cambion turned into, as he stared at them one by one. Eventually, Wizard got a grip, and unleashed a charged-up Mana Bolt at Cambion, who casually backhanded the orb of energy aside, tearing up the forest even more than it already was. Fighter then charged him, and even though she got in over a dozen strikes in less than a second, Cambion wasn't fazed.

Warrior then unleashed a storm of bolts from his crossbow that all bounced off Cambion's armored skin. He then grabbed Fighter by the face and threw her at Warrior, knocking them both into the wall. Ranger meanwhile dug two chains into the ground, and slingshot himself past Cambion and had the chain tie Cambion up. The smoke coming off of Cambion's body revealed that the chain was silver, but it still made no difference as Cambion broke out of the chain not five seconds after, then glared and hissed at Ranger.

"Ah fuck..." Ranger groaned before Cambion grabbed him by the face, slammed him into the ground, and threw him through the woods, shattering several trees in the process, the last of which fall right on top of Ranger. Fighter meanwhile, got off of Warrior, who grew his hammer into it's two-handed form, and threw the hammer at Cambion like a javelin, with the head bashing into Cambion's armor hard enough to crack it and stagger him. Wizard then unleashed a barrage of Mana Bolts one by one that depleted her magicka pool, but staggered Cambion over and over until he finally went down.

Ranger then came back with his heavy armor morphed and watched the whole thing happen. He then sees Wizard down a magicka-restore potion, then retreat into the woods just far enough so Cambion doesn't have a chance to see her use a gateway scroll to teleport out of there...but Ranger knew her more than well enough to know she had a plan. Cambion then woke up, and Warrior himself started shaking as Cambion stood up.

"For crying out loud, how much can this guy take?" Warrior asked.

"Did you really think he'd go down after getting hit once?" Fighter asked.

"No but still." Warrior said, and Cambion's armor repaired itself.

"You there, man with the hammer. That power belonged to the Storm Mage didn't it?" Cambion asked.

"What if it did?" Warrior asked.

"Then I will take you down first..." Cambion said seriously, and Warrior's fearful stare soften into an amused grin. "I fail to see the joke..."

"Do you seriously think we'd show you everything we had all at once? Well, I've got news for you, you're not the only one who's been holding back this whole times; there are things you haven't seen yet. So you say you don't see the joke? You are the joke!" Warrior said and Cambion glared at him before Warrior unleashes a bolt of lightning from his hammer, that Cambion counters with Hell energy without trouble. Ranger then unloaded a storm of bullets into Cambion's back, but one of his new wings shields him, and the other wind shields him from Fighter's explosive arrows.

Warrior then stops shooting lightning as Cambion unleashes a bolt of Hell energy at Ranger who blocks the attack with a greatsword. Ranger then attached another greatsword to a chain that came out of his back, and used the chain to hit Cambion with it, which Cambion ducks under. Once he did, Fighter took advantage of his moment of weakness by grabbing him from behind, and piledriving him into the ground behind her, and then threw him into the air with her legs as Ranger's greatsword came back around to hit Cambion in the face hard enough to spin him in mid-air.

Warrior then charged in and smashed his hammer into Cambion's chest hard enough to send him flying into the opposite side of the pit they were fighting in hard enough to upturn the earth even more than it already was. Wizard then returned just in time to see Ranger re-absorb his weapon, and call down a meteor to crush the entire area Cambion was in.

"Did that do it?" Warrior asked...and then a tentacle with a spike on the end pierces him through the chest from behind, shocking the whole team, and Cambion appears through a Hell Rift on the floor behind Warrior.

"You cannot hit what isn't there, and even if you had...I'm offended you think that would have harmed me." Cambion said before roughly flicking Warrior's body away. "Now...which of you should I take down next?" Next thing they knew, Warrior's dropped hammer floated up and bashed Cambion in the face hard enough to crack his armor as it came back to Warrior who caught his hammer and slowly stood up. "How can you still move?"

"I told you there are things you haven't seen yet..." Warrior breathed out, as his chest healed, and his armored repaired itself.

"Interesting. I've never seen someone's armor repair itself that quickly, and you're much more resilient than the Storm Mage was." Cambion said and Warrior sighed.

"You are really not helping yourself by telling me that..." He groaned.

"Well,I wish you all luck with aveng-" Cambion shuts up when several spark traps spring and hurl bolts of lightning at him from all sides, which make him spasm and leave small but noticeable scorch marks on his armor.

"Spark traps. What's not to love?" Wizard said proudly before stomping her foot and having several earth spikes pop out of the ground...and break against Cambion's armor. "Figures..." Cambion then empowers himself as the spark traps lose their hold on him, and he unleashes a surge of Hell energy that restores his armor, and composition. He then glances at Wizard opens a Hell Rift, and jams his fist into it...which is followed by Wizard spitting up blood as the fist comes of another Hell Rift just in front of her abdomen.

"O.k. _Now_ I'm pissed!" Warrior exclaimed before charging his whole body with lightning, and the next thing everyone knew, Warrior was right in front of Cambion bashing him across the face with his hammer, with just enough force to make him turn his head and crack one of his horns...which quickly grew back. Cambion then snarled and blocked every one of Warrior's hammer swings with just one hand. Warrior then backed up as Fighter unleashed an explosive arrow that turned into a dozen, but all that did was make Cambion look at her. Warrior then made no less than 20 clones, most of which used their crossbows to pepper Cambion with bolts, which were all blocked with a Protection barrier made of Hell energy.

Wizard then got up to see the chaos, and then saw Warrior's clones pull their hammers and bash into the barrier from every direction, taking turning doing so in the process. Cambion then got tired of the display of futility and unleashed a burst of power that knocked all the clones down, or launched them away. He then flew into the sky, and charged up with Hell energy, but the clones looked at each other, and then stood up, raised their hammers to the sky, and it instantly started clouding up, much to Cambion's surprise. Out of nowhere, he gets pelted with lightning bolts from all sides.

Wizard herself took the opportunity to enter Limbo, and summon a World Spawn...which she then took into the physical world and absorbed power from it before she, and her newly-summoned elemental giant unleashed a massive frost cloud with lightning mixed in, from underneath Cambion to overwhelm the half-demon. He then lets out an ear-splitting roar as he unleashs a burst of Hell Energy violent enough to flatten half of the several-mile-long forest underneath him.

Wizard protected the team with a Reflect spell she poured her heart and soul into, and even then it was barely enough to keep the Hell energy from knocking the wind out of the whole team; even Ranger's heavy armor did little to keep him from taking a major hit. Cambion then did the unthinkable...he came down with an energized armblade...and cut the World Spawn in half down the middle like it was made of paper.

"A World Spawn? I have not seen one of those in some time. I've been itching to destroy one however, so I thank you for the opportunity." Cambion said casually, and the team continued to stare at him in awe. "I do hate to put a dent in your confidence, but if these are the only tricks you have...than you don't have a chance of defeating me."

"How about this?" Wizard asked as she hurled her glaive at Cambion, who opened a Hell Rift, and Wizard noticed the Hell Rift opening next to her and Ranger opened a portal in the place the glaive was going to hit, and Cambion gets hit in the back, even though the glaive bounces off his armor. Once he's distracted however...Wizard unleashed a beam of ice from her hands that frozen Cambion solid...before he breaks out a few seconds later with a look of surprise on his face.

"How did you...?" Cambion trailed off.

"That World Spawn helped in more ways than one." Wizard said proudly.

"I see...so you know how to draw power from your summons. A useful skill indeed." Cambion said seriously, before Wizard uses Levitation to make her glaive attack Cambion from behind over and over, which does little more than distract him as he deflected each hit with casual swipes of his hand. Regardless, the distraction gave her plenty of time, to dash at him and surprisingly, throw a punch at his lower chest, which cracks his armor. The damage does little more than surprise Cambion, and the rest of the team to a lesser extent, but Cambion's surprise left him vulnerable to his back getting sliced several times...by her glaive's liquid silver-coated blade.

Cambion then swatted the glaive away, and blasted Wizard away, and Warrior caught her as they both slide across the ground. Cambion then released his anger by spawning no less than a 20 orbs of Hell energy that all unleash bolts of Hell energy at the team. Wizard however had just enough time to put up a Reflect spell. She then calls her glaive back to her, and makes a clone who tries to absorb the Hell energy into it...big mistake. The glaive then shatters like glass, and the clone gets to work repairing the staff as the Hell energy overwhelms the Reflect spell, and Warrior charges himself up with more lightning and dashes over to attack Cambion with his hammer, but all that does is make Cambion stop Warrior's hammer with his spare hand.

Fighter then joins the fray and Cambion unleashes the Hell energy orbs right at her, and thanks to her opened chakras, she could predict where the orbs would strike, and when she finally reaches him, Cambion dashes to the other side of the area, and Wizard finishes repairing her glaive as Cambion dashes towards her, and then gets her glaive jammed into his gut and slammed into the ground. Wizard then backs up as she drains more power out of the remains of the World Spawn, and Cambion looks around to see Warrior, Fighter, and now Wizard preparing to fight him all at once as he unfolds in his wings and morphs his energized armblades.

Warrior then charged up his armor with lightning, and his sword with it's holy energy, and unleashed a flurry of energy waves at Cambion, who blocked all of them with only one arm, and Fighter engaged Cambion up close form behind, and danced around his attempts to slash, stab, or kick her as Warrior engaged him from every angle Fighter wasn't already covering. Cambion continued to hold off the two as they rushed around the pit trying to get the best angle, but thanks to Cambion's impossible speed and reflexes and Warrior and Fighter's teamwork, neither side got anywhere. Occasionally, Wizard placed a trap in their path, and her two teammates backed off to keep from getting shocked by the trap, especially when Wizard unleashed a Mana Bolt on one occasion.

Cambion then counterattacked by slicing through the Mana Bolt, and then morphed an armblade into his regular arm, and stretched it out to punch Wizard...only for her to side-step it and slice through his arm at the same time. Warrior then smirked with pride, before getting his head back in the fight, morphing his hammer, and attacked Cambion from behind, only for his hammer to get blocked by Cambion's unfolded wing, grabbed by the face, and slammed into Fighter. Wizard then unleashed another Mana Bolt at Cambion who dashed to the side, and Fighter and Warrior had just enough time to get out of the way, but were still caught in the edge of the blast radius.

Ranger then spent the next several minutes watching his teammates and their foe do similar things for the better part of several minutes. From Fighter throwing a barrage of punches, slashes, and kicks at Cambion, only for them to be blocked with one arm, to him dashing away from the whole group, and landing several slashes, Hell energy sparks, and regular punches, to him growing dozens of small tentacles out of his entire body and spinning fast enough to cause a small tornado that stops a barrage of arrows, bolts, and fireballs from his three foes, and their clones.

Ranger thought about what he could do to even the odds; three opponents attacking at the same time is already dangerous enough for them considering how many times Cambion was good at making his opponents hit each other, and using most of his miracles was out of the question since Immolation, Implosion, and especially Pestilence were not safe to use around allies. There was only one option left...

Meanwhile, Cambion swiped at Fighter's legs, and she jumped right over him, then he bashed her to the side with the flat of his blade, sliced a stone elemental in half as it burst out of the ground, flew around as a few ice elementals chased him and shot ice spikes at him, and Warrior cut him off with a hammer swing, only for Cambion to fly over him and avoid getting hit as an ice elemental takes the hit instead. Warrior was so ashamed that he forgot to cover himself as Cambion kicked him in the back with both feet hard to send him rolling across the ground.

Wizard then used a Paralyze spell to slow Cambion down, and even though he took a direct hit, he was still fast enough to keep pace with Fighter who charged at him while shooting arrows at him that were easily dodged or swatted away like flies. When she finally reached him, he landed and then ducked under a stab to his neck...and he grabbed her by the throat, flew up and kicked her back to the ground hard enough to shatter it. Fighter opened her eyes to see her half-demon foe standing with his feet on either side of her, and tried to move, but couldn't. Wizard then tried to shot another Mana Bolt...but she was out of spells. Warrior himself was still out cold, and Fighter's chakras couldn't open. Her fears turned into despair as Cambion morphed an armblade, and she saw him prepare to impale her before closing her eyes.

Next thing everyone knew, Ranger was shouting to the heavens, and letting off the unmistakable blood-red aura that resembled a forest fire that was powerful enough to cause an earthquake. Cambion instantly snapped his head to see Ranger's display of power, and watched the whole thing with his interest piqued immensely. When Ranger was done his eyes' sclera were blood red, his teeth were bard with fury, and his aura was more controlled.

"Cambion...this ends _now_!" Ranger growled.

* * *

On the frontlines of the siege in the Deadlands, a mixed group of light and heavy infantry were holding off a group of hobs, on an open battlefield. The whole fight was a stalemate to boot. The hobs had a hard time hitting their smaller opponents, and the heavy infantry charge in and knock the hobs down before the light infantry finish them off. Some hobs were quickly avenged by goblins returning the favor, shamans blasting the troops with lightning and even a goblin champion showing up and making the troops regroup further back...only for some to get blasted in the back.

Eventually, more goblins arrived, and the goblins mercilessly butchered some of the dying troops, and started laughing at the rest of the heavily-outnumbered troops who could only watch in horror. Once the goblins charged at them, they were greeted by a Mana Bolt, and a flock of bird familiars that added their own sparks to the mix as a whole group of goblins were vaporized, and others were stunned and eventually pecked to death. When the dust settled, the champion rushed into the fray, only for Heavy Warrior to ambush it from the side and tackle it to the ground as Female Knight engaged the shamans with her blessed shield taking one lightning bolt after another.

The troops then watched as Heavy Warrior stood there with his greatsword in front of him, ready to challenge the hulking goblin opposite him. Once the champion stood up, it rushed at H.W. and the two clashed their respective swords together over and over as the troops continued shouting taunts at the champion, and cheering for H.W. In the end, the champion tried to cut H.W. in half, only for it's swing to crave up the ground as H.W. moved back. He then charged at the champion, cut off one of it's legs, and then jammed his greatsword into the champion's heart as the troops cheered even louder.

H.W. then went to check on his wife who were spinning around, beheading goblins with her sword, and sending them flying with shield bashes. Several shamans and archers blasted and shot at her, but her shield held fast as her blessed sword continued craving through the goblins around her. Female Knight then unleashed a Holy Smite that vaporized the shamans as an armored hob charged at her. Just as H.W. was on the brink of charging himself, Female Knight charged at the hob and rammed into it with enough force to stop it cold, before flipping it right over her, and finishing it off by jamming her sword into it's face.

"That's one strong woman." Wizard's brother said as he approached H.W. from behind.

"Now you know why we were together so long." He said as he plunged his sword into the ground. "Nice save with the Mana Bolt by the way."

"Don't forget the birds." Rhea Fighter said.

"And the birds..." H.W. said.

"The troops are fine by the way, thanks to me." Rhea Fighter seriously.

"Of course they are." Female Knight said before she rejoined the group. A loud cracking sound echoing through the battlefield got their attention, and they saw the two summoned World Spawns trashing a goblin outpost by themselves.

"Damn, those two are _really_ going at it." Wizard's brother said with a raised eyebrow.

"Nice to see your eyes are still working right." Female Knight said.

"Very funny." Wizard's brother deadpanned.

"Well, the goblins here are dealt with, let's go see what's up with the rest of the troops." H.W. said.

"Lead the way honey." Female Knight said casually as they left Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother behind. He then looked into the distance at the citadel they have yet to reach and sighed.

"I hope my sister and company are alright." He said.

"They'll be fine, they have a _Platinum_ Rank with them." Rhea Fighter said.

"We have a Platinum Rank with _us_, what's your point?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Nevermind. Speaking of whom, where is she?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Who knows; probably pulling someone out of a furnace." Wizard's brother said.

"Right, they don't call her the Hero for nothing. Also...do you think we should have gone with Ranger's team?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Hell no! He creamed us last time, and we don't have the...what's the word? Synergy between us that they have. We'd probably just slow them down." Wizard's brother said seriously.

"Still, we could even the odds at least a little bit, but then again...they need us here." Rhea Fighter said, and then Wizard's brother facepalmed.

"I'm such an idiot! The summoner siblings made them, so...why can't I?" He said before he reached into his bag to get some summons stones...but there weren't any. "Dammit, I'll need to make some more."

"I'll watch your back." Rhea Fighter said...before she turned to see a big surprise coming their way. "Two more World Spawns?! Ouch..."

"Hey, in a case like this, you can _never_ have too many World Spawns." Wizard's brother said seriously...before they felt the ground shake and their eyes widened as they turned around. Some goblin champions showed up and hurled large spears at them, which Rhea Fighter countered by jumping and swatting them like flies. "I hope you got this; we're not getting help anytime soon.

He then got to work as Rhea Fighter charged up her sword and sliced through several more thrown spears without even hitting them. The champions then grabbed some boulders and threw them instead, which made Rhea Fighter put her sword away, open her chakras, and punch them all to pieces without touching them physically...again. The champions then gave up on throwing things and charged, but before anyone could throw a strike, Wizard's brother finished summoning a World Spawn, and the champions stared at the towering elemental as it looked down at them like they were ants. The champions then turned around and ran before the World Spawn shot giant ice spikes out of it's fingers tips and impaled each one through the heart.

* * *

In the middle of the battlefield, GS craved his way through dozens of goblins as he rushed to reunited with D.R. and H.E. Druid who were shooting down a wave of goblins trying to climb up the wall they were on. When GS finally reached them, he dropped a bomb over the edge, grabbed the two shooters, and dashed away as the goblins stopped climbing and once the bomb reached the bottom...it exploded with enough force to not only blast the goblins at the bottom to bits, but also make the whole cliffside collapse and make the goblins at the top fall to their deaths, as well as bury the goblins who have yet to reach the wall. D.R. then went to what was left of the edge, and watched the goblins look at each other as if trying to decide their next move. D.R. then answered for them by using his quad-cannon to unleash a storm of bullets which tears them all apart.

Another wave of goblins charged at them from behind, only for GS to pull his shotguns, shred every goblin that got too close as H.E. Druid loosed arrow after arrow at the hobs in the back, hitting every one of them in the face, throat, or knee, with several goblins being crushed under their dead bodies. D.R. then joined the massacre as he fired more bullets into the ones GS wasn't occupied with. He then ran out of bullets, and got to work reloading as GS pulled his starlight sword and charged into the crowd. What followed was a one-sided massacre in his favor; not only did GS' strongest weapon crave through the goblins' armor like it wasn't there, but outranged the goblins' weapons, including their spears. Most goblins didn't have a chance to attack him, and those that did quickly regretted their decision in their last moments.

The moment the trio regrouped, another wave of goblins approached and surrounded them as they kept their backs to each other's. Before the goblins could charge however, they heard commotion behind them, and a troop of lizardman warriors sprung out of a trench, and even more came out from behind a few rock formations and charged at them...and it was a complete massacre. The goblins were either sliced apart by their sickle swords, had their skulls and backs broken by their tails, or were just plain crushed by the lizardmen's superhuman strength.

Turns out, Lizard Priest himself was among their numbers, and together with Lizard Warrior, who was once captured by the outcasts and freed by Fighter, the goblins met their deaths at the tribe's cold, scaly hands. The united soldiers were inspired by the backup, and the gunmen and archers opened fire at the goblins who were too far from the lizardmen, and Lizard Priest used his sling to hurl bombs at the goblins, blasting dozens to bits with every bomb hurled. H.E. Druid, and D.R. showed up as the goblins retreated and shot them to pieces.

"You lizardmen kick ass." D.R. said.

"You honor us for your praise Sir Dwarf." Lizard Priest said.

"Even more so if you would include me in the tribe of my saviors." Lizard Warrior said.

"Wait, I remember you. You're that warrior Fighter got out of a holding cell." H.E. Druid said.

"That human woman, how could I forget?" Lizard Warrior asked.

"Well unfortunately she's not here, nor is the rest of her team, but we would still like you with us." H.E. Druid said.

"Very well then. Death to the goblins." Lizard Warrior said as the rest of the group followed the lizardman troops to continue pressing forward.

Eventually, Cow Girl and Priestess arrived, only to watch the massacre unfold. They then went ahead to join them...and were stopped by a trio of shamans brandishing glaives before spinning them around trying to intimidate the two women. Cow Girl then shared a glance with Priestess before casually pulling one of her pistols and shooting the blades off of their glaives, before the shamans looked at the damage, and then Cow Girl whipped out her other pistol to shoot them all in the face.

* * *

Elsewhere still, Spearman was holding his ground against multiple hobs as they charged at him. One gets slashed across the guts deeply enough to make it keep it's intestines from spilling out, then gets slashed across the throat. Another gets rushed at by Spearman, impaled through the gut, and slammed into the ground. A wave of goblins then charged him as he braced for an assault...and then twirled and spun his spear in all directions turning every goblin bold enough to try and break through into paste. When Spearman was done, a champion showed up and tried to split him down the middle, but Spearman side-stepped at the last moment, ran up it's sword and arm and stabbed it through the face before riding it back to the ground.

"Ranger is going to owe me a shit ton of beers for this." Spearman said before he then spotted a group of goblin archers who unleashed their volley..only for it to return to them and kill or cripple every one of them. Spearman then glanced behind him to see Witch was there with her glowing staff, which predictably meant she reflected their arrows. She then set Spearman's spear on fire, and he planted it in the ground to make a distant part of the ground explode as the goblins coming his way were caught in the explosion and either blown to pieces, flung into the air, or crushed under the falling rubble. A smaller wave got the drop on her, and cackled as they closed in to ensnare her.

"Sleep..." Witch whispered as her staff glowed, and the goblins struggled to stay conscious before their lights went out. She then made way as Spearman rushed past her and stabbed them all to death as they slept. Witch then watched her teammate slaughter the goblins who tried and royally failed to make a sex slave out of her.

"Are you alright?" Spearman asked as he yanked his spear out of the last goblin.

"But of course. With such a strapping man like yourself with me, what chance do these little green monsters have?" Witch asked.

"Yeah, that's true, and with the undead goblins running around, this is like the farm all over again, only...more explosive." Spearman said before Witch sat on a rock and crossed her thick legs.

"One must wonder, where is our dead-but-not-dead friend...?" She asked.

"Who cares? As long as he's not here." Spearman said.

"As long as who's not here?" Hero asked as her team showed up.

"Well...look who it is." Witch said.

"The tenth Platinum Rank in the living flesh." Spearman said.

"Yes it is, now, you didn't answer me." Hero said.

"Well sorry..." Spearman said.

"Is our revenent patron around?" Witch asked.

"Oh, you mean her boyfriend?" Hero asked.

"For the last time, he's not my boyfriend! Anyway, he's up front with those giant bone monsters, which by the way, in case you don't know, were in that boneyard place until the Elder Revenant reanimated them." Sword Saint said.

"In that case, why are we even here? If he's that strong, then why don't we all just go home and let him deal with this?" Spearman asked as Witch inhaled some smoke from her pipe.

"Because, as he said himself, he can't keep this up forever; he's going to need to summon the Death God for a refill sooner or later." Sage said.

"Well, we can't have him falling to the hands of these creatures now can we? To have a servant of death on our side is quite a treat, no matter how common or rare it is." Witch said.

"That's...one way to look at it." Hero said with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, we saw that crazy bastard get riddled with arrows as he was looking for some sort of special item he never told us about because...reasons, and he was perfectly fine afterwards." Spearman said.

"Not easy killing someone who's already dead it is?" Sage asked.

"No shit..." Spearman said.

"Combine being impossible to kill with the ability to tear souls out, and you get an unstoppable force and an immovable object in one package." Sword Saint said thoughtfully.

"So what's stopping him from calling the Death God and getting his oh-so-important refill?" Spearman asked.

"The lack of a sacrifice for one thing, although according to the book he gave us, he doesn't technically need a sacrifice; it just makes the summoning exponentially easier." Sage said.

"Lovely..." Spearman said dryly.

"The alternative is to draw the Death's God symbol with his own blood on the ground, and considering his ridiculous healing ability, and the required size of the mark...that's going to take some time." Sage said.

"Again...lovely." Spearman said.

"Aside from that, maybe he just wants some quiet beforehand, or wants to get more souls...or maybe he's up to something." Sword Saint said.

"Like maybe he wants his soul back." Witch said and everyone kept quiet.

"Like the first revenant? Why would he do that?" Spearman asked.

"Who can tell with the undead...?" Witch asked, and then they heard a loud crumbling sound echo through the battlefield, and they looked to see some flying monsters land on a fortress in the distance and dig their heads into it.

"Damn, there's goes yet another of those 9,999 shitloads." Spearman said.

"Huh?" Hero asked.

"Nothing. Just something Ranger joked about." Spearman said.

"Right..." Hero said.

"It's a shame the rest of the army isn't joining this party; they're missing quite a bit of fun." Witch said.

"They'll come when they come." Sage said.

"Well, until they do, the rest of us, living or undead have goblin asses to kick." Spearman said.

"You think he'll be able to reanimate these goblins?" Hero asked.

"Don't know, don't care." Spearman said.

"Hey, considering that the more they get reanimated, the more allies we have." Sage said.

"Yeah, whatever." Spearman said.

"Well, hard to kill or not, he could probably use a hand, or six." Sword Saint said.

"Six?" Spearman asked.

"I have two, she has two, and she has two." Sword Saint said.

"Alright, alright Miss Smart-ass." Spearman said.

"Don't call me that again." Sword Saint deadpanned before she and her two teammates left.

* * *

GS and company were rushing through a wave of goblins, with GS, Lizard Priest and Lizard Warrior leading the charge as D.R. and H.E. Druid shooting down the goblins not being butchered by GS and the two lizardmen with him. During a brief lull in the battle, Lizard Priest took a moment to summon a Dragonbone Charger while Lizard Warrior held off another wave of goblins, with his twin sickle swords craving through them, his tail snapping their spines whenever he bashed them to the sides, and occasionally sank his jaws into the necks of a goblin the jumps at him.

Eventually, a goblin paladin showed up, and the others mopped up the last of the goblins on their side, and went to join their comrade against the paladin, only for Lizard Warrior to signal them to stay out of it. The paladin then charged at Lizard Warrior, who charged at the paladin in return, and the two locked their blades together as the paladin bashed Lizard Warrior to halt his advanced before flipping him over it's head and into the ground. Lizard Warrior then tripped the paladin with his tail before the paladin could impale him. Lizard Warrior then threw the paladin off of him, before getting up, and once the paladin saw his charging, it got up and clashed blades with Lizard Warrior over and over and over until both had enough and backed up.

Cow Girl and Priestess then showed up...and left a trail of butchered goblins behind them, and watched the two combatants as they got their second wind, and watched each other to see who made the next move. Eventually, Lizard Warrior charged at the paladin, and the paladin charged at him, and slashed each other while moving past each other, which resulted in the paladin's head falling off, and Lizard Warrior clutched his torn-open side. The goblins then moved in to avenge their paladin before Cow Girl threw an ice bomb that froze a group of them. She then sniped several more on the other side of the group as Priestess charged in to slice apart the goblins in her way as she went to heal Lizard Warrior.

GS and company then watched Cow Girl as she switched to her sword and chopped the remaining goblins to pieces. Yet another wave of goblins showed up, and she unloaded one shell after another from her rifle's appropriate modification, tearing groups of goblins that got close enough to shreds, and launched bombs into the crowd at a distance. She then ran out of ammo, and switched to her pistols and shot down the last of the goblin wave. Once she put her pistols away...yet another wave of goblins appeared as they de-cloaked, and she reflexively pulled her sword and unfolded her shield to slice several goblins in half and then bash a goblin to the side.

As she recovered from the surprise while slicing apart the goblins, and defending herself from their attacks from all sides, sometimes by attacking them first, Cow Girl recalled her mental training. Logically, a group of well-equipped goblins appearing out of nowhere is a major surprise, but Cow Girl reacted not by freezing up or panicking, but by pulling her sword and bisecting multiple; it was the time she defended Ranger and Fighter's baby all over again. Even the memory of her uncle's burned up corpse did nothing to throw her mind off-balance; Ranger said himself he was a walking ball of rage in battle, but he never let it overwhelm his mind, and if he can do it, so can she.

Even the memory of her getting pinned down by goblins and nearly gang-raped by them didn't slow her down, quite the opposite; rather than freeze up, she just had another reason to put more force into her strikes, which led to her cutting through multiple goblins per strikes, in faster succession. She even recalled the times Ranger told her about how his own compassion crippled him after his first quest, and how torn apart he was after going blind and potentially never getting to see Fighter's smile again. He even praised her for not being broken by her uncle's death, and instead choosing to become an adventurer and train under everyone in the team; he flatout said she was probably more steadfast than he was, considering he was trained from childhood and she wasn't. Now, here she was, surrounded by hundreds of dead and dying goblins with a Bronze Rank around her neck, with GS and his team watching her.

Priestess finally finished healing Lizard Warrior when Cow Girl impaled the last goblin and looked around at the field full of dead bodies before sucking in a breath to calm down; it was a good thing this was hardly her first time smelling goblin blood and guts. She then put her sword away and rejoined her team.

"You did it." GS said, and Cow Girl smiled faintly.

"Yes...I did." She whispered.

"Are you alright?" GS asked.

"I will be. That wasn't too bad, but...I had alot going through my head, and none of it was pleasant." Cow Girl said.

"Hey, you still did it. You should be proud." H.E. Druid said.

"I am." Cow Girl said softly.

"Would you like to go back?" Priestess asked as Lizard Warrior sat up.

"That would be nice. We should be aware of what the others are doing anyway." Cow Girl said.

"Good point sweetheart." D.R. said and H.E. Druid smirked before Priestess opened a portal back to camp, took Lizard Warrior through, it and then the rest of the team followed.

* * *

Elder Revenant was walking along the top of a rocky hill as his undead goblin army which involved all types, including high priests and champions, tore into the still-living goblins. The undead were hideously outnumbered, but the living goblins were clearly unhinged about fighting their own kind, especially since the undead clearly didn't care about their own well-being; even the champions, who were heartless enough to smash through their own troops didn't intimidate the undead goblins. The undead leader then looked to the horizon, and saw the sky rapidly clouding up.

"Strange...the clouds weren't so violent before. This must be the power of the Storm Mage, or someone with similar power." Elder Revenant said thoughtfully. Next thing he knew, a wave of goblins spotted him, charged at him, and he threw his scythe into a cliff face. The spinning blade sliced the rocks apart to cause a landslide that made the goblins try to run away from it, but half of them were buried alive regardless.

The scythe then returned to it's wielder before he continued onward, and the goblins were outraged that he killed half their number and ignored the survivors; they yelled in rage and charged at him...only for Elder Revenant to engulf himself in green fire and appear on the other side of their numbers with his scythe held out to the side with the fires extinguished. The goblins then looked around and eventually spotted him as he planted his scythe into the ground...then split in half at the waist once they saw his scythe's blade drenched in blood.

He then called the goblins' souls to him and continued his walk towards the citadel as the undead goblins continued to slaughter their living comrades. Elder Revenant then got to higher ground and looked out to see the undead monsters he reanimated earlier tearing up the grounds in front of the citadel; he finally reached it.

In the citadel itself, legions of goblins were pouring into staircases in the ground and marching through a series of underground tunnels. On the walls, high priests, champions, paladins, and shamans were pouring magic into massive cannons which started glowing with the power they accumulated. The walls even emitted a magical barrier around itself to keep the stone walls themselves from being penetrated.

Once the undead monsters reached them, the cannons unloaded all of the magical power stored in them, and even though most cannons miss...despite tearing up the ground in the process, one of the castle-sized monsters gets shattered like it was made of glass. Elder Revenant flinched in surprise at the display of power, but then saw how many goblins the cannons tear apart; they never were keen on preserving their numbers, but this was on another level. He then directed the rest of the monsters away from the citadel to deal with the outskirts instead.

"Hey! Remember us?" Hero asked and Elder Revenant turned to see her smirking with her team behind her.

"It's difficult not to." He said.

"Very funny." Hero said.

"It hasn't been funny for the goblins so far; it would be difficult not to find him if it wasn't for the trail of mangled goblins." Sage said.

"No kidding. This is arguably worse than Ranger's work." Sword Saint said.

"Ranger? The War God's champion? It's a wonder he hasn't appeared by now to bring down a storm of meteors on that citadel yet." Elder Revenant said.

"He's not here, and never was, and likely won't be." Sword Saint said.

"That's too bad. We could use more hands with those cannons." Elder Revenant said.

"Yeah...about those cannons..." Hero trailed off.

"We should tell everyone about them." Sage said and Hero sighed.

"Seriously, what would they do without us?" Hero asked.

"Not much apparently." Sword Saint said.

"What will you do?" Sage asked.

"Continue my soul-harvesting; this new undertaking demands a great deal of power, and that is something I cannot acquire on my own." Elder Revenant said.

"Well...you do that, although...would you mind tearing open a portal to camp?" Hero asked, and Elder Revenant sighed, before opening a portal with his scythe, and the three ladies went back to the others.

* * *

"...and one shot took out a whole swath of land!" Hero exclaimed.

"Great, first legions of legions of goblins, now magic cannons? What next? A mountain-sized bomb?!" Wizard's brother asked.

"Hey, don't call it!" Rhea Fighter exclaimed.

"Well, the good news is that the cannons took out several legions of goblins as well as one of the behemoths." Sage said.

"Take about friendly fire." Cow Girl said.

"Goblins will gladly endanger their fellow goblins if it means getting an edge." GS said.

"Right, they also rule through fear, despite how nasty fear can be to the mind." Cow Girl said.

"You expect sound tactics from a species that practically wrote the book on barbarism?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Good point." Cow Girl said.

"They wrote the book on barbarism...that's got to be the best description of goblins I've ever heard." Hero said.

"It's not wrong either." GS said harshly.

"So...what are we going to do? We can't get close without taking a gigantic risk." D.R. asked.

"Meant I suggest that we work around the cannons in some way?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Around them? Smart as that is, I fail to see how we can do that." Wizard's brother said.

"As do I Sir Mage, but surely a way must exist." Lizard Priest said.

"Those goblins have to be able to get out somehow; I haven't seen a single one come out through the front gates." Hero said.

"The front gates didn't even open for that matter." Sage said.

"They must have come from underground. Goblins are right at home in caves, or large stone buildings; with a structure as large as that one, they must have additional methods of reaching the outside world in large swarms. Namely, a tunnel network, one on a _massive_ scale." GS said.

"Makes as much sense as any theory." Rhea Fighter said.

"You really know your goblin stuff don't you?" Hero asked.

"Of course I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't be very good at fighting them." GS said.

"Are you saying that we fight our way through entire armies of seriously pissed-off goblins just to have a _chance_ of getting inside the citadel, where we _might_ have a chance to fight the Goblin Overlord, whom we _might_ have a chance of having enough energy to _maybe_ have a chance to walk away with out lives?" Wizard's asked seriously.

"No, but we could make our own tunnels, with an elemental." GS said and everyone went silent.

"Goblin Slayer you ingenious son of a bitch!" Wizard's brother exclaimed.

"How about we collapse some tunnels for good measure?" Cow Girl asked.

"That could also work." GS said.

"Leave that to me." Hero said as she thumbed herself in the chest with a smirk.

"Alright." GS said.

"Well, before we commence Operation: Bury the goblins in their own home, I'm going back to Water Town to get some more stuff, including some potions for everyone." Wizard's brother said.

"That would be most appreciated Sir Mage." Lizard Priest said.

"Wait, before I go, what happened to that other lizardman?" Wizard's brother asked.

"He has rejoined the rest of my people. As honored as he was to fight by our side, a single paladin posed too much of a threat to him, so he decided to remain with the army itself, but he does send his regards." Lizard Priest said.

"Well, you can't win them all can you? Anyway, I'll be right back." Wizard's brother said as he set up the gateway scroll and vanished.

* * *

Priestess meanwhile watched the rest of the united army swarm across the battlefield as goblins of all types engaged them up-close, at a distance, with magic, arrows, guns, and catapults, with the thousands-strong united army holding their ground, and even sending splinter groups to take care of the artillery. Despite the goblins taking heavy losses, the united army was gaining little to no ground. The armies' generals certainly put the time and effort they had to plan the attack well, with the heavy infantry up front to hold off the goblin hordes with the light infantry hanging back to us hit-and-run attacks on the goblins from the sides to cause chaos in what little structure their attack had, and even using more siege towers to soften the goblins' numbers with riflemen, archers, and battlemages on their top levels.

Cavalry attacks were common as well, but only at first; even the heavy cavalry was of limited use when the champions and paladins were brought to bare. Eventually, Priestess drank some holy water as a small army composed entirely of champions appeared, and then she used Empower on the entire army, who then let out a war cry as they charged across the battlefield to attack the champions, and even the smaller goblins were simply trampled over by the cavalry. When they got close enough, the champions tried to smash through the army's frontline, but all they did was massively stagger, or slightly injure the troops they hit.

The troops themselves however quickly returned the pain a hundredfold; champions in droves were barraged with thrown spears, launched arrows and bolts, as well as fireballs, ice spikes, lightning bolts, and hurled stones. The ones who survived were quickly crippled by hits to their legs, and finished off by getting their heads and throats pierced with pikes. When the champions were dealt with, yet another wave of goblins was dispatched as the empowerment wore off, and the troops retreated back to where they were. When they reached their original grounds, the siege towers continued to pepper the goblins with their support fire.

"You cannot protect them forever." Abbot said as Priestess turned to see him approach.

"I know..." She said softly as they continued to watch the goblins get massacred.

"Although, to be fair, the longer they last, the more goblins go down, and the more likely they are to see their families again. The ones who have families anyway." Abbot said.

"It's those families I did that empowerment for as well. It's not just to kill the goblins, despite how horrible they are." Priestess said.

"I'm sure your own family would agree." Abbot said.

"Yes they would." Priestess said firmly as the goblins below continued getting shot, pierced, blasted, crushed, cut down, blown apart by explosives, or burned, shocked, or frozen by magic.

"Inspector went into one of the hospital earlier; it was quite a troubling experience for her." Abbot said.

"I can imagine. Goblins are creatures no one would want to be caught by." Priestess said.

"She is fortunate Summoner was there to lift her spirits." Abbot said.

"He's a kind man...just like his older brother." Priestess said as the army continued to hold off the goblins.

"Storm Mage must have been more than just kind to win the heart of the Sword Maiden. She was an extraordinary woman, with an extraordinary burden...one these abominations spitefully placed on her, and one that Storm Mage, a man tainted by the sin of avarice, removed." Abbot said.

"Yes..." Priestess whispered.

"That man was a demon that turned back into an angel." Abbot said.

"Father...please." Priestess said harshly.

"My apologies Your Grace. Even after all this time, even in the middle of a great battle, his transformation never ceases to amaze me." Abbot said before Priestess walked off.

"I can imagine, and I'm glad you value his memory so much, but...this isn't easy for me to think about, let alone talk about." She said.

"For what it's worth, you not only act and look more and more like the Sword Maiden, you also speak like her." Abbot said.

"Apparently she influenced me more than I knew myself." Priestess said.

"Indeed she has." Abbot said.

"How are the others?" Priestess asked.

"Unsurprisingly well. The Cambion took another, more terrible form, but your teammates have revealed several new tricks of their own, and Ranger is using the War God's ultimate blessing as we speak." Abbot said.

"I see..." Priestess said.

"Well, I should see to the rest of the people in case I am needed. By your leave." Abbot said before walking away, and Priestess went to one of the hospitals...and immediately saw why Inspector was so torn up. Luckily, Priestess had far more experience dealing with injured and dying people thanks to her time in the field, specifically since she healed Ranger himself countless times. She even had the luxury of being able to heal multiple people at once, and when she was done, everyone was healed. Unfortunately she ran out of miracles so she could only heal a single hospital's worth of people.

* * *

The archbishop then went to a small, open area to get some air, and pray for more miracles. After about a minute, Cow Girl showed up.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were here." She said.

"It's alright." Priestess said as Cow Girl sat next to her.

"You came here to get away from everything too?" She asked.

"And to possibly get some more miracles, which I did. Although, this is all I'm getting." Priestess said.

"Well, you're the new Sword Maiden now, and you've got us to watch out for you." Cow Girl said.

"As well as my own handmaiden." Priestess said softly, and the two shared a smile before hugging. "I love you."

"I love you too." Cow Girl said as she ran her hand through Priestess' hair. The two women then sat there holding each other, and feeling each other's lungs steadily inflate and deflate as their physical and psychological tension dissolved.

"I talked to Father Superior earlier; he compared me to the Sword Maiden yet again..." Priestess said.

"He's not wrong." Cow Girl said.

"I mean, he mentioned how Storm Mage removed the Sword Maiden's burden placed on her by the goblins." Priestess said.

"But...you never-" Priestess cuts Cow Girl off.

"I still know what she went through, in detail." She said and Cow Girl recoiled.

"What?" She asked and Priestess sighed.

"I only told Ranger this, but...I used the miracle of Vision to look at how bad it was for her..." She said and Cow Girl started stammering before pausing, and then spoke clearly.

"Why? I only heard about what goblins do to women they capture and it breaks my heart just thinking about it!" She said seriously.

"I couldn't help it; I had to know why she was so torn up for so long...and Storm Mage did her an even better service than he probably did for anyone. I never looked at her moments with him; that's purely their business, but...I cannot imagine how liberating it must've been to be able to make love the correct way." Priestess said seriously.

"Well...when you put it like that." Cow Girl said.

"I even heard of when Summoner cared for Inspector when she was heartbroken over the injured soldiers in a hospital." Priestess said.

"Wow...he _really_ loves her doesn't he?" Cow Girl said.

"They're both kind people; it doesn't surprise me at all." Priestess said.

"Still, it takes a special kind of person to give a breath of fresh air that big." Cow Girl said.

"Right..." Priestess whispered as she snuggled into Cow Girl's armored bosom even more.

"I wonder how much Fighter takes off of Ranger's mind, or the other way around for that matter?" Cow Girl asked.

"Most likely as much as Storm Mage took off of Sword Maiden's. Remember when Ranger lost his sight and Fighter went to comfort him?" Priestess asked.

"I'll never forget; I may not have been there, but...Ranger told me the story. I could tell that it wasn't easy to talk about for him, despite how much of a walking steel wall he is." Cow Girl said.

"That sounds like him: steel on the outside, but a cool breeze on the inside." Priestess said.

"Sounds like my Goblin Slayer actually." Cow Girl said softly.

"_Your_ Goblin Slayer?" Priestess asked.

"Yes, we're going to have our own family when this siege is over." Cow Girl said.

"Oh, right. Warrior and Wizard are as well." Priestess said.

"I remember...and Ranger and Fighter will have more babies as well, as if the first one wasn't adorable enough." Cow Girl said.

"Father Superior also said the rest of my family are fighting the Cambion now." Priestess said.

"Oh...would you like to rejoin them?" Cow Girl asked.

"I've been thinking about that very thing...but I can't. Even if I wasn't scared to death of the Cambion, what could I do? My miracles won't work on him, he'll single me out when I empower them, and...he has to know we're a tightly-knit group, and losing one Sword Maiden was bad enough. Losing two will probably crush the people's hearts beyond repair." Priestess said.

"Yeesh, looks like you have every reason to stay out of it." Cow Girl said.

"Yes I do. At least here I can help much more people, and my family has it's own fair share of tricks, aside from the ones we already saw." Priestess said.

"Are you certain? Oh, what am I saying? Who are we talking about here...?" Cow Girl said.

"Right." Priestess said.

"Shall we rejoin the others?" Cow Girl asked.

"Alright." Priestess said before Cow Girl walked her back to the others...and they all watched a secret army of elementals of all types march out from behind an alternate passage.

* * *

Back with the fight with Cambion, he was simply staring down Ranger who was the undisputed holder of everyone's attention, especially Fighter who was still laying down beaten between Cambion's feet. Next thing everyone knew, Ranger was gone, and when the team looked at Cambion, Ranger's fist was in Cambion's hand; Ranger was never that fast before. Ranger then jammed his other fist into Cambion's gut, cracking his armor and sending him flying through the forest, out of sight.

"Ranger..." Fighter whispered before her husband looked down at her with with little softness he had left shining through. He then walked in the direction he launched Cambion in before stopping cold.

"I will handle Cambion. The rest of you take a moment to get yourselves back together." Ranger said.

"You don't have to tell us twice..." Warrior said before Ranger floated upwards and then flew off in the same direction Cambion went before landing in the area the trail of destroyed trees ended in. Cambion was there on his knees recovering from the punch, and when Ranger arrived, Cambion fully recovered and stood up.

"The same power you used to defeat the vampire queen..." Cambion said thoughtfully.

"Now...the same power I'll use to put you in the grave you belong in." Ranger said simply as stood there staring at his half-demon foe. Cambion then morphed a larger armblade as Ranger morphed and greatsword, then the two dashed, jumped, rolled, and flew around in a space hundreds of yards wide while clashing blades either as they passed, or sometimes stood their ground to clash dozens of times a second. The ground itself shook with the force of their blows, especially when they slowed their pace and slammed their blades together with more force, which creates shockwaves violent enough to cause fissures dozens of meters long in every direction.

Cambion then sprouted multiple tentacles with spikes on each, and Ranger whirled his massive sword in all directions to deflect the tentacles as they extended his way to impale him. Each swing battered one or more tentacles away, and each time he cut one, the damage was superficial at best, and healed easily. Cambion didn't relent for the better part of a minute as he charged himself up with Hell energy to increase the speed and power of his strikes, but Ranger matched him blow for blow the entire time. Eventually, Ranger swatted every tentacle away at once, gave his most powerful swing to sever the spikes of each tentacle, then jumped into the air before bringing down his greatsword on Cambion's extended arm; he was going to try and catch his sword again...but it failed.

Even with his armored form, and increased power balancing out Ranger's Army of One, it wasn't enough to keep Ranger's greatsword from cutting into Cambion's forearm down the middle, tearing out of it's side, which severed half of his forearm entirely, and even craving through Cambion's abdomen. To add insult to injury, Ranger punched Cambion with a gauntlet in the same spot which launched him in the opposite direction. When he landed, Cambion tore up the ground as he caught his footing, he then looked up to see Ranger charging at him. Cambion then let out an ear-splitting roar as he unleashed a beam of Hell energy directly at his charging foe, who put his greatsword in the way, only for the weapon to be shattered like glass before it's user was launched away himself.

Ranger then tore up the ground himself as he bounced and rolled along the ground, and unlike Cambion, Ranger never got his footing and wound up face-down in the dirt. He then looked up to see the pieces of his greatsword sliding along the ground back to him and stopping as they reached his position. He then morphed them all back together just in time to see Cambion charging at him with a huge armblade morphed, Ranger then charged at Cambion as they braced to impale each other...and they did. Each of them received a massive impalement from the other, and each of them looked each other in the face before removing their blades from each other's guts, and passed out at the same time.

Thanks to Cambion's regeneration ability, and Ranger's necklace, each of them were able to wake up less than a minute later, although neither was in any shape to stand up properly, let alone fight effectively.

"Even after that...you still want to persist in this fight?! To let all of that power go to waste?" Cambion asked.

"It won't go to waste, as long as you go down." Ranger said.

"You would seriously deny this country, this world, all the people you swore to aid the compensation they deserve?" Cambion asked.

"A better question is why do you trust that everyone could have the kind of power you and I have? Do you really think it won't be abused? Cause more damage than what you saw?!" Ranger asked.

"They won't have a choice! It will be either they use their power responsibly, or answer to me." Cambion said firmly.

"You oppose the incompetence of the church, yet desire to oppress the country instead." Ranger said.

"Like I told the Sword Maiden...you are already oppressed. Why is my solution any worse, and why is yours better? For that matter, what is your solution? Go around training people, and punishing those who can't be trusted? You cannot do this forever and you know this." Cambion said before collapsing again. "Would you simply safegaurd them and let them hope to last until the next catastrophe hits?"

"You bet your ass I would, and their hopes will not be false." Ranger said.

"Fool...hope is only going to blind them; you keep them safe behind a wall, they'll be dead or broken within minutes." Cambion said.

"How many times do we have to tell you? The goblins are nearly extinct, and with them, the last major threat to the people." Ranger said.

"A better question is why you think I care about the goblins? Do you seriously think they're the only reason things have gone so far down the wrong path? If you destroy them, they can and likely will be replaced; they already escaped Hell itself with disastrous consequences." Cambion said.

"And they paid for it." Ranger said.

"Not without help from a threat they themselves nurtured, and they didn't act alone either. Look what the Evil Sect did to Water Town!" Cambion said.

"On _your_ orders?" Ranger asked.

"I sent them to their deaths as they deserved; you wouldn't stay away from Water Town forever, and the people felt the same fear those less lucky feel. Sure they feel safe with you...but without you, they're nothing- no, less than nothing, and you have done nothing to address this. For all your power, and wisdom, nothing long-lasting comes out of it. I swear this will not be so during my reign!" Cambion said before extending his wings.

"Not everyone is cut out to be as strong as we are; not everyone should be on the frontlines of a war. That's why only a few are on the frontlines in the first place: so others don't have to." Ranger said.

"And what has that sentiment brought you, aside from witnessing the failures of a society that only claims to be benevolent? Even if you do manage to defeat me and stop everything I set in motion, in the end...you will doom the very people you tell yourself that you're saving." Cambion said.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but for now...I have another head to sever." Ranger said as he and Cambion finally stood up and braced for another round. This time, Ranger morphed his light armor and twin longswords, as Cambion charged up his own armblades with Hell energy. Ranger then dashed at Cambion quick enough to make Cambion flinch in surprise before Ranger's twin blades were jammed into Cambion's shoulders; they were going to pierce his neck, but Cambion managed to deflect the blow with a minor discharge of Hell energy.

Cambion then kicked Ranger back hard to enough to make Ranger vomit as he flew in the opposite direction. Cambion then unleashed a wave of Hell energy at Ranger, who managed to get back enough of his bearings to jump over the energy wave. Cambion then morphed a larger armblade and rushed at Ranger, who danced circles around Cambion who blocked a flurry of stabs and swings from Ranger, who in turn had to dodge Cambion's body-sized blade which was swung hard enough to potentially cut Ranger in half if he gets hit by it.

Ranger then backed up, broke his swords into whips, and then lashed at Cambion over and over...which made Cambion recall Storm Mage yet again. The flashback however did nothing to keep Cambion from swatting away Ranger's strikes, even the ones that were more subtle, like the ones where Ranger lashed at Cambion rapidly with one whip-sword, and then whirled the other one around his head to lash at Cambion from another angle, like the feet. Cambion eventually returned the favor by morphing his other arm into a tentacle and lashed at Ranger...and wound up in a tug-of-war with Ranger's whip-sword.

The two then tugged on each other, with neither side gaining or keeping ground; sometimes one moved towards the other, only to back up again. They occasionally lashed at each other with Ranger's other whip-sword, and Cambion's armblade sending energy waves at Ranger respectively. Neither side took the struggle laying down of course; Ranger either ducked, or blocked the Hell energy with a greatsword, and Cambion deflected Ranger's lashes with his armblade. Ranger then tried using Pestilence on Cambion to finish the fight then and there...but it does nothing.

He figured it wouldn't be that easy, so the surprise factor wasn't there to stifle his role in the struggle. He then used Implosion to suck in the Cambion...but a bubble of Hell energy kept Cambion from getting sucked into the gravity sphere, but multiple large chunks of the grounds, and fallen trees were sucked into it. Eventually, the debris was launched right at Cambion from overhead, which shattered the Hell energy bubble, and won Ranger the struggle, even though all it did was allow him to get his weapon back.

Cambion then burst out of the debris, to find Ranger was backed up by a dozen clones that all unleashed a storm of bullets at him, only for the bullets to bounce off another energy bubble. The clones then stopped shooting their quad-cannons, and several switched to greatswords, twin swords, gauntlets, or any mixture of the three, and charged at Cambion, who charged himself up even more before charging into the fray.

The rest of the team arrived on the scene to find a scene of absolute chaos! Cambion engaged the clones at all ranges, by clashing with them with his armblades, unleashing waves of Hell energy at the gunners, flying around to attack from other angles, and of course overhead. The clones kept up with him move for move as well; several clones with greatswords took turns swinging at Cambion, while the ones with twin swords barraged him with strikes and stabs, the ones with gauntlets occasionally charged at Cambion to get in a single devastating punch before the rest of the clones continued their assaults. The gunners occasionally had to dodge an energy wave before unleashing a storm of bullets at Cambion. Despite the numbers being in Ranger's favor, despite having the power to kill the vampire queen and destroy her fortress in addition to the power he gained since stacked on top of that, despite being more skilled, and despite Cambion taking a serious beating before their fight...Ranger was getting _nowhere_.

Next thing everyone knew, Cambion was unleashing a discharge of Hell energy that blasted all the clones to nothing as Ranger himself was sent flying. Fighter's heart sank; when a clone dies without being absorbed, the original loses that much of their strength. Luckily, Ranger looked like he had plenty of fight left, but for how much longer? Her question was quickly answered when Cambion dashed up to Ranger, and then snatched both of Ranger's swords out of his hands, kneed him in the face hard enough to knock him back down, and then Cambion jammed both swords into Ranger's shoulders before flooding his body with enough Hell energy to overpower the Army of One, and make Ranger scream in pain...just like he did when he was set on fire a year ago.

* * *

Fighter then tried to rush forwards to help her husband, but Warrior and Wizard held her back and shook their heads; if Ranger can't handle Cambion at his most powerful state, what chance did they have? Cambion then stopped shocking Ranger after he lost consciousness...then an explosion was heard in the distance, and a series of bestial roars were heard.

"Finally...the pet is waking." Cambion said before jumping up, extending his wings, and flying off. Fighter then immediately rushed over to Ranger's body, and knelt next to him while looking him with more concern on her face than either Warrior or Wizard ever saw. Fighter then grabbed Ranger and started shaking him

"Ranger!? Ranger wake up! I know you can hear me! You've been through this before! Ranger?! Dammit, it's me Fighter! Your wife, the mother of our daughter...and she still needs her father! Ranger..." She said while her eyes watered, and eventually lowered her head as Wizard and Warrior watched in anticipation...but Ranger didn't move an inch. "Ranger wake up!"

"Stop...!" Ranger whispered harshly, which made Fighter snap out of it, especially when Ranger started breathing more deeply. "That Hell energy isn't the most pleasant thing in the world...unlike your touch."

"Ranger..." Fighter said softly as she graced him with a small smile, which he returned. She held his hand with both her own hands as Warrior and Wizard glanced at each other before another roar was heard.

"Cambion is still at large...and now the Demon Lord's pet is waking up. What do we do now?" Ranger asked

"He's too strong for me." Wizard said.

"I could hammer him, if I could get close enough, but he'd see me coming a mile away." Warrior said seriously, and then everyone started thinking.

"It would take all of us..." Ranger said.

"Or maybe just one of us..." Fighter said seriously, and everyone looked right at her.

"What?" Wizard asked.

"You heard me right..." Fighter said.

"Are you crazy?! You saw what he did!" Warrior exclaimed.

"Wizard...how much power did you take from that World Spawn earlier?" Fighter asked.

"Quite a bit, but not enough to take on Cambi- Wait a minute..." Wizard trailed off.

"If you're planning what I think you are, take the power from my hammer as well." Warrior said.

"Ranger...I'm going to need to borrow your Army of One power as well." Fighter said softly.

"Of course..." Ranger whispered, and Fighter gave him a brief but deep kiss. He then looked her in the face, and the softness in their eyes spoke for itself: there was a very real chance death was a possibility, and she had too much to live for to let the Cambion get the best of her. Ranger even gave her the portal gem, which she took and put away, before focusing on the lingering feeling of his hand touching hers. She then managed to back away from the brutal yet loving man she married and steel herself for the last fight with Cambion.

"Alright..." Fighter whispered before opening her chakras, and sat their meditating as Wizard used Drain on Ranger and Warrior, and then transferred all three of their power to Fighter bit by bit to give her time to harness it...and she did. When Wizard was done, Fighter had the same fiery aura around her that Ranger had earlier, but hers was cyan instead of vermilion, and she even had her own lightning aura on top of it. Fighter then looked at her teammates, who of whom had intense looks in the face, and were breathing harder thanks to the situation being tense, even by their standards. Ranger then took hold of Fighter's ankle, then morphed the metal of his armor into hers. She then gave Ranger a soft glance before looking in Cambion's direction.

* * *

Back at the siege, the elemental army was used to cause chaos within the goblins' ranks, which included fire and ice elementals flying around to both draw the magic cannons' fire, and rain down destruction on the goblins below. The stone elementals of course bullrushed through the goblins' numbers, and only a few hobs, or a champion or paladin had a chance to stop them. The water elementals not only flooded the tunnels they found, but also shot pressurized water jet to tear the goblins apart,if they weren't sacrificing themselves to heal troops in droves.

While they did that, GS' team used the chaos to cover Wizard's brother as he used the power he took from a World Spawn to open a tunnel of of his own through the underside of the battlefield. As luck would have it, he wound up digging through one of the goblins' tunnels, but luckily, no goblins were there, so they quickly rushed to the other side of the tunnel, opened a hole in the opposite wall...and then GS had Wizard's brother collapse the tunnel, right onto a horde of charging goblins, which earned some of the team a good laugh at their expense.

Next thing the goblins inside the citadel knew, GS and company were bursting out of the ground, sending debris flying everywhere as a flock of bird familiars flew out and started sparking and pecking goblin heads. Even the goblins manning the cannons were distracted by the chaos going on below them, GS was slicing multiple hobs to pieces with his starlight sword, Cow Girl and Lizard Priest launched and slung bombs at the goblins at a distance, along with H.E. Druid and D.R. unloading arrows and bullets at them.

The entire team rushed around the entire area dealing their own special type of carnage, either from a distance, or up close. D.R. took cover behind some debris and took pot shots at the goblins on the cannons first, before joining the elf princess he married in dealing with the goblins on the ground. He couldn't help but smile as she ran up a wall, flipped off of it, landed on a hob's shoulders, jammed a knife into the back of it's head before loosing multiple arrows at the hobs behind it one by one, and of course taking her arrows back. Lizard Priest and his Dragontooth Warriors joined GS and Cow Girl as they charged through a wave of goblins, butchering and crushing them in droves.

The goblins eventually returned fire with arrows, spells, and even bullets and bombs, so the team regrouped with Priestess who threw up a Protection barrier to keep the team safe as some goblins closed in and tried to penetrate the barrier up-close, only to get cut down by the whole time from all sides. H.E. Druid used her knives to puncture their skulls, or just punch or kick them hard enough to break their bones, D.R. used his rifle's axe head to chop them down, Lizard Priest, GS, Priestess, and Cow Girl used their respective blades to do their own fair share of carnage. Luckily, the barrier held fast despite the overwhelming force hitting it, but the goblins didn't stop for anything.

Eventually, the barrier started to flicker, and the team began to panic as the goblins saw the sign and pressed their assaults even more...then the arrows, and bullets stopped falling all of a sudden. The goblins waiting their turn to attack the group stop in wonder, before looking up top...and saw multiple archers, rifleman, and grenadiers get sliced apart by an unseen force as the survivors looked around and desperately tried to keep themselves from getting hit by putting their weapons in front of them, but it did nothing; each goblin was mercilessly cut into several pieces before any of them had a chance to prepare for whatever was attacking them.

Priestess then looked back at the hole they came out of, and realized something: Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother never came out with them. The whole team then looked up to see a wall get blasted open, and Wizard's brother was using Levitation on himself to fly of the hole he made, and unleashed a Mana Bolt from his mace to destroy multiple cannons in one shot. He then looked to see more goblin shooters fall to pieces, and smirked at the display, then spotted another wave of archers show up, and flew around to keep from getting hit before unleashing another Mana Bolt at them. He then spotted another wave of goblins show up on the ground, before the ground behind them upturned out of nowhere...and Rhea Fighter appeared in the crater; she's the one who was slicing apart the goblins, and did it while invisible.

The whole team watched as Rhea Fighter charged up her sword, swung it several times to bisect dozens of goblins who tried to attack her, then threw her sword into the crowd to bisect and behead even more goblins. When her sword flew around delivering the carnage, she opened her chakras, and rushed around the area punching and kicking more goblins to a paste, sometimes with the force of each strike causing a shockwave that staggered or launched the goblins that weren't directly hit. Several goblins tried and failed miserably to strike Rhea Fighter; sometimes she broke their weapons, dodged their attacks completely, or even turned their attacks on each other. She silently wondered what Fighter herself would think.

In the end, her sword returned to her, and she wove through the rest of the goblins until only a few were left. One got it's legs sliced off, and it's back stomped in, another got stabbed through the face, another was kicked hard enough to make it's ribcage implode, another tried to stab her with a spear, only for Rhea Fighter to jump over it, sever it's head, and slice the last one in half. She then took several deep breaths as she realized the fight was over, and the rest of the team, including Wizard's brother approached her, the latter of whom held her up as she leaned on him.

"Your plan worked..." She breathed out, and got a smile from her human lover.

"You're surprised?" Wizard's brother asked proudly.

"Not at all." Rhea Fighter said.

* * *

After clearing the entire bastion of goblins, the team went back underground to get some breathing room; the goblins would find out about the massacre within the walls eventually and they'd either batten down the hatches, or even recall troops to deal with the threat. Wizard's brother continued to use one arm to make the earth move away from them to make the tunnel, and the other arm to carry Rhea Fighter as she kept recovering her stamina...even though she secretly enjoyed being carried like that. Eventually, they got to an underground chamber, that was too dark to see in, despite the fact that Priestess used Holy Light to illuminate the place like always.

"This place is bigger than I thought." D.R. said.

"Quiet...we're in goblin territory to the umpteenth degree." Rhea Fighter whispered.

"Sorry." D.R. said.

"Priestess, kill the light." GS said.

"Wait, then we'd be as blind as they are." H.E. Druid said.

"It's o.k, I don't see any goblins in here thanks to Life Sight." Wizard's brother said.

"Then you lead." GS said as Wizard's brother led the way through the room, which turned out to be a cavern with stalagmites, stalagtites, small rivers of water and everything.

"See anything?" D.R. asked.

"Not yet, but I'll keep my eyes peeled." Wizard's brother said, and for the next few minutes, they continued exploring the caves. Priestess thankfully took a page ou of Sword Maiden's book and make a small map, and even left a trails of rocks to mark where they've been.

"How big are these fucking caves?" D.R. asked.

"You did see the size of the citadel right?" Cow Girl asked.

"Still." D.R. said.

"The number of caves here shouldn't make the citadel's base unstable too, but then again there's most likely reinforcements in the walls, or gaps inbetween the caves." Wizard's brother said.

"That's quite possible. I noticed several caves that wound themselves in ways that leave enough filling to give the citadel supports." Priestess said.

"Sir Goblin Slayer, do you believe the goblins capable of planning and constructing such a marvelous structure?" Lizard Priest asked.

"If they had the time, were taught to do so, and had enough reason to, it is quite possible, although like with the Hell Ripper, it was most likely created for them." GS said.

"If it was the Evil Sect, I'm going to slam my head against the wall..." Wizard brother groaned.

"Or demons; I've never seen archetecture like that created by the Evil Sect, or any civilization for that matter. Same goes for the Hell Ripper actually, but...it's the Hell Ripper, it speaks for itself." D.R. said.

"You mean it _spoke_ for itself; Ranger blasted that thing off the face of the Earth." H.E. Druid said.

"Ho boy, the number of times I rewatched that on the recaller..." D.R. said, and then sniffed and covered his nose. "What the hell is that smell?"

"I smell it too..." H.E. Druid said as she covered her own nose, along with everyone else, except GS.

"It must be a goblin waste dump." He said.

"No wonder there's no one down here, it's full of goblin shit." D.R. groaned.

"Then quit your belly-aching and put your masks on." Wizard's brother said after putting his own on. When they kept going through the cave...not only did they indeed find a goblin waste dump, they found a primitive sewer system. Unsurprisingly, everyone kept a close eye on where they were going since no one wanted to accidentally get covered in the filth around them. When they finally got out of the room, Wizard's brother sealed the place by using the power he got from the World Spawn to make the wall stick together.

The group then snuck through the rest of the underground, keeping an eye out for more goblins, and whenever they spotted them, it was a lone sentry which was easy pickings for H.E. Druid. They then continued down the hallways, keeping an eye out for more goblins, and then found a platform on chains. Cow Girl then pulled a level, and the platform started going up. For the next few minutes, the group simply sat back and enjoyed the ride up.

"Holy shit, could this thing move _any_ slower?" D.R. asked.

"Just enjoy the ride." Rhea Fighter said as she leaned against Wizard's brother.

"We could also think of a direction to go in." Cow Girl said seriously.

"Well, where would you hide if you were king of the goblins?" D.R. asked.

"At the top..." GS said.

"I'd also have a fuckton of defenses between myself and anything that wants to hurt me." Wizard's brother said.

"Speaking of defenses, maybe we should deal with that barrier around the citadel." Priestess said.

"Agreed. The army could be of great assistance to us from the outside, especially with their siege engines and high-ranking mages." Lizard Priest said.

"Then it's settled..." H.E. Druid said.

"Yeah, as soon as this platform gets the lead out..." D.R. groaned.

* * *

After they got out off the platform, the group looked around to see if any goblins were there...and there was a whole swarm of them rushing away from them, possibly to attack the united army outside. GS then led the group from one room to another, with Wizard's brother, and even Cow Girl laying magic traps in the middle or sides of the hallways. Thanks to some mana gems, Wizard's brother rigged the weaker traps, like the spark traps to vaporize the goblins for as long as they could, and instead of just vanish when they run out of power, they take a moment to recharge. The stronger traps like the seismic traps, launching traps, or freeze traps were made powerful enough to collapse entire hallways on top of the few goblin hordes that fell for them. It made quite a bit of noise, but no goblins who saw them lived long enough to let the others know.

Eventually, GS and company got to a chamber full of burnt books, and Priestess used Vision.

"These books...they're all the same as the ones in the temple those undead giants came from." She said.

"Any idea what they're about? Or should I say _were_ about?" D.R. asked.

"I'm more curious about who did this." Cow Girl said, and then they spotted what they recognized as a fire's light.

"Someone's here." GS said, and they snuck through the library, until they got to where the light stopped moving, heard a whooshing sound, and there was a large candle laying on the ground, and no one there.

"Odd. Someone must have teleported out of here." Cow Girl said.

"How? There's only a handful of people we know who can do that." D.R. said.

"We cannot worry about this; there is an army out there that requires our aid. We must remove the barrier at all costs." Lizard Priest said.

"I'm with the lizard." D.R. said.

"So am I." Priestess said.

"Then let's go." GS said as he walked out of the library with the group following him.

* * *

As luck would have it, their luck didn't last; a wave of goblins found them in a large hall and charged at them. Cow Girl, D.R. and GS all unloaded bullets and shells into the goblin horde, tearing more than half of the to shreds. Cow Girl herself was amazed how reckless the goblins could be, but not more amazed than how effective it was to gun them down in droves like this. A narrow pass negates superior numbers, but this was insane. Less then a minute later, more than half of the goblins were dead, or critically injured. Lizard Priest then slung several ice bombs to freeze the last of the goblins to the bone, and kill the few lucky ones with the shocking cold itself.

Another horde came from the opposite end of the hall, and Priestess unleashed Holy Smite to vaporize the frontline goblins, and Rhea Fighter unleashed a wave of holy energy to slice the ones behind them in half. Wizard's brother finished off another quarter with a Mana Bolt, and then he downed a magic-restore potion in order to unleash another, but a few paladins where there to deflect it as a unit. The entire team then got involved as they formed up to engage the paladins in a melee.

A melee that was a complete stalemate; the paladins' armor was immune to their projectiles and even miracles and magic thanks to their enchanted armor, so fighting up-close was the only option. The paladins had the same number of people as GS' group did, and even used the divide and conquer tactic; each paladin fought one member of the group up close, and did everything they could to keep the group separated.

GS fought one paladin with his normal sword, but each swing was either dodged, blocked, or countered. The paladin then managed to bash GS with it's shield before GS kicked the paladin back, and another paladin ambushed GS from behind by bashing him to the ground with a swing to the head. Gs' helmet wasn't damaged, but the impact still floored him.

Rhea Fighter jumped the paladin GS was originally fighting by literally jumping on it's shoulder, wrapping her legs around it's neck and strangling it as it desperately tried to free itself. GS then fought the other paladin, starting by tripping it as it tried to help it's fellow paladin, and then tried to stab he paladin in the throat, but the paladin kept his sword away...until GS backed up, and then pushed forward to finally kill the first paladin. He then looked up to see the paladin Rhea Fighter was choking slam her into a wall as she kept her legs around it's neck. The impact staggered her long enough, for the paladin to grab him, slam her into the ground, and then Wizard's brother bashed it with his mace over and over, then Rhea Fighter tripped the paladin, drew her sword and then opened her chakras to increase her accuracy as she sliced through the paladin's neck.

She then closed her chakras to keep her energy from draining, then Wizard's brother had a chain lashed onto his mace, and he entered a tug-of-war with a paladin, he was clearly losing as it pulled him forward. Once he got close enough, it pulled it's sword, only for Cow Girl to slice the chain in half, making both Wizard's brother and the paladin fall back, but Rhea Fighter was there to keep Wizard's brother from hitting solid ground. Cow Girl then engaged the paladin with her memories of fighting the other paladins she fought coming back to her.

She clashed with the paladin blocking high and low attacks, stabs, kicks, shield bashes, and even headbashes, and throwing her own in the process, all of which had the same luck. In the end however, she managed to get enough ground to pull her rifle, fire a shell that made a weak spot in the paladin's armor, but before she could fire another round, the paladin was on top of her, kneed her in the gut, only to get a fist to the side of it's head from GS. Cow Girl then grabbed the paladin's own sword and jammed it into the weakness in it's armor...right under it's heart. Cow Girl then spotted Priestess dancing circles around the paladin she was fighting, but her sword wasn't strong enough to damage it's armor, so Cow Girl went to help her out.

GS then turned around to see H.E. Druid, D.R, and Lizard Priest fighting a single paladin that was able to hold them back...but not for long. Lizard Priest held the paladin off as H.E. Druid and D.R. tried to take shots at it, but either the paladin was too nimble, or Lizard Priest was in the way. In the end though, the paladin tripped Lizard Priest, took a bullet to the face, Lizard Priest grabbed the paladin's ankle, yanked it out from under it, and once the paladin hit the ground, Lizard Priest stomped on it's head over and over until it stopped moving.

GS then looked back at Priestess and Cow Girl to see them taking turns clashing with the paladin, and each strike was blocked by the paladin's shield. The exchange ended with Priestess holding the paladin off as Cow Girl used the axeblade of her rifle to deliver harder strikes, but the moment she got close enough...the paladin jammed the tip of it's blade into Cow Girl's lower belly, through her armor, stunning both her and Priestess. Cow Girl grabbed the paladin's hand to keep it from retreating, tore off it's helmet, pulled a pistol and blew it's brains out at point-blank range. Cow Girl then collapsed as the rest of the team swarmed her as Priestess removed the sword from Cow Girl's gut...and her necklace's enchantment healed the wound, and just in time as well. Her lower intestine was punctured which would have otherwise led to fatal blood poisoning, and even her birth canal was ruptured, which may or may not have led to her being unable to have children of her own with GS, which she _really_ didn't want to think about...

* * *

"That was not fun..." D.R said as they kept walking down the hall.

"No kidding..." Cow Girl breathed out as GS and Priestess supported her.

"Let's just take out that barrier-" Wizard's brother shut up once H.E. Druid's ears perked.

"Wait listen...I hear something." She said.

"Lead us to it." GS said and they followed H.E. Druid down the hallway, and then they all heard the sounds of metallic clanging, goblins yelling, and flesh tearing. When they got to where the noise was, they found a large room full of dead goblins.

"Someone's been busy..." D.R. said, and they heard the same sounds coming from another room, and they found none other than Elder Revenant ripping through goblins of all types with his scythes, and he was moving fast enough to keep the team from tracking his movements; he was even worse than Ranger in that regard.

"What's he doing here?" H.E. Druid asked, and Elder Revenant harvested the souls of the goblins, and turned to the group.

"I was hoping to see all of you again. It seems the armor you found in those ruins is serving you well Goblin Slayer." He said simply.

"You mean this Abyssal Hide?" GS asked.

"So that is what it is called..." Elder Revenant said thoughtfully.

"You mean you didn't know?" GS asked.

"Not entirely, but the armor has been in my care for some time. It was quite...inconvenient for me to find all the missing pieces for you." Elder Revenant asked.

"Why did you?" Cow Girl asked.

"And why did you look after it in the first place?" D.R. asked.

"I restored it because of how fitting it would be; I might have even gotten a chance to use it myself, but I looked after it because of how much of a threat it would be in the wrong hands." Elder Revenant said.

"Well considering the results, it was quite a worthwhile endeavor." H.E. Druid said.

"I concur. Sir Goblin Slayer has reaped a great many benefits because of you." Lizard Priest said.

"So did the rest of us for that matter." D.R. said.

"Um, did you burn all of those books we found earlier?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"As a matter of fact, I did." Elder Revenant said.

"Dare I ask?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"The same reason I burned a whole library full of the same texts before the siege began: they were full of lies." Elder Revenant said.

"Goblins can read?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Not likely, but the goblins in this place seemed to have been educated, especially since they can operate cannons, and not ordinary ones either." GS said.

"Considering that this is the goblins' primary stronghold, it is quiet logical for them to have spent their time coming up with ways to defend it." Lizard Priest said.

"Speaking of defenses, we still have a barrier to take down." Wizard's brother said.

"It's through there. It's powered by a Hell Battery, but since you have the archbishop with you, destroying it should take no time at all. After that, you need only move upwards to find the Goblin Overlord." Elder Revenant said.

"Why are you helping us?" Cow Girl asked.

"_And_ why are you here in the first place?" D.R. asked before winking at H.E. Druid.

"Let's just say that my soul may be gone, but my spirit has returned..." Elder Revenant said before cutting open a portal and jumping through.

"Well that was subtle..." Rhea Fighter said before Priestess lead them down the hall...and Elder Revenant was correct; there was the largest Hell Battery Priestess ever saw floating dozens of meters off the ground, sparking with Hell energy. Priestess gulped at the sight of it, and tightened her grip on her staff.

"How are we going to get rid of something like that?!" Wizard's brother asked.

"Well...he singled out Priestess, but...with all due respect, I think we'll going to need the Supreme God to directly hit this place if we're going to get anywhere here." D.R. said.

"What would the others do...?" Priestess trailed off.

"Just drink some holy water and use the most powerful miracle you can think of, while of course use it intelligently." GS said.

"Right..." Priestess whispered, before drinking some holy water, before sucking in a breathe. She then raised her staff, and closed her eyes. "Holy Light..." Her whisper echoed throughout the chamber as the group closed their own eyes while the Hell Battery went haywire. Sparks and bolts of Hell energy flew in every direction as the Battery became less and less stable. Eventually, Priestess used Protection to keep the group from getting vaporized by the explosion when the Hell Battery finally gave out.

"Well...so much for the barrier..." D.R. said.

* * *

The next several floors were one goblin battle after another; the group rushed through staircases full of them, shot at goblins that were taking pot shots at them from balconies, maneuvering around champions and setting them up for a killing blow, same with the paladins and even a high priest or two; they simply pinned the high priest down and laid into them until they were dead, not that they're pained screams meant anything considering what goblins do.

On some occasions, the team split up to cover different angles, like the time when a goblin wave guarded a door. D.R., H.E. Druid, and Wizard's brother flanked them, and got their attention with arrows, bullets, and fireballs, as the rest charged at the goblins from behind and tore them to shreds. Other times, the group went down a winding path and all of them had to get rid of the goblins as they went after the group, which was child's play for the likes of them. They even fought goblins on one elevator, then had to jump to another as the one they were on got blasted by shamans. Much to their laughter, when the platform they were on was hit enough, the thing fell to the bottom and flattened several hobs.

When they left the platform they were on, they passed by a dungeon...and each cell has a skeleton on the ground. Based on the width of the hips, they were all women, and the group didn't need to guess why they were in their cells, especially since there was no sign of struggle. They did their best to ignore it, but it was no use; the Goblin Overlord signed his own death warrent all over again.

When they got past the dungeon, GS, Cow Girl, and D.R. went upstairs as the others went through a hallway. GS and company then shot at the goblins that attacked their teammates below. GS himself had to deal with the goblins that attacked his two teammates, but his starlight sword made the task a no-brainer as Cow Girl and D.R. continued blowing the goblins' brains out. Eventually, some hobs appeared, but Lizard Priest took care of them single-handedly, especially with Priestess empowering him. She did so just in time as well; a pair of goblins rushed at Lizard Priest screaming in rage...without any weapons as well. He then stood his ground waiting for them to get close...big mistake; the goblins actually exploded with enough force to send Lizard Priest crashing into a wall. Thankfully, his empowerment kept him from being injured too badly, but those goblins blowing themselves up complicating things.

The group then reunited on the other side of the hallways as GS' team came downstairs, they then rushed down a flight of stairs, mowing down the goblin archers waiting for someone to appear...but they were looking in the wrong direction: below them. They then reached the longest hallway yet, which must have been a gathering area for the goblin armies as they listened to the Goblin Overlord. An omnious silence ensued as they walked down the length of the hallway; no goblins appeared for several minutes...despite the group being out in the open, and not far from the top floor.

"O.k...this is getting creepy..." Rhea Fighter whispered.

"Well, I just hope the Goblin Overlord is home." H.E. Druid said.

"This could be a trap. Stay sharp." GS said...before the floor dropped without any warning, and the next thing they knew, they were on a platform, surrounded by boiling water, and goblin shooters appeared on balconies just of the other side of the water.

"It's a trap alright! Shit!" D.R. exclaimed.

"Yeah, trap for them!" H.E. Druid exclaimed before Priestess threw up a Protection barrier around the team's platform, and then the team returned fire. Wizard's brother unleashed Firestream to cook the goblins alive, H.E. Druid and D.R. peppered them with arrows and bullets, Rhea Fighter and Lizard Priest slung bombs at them, which blew the goblins to bits, and launched some lucky goblins into the boiling water to spend their last moments screaming. The goblins continued pouring in from all sides, tearing into the barrier with arrows, bullets, and even some more suicide goblins jumping over the water to blow themselves up. Wizard's brother used Reflect spells to help lighten the load on the barrier, but it only lasted so long and killed so many goblins with their own projectiles before the minutes dragged on, and he had to take breaks to make more ammo for his team with his alchemy.

Eventually, GS attached a harpoon from one shotgun to the top, and the other to the platform, and Lizard Priest used Partial Dragon to give himself the required strength to pull the platform back up to the top...and a trio of goblin champions were waiting for them. Cow Girl lobbed her last bomb at them, and even though she hit one right in the face...it's helmet kept it from dying instead of just being stunned, and angered. Lizard Priest then charged at them with his teammates stunning the champions by shooting at them. GS then charged at the champions to help Lizard Priest who was stuck under a champion's hammer, and GS got there just in time to slice another champion's blade in half before it could be used to impale Lizard Priest from the side.

Rhea Fighter then turned invisible as the champion who was stunned turned it's attention to the rest of the group. Cow Girl then went out to challenge it...but that was just a front for the real threat. The champion then took a blow to the back of it's knee, which made it first look behind it, and then look around as it's fellow champions fought off GS and Lizard Priest. Cow Girl and company continued watching the champion in front of them continue to get thrashed by their invisible teammate, making the champion jerk around as it was struck from all sides. In the end, Rhea Fighter appeared as she ran up it's breastplate and flip-kicked it in the jaw, and as it lost it's balance and stumbled into a wall and to the ground. she charged up her sword, and rushed towards the champion...only to get swatted into a wall at the last moment.

GS finished off one champion by severing one of it's arms, then one of it's legs, then finally it's head as Lizard Priest grabbed the other champion's leg, made it lose it's footing, and then forcefully ripped off it's head. GS then looked back in time to see Cow Girl get bashed by the champion, and when she hit the wall, and then the floor...and got right back up and shook it off. Rhea Fighter then took over, jumping away from the champion's hands as it tried grabbing her, and GS charged at the champion with Lizard Priest behind him, and the champion grabbed it's sword and craved up the ground in front of them...which gave Rhea Fighter a chance to run up a pillar and slice open the back of the champion's neck, and the whole group watched it fall down dead.

They then took a moment to catch their breath, and when they were done, they found another platform and made their way to it...before a wave of goblins turned visible, and swarmed the group from all sides. The goblin's ambush was a dismal failure though; GS faced down the majority of the goblins by himself which surprised no one as he charged into the fray as they held off the rest of the goblins themselves. GS' Abyssal Hide deflected even heaviest of the goblin's weapons, but his blade and shield made work of them that was as short as always, as did the blows his legs landed on them.

When he finally took out the last one by stomping it's face in, he turned to see his teammates surrounded by goblin corpses that were soaked in blood and sometimes missing limbs, heads, or guts. Their massacres ended with Wizard's brother covering one side...on his own, and even though he smashed several goblin heads with his mace without trouble, his luck didn't last. Several goblins grabbed his legs, tripped him, and he hit the ground face-first as several goblins started beating him with their clubs, maces, and axes. Luckily, his armored cloak held firm, but each hit was still felt; good thing he had an enchanted necklace of his own made of topaz to help him recover from the hits. Eventually, the group got wind out it...but more goblins arrived to keep them busy, and the goblins left Wizard's brother to his fate, but GS then showed up and blew their brains out with a shotgun.

Priestess had her own fair share of goblins to deal with, and she was actually ensnared by one goblin who used a chain on to tie up her feet, which threw her off-balance, and made her fall to the floor. She then turned to see the goblin who did it approach, her and she tried to stab it, but her sword got snuck in it's armor, and it bashed the sword to the side before closing it.

"Hey, guess what?" Cow Girl asked, which made the goblin turn around...and then stare down the barrel of her pistol before she pulled the trigger. She then untied Priestess' legs, helped her up, and embracing her like the sisters they felt like. The entire group then entered the platform and rode it to the top.

"Top floor of Hell, we're on our way..." D.R. said.

* * *

When they finally neared the top, they got a view of the outside...and the fortress was taking a beating without the barrier they disables. Cannons, trebuchets, battlemages, sieges towers, the undead monsters Elder Revenant reanimated, and the World Spawns were hammering the walls, trashing the goblins' defensive weaponry, sending goblins flying, or just smashing them to a paste...if not taking them down with bullets, arrows, spells, bombs, and in the case of the flying monsters, corrosive bile.

"Yeesh...I've never been this happy to not be a goblin." D.R. said.

"Believe it or not, Ranger said that when Wizard told him about her fire magic on her first quest." Priestess said.

"You're kidding me..." D.R. said.

"Not at all." Priestess said.

"Well...fancy that." D.R. said.

"It's too bad they're not here; they're missing one hell of a fireworks display." Wizard's brother said as they continued watching the goblin fortifications below them blow up left and right as troops and undead goblins poured into the opening made in the fortress.

"Remember the recallers?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Not to mention we don't know how they're fight with the Cambion is going." Rhea Fighter said.

"Alright alright, point taken..." D.R. said before the platform reached the top, and there was a large pair of double doors at the end of a small courtyard.

"Say your prayers Your Majesty, it's all over for you..." GS said harshly as he approached the doors, and the team looked at each other, then steeled themselves before following GS...who then kicked open the doors to reveal a circular room lined with pillars...and a tall-black-armored figure relaxing on a throne.

"It's him..." Rhea Fighter whispered, and the figure roused before straightening itself out to look at the intruders.

"You're the first to ever invade my citadel...and I promise, you will be the last." The Goblin Overlord said, and his uneven voice took it's toll on most of the team's nerves.

"Considering this siege marks the end of your kind, I suppose you have a point." GS said.

"So you claim...once I am done with you, I will see to the siege personally, then see to the rest of your homes." The Goblin Overlord said.

"Not if we trash this place first." D.R. said.

"Please, You may have slaughtered my children, destroyed most of my home, but like the Hell Ripper...it can all be replaced. Now...tell me, where are the rest of you?" The Goblin Overlord asked.

"What if we're the only ones in the group?" GS asked.

"It would be a shame, although I suppose we have the Cambion to thank for this encounter being less-than-ideal." The Goblin Overlord said.

"You know the Cambion?" Cow Girl asked.

"Who doesn't? Although, I should thank him for distracting your Ranger friend and his group; with any luck they will slaughter each other and remove another obstacle between your homes, and me." The Goblin Overlord said.

"You clearly don't know who you're talking about." Cow Girl said.

"Maybe so. It's a shame the Cambion slaughtered the Sword Maiden...what a queen she would have been for me." The Goblin Overlord said.

"Oh that's it!" Wizard's brother snapped before unleashing a Mana Bolt at the Goblin Overlord...who held out his hand, and the Mana Bolt stopped cold, like it was being restrained, which alarmed the whole group as the Mana Bolt eventually disappeared.

"Well...that was rude, although I should expect that from a team led by the infamous and insultingly-named Goblin Slayer..." The Goblin Overlord said before standing up...revealing that he was twice as tall as Lizard Priest, and his armor was in-fact the same as GS'.

"How did you get an Abyssal Hide?" Wizard's brother asked.

"So that is the name of this armor...I find it in this citadel centuries ago, search everywhere I can think of, and I just now find out the name. Will wonders never cease...?" The Goblin Overlord said.

"You're going to need it!" GS snapped before charging at the Goblin Overlord, and then gets kicked into a wall before he can react. Then GS gets up, shakes it off, and charges again, but this time he ducks under a kick, and hits the Goblin Overlord's ankle, which does nothing. The rest of the team then unleashed a storm of bullets, arrows, bombs, and fireballs at the Goblin Overlord, but he held out his hand and stopped the barrage cold. Lizard Priest worked around to the opposite side of GS, and while the Goblin Overlord was distracted, he used the Partial Dragon miracle to bulk himself up, and then charged at the Goblin Overlord's ankle. Despite Lizard's Priest's superhuman strength increased even further by the miracle...all he need was move the Goblin Overlord's ankles a few inches, and get it's attention.

Next thing Lizard Priest knew, the barrage of projectiles the group wisely stopped adding to, was launched back at them, only for it to be stopped by Priestess throwing up Protection. Lizard Priest himself was lifted off the ground, and launched into a pillar. GS then swung at the Goblin Overlord's ankles himself, and even though his sword left several scratches, he didn't pierce it's armor. Wizard's brother then summoned a flock of crows to distract the Goblin Overlord, and even a pair of alligators to bite into it's ankles. H.E. Druid then climbed up a pillar to get a better shot, but all she could see was GS then grabbed and slammed into an alligator that died on impact, before the crows began sparking the Goblin Overlord's face while the other alligator sank it's jaws into it's weakened ankle.

GS then spotted a weakness in the Goblin Overlord's ankle, pull his starlight sword...and finally severed the Goblin Overlord's foot. Their victory was short-lived however; the Goblin Overlord unleashed a burst of force from it's entire body, sending the closest ones flying, and stunning the furthest ones. It's foot entire re-attached itself, as it's armor repaired!

"If that's your best, I'm sorely disappointed." The Goblin Overlord said as he stood up...only for H.E. Druid to loose an explosive arrow at it, hitting it's in the side of it's armored head. It then growled, and pulled H.E. Druid towards it, then launched it back at the Protection barrier, making the elf spit up blood before hitting the floor. D.R. then came out from behind a pillar and unloaded a barrage of bullets into the same place H.E. Druid hit while Wizard's brother gave H.E. Druid a life potion.

She then turned to see GS charging at the Goblin Overlord at the same time it unleashed a wave of force that forced D.R. to take cover as the pillar was shattered, except or the lowest part. She sighed in relief as her dwarven husband took cover just in time, and GS climbed up the Goblin Overlord's back and swung at it's head over and over...but all that did was make it angry, grab GS, smash him into the ground over and over, and Wizard's brother had to hit the Goblin Overlord with a Paralyze spell to get it's attention...but that's all it did.

GS did however take advantage of the distraction to hit the Goblin Overlord in the face with a freeze bomb, which made it let GS go, and the moment he hit the ground, he rushed away as Wizard's brother unleashed a Firestorm barrage at the Goblin Overlord, as Priestess used Holy Smite, but all it did was melt the ice; the armor was still undamaged.

Rhea Fighter meanwhile, was running around, desperately trying to look for an angle to hit it from, but got no luck. H.E. Druid then got up and once she was about to loose another arrow as Cow Girl charged it with her sword drawn, but the Goblin Overlord unleashed a wave of force that blew H.E. Druid, Wizard's brother, Priestess, and even Lizard Priest into the wall hard enough to crack the walls, before lifting Cow Girl off the ground as she struggled to get free. GS then charged at the Goblin Overlord, only get Cow Girl slammed into him, and Priestess noticed Rhea Fighter in the corner.

"Empower..." Priestess whispered.

"Is there no one else?" The Goblin Overlord asked.

"Yeah, _me_! Alright...leave it to the little girl." Rhea Fighter breathed out...and Wizard's brother sucked in a breath at the tone his smaller companion used, but snapped back to reality once Rhea Fighter rushed around the Goblin Overlord faster than her taller opponent could track, as she climbed up it's back, slicing up it's armor in the process, then jumping off of it before she could get grabbed. She then attached to a wall, and the moment the Goblin Overlord could use it's force magic on her, she dashed right past it, leaving a nasty scratch on it's bracer. It then inspected the damage before swatting at Rhea Fighter and failing miserably; she dodged the swat, and then kicked it in the gut with both feet before landing on her own feet as the Goblin Overlord was staggered.

Before Rhea Fighter could unleash another assault, the empowerment were off, and she retreated before the Goblin Overlord could recover. She then took cover in the nick of time, and then the rest of the team went back to shooting at it, when the Goblin Overlord unleashed a wave of force on the shooters that knocked them back into the wall hard enough to keep them from getting up from the pain and exhaustion. GS and Lizard Priest then charged at it , only for Lizard Priest to get picked up, and smashed into GS hard enough to smash the ground, and the Goblin Ovelord stomped on GS as Lizard Priest kept rolling along the ground. Cow Girl then rushed at the Goblin Overlord from behind...only to be picked up with it's force magic, and then looked over while she was slowly and helplessly rotated in mid-air.

"You and your army killed quite a few of my children, so I will need to replenish my army's numbers...I might as well start with you." The Goblin Overlord said before running his claws over Cow Girl's armored figure, from the generous swell of her breasts, to her flat, rippling abdomen, to the width of her hips, the deep curve of her buttocks, and the thickness of her legs. "What a fine queen you will make...few women I have given children to possessed the amount of flesh you have in the most..._desirable_ places." The whole time, Cow Girl tensed up at the idea of the Goblin Overlord's intentions...but actually hearing about it made her sick to her stomach. "Ahh, you have had experience with my children before? Well...they are nothing; the pleasures I have to offer you are _far_ superior."

"Don't touch her...!" GS growled, which got the Goblin Overlord's attention right away, as GS was trying to unpin himself from beneath it's foot.

"You claimed this woman as your mate? No matter...you can live long enough to slay the children I give to her, before I gnaw the flesh off you bones." The Goblin Overlord said, before the doors were sliced open...and Elder Revenant casually walked in.

"Hello Your Majesty." He said.

"You have some nerve interrupting my time of bliss undead filth." The Goblin Overlord said before dropping Cow Girl.

"I am well aware of how your times of bliss ends; I have ended the lives of countless mothers of your descendants." Elder Revenant said.

"And now you save a woman from the honor of being my queen. How noble..." The Goblin Overlord said.

"Your kind always did have a unique definition of honor." Elder Revenant said, and the Goblin Overlord growled, used it's force magic to rip a stone out of the stone, drew the Mark of the Death God on it, and hurled it at Elder Revenant...who causally swatted it away with a scythe he rapidly morphed. "One of your children already tried that."

"If you wil not be controlled, then I will make you desire true death." The Goblin Overlord said...before Elder Revenant dashed at it, scythe in hand, and tore a gaping hole in it's side...through it's armor. Not only was the Goblin Overlord stunned by the speed of the strike, and the damaged dealt, but so was the group. Elder Revenant then retreated through a portal before the Goblin Overlord could furiously kick him, and then he came down from above, jammed his scythe into the Goblin Overlord's shoulder, then tore the blade out through the side of it's ribcage as it came down. The Goblin Overlord then stumbled back as his wound healed rapidly...but the armor did not repair itself.

Elder Revenant then unleashed a plume of ash and bone shards to infest the still-open wound, but the Goblin Overlord used it's force magic to keep the ash at bay, until Elder Revenant gave up and retracted the ash into his own body. The Goblin Overlord then threw a punch at Elder Revenant, only to have it's fist pierced by a scythe, and it's forearm torn open, then it's legs slashed up, and even it's helmet pierced. Amazingly, the Goblin Overlord healed damage to even it's brain, and it's heart and lungs as Elder Revenant's scythe pierced it's breastplate as well, and ripped his scythe out of it...and then grabbed the Goblin Overlord's soul and started pulling it out.

"Remind me why we're here again...?" Wizard's brother asked...before the Goblin Overlord roared and unleashed a wave of force strong enough to launch Elder Revenant out through an _undamaged_ wall, into the far distance away from the citadel. The team knew Elder Revenant couldn't die, but the display of power spoke for itself, and the Goblin Overlord's armor fell apart as it watched helplessly, and the team finally got themselves together as they formed up. The Goblin Overlord then growled as it prepared to continue the fight.

* * *

Back with the Cambion, he was with the skull of the Demon Lord's pet, chanting in the demonic tongue and releasing Hell energy into the skull. Cambion then turned to see Fighter approaching. He then stopped pouring his energy into the skull and looked over the cyan aura surrounding her person.

"You again...? Where did you get this kind of power?!" Cambion asked, and Fighter didn't say a word as she simply walked in his direction, before stopping several meters from him. "Wait...you must have gotten it from the others. I question how you think it will matter, but there's only one way to find out-" Next thing Cambion knew, Fighter's fist was slamming into his armored face hard enough to put a serious crack it and send him flying, and fast enough to keep him from tracking it. Cambion landed into the boulder pile not far from where he was, and then slowly stood up from the rocks covering him, and then extended his wings before glaring at Fighter.

He then dashed at her, and the two exchanged swipes of his claws and her armblades for several seconds, aiming high, low, to the side, sometimes with Fighter taking a page out of her husband's book and throwing fake strikes before throwing a real one somewhere else, like one of his joints. Their exchange ended with Fighter grabbing Cambion's arm, making him growl by twisting it in the wrong direction, then she grabbed his ankle, flipped him over, and sent him flying yet again with a kick to his back. She then rushed to pin him down before he could get up and punched him in the face over and over as she spoke.

"_This_ is for the Sword Maiden, _this_ is for Storm Mage, _this_ is because I don't like you, _this_ is for impaling my husband, _this_ is for scaring Priestess, _this_ is for disheartening the Pope, _this_ is for tearing off my arm, _this_ is for threatening my child, and _this_ is for making Dwarf Rifleman's own bullet pierce his spine!" Fighter exclaimed as Cambion took each punch to the face, with each one being harder than the last, and eventually the force of her punches were hard enough to shake the ground. Cambion quickly recovered however and punched her in the face hard enough to stagger her, then he tried to stab her with the spikes on the ends of his wings, all of which she dodged with her full speed. Cambion then spread his wings, and flapped them hard enough to stun Fighter with the gust of wind, and while she was struggling to keep her footing, Cambion kicked her hard enough to launch her across the area. He then followed it up by dashing towards Fighter, who then side-stepped his charge, grabbed his foot as he passed her, and then slammed him into the ground around her.

Cambion then opened a Hell Rift and used it to punch Fighter in the back of the head as another opened behind her, the result was her getting hit hard enough to make her smash into the ground. Cambion then gained got on his feet as Fighter did the same, then he tried to slice into her with an armblade, only for her to backflip several times before making several clones of herself. They then charged at Cambion with the ones in front moving aside so the ones behind them could duck or block his armblades, jump up and kick him, and sometimes back up to shoot arrows at him.

Cambion simply moved around their attacks despite their inhuman speed, or even stopped the clone's strikes with his own, which injured their respective limbs and sent them stumbling with their own momentum out of their control, but it wasn't enough to keep them down for good as they could heal like the original could. Some clones even jumped off of each other while another clone was attacking or distracting Cambion, and the clones that did the jumping either shot arrows at Cambion, or jumped over him to attack from another angle.

Nevertheless, Cambion matched the clones' attacks step for step as always, even when attacked from all directions, one after another; high hits, low hits, hits from behind, nothing wasn't blocked, dodged, or countered, and the hits that managed to land despite Cambion's dizzying speed did no lasting damage. Fighter's clones even tried grabbing his weapon-limbs and manipulated them to be where she wanted them, like over his head to leave his sides open to their attacks...but he had a plan for that as well: bait them into thinking their movements were going to plan, but they were really setting themselves up to get bashed aside, or receive a minor slice.

The original then ended the melee by jumping up, latching her cables onto his blade, yank herself towards him with both feet slamming into his blade, which made him dig his feet into the ground, before flicking Fighter to the side. Cambion then extended a tentacle with a spike on the end to impale her, but the rest of the clones attacked him from the side, with one shooting an arrow to deflect the tentacle's spike, but at she did was give Fighter a better chance to get out of the way, and she did so by rolling to the side. Cambion then charged himself up with Hell energy, and started mercilessly lashing each clone, making them frantically try to defend themselves from the much faster strikes, but that's all they could do. Fighter then charged herself up as well, and opened a portal which led to her kicking Cambion in the back, launching him across the area, and giving her time to re-absorb her clones and restore her full strength.

"It's no wonder Ranger loves you so much: you're as mindless as he is." Cambion said sharply, which made Fighter snap her head to him in outrage, and then charged at Cambion, who used a tentacle to bash her across the forest, and then flew after her. When he got to where she was, Fighter barely got her footing, and tore up the ground in the process. She then charged at Cambion, who flew at her with an armblade morphed, then she jumped over him...only to get her cheek sliced open, and the force of the blow sent her into the ground. "You and the rest, doing each and everything you can to become heroes!" He then tries to impale Fighter, only for her to kick the blade away, and then blocked the blade as it came back around, but was sent flying once again...and she focused on her armor to keep herself from falling, just like her dear Ranger did beforehand. Just in time for Cambion to fly after her and rapidly clash his armblades against hers as he continued speaking. "You senselessly cling onto an ideology you're merely _told_ is righteous, when the damage it causes is drowning you! You're no better than those mindless rats who call themselves adventurers; at least they do not acquire this kind of power only to waste it!"

"Says the man who claims to want to help the world, when he's really destroying it's base!" Fighter exclaimed while locking blades with Cambion, who roared before pushing her off of him, flapping his wings to push her back and move himself back, before dashing past her, over and over, as she narrowly avoided his blades, and then clashed with her again.

"Everyone I've slaughtered has done nothing but inspire their own deaths, as well as the deaths of others...and you are following in their footsteps gladly, and for what?! Some sort of hope that your reputation alone will be enough to keep people safe? That you'll avenge those who do them wrong?! How someone this foolish could have lasted so long against the goblins, as well as the demonic hordes is beyond me, especially when you intentionally prevent yourself from being aware of how fruitless it all is! At this rate, the only fate for you now is to die alongside the illusion you hold so close to your hearts!" Cambion exclaimed as he continued clashing with Fighter, and then unleashed a burst of Hell energy that pushed her back, and then a focused burst the launched Fighter across the forest floor, tearing up the land even more as he flew after her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Warrior and Wizard supported Ranger as they went to the place the Demon Lord's pet was being summoned, and they got a glimpse of the damage Fighter and Cambion's battle did...and it put the damage done during the fight between Cambion, and the rest of the team combined to shame. They even got to see, and especially hear the fight in the distance, and even though Ranger especially wanted to help her out...he couldn't deny she had the best chance if she did it alone, so all he could do was believe in her as much as he always did; her strength was a serious reason he loved her so fiercely.

When they found the pet's skull...they saw they were too later; the skull already formed a spine, and eventually canine legs, all with a purple and black flame engulfing it. The skeleton gradually grew in size before heading into a nearby cave as bits of muscles slowly developed on it's body. They then went into the cave to stop it, but even Ranger's Immolation wasn't doing anything to damage it...and Wizard's Drain spell was ineffective! Warrior then threw his hammer at it, and the weapon bounced of the skull like the hammer was made of wood. The two then covered their ears as Ranger morphed his quad cannon and opened fire on the skeleton, but even the silver bullets did little more than make the beast cry in pain.

Warrior then pulled his blessed sword and tried to charge it up...but the charge wasn't strong enough to get him to even attempt charging at the still-developing beast. Eventually, much to the trio's horror, the pet grew three more heads, each with goat horns, fully developed it's musculature, and started growing larger and larger.

"Run!" Ranger yelled as they ran out of the cave for dear life before the pet roared loud enough to send an echo through the cave.

* * *

Fighter meanwhile was skipping and rolling along the ground as she flew through what was left of the woods. She then struggled to get up, but the moment she got halfway up, Cambion caught up to her, and kicked her in the face hard enough to roll her over. Fighter then laid there gasping for air as her aura started to die down, but then struggled to get up, before Cambion mercilessly kicked her in the side, rolling her along the ground even more. To add insult to injury, Cambion grabbed her by the back of the neck, picked her up and slammed her into the ground several times. He then flew over to the side of a nearby cliff, smashed her into it, and dragged her across the cliffface as he flew by it, tearing up the rocky surface and doing the same damage to her that she did to him earlier. Cambion then blasted her into the sky with Hell energy, and flew up past her and charged up another blast before she got her bearings, and quickly dashed to the side.

The two then dashed around in mid-air, clashing armblades with each other rapidly, or as they passed each other. In the middle of the flurry of steel and weaponized flesh, Fighter's chakras came into full effect; she watched each swing of Cambion's armblades as he tried to swipe and stab at her, she felt the strength and killer intent behind each attack, and even heard the wind whipping at they attacked each other, blocked and especially dodged each other's hits. Surprisingly, the pain she endured during the beating seemed to fade into non-existence, not because she didn't feel it, but because she stopped caring about anything but what was happening outside of her body. Even the pleasure of being in such a thrilling battle, either in the past or now meant nothing to her, and not just because of the horrible timing was for thinking about anything pleasurable.

Cambion surprised Fighter by energizing his armblade just enough to shock her as it narrowing graze her abdomen, then he grabbed her by the throat and flew down to the ground at a diagonal...only for her aura to pick back up, her bruises and broken bones to heal, and her elbows to be jammed into his sides,and face, as she flipped them over. Cambion didn't roll over for her either; his wings wrapped around her, and he tried crushing her bones in a bear hug, but she managed to work her fingers into a weak spot in his abdomen, poked it as hard and fast as she could, and both his wings lost a chunk of their strength for just long enough for her to free herself, get on his back, and break both his wing joints as he roared in pain.

At the end of the struggle, Cambion hit the ground as Fighter rode him all the way to the end of the trench they craved up. She then got alittle revenge by kicking him into a hill hard enough to shatter it, but then her aura died down yet again as her fatigue finally caught up with her. Cambion then pushed some rocks off of him, and the cracks in his armor didn't heal themselves as he tried to get up, only to stumble down the hill; he was as worn out as she was. That didn't stop him from slowly but steadily moving towards her however...even though he fell down several times from the fatigue, only to charge himself with more Hell energy to pick himself up and keep approaching her.

Cambion then tried to swipe his claws at her, but she managed to muster her last reserves of stamina to deflect his claws, and punch him in the face hard enough to spin him. He then tried to swipe her again, and got his claws stopped again, and then she swept his leg, but in her mental haze, she put too much power into it, and knocked herself off-balance, so she fell down as well. They both struggled to get up, and after each of them sucked in multiple deep breathes, Cambion tried to unfold his wings...but they were useless thanks to her breaking them earlier, so she had the perfect chance to kick him to the ground, and then collapse to her knees.

Cambion then laid there completely out of energy, and Fighter sat there meditating for a few seconds...and then her aura returned, much to Cambion's terror as he tried to call upon whatever Hell or even Holy energy he had left, but it was no use. Fighter had more than enough energy to pick herself up, and then pinned Cambion down with her knee, then put both knees on either of his sides, and started punching him across the face over and over. Cambion was too exhausted to resist, and the force of each punch, made it even harder to focus as the woman on top of him continued punching him relentlessly.

Fighter continued to beat Cambion for several more seconds before she got her second wind in full, and then started punching Cambion with speed and force that continued to raise until she was creating shockwaves, and eventually small earthquakes with the force of her blows, as the ground began to crack more and more. Fighter then gave Cambion a break, and saw that amazingly, he was still alive. She then thought about letting him go because of how he had to have realized that his plan was doomed to failure. She and her team got exponentially stronger, and there's no way they wouldn't be able to get strong enough to fight him before he could catch up to them; the "might makes right" philosophy might be distasteful, but it still has weight in this case. Who knows? Cambion may have condemned the church, but he clearly knows that things need to change, and they could find a way to solve it together...

But then, she remembered his crimes, and even if he promised to take a page out of Storm Mage's book and look for redemption, what were the odds that he'd stick to it? His conviction spoke for itself many times over; he believes he's doing what's right, and showed no remorse for any of his actions, nor the results...and that, in addition to his ungodly power, made him too much of a threat. Fighter then channeled every last ounce of power she could into her fist, raised it over her head, and screamed at the top of her lungs before punching Cambion in the chest hard enough to cause an explosion the team could hear dozens of miles away, at the Pope's palace.

* * *

Fighter woke up after the explosion launched her over a hundred feet from where she was, and managed to pick herself up halfway, to see Cambion was back in his normal form, with bits and pieces of his demonic armor, as well as upturned earth scattered all around them. She then laid pick down and went back to her deep breathing; it was finally done and over with...but then her heart sank. An ear-splitting roar came from the other side of the forest: the Demon Lord's pet was awake!

The beast was the largest creature she had ever seen, it's skin was hairless, and black as night, it had three dog heads, each one with milky-white goat horns, it spewed purple flames from it's mouth, a tail with multiple spines on the end, and thanks to all the destroyed trees, she could see the scythe-like talons on it's feet. She then heard the rubble covering the Cambion shift and then he stood up without a problem...and her stamina was completely shot; she was doomed now.

"Fool...you have accomplished _nothing_." Cambion said sharply as he charged himself up with Hell energy...that quickly went away, much to his surprise.

"Well done my son..." A voice said.

"Demon Lord!? You should be in Hell!" Cambion exclaimed as he looked around frantically.

"Thanks to you, I can now leave much sooner, and not even the great Ranger can stop my reign over this world. Now I will reward you...with a quick death." The Demon Lord said as several Hell Rifts opened.

"What!?" Cambion asked, and then screamed his lungs out as bolts of Hell energy streamed out of his body into the rifts. Fighter then watched as Cambion was lifted into the air while his power was leeched out of him...and his silver hair turned black before he ran out of power, and hit the ground gasping for air. They then heard a massive explosion in the distance as a mountain's top was blown off, then a demon just as large as the pet came out of the hole, roared to the sky and spread it's wings...was that the Demon Lord?!

"At last I am free, and this world...will be _mine_..." The Demon Lord said.

"What have I done...?" Cambion whispered in horror.

* * *

**Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug moment right there...also, shit...look who's here. Now, for those of you who don't know: The Demon Lord has two forms, one that resembles the stereotypical demon with wings, horns, and red skin, and the other form is where he basically looks like Ghost Rider's disfigured big brother because...reasons, and the Demon Lord apparently chose the former appearance this time. Also...**

**Fun facts: Cow Girl's moment where she says "hey guess what?" and shot that goblins cracked me up when I wrote it, and I imagined the famous cavalry bugle call playing when the lizardman warriors saved that group of trapped soldiers.**

**And just for the heck of it, I asked myself what Lantern Corps GS would be in, and I came up with Yellow, Green or Red. Personally, I think Yellow fits him the most because of his cold, ruthless, and calculating approach to combat, and especially how his demeanor and appearance inspires dread in mostly goblins, but some people as well. Green is also possible thanks to how much willpower it takes to do what he does, but Red works for the same reason, even though GS isn't a walking ball of fury that completely lacks subtlety, unlike conventional Red Lanterns.**

**Also...am I the only one getting an Avengers: Endgame vibe from this chapter with everyone getting involved in a huge-ass war, not to mention Warrior getting his own Stormbreaker "skin" for his hammer. Cow Girl even had a "you should have gone for the head" moment when she was stabbed by that paladin.  
**

**Now, with that trivia out of the way, the true final battle is approaching, and boy is it going to be a big one, so I hope this part of the fight was worth the unreasonably long wait, so be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait...hopefully not as long this time, so please stay tuned.  
**


	51. Chapter 24 Part III

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. All that build-up finally paid off didn't it? The Demon Lord's returned, his pet's awake, and the Goblin Overlord is still at large...let's see how they deal with this diarrhea stain of a mess.**

**Review Response: Wait...the King knew why Sword Maiden fears goblins and still didn't do anything? Wow, Cambion's rage against the system was even more justified than I thought.**

**Speaking of GS being like Rankorr whom I'm surprised that you know about since I only know about Rankorr by chance, Cambion might be a Red Lantern candidate by that logic alone; I'm pretty sure I made Cambion's wrath pretty clear.**

**They don't call him the Goblin Overlord for nothing, and attractive/repulsive force control is absolutely nothing to laugh at, but at least the group stands a chance against him without his Abyssal Hide.**

**If Fighter can deal with the Cambion by herself, after getting the shit kicked out of her in the process, what do they have to worry about in regards to the Demon Lord, and his pet for that matter? Though that may or may not spoil things... Although, Cambion accidentally triggering his return might be the biggest "Ya dun phuck tup" moment in GS history.**

**I also asked myself about Cambion's Lantern Corps, and...I first thought of Green because of how much willpower he's displayed, and how much he got done compared to the other antagonists, and especially his goals...but now that you mention the self-control bit, he might very well be qualified for a Red Ring instead. Great...Fighter is Violet Lantern material, and Cambion is Red, so their slugfest last chapter was pretty much Love vs Wrath. Speaking of which, Fighter really outdid herself didn't she?  
**

**As for GS himself...I always compared his wrath to a blizzard when it comes to goblins; unlike Ranger who has less chill than the surface of the sun, GS just gets it over with when it comes to handling goblins. Although for the record, I said Ranger is White Lantern material, and I meant it; he covers all seven emotions in so many ways I don't have time to explain them all. Just for reference, Elder Revenant is SHOCKINGLY, and I mean SHOCKINGLY qualified to be a Black Lantern.**

**For those of you who are sick of me talking about the Lantern Corps, I do apologize for it, but there's a damn good reason it's my favorite fictional concept, without any competition for that matter, and that reason is because it's a great way to judge a character, or even a real-life person.  
**

**And for the record: Warrior and Wizard should be Blue and Green Lanterns respectively from where I'm standing...**

* * *

Under the still-cloudy sky, just after dusk, Abbot was watching the united army, as well as the elementals made by the summoner siblings swarm into the citadel, massacring goblins by the hundreds, and taking minor losses themselves in the process. Even though losses were expected, and everyone who was here came prepared to risk everything to end the goblin menace for good...Abbot's heart still went out to the hundreds if not thousands of troops who already fell. Each of them had families and friends to return home to, and they'd have to carry on knowing the dead would likely not return. Who knows? Maybe the Supreme God deemed Priestess worthy of a Restoration miracle strong enough to revive this many people, but he seriously doubted that was on the table.

However, for every thousand troops they lost, hundreds of millions of goblins were dead; the superior weaponry, tactics, and especially the information about the goblins themselves provided by GS, Ranger, and their respective teams made all the difference in the world, not to mention the cooperation between the various races coming together, covering each others' weaknesses and amplifying their strengths. The number of initiates trained by Ranger, and the new recruits of the Supreme that served Priestess were just unfair; thousands of the goblins fell victim to Holy Smite, and Immolation by themselves, with several more thousands falling to their fellow troops being given superior weapons thanks to the miracle of Smith, and empowerments. Unfortunately, the initiates weren't able to use the more powerful miracles like Pestilence, Implosion, or even Protection, and especially not Restoration or Army of One, but those miracles weren't needed thanks to the initiates' numbers, and especially cooperation.

The summoner siblings continued to summoned hordes of elementals, to tip the odds even more in the army's favor than they were; GS didn't fight fair, Ranger didn't fight fair, their teams didn't fight fair, the goblins _certainly_ didn't fight fair, and the army wasn't going to fight fair. Abbot then turned his head away from the citadel ruined gates to see the summoner siblings hard at work with their elemental creating with Inspector keeping an eye on him as well. When the summoner siblings were done summoning, they each sat back on a rock...and Inspector embraced Summoner from behind as he leaned back into her.

"I almost wish Assassin and Werewolf were here." Summoner said.

"Really now?" Female Summoner asked.

"Come on, goblins running and screaming in fear with their friends' blood drenching them? They would fit right in." Summoner said.

"Figures." Female Summoner said.

"Well, it does make sense given what they're like; Assassin once said she finds them entertaining." Summoner said.

"She thinks goblins are _entertaining_?" Inspector asked in disbelief.

"She and Werewolf have never been the most stable pieces of work. Werewolf even said he finds goblins to be a good snack. Although truth-be-told...I myself would rather eat the rotten carcass of a skunk and down it with spoiled milk." Summoner said seriously.

"O.k. that's enough brother, this situation is disgusting enough as it is." Female Summoner said seriously.

"Well, that's how disgusting goblins are, so don't look at me." Summoner said.

"Regardless, their front door was broken through; it's only a matter of time before they fall-" Abbot shuts up once the top of the tower breaks and he sees something get launched out of the hole.

"What's that?" Inspector asked.

* * *

Elder Revenant fell several miles through the area after the Goblin Overlord launched him out of the tower, and when he finally landed, the ground shattered underneath him, and he skipped and rolled along the ground, continuing to tear up the ground in the process. Elder Revenant himself had bones broken and dislocated, his flesh tore to shreds, and his congealed blood soaking the ground as he regenerated from the damage. When he finally stopped rolling, he slowly stood up, looked at the distance he flew, and stood up like nothing happened to him. Afterall, as a revenant, deadly injures meant nothing to him.

He then recalled how much trouble his scythes had ripping through the Goblin Overlord's Abyssal Hide; he may have sliced through it, but using his maximum fast and power was required to rip through it. He debated going back to finish what he started with the Goblin Overlord, but his task there was done; the souls were his primary concern no matter what He then noticed his undead monsters falling apart as they got inside the citadel, sometimes while preparing to cause more damage, which meant their reanimation spell wore off. Even though he used a great deal of power reanimating them, it was quite an accomplishment keeping them up for hours on end.

The undead goblins however were still standing since it didn't take much power to reanimate them, and they were reanimated much more recently. Elder Revenant did however need to summon the Death God the moment he could. In the corner of his eye, he spotted a temple in the distance that had yet to be taken care of, and he ran towards it to see what he could do there, ignoring the chaotic battle at the citadel's gates.

* * *

Inside the citadel's gates, dozens of champions charged to give the gates reinforcements...and then Hero jumped out and unleashed a wave or energy that sliced them all in half. Hero then landed dramatically, and noticed hundreds of goblins approaching at a full charge. Just as she was on the brink of unleashing another wave of energy, Sage unleashed a Mana Bolt that vaporized them as it flew through the air over their heads, and then exploded when it got deep enough into their ranks. The two then rushed onward, and eventually found Sword Saint fighting no less than a dozen paladins by herself.

She danced circles around them without missing a single beat as the paladins attacked her from all sides, for all the good it did them. Sword Saint blocked and deflected their stabs and slashes without trouble, and even got them to hit each other and knock each other off-balance. Eventually, she drove her blade through one's face, then severed another pair's arms at the elbows, severed another one's head, ducked under another one's mace, and watched another paladin's head get smashed in. Sword Saint then rewarded the paladin's cooperation with a stab through the chin, and into it's brain. She then looked at the paladins who lost their arms, and she didn't kill, one paladin charged at her, and she jumped away before it could blow itself up...and take the other paladins with it.

Hero and Sage went to see if Sword Saint was alright, and she was, even though she was on the edge of the blast. Her armor was hit by quite a bit of fragmentation, but none of it injured her. Next thing they knew...they saw a figure zoom past them towards a temple in the distance. The ladies then looked at each other, and they rushed to see what was going on.

* * *

When they got there, Elder Revenant was there, looking the place over: it was yet another temple of the God of Wisdom. An alter to the God of Wisdom was in the middle of a dug-out pit, with a wooden palisade surrounding the entire area, and a wood and stone fort overlooking the area. Multiple high priests were on the area chanting and gurgling as magical power poured out of them, and into the alter itself.

Their attention shifts from the alter to Elder Revenant himself as they unleash streams of energy at him, so quickly, even he has a hard time avoiding them. He then gets a chance to pass by the high priests, and swings his scythe at them, but they all either dodge or heal from the damage done to them, even if their chests were ripped open. The high priests then summoned magic spears and fought him up close...and the fight was more even than it should be.

Sword Saint in particular noted that Elder Revenant's speed wasn't up to snuff with what he displayed before; he has no reason to hold back at all, yet he's moving just fast enough to hold off the dozen high priests he was fighting. Granted they could regenerate like he could, but Elder Revenant should be completely destroying them without trouble. Was he weakening, or did they do something to him?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Elder Revenant had their spears jammed into his body from all sides. His thighs and calves were pierced with the same spears, he had multiple spears piercing his chest and abdomen, and his arms were also pierced. The entire point was to anchor him to the ground, which the high priests proved when the spears drained power out of the Elder Revenant, and the power flowed into the alter. Some goblins then removed the spears and started to hack Elder Revenant apart. To the ladies' horror...the undead man was powerless to fight back despite how impossibly strong he was earlier.

Sword Saint was the first on the scene as she severed the heads of every goblins in sight, including the high priests without trouble, or pause. She then pulled the spears out of Elder Revenant as Hero and Sage looked at the alter.

"Just as I thought, this alter is tied to the Goblin Overlord, or at least his citadel. We have to get rid of it." Sage said.

"Move aside." Hero said, and Sage side-stepped as Hero shattered the alter like glass with one blow. Elder Revenant then sat up with Sword Saint helping him out.

"Are you alright?" Sage asked.

"I must...summon the...Death God." Elder Revenant breathed out.

"Too bad all the goblins here are dead." Sword Saint said.

"No matter...like the book told you...there are other ways." Elder Revenant said as he stood up and went to the side. Hero then turned around as they saw another wave of goblins approaching...and it was a big one.

"We've got company!" Hero said, and she and Sage immediately took to the walls to engage, them, but Sword Saint stayed behind to watch Elder Revenant summon the Death God. He did so by ripping his own belly open with a scythe, dipping his hands in the coagulated blood, and started painting a symbol on the ground, big enough for a person to stand in.

"O Death God, One who meets those great and minor at their ends, I your servant and companion call you forth to receive that which I have collected on your behalf." Elder Revenant said, and with that, a plume of black smoke appeared out of the symbol, to form the Death God himself...and Sword Saint violently shivered at the chill in the air, and started huffing in terror at the sight of the Death God. Elder Revenant's reaction couldn't have been more different; he actually got on his knees in respect to the deity, who hummed in response to seeing his most loyal follower, and was clearly pleased to see him.

"Supreme above..." Sword Saint whispered.

"Death God, I have collected tens of millions of souls, more than any of your servants before and since have collected. Now they await your guidance to the afterlife." Elder Revenant said as he sliced open his abdomen, and the Death God pulled them into his gourd. "Now, I ask your favor in return for this service. My power was waned heavily in this battle, I ask you to grant me all of the power you deem me worthy of. And...I wish my soul returned to me." Sword Saint recoiled hearing that, and Elder Revenant shared a glance, and even gave her a small smile as the Death God poured a soul into Elder Revenant's eyes...and he instantly started trembling violently and sucking in a breath.

With that, the Death God disappeared in a plume of smoke, which then enveloped Elder Revenant and was absorbed into his skin, turning it white as snow, and as the rain came down, Elder Revenant trembling even more at the sensation. He then yelled at the top of his lungs as his eyes opened to reveal their blackness, and the black smoke exploded out of him and hundreds of different streams of it whooshed to the battlefield in the distance.

* * *

The united army at the citadel actually began to get pushed back as the paladins and champions began to turn the tables in the goblins favor by mowing down retreating troops, and swatting them away in droves. The shamans and shooters on the balconies overhead didn't help either, but when all hope was lost, the black smoke appeared and began infesting the goblins, turning many into undead and making them attack their fellow goblins.

The united army simply watched the terrifying yet relieving event unfold, and retreated to let the goblins kill each other. Some of the troops fled in terror, while others simply figured that it was wiser to let whatever the black smoke was do it's thing. Whatever the case was, the champions and paladins made short work of any and all still-living goblins they encountered, most of whom had no experience with dealing with their undead comrades, and the ones who fought the undead earlier in the day were mostly dead, so the knowledge had little to no time to spread. Even if it had spread far and wide, it wouldn't have mattered; the champions lived up to their titles, as did the paladins, which the goblins learned the hard way as they were quickly, and utterly swept aside like dead leaves.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Goblin Overlord was knocking GS and his entire team around like they were ragdolls. Even without his armor, his force control was making their lives harder than it had a right to. H.E. Druid and Lizard Priest launched arrows and bombs at him, only for their projectiles to be stopped in mid-flight and chucked aside. GS and Cow Girl tried attacking the Goblin Overlord from different angles while he was distracted, only to get launched back by a wave of force. Priestess unleashed Holy Smite on him, but all it did was stun him, and get his attention, which made him collapse a pillar over her, which made her dive out of the way.

Even D.R.'s bullets were ineffective; the Goblin Overlord used his force control as armor to slow down the bullets and turned them from a lethal threat, to an annoyance. Wizard's brother's familiars were either swatted out of the air, or had their heads stomped in by the towering goblin leader, and his spells were effortlessly countered as well. Rhea Fighter, despite having the best luck by far, was also useless thanks to the Goblin Overlord's healing ability, and his force control negating the waves of energy she launched at him. In the end of a flurry of strikes she managed to land, the Goblin Overlord kicked her into a wall hard enough to crack it, make her spit up blood and hit the ground complete limp.

The whole team was aghast, but Wizard's brother completely forgot about the Goblin Overlord entirely to check on her...and it wasn't good. She was out cold, her breathing was labored, and to make matters worse, her spine was broken in several places. Priestess showed up and took out her canteen, but she was out of holy water. She then used her last miracle to try to heal her, but all she could do was mend her spine. Wizard's brother then snapped his head up to see the Goblin Overlord try to blow the trio away with another wave of force, but it was nothing more than a breeze.

"What?!" The Goblin Overlord exclaimed, and then looked out through the hole her made when he launched Elder Revenant out of his throne room. "Damn that filthy undead...! He crippled my priesthood. No matter, I crushed one of you, now the rest of you will follow." Wizard's brother immediately started shaking in fury.

"You're going to pay...!" He growled as his grip on his mace tightened.

"She's going to live. Remember what Ranger said about taking things personally." Priestess said seriously, and Wizard's brother relaxed.

"Fine..." He breathed out.

"You're going to regret letting this go-" The Goblin Overlord shut up once a bomb exploded next to his ear, and made him hold the side of his head.

"Oh shut up!" Cow Girl snapped, and the team looked to see her pointing her rifle at him; she launched a bomb at his head. While he was stunned, she took the initiative by pulling her sword and went straight for the Goblin Overlord's neck, but he was able to narrowly avoid it by backing up. However, he was genuinely concerned of his life, and it showed. He desperately tried to keep his distance from Cow Girl's relentless assault as the rest of the team watched in amazement; she went from being a simple farm hand to being able to push the leader of the goblins, and the deadliest one by far into a corner in a few months.

GS then pushed himself to his feet...then recalled that Ranger gave him a rifle, and now was the perfect time to use it. While the Goblin Overlord was distracted, GS morphed the rifle, waited for the right time to fire it, and then put a bullet through the Goblin Overlord's knee, which left him wide open for Cow Girl to slice his gut open, and then jumped up to give him a shield bash to the face, sending him sliding across the ground as his wounds healed. He then pounded the ground with his fist in rage, then pulled GS towards him with what was left of his force magic, and the moment he was about to tear GS' helmet off, GS pointed the rifle at the Goblin Overlord's groin, and shoot him in the testes, making the Goblin Overlord roar in pain, drop GS, and recoil so much he fell down.

Cow Girl and GS then shared a glance, and waited for the Goblin Overlord to recover since this was too serious to rush. The moment the Goblin Overlord recovered, he turned to see the two standing there at the ready. He then tried to unleash a wave of force at them, but nothing happened. He then tried to punch Cow Girl, only to get his forearm sliced into, then GS went for his thigh, then Cow Girl sliced into his eye, then GS stabbed him in the side, then Cow Girl shield bashed him in the same spot she sliced into on his face, which knocked him down.

The Goblin Overlord then tried to kick GS with his good leg, but both of them were too fast, and dodged the kick. The Goblin Overlord then grabbed his throne, ripped it out of the ground over his head, and just as he was about to smash both his opponents with it...they both pulled their rifles, and fired at the Goblin Overlord's knees, elbows, and various other joints, making the throne fall on top of him, and break apart. The rest of the team simply watched the display as GS and Cow Girl lived up to their professions, then much to their surprise, the Goblin Overlord started laughing.

"You think you have me beaten? The Demon Lord will return any moment now, and when he does, he will enslave you souls, and you will each regret for what you did to me. And you...female Goblin Slayer, will beg me for the chance to have my children." He said.

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it, but you have far greater concerns." GS said.

"I also failed to mention that your army fell into my trap. Before my throne was destroyed, I set in motion the most destructive explosion magic ever conceived." The Goblin Overlord said.

"What...?" Cow Girl breathed out in horror.

"Yes, you came to our home to exterminate us, but in doing so, you have doomed yourselves and your people. If we cannot have this world...then neither will you!" The Goblin Overlord said as he finally stood up...only for GS to throw his sword into his gut, and then rush towards him to drive the blade in further, which makes the Goblin Overlord fall back as GS removed the blade.

"You're still going to die, like the worthless goblin you are." He said before removing the blade...and the Goblin Overlord's healing ability was too taxed to heal the wound completely. GS then kicked the Goblin Overlord into the wall, and he stumbled into it, and fell on his face. He then struggled to get up, and collapsed to his hands and knees. He then raised his head to see Cow Girl approach with her rifle's axeblade mounted onto it...and she was shaking with tension.

"Ever since I became an adventurer, all I did was kill. I killed for my home, I killed for my friends, I killed for my family, I killed for other people's families...but this? This one is just for me." She said before bringing down her rifle and severing the Goblin Overlord's head. The rest of the team finally caught their breath; the leader of the goblins was dead, and they even took his head as a trophy...just like Ranger did with the vampire queen.

"That makes one..." GS whispered as Cow Girl picked up the Goblin Overlord's head.

"Well, that's all well and good, but how about we get out of here, and stop this place from blowing up?" Wizard's brother asked as he picked up Rhea Fighter's unconscious body.

"We should go see Father Superior. He'll have more miracles." Priestess said.

"Good idea." H.E. Druid said as Priestess opened a portal to the war camp...and there Abbot was with the Summoner siblings, and Inspector. When they got through the portal, they saw the army retreating as black smoke whooshed around the entire battlefield.

"What's going on?" Priestess asked.

"It's the Elder Revenant. He's unleashed the wrath of the Death God upon the entire goblin population, and the troops are too terrified to remain here and continue fighting." Abbot said seriously.

"It's just as well they're fleeing. That citadel is going to blow up any second." Wizard's brother said.

"Blow up!?" Both summoner siblings said at once.

"Yeah, the Goblin Overlord told us he rigged the place to blow itself up, just before he died." Wizard's brother said.

"He's dead?" Abbot asked...and the Cow Girl held up the head, which surprised everyone.

"Chopped it off myself." She said as Abbot looked it over.

"Supreme above...you actually did it." He said in awe.

"You've definitely earned a Silver Rank as well." Inspector said.

"Really?" Cow Girl asked and Inspector scoffed.

"No question about it. If Guild Girl doesn't give you one, I'm going to kick her sorry butt." She said.

"And I'm going to help." Summoner said.

"O.k. o.k. let's not get carried away kids." Female Summoner said.

"Very funny." Summoner said.

"Uh, I hate to kill the mood, but what are we going to do about that citadel?!" H.E. Druid asked.

"There's nothing we can do..." Abbot said.

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed at once.

"That citadel is doomed, but at least the army is almost far enough away. At the rate they're going, they should be able to clear the blast radius. And don't worry, everyone is running, and the few who aren't can and will find a way." Abbot said.

"How do you know that?" D.R. asked.

"The Sword Maiden is not the only one who has a sense of things most cannot even dream of." Abbot said.

* * *

When Elder Revenant was done dispersing the black smoke, his black eyes turned back to brown, his skin regained it's color, and he started sucking in deep breathes, and convulsing with the rain beating down on his now-living skin. Sword Saint stood back the whole time, and marveled at the display; she had fought the Demon Lord himself a year ago...and now she witnesses the full power of the God of Death himself through his most loyal servant. But was Elder Revenant still a servant of the Death God even with his soul reclaimed?

Her question was answered the moment a few high priests appeared, and one hurled a spear at Elder Revenant, who narrowly dodged it as it tore through his face, making him scream in pain and cover his face. She then realized something horrible: spending so much time being unable to feel anything has probably dulled his pain tolerance to the point of non-existence. Just getting poked would hurt like a wasp sting, getting his face torn open must be _excruciating_ for him.

His face healed a moment later, but he was still in serious pain, and the bright-red blood covering his hand marveled him as it was a sign he was indeed a living person again. He then looked at the high priests...only to get a spear through his heart and he fell down trying to remove it. Sword Saint then rushed to remove it for him, but the high priests rushed at her with twice the speed, and she then to deal with them first. The high priests moved around with so much speed that Sword Saint could barely keep track of them; it was a miracle she landed any hits at all, let alone sever two of their heads.

The struggle ended with her jumping over Elder Revenant, removing the spear in his heart as she came down, and then impaled another high priest with it. She then saw the hole in Elder Revenant's chest close, and he grabbed a high priest as it jumped over him, stood up, and then slammed it into the ground over and over until it stopped struggling and exclaiming. Sword Saint noted the look of rage on his face, and never recalled seeing him that angry before, understandable as his rage was at this point.

Elder Revenant then charged himself with green and dark purple energy, which made Sword Saint recoil, but the display only lasts a few seconds, and the results were made clear as a high priest hurled a spear right through the side of his head...only for Elder Revenant to pull the spear out and glare at the high priest, much to it's surprise. Elder Revenant then threw a scythe at it, which tore through it's side. He then slammed the spear covered in his blood on the ground, and walked towards the high priest as he crawled away from him. When Elder Revenant got close enough, the high priest started laughing.

"You fell for my trap undead." The high priest said, and Elder Revenant narrowed his eyes in curiosity, then the ground lit up s the God of Wisdom's mark appeared...and Elder Revenant quickly looked at the symbol, before he started convulsing and groaning. Sword Saint then dashed over to get Elder Revenant out of the symbol, and she barely made it before the symbol stopped glowing. The high priest then attacked her while Elder Revenant recovered, and she side-stepped one pounce after another from the injured high priest, and the fight ended with Sword Saint severing the high priest's head while it was in mid-air. Elder Revenant then struggled to get up with Sword Saint helping him out.

"Thanks..." He whispered.

"What was that?" Sword Saint asked.

"He was...trying to control me." Elder Revenant said...and Sword Saint recoiled.

"Please tell me you're joking..." She said seriously.

"No...there are ways...to take control over a revenant, and one...is binding them to the God of Wisdom's seal." Elder Revenant said as he stood up.

"Thank the Supreme I was here. Now where the hell are Hero and Sage?" Sword Saint asked, and Elder Revenant noticed more goblins approaching over the walls, and before Sword Saint could do anything, Elder Revenant rushed to one side of the fort, tore several goblins open with one stroke of his scythe, then dashed to another group to bisect them, then dashed to the other side of the fort, to kick a goblin hard enough to splatter it across the wall, and make a shockwave that sent the rest of the goblins flying...with just the force of his muscles! He then wrapped it up by grabbing one by the throat, picking it up, and making it shrivel up before throwing the body away. He then took a moment to calm down before sharing a look with Sword Saint.

"Are...you alright?" She asked.

"I am now. After _five millennia_...I am now." Elder Revenant said seriously.

"I noticed how painful that fight was for you." Sword Saint said softly.

"If it means I can truly live...it's worth it." Elder Revenant said.

"Do you still serve the Death God?" Sword Saint asked.

"I don't have much choice." Elder Revenant said.

"But...you're alive now." Sword Saint said

"There are ways to serve him while being alive, plenty of revenants have done so afterall. Being undead merely helps." Elder Revenant said.

"Then why did you ask for your soul back?" Sword Saint asked.

"I already told you: the living did concern me, and I am sick of living a lie, especially if the price is that I don't get a chance to see, and especially feel the difference between life and death." Elder Revenant said.

"Well, in that case...welcome back to the living." Sword Saint said before they shared a smile...which was interrupted by the ground shaking. "That can't be good." The shaking became more and more violent, and then the citadel gave off a rumbling sound. "_Definitely_ not good!" The citadel then started blowing up piece by piece, and Elder Revenant tore open a portal with his scythe, grabbed Sword Saint, and jumped through to the army's base camp.

* * *

"What in...?!" Abbot exclaimed.

"What about Hero and Sage?" Sword Saint asked.

"What about us?" Hero asked, and Sword Saint snapped her head to see her two teammates approaching.

"I thought you were going to get caught in the blast!" Sword Saint exclaimed.

"What? We were covering the army as they retreated, not to mention the people we had to pick up." Hero said.

"So what's the deal with our undead friend-" Elder Revenant cuts Sage off.

"I am no longer undead. I obtained my soul and returned to life." He said.

"Well...good for you." Cow Girl said.

"Indeed. I also see your battle with the Goblin Overlord went well, if you're the ones who took his head rather than him taking yours." Elder Revenant said.

"Yep. Silver Rank, here I come." Cow Girl said proudly...and then Abbot gasped in horror and looked in the distance.

"What?" H.E. Druid asked.

"The Demon Lord...he's returned!" Abbot exclaimed, and everyone recoiled.

"What? But he's not due for another nine years!" Hero exclaimed.

"He must have found a way to recover his power sooner." Abbot said.

"Well this is just great. What do we do now?" D.R. asked.

"Priestess?" Cow Girl asked.

"I can't fight the Demon Lord! Even the Sword Maiden couldn't fight him alone, and...we spent too much effort, and resources on this siege, and I don't even want to think about what my family spent on fighting the Cambion." Priestess said seriously.

"So what? We beat the Demon Lord before, we can do it again." Hero said.

"He was much weaker remember? And last I checked, so are we." Sage said.

"So...what are you all saying? All this work, a year and a half of ass-kicking, and you're saying we failed?!" Wizard's brother asked seriously.

"I'm afraid so...unless..." Abbot said thoughtfully.

"Unless what?" Cow Girl asked.

"Priestess? Didn't the Sword Maiden do anything with the Temple of Law itself?" Abbot asked, and Priestess' eyes widened.

"Father you're a genius! I can use the Temple itself to help defeat the Demon Lord, but I'm going to need time." Priestess said.

"We'll buy you time." Hero said.

"It is also likely that Water Town will be attacked. Yes, I am aware that place always gets attacked, but especially in this case, it is too tempting a target for the Demon Lord's forces." Lizard Priest said.

"That's where the rest of us come in." Cow Girl said, then Sword Saint turned to Elder Revenant.

"What about you?" She asked.

"I will stay here and finish off the goblins." Elder Revenant said.

"Make sure you get all of them. Otherwise, there will be another Goblin Overlord, and we'll be right back where we started." GS said.

"Of course." Elder Revenant said.

"Best of luck Your Grace. Hero, you and you're team come with me." Abbot said as Priestess gave him the gem, and Abbot opened a portal to the Pope's palace. He then gave it back to Priestess, and she led her group, along with Inspector and the Summoner siblings back to Water Town...just as the citadel collapsed, and the blew itself to pieces, sending debris several miles in every direction.

* * *

Meanwhile, Fighter couldn't keep her eyes off of the Demon Lord as he began to gather his strength as if he woke up from a nap.

"What is that thing?!" She asked, and Cherub appeared.

"Now you've done it. Cambion just woke up the Demon Lord." He said.

"_That's_ the Demon Lord?" Fighter asked.

"Lady, did you take too many blows to the head? You should've known that was the Demon Lord the moment you saw him." Cherub said.

"Alright, alright, don't be a smartass. Just tell us you have a plan." Fighter said.

"Hey, don't look at me! You all knew this was going down, and I'm just a cherub, not the Champion." Cherub said.

"We are doomed...now that the Demon Lord's awake, and at his full power, the world is his." Cambion breathed out.

"Not as long as we have a say in the matter." Fighter said seriously.

"Please...it took all of your power just to defeat me, and you saw for yourself how much power I had left. The Demon Lord, and his pet...are each far stronger than me." Cambion said.

"Normally, the Supreme God would be able to restrain the Demon Lord...but _someone_ went around gathering the sacrifices for the Demon Lord, killing the Supreme's followers, and even cursing the Supreme's name." Cherub said with a raised eyebrow.

"I killed...only the Pope's soldiers, and...I was furious with them for turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the people's cries for help...just like the Pope did." Cambion said.

"Well, now you know why that wasn't a smart move." Cherub said simply.

"Condemn me all you want; it's far more merciful than what the Demon Lord will do to you, especially since no one has the power to resist him." Cambion said.

"Then we'll just get some help." Fighter said.

"First, you should get back to the others." Cherub said as he opened a portal.

"Leave me here...I will only-" Fighter cuts Cambion off.

"Damn right I'm leaving you here." She said sharply as she leered at Cambion's beaten body, and tried going through the portal...only to fall on her face. Her body was completely shot from her fight with Cambion; just walking was a pain. Cherub then helped her up, and she got her footing back as she limped through the portal.

* * *

"Fighter? What the hell happened over there?" Wizard asked.

"The Cambion is down and out...but we have bigger problems." Fighter said.

"We noticed. What is that thing?" Warrior asked.

"The Demon Lord." Fighter said seriously.

"So that's the Demon Lord." Ranger said as he eyeballed the gigantic demon in the distance. "I can't say I expected him to look different."

"What are we going to do? Can Army of One take on someone stronger than the Cambion, and the pet at the same time?" Wizard asked.

"No...I can only use Army of One one more time, and Cambion was a match for me." Ranger said.

"Do you still have any miracles?" Wizard asked.

"Yes, but...I doubt they'll help against the Demon Lord. It's not holy energy afterall." Ranger said.

"Great, we spent all our energy on the Cambion, and now we have two stronger threats to deal with all by ourselves. We're fucked..." Wizard said.

"No, that's bullshit. Can't you just use Army of One again, distribute the power to all of us, and we go nail that thing to the wall?" Warrior asked.

"Warrior...if we fought him in our current state, even if everything goes as well as they possibly could, we wouldn't last ten minutes." Ranger said seriously.

"So what? We just sit here, wait for those two to get themselves together and fuck us? There has to be _something_ we can do!" Warrior said, and Ranger sighed.

"You two go ahead and deal with the Demon Lord's pet, I will stay here with Cherub and the Pope, and look after Fighter, and this palace." He said.

"Are you sure about that?" Wizard asked.

"What if the Demon Lord comes here?" Warrior asked.

"I can't think of a better plan. Let's just hope someone else finds out about the Demon Lord and sends help." Ranger said...and then a portal opened, and Abbot came out with Hero's team behind him.

"Look who showed up just in time." Wizard said.

"Save it. Where's the Dem-" Sword Saint cuts Hero off by putting her hand on Hero's shoulder and pointing at the Demon Lord. "O...k...so he's not only here nine years early, but he also looks completely different."

"Turns out, that's what he looked like when the Sword Maiden and her team fought him." Ranger said.

"O.k...if you know that, would you mind explaining to us why he's here early?" Hero asked.

"That's...kind of because he drew power from the people, demons, what have you that all of us took out." Warrior said.

"And you kept at it despite knowing that?" Hero asked.

"We didn't know he was coming back this soon! We just stuck to training our asses off, which includes storing power in these necklaces of ours, and hoping that it would be enough, and so far it was." Warrior said seriously and Hero sighed.

"So what's the plan chief?" Sword Saint asked.

"We're going to handle the Demon Lord's pet while-" Hero cuts Wizard off.

"Wait...that thing is his _pet_?" She asked.

"You didn't know that...?" Warrior asked.

"Not even I knew about that; we've been all over the country and never heard anyone talk about it, nor did I read anything about it." Sage said.

"Nor does the church give information about it." Abbot said.

"Big surprise. Anyway, we're going to deal with the pet, you three handle the Demon Lord, or at least slow him down while the boss here watches Fighter." Warrior said.

"You're not going to help us?" Hero asked.

"Don't bother trying to talk me out of this; I'm staying here." Ranger said.

"But the Demon Lord is-" Ranger cuts Sword Saint off.

"I...am _not_...leaving her!" He snapped.

"He's right Hero. There's no way the Demon Lord isn't going to send everything he has around the world, and given that this is the Pope's palace, this place is too tempting a target, and I sincerely doubt I can defend it, and the Pope alone." Abbot said

"Fine, let's go Cherub." Hero said.

"What?! Is your breastplate on too tight? I'm not going anywhere near that tyrannical piece of work!" Cherub said seriously.

"Then give us a hand somehow!" Sword Saint exclaimed, and Cherub got an idea.

"Hero...hand me your sword." He said, then Hero drew her sword, looked it over, then handed it over. Cherub then made it float in front of him, then started chanting in the angel's tongue, and as he did, the sword pulsed with holy energy. Everyone watches the sword pulse faster overtime, and when it stopped...the sword glowed faintly.

"Uh...what exactly did you do, besides make it stronger?" Hero asked.

"I made it as strong as I possibly could." Cherub said seriously before giving the sword back, and once Hero grabbed her sword...a rush of holy energy flooded her armor, which makes her exclaim and tense up. "Oh, did I mention it comes with it's own empowerment miracle?"

"It would've been nice to know before I nearly get a heart attack!" Hero snapped.

"Hey, what about us?" Sword Saint asked.

"Oh I didn't forget you." Cherub said before beaming Sage with green energy, and giving Sword Saint an empowerment. "There you go. More spells for the hooded lady, and a strength-boost for the other one. Trust me, you three are going to need these gifts...seriously."

"Alright alright. Point taken..." Hero said.

"I will stay with the Pope, if not to be the last line of defense for him, then to maybe assist you in any way I can." Abbot said.

"Wait...what about the rest of our team?" Fighter asked.

"They're on their way to Water Town." Abbot said.

"What for?" Warrior asked.

"The Demon Lord is stronger than he's ever been; all you can do at this point is delay him while Priestess prepares a way to take the Demon Lord down." Abbot said.

"That's our Priestess." Fighter said proudly.

"I may do something similar with this palace, but I doubt it would be strong enough for the Demon Lord himself." Abbot said.

"Don't tax yourself Father." Ranger said, then Warrior sighed.

"This plan sucks..." He said.

"Well, if anyone has a better one, now's the perfect time." Ranger said.

"Not so much no." Wizard said.

"I'm at a loss too." Warrior said.

"Then Supreme help us all..." Ranger said, before extending his hand to Warrior, and then Warrior pulled Ranger into a hug, which surprised Ranger before he returned it. Then Wizard had her turn hugging Ranger.

"Good luck...sir." She said softly as Ranger ran his hand through her hair.

"It's the Demon Lord's pet that'll need luck." He said as Wizard backed up.

"Fighter?" Warrior asked.

"Just go...I'll be fine, and so will you." Fighter said.

"Really?" Warrior asked, and Fighter put her hand on his shoulder.

"If you can handle the Demon Lord's pet as well as you can handle those leviathans, that thing is completely screwed." She said.

"I guess so." Warrior said, before Fighter hugged him.

"Get out there and kill yourself a monster." She said, and Warrior smiled and returned the hug before finally leaving with Wizard, and the two charged off to engage the pet as Hero's team waved everyone off to go face the Demon Lord. Fighter then sat down against the wall.

"Now, just to let you know, fixing the palace is on the table for me, empowering you is not." Cherub said.

"Lovely..." Ranger whispered.

"Also...hey, Fighter? You are aware that your necklace is still humming with power right? Why aren't you using it?" Cherub asked.

"I am, but it's harder than I thought it would be." Fighter said as Ranger knelt in front of her.

"What about your chakras?" He asked.

"They're almost spent, and at this rate, it'll be quite some time before they're restored." Fighter said.

"Well, then I have that much more reason to stay here." Ranger said seriously.

"I knew you'd say that." Fighter whispered, before sharing a smile with her husband.

"Uh, I hate to ruin your moment, but we've got visitors!" Cherub said, and Ranger snapped his head to the gates, ran outside, and saw a horde of demons charging his way. Imps, Prides, Wrathers and Gluttons, all of them as well as regular demonic soldiers were barreling through the plains right at the palace!

"Great...as if the Demon Lord himself wasn't bad enough." Ranger said.

"Right...now, you might need these." Cherub said before filling the entire courtyard with weapons and armor of every type. "The War God said once that you'd get the equivalent of an entire arsenal when you need it, well...now you need it. Also, here's a double-dose of the number of miracles you can use. Again I have to emphasis...you're going to need them!"

"Yes I know, use them wisely. How do you think I got this far?" Ranger said as he used his chains to latch onto the weapons and absorbed them into his armor.

"Fighter, should you urgently need my aid, do not hesitate to come to me for a healing session." Abbot said.

"I appreciate that Father, but don't worry about me too much." Fighter said, and Abbot nodded before going inside and watching Ranger finish absorbing the metal from the weapons. Ranger then tensed up as the demons approached.

"Good luck." Cherub said before vanishing, then Ranger made a dozen clones, all of whom morphed quad cannons, and unloaded on the demons with silver bullets, which tore through them by the hundreds and scattered them across the plains they came from.

Ranger himself whirled around in mid-air, lashing his sword-whips around so rapidly the wind blew the Prides around, even if they weren't hit. When he was done, the Prides were launched away by the momentum. He then spotted a giant Wrather charging towards him, and then he morphed his claws, charged at the Wrather, stabbed it in the gut, raised it over his head, tore it in half, and threw one half at some imps, and kicked the second half into the rest of the imps.

Some more Wrathers appeared, and Ranger latched onto it with his sword-whips, yanked himself towards it, and once he collided with it, he jumped off of it with the combined force of both impacts knocking the Wrather down. It got up the moment Ranger landed, and charged at him, only for Ranger to morph a harpoon, and hurl it through the demon's heart.

Another giant Wrather appeared, and Ranger jumped over it, wrapped a sword-whip around it's neck, and tore off it's head, caught the head as it came down, and stunned another Wrather with it by throwing it. He then unleashed a barrage of silver bullets from his pistols, all of which tore through the demonic troops charging at him to pieces, with each bullet piercing multiple targets at once. He then charged at another group of troops, shooting them down as he rushed them, and morphed his blades when he got close enough.

Fighter watched her husband dash around the area, cutting the demons apart in every imaginable way. Limbs, heads, and severed halves flew in every direction as he turned the area into a kill zone. Ranger then stayed put as his clones returned and mowed down the rest of the demons the same way the original did, and then he reabsorbed them and went back to Fighter.

"Are you alright now?" He asked while kneeling down to her level.

"I'm getting there...but at least I get a good show while I rest." Fighter said and Ranger huffed in amusement.

"What kind of man isn't there for his woman?" He asked.

"Not the one I have." Fighter said softly.

"Fighter..." Ranger whispered

"Really...without you here, whether we were married or not, I'd probably be-" He cuts Fighter off.

"As dead as the other times you saved me. Not that it's a contest but...I do owe you more than a few times." Ranger said.

"What?" Fighter asked.

"Baby, you've saved and protected me at least ten times more often than I've protected you." Ranger said.

"That's not true at all. Just by being with us in the field to take out the goblins, demons, or whatever else we encounter you keep who knows what from going wrong. Without you, I never would've defeated the Cambion. And just by being around the people you inspire them to not forget to live their lives...and you gave me a family: our daughter. Ranger...you save me every day." Fighter said while caressing his face, and then pulled him into a brief but sweet kiss.

"I cannot believe all of that escaped my attention. But I'm still going to stay here until you're on your feet." Ranger said.

"Really?" Fighter asked.

"A man's supposed to be there for his woman right?" Ranger asked.

"Of course...and you're the 11th Platinum Rank." Fighter said, and then they heard more enemies approaching. Ranger then stood up and went out to face them. He then saw a horde approaching...one he recognized all too well.

"Hell goblins, haven't seen them in a while." Ranger said before looking at Fighter.

"Give them what's coming to them." She whispered, before her husband morphed a greatsword. The Hell goblins then formed up at the entrance, some of whom recognized Ranger, and kept their distance. A paladin then turned visible in-between them and Ranger, the latter of whom just stood there swords at the ready. The paladin then held up his shield and charged at Ranger, only for him to weave around the paladin and jam his sword into the side of it's torso, surprising the entire goblin horde...then they all snickered, and another paladin appeared in the same spot as the paladin Ranger just killed vanished into thin air, it was an illusion!

Two could play at that game; Ranger then released a Rage spell that enveloped the entire area in front of him, and the paladin charged at Ranger only to get impaled through the chest, slammed into the ground, and then hurled into the crowd. Several goblins tried pouncing at Ranger en masse from his blind spot, only to get splattered across the area, then he did the same thing to several more goblins, with his massive blade chop through them with a single swing, and scattering what was left of their bodies across the area. The surviving goblins, who were mostly drenched in the blood and mangled bodies of their comrades stood there shaking in horror as Ranger simply stared at them with cold-blooded hatred in his gaze.

He even held his gaze as a champion turned visible, tried to slice him in half with a sword of it's own, and Ranger just put his greatsword in the way, deflected the blow into the ground, sliced off the champion's hand, morphed a gauntlet, grabbed the sword, and then hurled it through the champion's face...and crushing dozens of goblins under it's mass. Two more champions appeared, only for Ranger to bash one's club so hard it flew out of the champion's hand, and into the goblins, and the other champion's club was bashed into the air. Ranger then jumped up, grabbed the club in the air, and broke the first champion's forearm with it's own club when it tried to grab him. When he landed, he broke the second champion's knee, caught it as it fell on top of him, and threw it far into the crowd of goblins, splattering hundreds of them with the still-alive champions that died when it's spine broke from the multitude of impacts. The first champion then died from a newly-morphed harpoon through it's face.

A squad of paladins then appeared, and one got split down the middle, another was punched into the crowd of goblins by a gauntlet, another was punched and then ripped in half, another was stunned by the paladin's top half being thrown at it and then smashed into the ground over and over, with each pound making the ground shake violently. Ranger then morphed his twin swords and engaged the last paladin, who was furious with Ranger at this point and engaged him up-close, with Ranger simply deflecting the paladin's sword swings.

"It's much more fun when the prey fights back isn't?" Ranger asked casually as the enraged paladin continued to thrash at him, and then suddenly retreated before multiple hobs appeared all around Ranger. He then jumped up, slashed all of them across the face, blinding some, simply injuring others, and killing one of them as he sliced through it's brain. When he landed, he dashed around as the angry hobs tried to stab, chop, and bash him with their clubs, and swords, but Ranger was just too fast for them as their attacks missed him completely, or were deflected. One hob was actually too angry to stop it's attack before Ranger got between it and another hob, and the first hob impaled the other hob's leg, before Ranger sliced off the injured hob's head, jumped off of it's body, and stabbed the first hob in the top of the head with both swords.

"That's the same way you saved me in that cave..." Fighter whispered as she recalled the pain caused by her leg nearly getting crushed. She then snapped her head back up to see the paladin charging at Ranger, and he narrowly avoids getting impaled, but then he counters by kicking the paladin into the wall hard enough to make the paladin loss it's breath.

"I never thought I'd see a paladin get this angry; you're probably even angrier than I am.." Ranger said thoughtfully before the paladin turned around and Ranger narrowly avoided getting his head split open as he moved back. He then stabbed the paladin in the forearm, then kneed it in the stomach hard enough to dent it's breastplate and make it spit up blood. He then stood there eyeballing the paladin as it struggled to catch it's breath despite it's imploded breastplate. He then glanced at the rest of the goblins who were all standing there watching their elite get completely dominated.

"Hey Ranger, that paladin is the same one Goblin Slayer took out when he, his team, Warrior, and Wizard went to get Noble Fencer's team a year ago." Cherub said.

"Is that so? Well, I'm pretty sure you're stronger than you were then. Although...this is as strong as you're going to get." Ranger said coldly before jamming his reverse-gripped sword into the paladin's heart, through it's collarbone. Amazingly, the goblins continued to stay in the area despite the brutality they witnessed, and their fears multiplied when Ranger . He then wrapped it up by jumping into the air, morphing his claws and remained in mid-air. His silhouette against the moon must have seemed like he was the true Demon Lord in their eyes based on the looks on their faces...especially when Ranger dived down right on top of a pair of goblins, and splattered them all over the ground.

Ranger then dashed and flew through the rest of the crowd, slicing them to shreds and covering the rest of the living goblins in more blood and entrails, only for them to get shredded themselves. The goblins who weren't being shredded tried to track Ranger's movements, but either failed, or were shredded before they had a chance. Some managed to launch an attack, but were torn apart the moment they pounced at him, as he was in mid-air and spinning like a wheel. Sometimes he shredded dozens of goblins in one place, left dozens more alive to stew in their fear, and went to another area to repeat the process.

He then wrapped things up by morphing his pistols, spinning around in mid-air and then on the ground, all while shooting the dozens of goblins that were either too slow or too scared to attack him up close to pieces. As if that was bad enough for them, Ranger then used Immolation to torch an entire swath of land with a stream of fire from his hand. The hundred or so goblins that were caught were turned to ash on-contact, with a few dozens unlucky goblins that died from a slow burn. Several armored hobs and the remaining goblins in the current wave then charged at him, he reacted by morphing his gauntlets, super-heating them, and blowing up the ground around him, blasting most of the hobs to pieces, and knocking the rest down.

Fighter watched her husband continue to create a cyclone of carnage...but then it hit her: there were dozens of goblins between her and Ranger, and her blood was in the water. They must have smelled it too; multiple goblins barred down on her when they realized that fighting Ranger was going to get them nowhere, and an exhausted woman who had the blood of thousands of their kin on her hands was too tempting for them to ignore. She then pushed herself to get ready for action, and thanks to adrenaline, and the deep breathes she took despite the horrid smell of goblin blood and intestines filling the air, she got ahold of herself just in time for them to reach her.

"Come on!" Fighter yelled, and the moment they got close to her, her fatigue was forgotten and she spin-kicked several goblins away at once with enough speed and force to shatter and dislocate most of the bones in their bodies. A goblin then pounced at her from her blind spot, then she punched it hard enough to send it flying into several more. She then popped her arm and leg blades and used all four of them to impale the goblins ones by in rapid succession as they swarmed her, and occasionally sliced several in half with spin kicks, and punted the piling bodies at the ones in the distance. Her disrespect for their dead made them attack her more recklessly..and for once, it paid off; while she was kicking one goblin, a few of them grabbed her foot, and pulled it out from underneath her, making her hit the ground hard enough to make her loss her breath. The rest of the goblins then closed in for the kill.

Next thing Fighter knew, a blade pierced the side of a goblin's head and Ranger's arm was extended in their direction; he shot a blade at it just like she could do.

"Get away from my wife!" Ranger yelled before he dashed over to them, butchering every hapless goblin who dared get between him and his wife; even in the middle of an intense battle his concern and love for her never wavered. A furnace couldn't have warmed her heart more than the contrast. When he finally reached them, he severed the heads of multiple goblins with one swing from both swords, then stared down at the two remaining goblins who fell down, and then grabbed one by the throat as it struggled to get free.

"Ranger..." Fighter whispered as her husband pressed one goblin's face against the wall until it collapsed in on itself with a series of cracking sounds. The other goblin panicked and thrashed around trying to get free, but it was no use. Ranger then threw the dead goblin away and looked at the other goblin he was holding.

"I'm going to rip you in half now..." Ranger said casually, before he morphed his gauntlets, tore the screaming goblin in half, and chucked the two halves away before turning to look at the rest of the outraged goblins who saw him disrespect their comrades. Fighter then watched Ranger walk outside to face them, and he got surrounded on all sides, and unsurprisingly, none of them wanted to go anywhere near the blood-soaked juggernaut standing before them...until an armored hob appeared.

"Great..." Cherub groaned.

"What?" Fighter asked.

"Remember that time you tore off a hob's head when you and everyone else saved your first batch of captured women? That's the same one." Cherub said.

"You're kidding me." Fighter said.

"Ironically, those two hobs he killed before where the same two hobs you fought in that cave on your first quest." Cherub said before Range morphed a longsword like Warrior's...and Fighter had a flashback to when Warrior and Hero dueled. Ranger's influence on Warrior's skill level became clear as glass in that moment as Ranger simply stood there deflecting one of the hob's wild yet rapid sword swings. In the end, the hob lashed at Ranger with a chain which was tangled around his sword, which Ranger held out and held onto with both hands. The rest of the goblins swarmed Ranger from all sides, but Ranger let the hob yank his sword towards it, and the sword pierced into throat and came out the back as Ranger morphed a greatsword and whirled it around, splattering the goblins all over the area, and sending the rest flying with the gust of wind. He then walked back to Fighter as she finally started breathing easier.

"For a moment...I thought they had you." Fighter said.

"Sorry I scared you." Ranger said.

"Well, if anything, that little scrap got my blood flowing." Fighter said.

"Speaking of which, how do you feel, physically?" Ranger asked.

"I'm getting better, and I'm certainly feeling better than those sorry bastards behind you." Fighter said.

"Hey, last I checked, this Platinum tag didn't grow there overnight." Ranger said.

"I ever tell you I love you? Oh, what am I saying? The fact that you're here to protect me instead of hurt them says everything. A man's supposed to be there for his woman right?" Fighter said.

"Right." Ranger said before kissing her.

"Seriously, leave it to the two of you to get kissy during an end of the world scenario." Cherub groaned.

"We're entitled to this FYI." Ranger said.

"If you say so..." Cherub said as he flew off to check outside, then Ranger sighed.

"You know...on the off-chance things go too far south somehow, at least we have these moments together." He said.

"Ranger, don't talk like that. This won't stop you...nothing stops you." Fighter said seriously.

"I never said anything about me getting stopped; something going south could mean anything. For me, or anyone else." Ranger said, then Fighter deflated. "Fighter...what's the matter? You were perfectly content a second ago."

"It's just...the one and only Demon Lord is back, our team is divided, and you're about to go face him.. Even with the Hero's team stronger than ever helping you,the Cambion nearly killed you before I could face him, and I beat him with a miracle on my side. A horde of goblins is one thing, but the Demon Lord...?" Fighter trailed off, and Ranger de-morphed his gauntlets, and put both of his strong, gentle hands on her face.

"Like I said, my Platinum tags didn't grow there overtime, and I know this is the most dangerous mission we've ever been part of, but as far as I'm concerned, that's just all the more reason to stay here and wait." Ranger said as he thumbed her tears away.

"O.k..." Fighter whispered.

"Fighter, my love and life...don't lose faith so quickly. Have you forgotten who I am?" Ranger asked.

"You're the Ranger, the slayer of the vampire queen, the 11th Platinum Rank, the War God's unstoppable man-at-arms...and my husband." Fighter said softly.

"And you're the strongest woman in the country, maybe the world. The one who beat the Cambion, became my wife...and gave birth to my daughter." Ranger said and Fighter held his face.

"I want you to give me more children when this is over." She said.

"I will give you as many children as she wants." Ranger said before they pressed foreheads. Cherub looked back at them, to see their moment of love, and then looked back at the Demon Lord, who was surrounded by swirling storm clouds with Hell energy radiating off of him, and sparking through the clouds like lightning, and the flames of Hell illuminating the background. A sharp contrast to the work of Heaven behind him.

"Um, this is all quite touching, but there's no way that was the last of them." Cherub said, and Ranger reluctantly pulled away from Fighter and steeled himself for another fight.

"Let them come." Ranger said before surprising Fighter by popping the same blades on his arms and legs that she uses; the sentiment was clear as  
glass: she was going to help him out one way or another.

* * *

Meanwhile, Warrior and Wizard charged to where the Demon Lord's pet was, and it was still building up it's power. The pair then hid behind some rocks and eyeballed the massive beast.

"It's even bigger up-close." Warrior whispered.

"Any plan?" Wizard asked.

"I was hoping you would have one." Warrior said.

"Well...this would be easier if we knew anything about it-" Wizard shut up when the pet unleashed a torrent of fire from each of it's three heads into the air, making both of their eyes widen.

"Well...there's that." Warrior said.

"Wait, I've got an idea! You keep it busy while I go summons a World Spawn...or two...or 20." Wizard said, and Warrior smiled.

"I love you." He said.

"I know." Wizard said proudly.

"Hey! Down you overblown puppy!" Warrior yelled, and the pet turned to face him as he drew his blessed sword.

"Alright, go get him dragon killer!" Wizard exclaimed before spanking Warrior as he rushed to enact their plan, as she retreated to gather stones. The pet then spewed fire at Warrior, who countered it with a wave of energy from his sword, but it just slowed it down; Warrior still had to dodge the fire itself. Once he did, he considered making clones...but there were too many fallen trees thanks to the fight with Cambion, and everyone knew fire wasn't your friend in the middle of a battlezone, especially if there were clones of you which could make you weaker if they died, so he just stuck to keeping the beast distracted...the old-fashioned way.

He then morphed his crossbow and shot a barrage of bolts at the pet's three faces, but most bounced off of it's skin, until one head's eye was hit and it jerked around from the pain as the other two heads checked on the third one, and Warrior wisely ran away before the pet could spew fire in Warrior's direction...but he was long-gone. He then watched the pet rampage through the entire area he used to be in, smirking to himself with pride that he outsmarted the beast.

"I wish I had some traps...that would make this so much easier." He said, before the pet finally calmed down and started resting on the floor, and pawed at it's injured eye. He then turned to see what his wife's progress was, but no World Spawns came, so he decided to go engage the pet again. He moved as quickly, yet stealthily as he could through the wrecked forest, and the moment he got close enough, he charged up his sword, and sliced halfway through the pet's hide leg, making it roar and turn to see Warrior was still alive. He then saw the wound he inflicted close itself as the pet rapidly turned to face him as he backed up.

The pet then swiped at Warrior with it's claws, but it was too slow, and sliced through a boulder instead, and Warrior ran underneath it, which the pet's middle head noticed, and spewed more fire at him, and he dodged it by stabbing it in the belly and held on as the pet roared in pain and thrashed around trying to get him off. Before the beast got too out-of-control, Warrior let go and dashed to a place that wasn't burning. The pet was clearly stunned by the holy energy from his sword, but he had another problem: the amount of smoke from all the burning trees, was building rapidly, and smoke was a greater hazard than the fire itself thanks to the visibility getting worse, the smoke itself irritating his eyes, and getting into his lungs.

Wizard meanwhile was setting up stones for the summoning, but then had an idea. She was just on the brink of using her drain spell when Cherub appeared and grabbed her hand.

"Don't drain it!" He exclaimed.

"Why?" Wizard asked.

"That thing was brought back thanks to the power the Cambion took from the Death God; it's a miracle the Cambion wasn't killed as a result of taking it, but if you took it from the pet...well, do the math." Cherub said.

"Well, that's just lovely..." Wizard said.

"But the good news is that the pet has yet to fully return to life, so you have time to kill it before it gets fully restored." Cherub said.

"Let me guess, when it fully revives..." Wizard trailed off.

"It'll be as strong as the Demon Lord." They said at the same time.

"Glad we're on the same page." Cherub said dryly.

"Well, back to summoning." Wizard said before she finally finished arranging the summon stones...and true to her word, a Word Spawn appeared, and the moment it fully awakened, she drew power from it and sent it after the pet...who managed to back Warrior into a corner as he started violently coughing on the smoke. He then began to drift in and out of consciousness as the pet's three head snarled at him.

"Well...what are you waiting for...?" Warrior breathed out before passing out. The pet then backed up and just as it was about to unleash three torrents of fire at him...the World Spawn tackled it in the side, making it's flames go into the sky instead. Wizard then showed up, cleared the smoke with a gust of wind the World Spawn enabled...and her heart sank once she saw Warrior laying down. She then rushed over to him as the World Spawn rushed at the pet and started punching it, wrestling with it by grabbing it's horns and even kneeing it in the jaws.

Her summoned colossus bought her the time she needed to get her husband out of the battlezone, removed his breastplate, and push on his chest over and over. She then sucked in the biggest breath she could, opened his mouth, pressed hers onto it and inflated his lungs until Warrior trembled and started coughing as soon as Wizard felt him move.

"Cough it up honey." Wizard said softly as Warrior struggled to catch his breath.

"Smoke...not funny..." He groaned.

"No kidding, but...you're alright now." Wizard said.

"All things considered maybe..." Warrior said before Wizard gave him a deep, sweet kiss. "O.k...now I'm _definitely_ alright."

"Kiss of life much?" Wizard asked and Warrior gave her a small smile before they looked to see the World Spawn get bitten by one of the pet's heads and flung to the side before getting pounced on.

"O.k...not to get personal, but is one World Spawn really the best you could do?" Warrior asked and Wizard's eyed widened.

"Wait! I've got another idea!" She exclaimed before making nine clones of herself, and they all set up more summon stones.

"Babe?" Warrior asked.

"That thing might be able to handle one World Spawn...but let's see it take on two, or ten! Or twenty! Or a hundred!" Wizard exclaimed..and ten more World Spawns appeared.

"O.k...now things are getting good." Warrior said as he looked over the elementals giants, and the original Wizard drained power from them and unleashed a massive spike of ice at the pet, which not only stunned it, but hurled it into the nearby cliffside and stuck it into the rock itself. The pet then struggled repeatedly until it's fire melted the ice, eventually leaving a massive hole in it's side, which slowly but steadily healed.

"Well...we can't expect it to be _too_ easy now can we?" Wizard asked dryly before Cherub appeared.

"You're going to need to pull all the stops with this you know that?" He asked.

"We're doing what we can, what do you expect?" Warrior said, then Cherub sighed, and ran his hands along the length of Warrior's sword, making it give off just as much holy energy as Hero's sword did.

"There, you've got as much power as Hero does." Cherub said.

"Much obliged. Wait...hand me some power from these things." Warrior said, then Wizard drained the World Spawns some more and charged up Warrior's hammer with it. "O.k...things are getting _really_ good."

"Ready for round two?" Wizard asked.

"Not yet, let's see how well these big guys do without me first." Warrior said as Wizard sent the World Spawns after the pet, and the clones all gathered around Warrior, and the ones with enough space leaned on him as they watched the World Spawns charge.

"You're not groping any of them are you?" Wizard asked.

"Wrong place, wrong time baby." Warrior said.

* * *

Back at the palace, Ranger was More goblins then showed up, only to get torn to shreds as Ranger swiped, kicked, and wove through the crowd in all directions, covering as much ground as he could. Fighter noticed that the goblins weren't interested in the dead goblins around them.

"I don't understand. Other than a disregard for their own safety, or intense rage, why would they endanger themselves like this? Didn't they know that Ranger was just going to tear them to shreds like the others? Did they even see Ranger shredding and clobbering them en masse right in front of them?" Fighter asked as she watched her husband lay waste to the goblins' ranks. When Ranger was done shredding the goblins to pieces, and kicking them hard enough to shatter their entire skeletons and sending them flying into each other, a group of hobs appeared...then Ranger latched cables onto one of them...just like Fighter would.

He then yanked himself towards it, kicked it in the ribcage with both feet, shattering it's bones and turning it's heart and lungs into a paste. Two other hobs tried to grab him, only to get their fingers removed when Ranger spun around with his arms extended. He then morphed a pistol and shot them both in the bottom of their heads, with the bullets exiting the tops of their heads. He then sliced through another hob's shin, making it fall forward on top of him, then he caught it and threw it at another with enough force to kill both of them.

Another hob tried to chop him in half with an axe, but Ranger morphed his gauntlets and blocked every strike, before grabbing the axe, punching the hob in the stomach hard enough to knock it down, then plunged it's own axe into it's heart. He then removed the axe and threw it at another hob, who was also hit in the heart. Another hob charged at him, only for Ranger to charge at it in return, pick it up, and slam it into the ground head-first, and then throw it into another hob, who pushed the dead one off of itself just in time to see Ranger kick it in the side hard enough to send it flying in the opposite direction.

A shaman then showed up and threw a spear at him, only for it to get deflected into the air...but the spear came back to the shaman, and then the process repeated over and over until Ranger dashed up to it and then kicked it between the legs, making it fall down from the pain. Ranger then watched it charge up a lightning spell, and then got blasted in the chest...but it did nothing. He, and his team for that matter, had their armor magic-proofed ages ago. The shaman then laid there gawking at the undamaged colossus standing over it with the same icy stare on his face as ever, and let out a muffled scream as he grabbed it by the face and lifted it off the ground.

"And what was _that_ supposed to be?" Ranger asked coldly before he ended it's pain by grabbing the spear and jammed it through the shaman's gut.

Then a big surprise: a squad of grey-suited specialists appeared, each other having the same demonic aura the goblins had. To Ranger and Fighter's relief, there were none of the black-suited ones, otherwise they probably would have been doomed. They then tried to surround Ranger, and then he pulled his pistols on them, which made them scatter...big mistake. One of them dashed at Ranger trying to stab him through the head, but he dodged it and put a bullet in the specialist's gut, and kicked him into another one. A third one threw knives at Ranger, but he blocked them with a newly-morphed gauntlet before grabbing the specialist as he dive-kicked at him, then slammed the specialist in the ground over and over before throwing him into another specialist.

The first specialist regenerated it's injured stomach, charged at Ranger, who tripped him, and then jumped on top of him, jamming the tip of his elbow into the specialist's neck with an audible cracking sound. Another specialist jumped at Ranger, throwing a flurry of kicks at him, before Ranger bashed it's legs from the side, and then jammed an armblade into it's back and then punched it into another specialist. Two specialists then tried to attack him from behind...only for one to get an arrow through his head, and the other to get jumped on by Fighter, who then snapped his neck. She couldn't help but smirk at the surprise on Ranger's face.

"I'm o.k. now." She said proudly.

"As our two friends here learned the hardest way possible." Ranger said seriously...before three more specialists arrived, and Fighter stopped Ranger from getting involved so he could get some rest himself. He then saw Fighter get attacked from all sides by the trio of specialists...and she wasn't pulling any punches; they attacked her high and low, sometimes at the same time, but she blocked their attacks with either arm or leg, if she didn't just plain dodge them. One time, she grabbed one, kneed him in the gut before kicking another down, picked up the one she kneed, then spun him around to throw him at the third one. He ducked under the throw, jumped at Fighter who side-stepped his dual-foot kick, then blocked a flurry of punches, before spin-kicking him, getting her kick blocked, and then kicking the specialist in the side with her alternate foot hard enough to floor him.

The other two got up and Fighter threw a jumped, and spun around, kicking the first specialist no less than four times before hitting the ground, then ducked up the second specialist's armblade, then uppercuts him in the jaw before kicking him in the gut hard enough to floor him. The first specialist shook off the kick barrage he took and dived for her legs, only for Fighter to jump over him and land with her elbow jammed into his back hard enough to shatter his spine. The third specialist tried to stab her with his own armblade, only for her to kick him in the lower chest with both legs hard enough to break ribs, and then she rolled to the side as the first specialist tried to stab her himself, only to hit the specialist she was laying on top of.

When she got up, the first specialist tried ad failed to stab her several times over, before she threw several kicks at his knee, hipbone, chest, and face without putting her foot down. She then hooked her ankle around his shoulder, jumped over him, and slammed him head-first into the ground with her leg. She then looked at the final specialist, who downed a small life potion, and then threw a series of punches at her...and things got more evenly-matched; a few punches actually connected with her face and gut, but she was still able to keep up with him. The specialist even stopped her from spin-kicking him into the wall, and actually jumped off the wall and spin-kicked at her. Fighter managed to dodge it, but it set the tone pretty clearly.

Fighter then went back and forth with the specialist, as they stopped each other's strikes with their elbow tips, and the pain each other causes built up pretty quickly. Fighter recovered first however and then braced herself as the specialist approached and threw a fake kick at her face, then spun around to trip her, but she simply raised her let and stopped his spin-kick with a real kick to his injured chest. The specialist then reeled from the pain, then pulled Fighter's own trick on her, by throwing a kick at her in mid-air, then tried to kick her with his other foot...but she grabbed his other foot spun him around several times and slammed him into the ground, and finished him off by jamming her armblades into his throat.

"That's how it's done." Fighter said proudly as she approaching her supremely-entertained husband. "Don't get greedy..."

"Baby it is far too late to tell me not to get greedy." Ranger teased.

"Just keep your head on straight." Fighter deadpanned.

"Which head?" Ranger asked, and Fighter huffed before Ranger laughed at her. "I'm sorry I couldn't resist...but seriously, I do deserve a laugh or two."

"You win this round." Fighter said before more demons showed up. Both of them then made a dozen clones each, with some clones shooting the Prides out of the sky with bullets and explosive arrows, and the rest of the clones engaged the demons up close. The pair's clones swept aside the imps with sword-whips, rapidly shredded them with arm and leg blades, or just plain clobbered them without a weapon. A trio of Fighter's clones once engaged a giant Wrather by provoking it into charging at them, then one threw a flurry of kicks at it's chest in mid-air, another tripped the demon, and the last one snapped it's neck. One of Ranger's clones dealt with a Glutton by playing tug-of-war with it's tongues as it tried to eat him, but wound up latching onto a morphed gauntlet. The clone then let the Glutton pull him towards it, and then jammed a greatsword into it's mouth.

Another of Ranger's clones dealt with a group of Wrathers by simply chopping them in half with a greatsword one by one, or sometimes using one swing to bisect multiple Wrathers at once. A handful of Gluttons showed up and latched onto the clones with their tongues, and started pulling him apart before a group of Fighter's clones killed them with explosive arrows. More of Ranger's clones finished off the remaining demons with their twin swords, as the clones of Fighter that were with them.

The clones then got in-sync with each other enough to use moves together, like when one of Fighter's clones watched one of Ranger's impale a Wrather with a greatsword, then she flipped over him and kicked another Wrather to the ground, with another of Ranger's clones waiting to put his rifle in the demon's face and blow it's brains out. The clone of Ranger then threw the clone of Fighter into the air, and watched her beat a swarm of Prides to a paste, before riding the last one to the ground, on top of a Wrather, who was distracted by her impact, and got impaled by another clone of Ranger.

Another of Fighter's clones grabbed an imp, punched it's nose into it's brain, then bashed other imps with it's dead body, then threw it at a Pride that was swooping down at her, stunning and blinding it enough for her to spin-kick it away. She then noticed two of Ranger's clones back-to-back chopping down Wrathers, then she got blind-sided by an imp that jumped on her back, then she grabbed it and intentionally fell down with it taking the damage. She then kicked it away and the two clones of Ranger she saw took out the rest of the imps with their greatswords.

One of Ranger's clones got Fighter's clone on her feet and then he morphed his twin swords as Fighter's clones popped her blades, and they circled each other, ducked under each other, and jumped over each other while cutting down imps left, right and center. Ranger's clones then unloaded some bullets into one group as Fighter's clone shredded another group that tried to stop him. Ranger's second clone then finished the job by bashing another group with his greatsword, then Ranger's other clone impaled an imp with one of his twin swords, and Fighter kicked it off his sword...like the original did for Warrior back in the cave on their first quest.

To both of their minor surprise, more Hell goblins joined the demon's ranks, and the clones who were shooting down the Prides finished their works and covered each other as hundreds of goblins poured in from all sides. The clones got back to doing what they did best, with Ranger's clones using twin swords, sword-whips, their gauntlets, greatswords, guns, and even unarmed skills, sometimes going back and forth between different weapon types. Fighter's clones did no worse. The pair's clones even weaved around, or jumped, and flipped over each other as they sliced and clobbered the goblins who swarmed them. The two watched their clones create an entire area devoted to the goblins' destruction; any goblin who entered the ring they created was immediately sliced apart, smashed to a paste, shot to pieces, ripped asunder, launched across the battlefield, or burned through.

Ranger and Fighter's clones used team moves like with Ranger throwing Fighter's clones at the goblins so she could shred them, en masse as she flew past them. Then the same clone joined another clone in order to take turns kicking a hob up and down it's body until it fell down, and the two clones cut through it's neck with their armblades and kicked the head into several goblins.

Ranger and Fighter themselves stuck to the palace's entrance the entire time, but their work was still cut out for them, despite the clones doing most of the work. Fighter herself dealt with a hob by twisting it's arm in order to bring it to the ground before tearing it off and jamming her armblade into it's head, and even used the arm she tore off to bash goblins to death. While she did that, Ranger killed several hobs with headshots, and any goblins that got too close to him had their skulls smashed in with pistol whips. He then superheats his pistols, unloaded explosive bullets into a group of champions as they were staggered and then blown apart bit by bit by the blasts. More goblins got past the clones...somehow, and then swarmed them both, and they took turns slicing the goblins to pieces with their swords and armblades respectively, or just kicking or punching them to a paste without a weapon.

Both of them stood their ground as the goblins rushed them, rapidly throwing barrages of punches and kicks of all types, from straightforward, to spinning, to Fighter in particular kicking several goblins without putting down her leg. Ranger then grabbed a spear thrusted at him, poked the goblin in the face with it several times to stun it while Fighter kicked it into a hob's face. It then grabbed the goblin corpse off it's face then took the same spear Ranger was nearly stabbed with through it's throat as Fighter threw it. A champion then showed up, and Ranger shared a glance with Fighter, who then jumped off Ranger's back, and when he unloaded a few bullets into the champions face to stun it, Fighter landed on it's back and broke it's neck before jumping off of it as it fell down, and landed in Ranger's arms before getting another deep kiss from her teammate and life partner.

The pair then got themselves together as the clones re-joined their originals, and they each took a moment to calm down from the adrenaline high the clones gave them, and thanks to their mastery over their chakras, it wasn't too hard. Ranger then finally let go of Fighter and sighed.

"You know...this is probably the last fight we can do side-by-side." He said thoughtfully.

"So far...it most certainly counted." Fighter said softly...before she tensed up violently.

"What's wrong?" Ranger asked.

"My...my anger...growing...I...I felt this before." Fighter said in alarm, before Ranger shoved her to the ground and narrowly dodged a fireball...and both their hearts sank. The same archdemon whom Fighter defeated before, and then engaged Ranger before in those ruins appeared.

"You should have let that fireball consume you, it would have been far more merciful compared to the result of our battle." The archdemon said.

"We both beat you separately, now you're fighting both of us at once." Ranger said.

"And it matters not; you're tired, cornered, and have too much on the line to think clearly. With my lord's return, my victory is assured." The archdemon said.

"We will see about that..." Ranger said before morphing his quad cannon, unleashing a storm of bullets at the archdemon, which all bounce off a barrier of Hell energy as Fighter rushed to the side as Ranger rushed to the other. The archdemon wasn't surprised by their combined assault from both sides as it put barriers in either of their ways before unleashing a burst of Hell energy in their directions. Neither of them were hit by the burst, and Fighter grabbed the archdemon's knee and pulled it out from under it as Ranger punched it in the face with a morphed gauntlet.

The archdemon then flipped several times in mid-air from the impact before hitting the ground, then punched the ground in a fit of anger before morphing four flaming swords, one for each hand, and the pair it was fighting frantically tried to dodge each swing of the blades as the raging archdemon relentlessly attacked them. Eventually, Ranger morphed a greatsword, superheated it, and clashed with the archdemon just long enough for Fighter to get her distance, and then loose an arrow that turned into several, all of which exploded when they hit the archdemon.

It then roared and hurled fireballs at her, and she dodged every one as she charged at it, before jumping right over it, grabbing it's horn, and yanking it to the ground as Ranger jumped up and came down with his greatsword brandished. The archdemon swung at Ranger over and over, but Ranger's superheated greatsword took the blows for him despite him getting flung back. Fighter then tried to jam her armblades into the archdemon's eye, but it swiped at her with it's horns, and even though she dodged the attack by a hair's width, and it became clear the archdemon wasn't going down that easily.

It then got up and stomped the ground hard enough to cause a small earthquake which staggered Fighter and she narrowly avoided getting her head cut off by her large, demonic foe's swords. She then cartwheeled, flipped, jumped and rolled over each of the archdemon's sword swings, but he heat from the swords was taking it's toll on her, so she had to retreat, but it was no use; the archdemon wasn't giving her a break for anything. Ranger then punched the ground hard enough to upturn the ground, then kicked several boulders at it, only for the archdemon to bash them aside. Fighter then took advantage of the distraction by latching cables onto it, and kicked it in the back with both feet after she yanked herself towards it, and flipped off of it before landing like a cat.

"Miserable wench!" The archdemon yelled before turning one of it's swords into a fireball...before Ranger jumped up and bashed it in the face with his greatsword hard enough to knock it down. The archdemon laughs and started getting up." Now I see...you're the Ranger, the same pup who dug into her and made a pup of your own-" Ranger shut the archdemon up by chopping into it's side and then spinning around and bashing it in the face again. "Do you really think you can face my lord with that little whore at your si-" Ranger shut the archdemon up yet again by bashing it's jaw, stabbing it's knee and then punching it in the gut.

"Take a hint: I don't want to hear you talk about her like that." Ranger said sharply as the archdemon's saw regenerated.

"Your anger betrays you 11th." It said.

"And the truth _condemns_ you. For me, being angry, in love, hopeful, afraid, whatever, is as natural as breathing, and I'm not even using my chakras, unlike my dear wife. She also told me about your fight months ago; I know you're claim to fame is feeding off of anger and hate, can't say I'm surprised. However, if that anger is completely dominated by the person whom you wish to use as a supply, what good does it do you?" Ranger said and the archdemon furiously lashed at Ranger with a whip made of fire, which Ranger jumped over...only to get a fireball smashed into him and sent flying.

Fighter then opened her chakras and dashed towards the archdemon, ducked under a sword, then flip-kicked it in the jaw hard enough to stagger it. She then went for it's leg again, yanked it out from under the archdemon, jumped up, then loosed more explosive arrows at it, only for it to blocked the arrows with it's sword, and swing at her. She then blocked the swing with her armblades, but noticed they were seriously damaged. She then played keep-away until they finally repaired themselves..but the archdemon's numerous and relentless strikes made it hard for her.

Ranger then showed up and chopped into the archdemon's horns, which staggered it enough for Fighter to punch it while still on the ground, and she hit with enough force to crack another horn and make it's head jerk back. Ranger then chopped into it's side, Fighter kicked the side of it's knee, making it fall forward, as Ranger morphed a gauntlet and gave it an uppercut to the face, knocking it backwards as Fighter jumped up and kicked it forward into the ground hard enough to shatter it. Ranger then looked at Fighter, offered his greatsword, and she took it before severing the archdemon's head. She then tossed it back, and Ranger climbed onto it's back, jammed his blade into it's back, pulled the sword back to make the hole bigger, reached into the wound to pry it open more, then tore out the archdemon's heart.

"The summoner siblings will be happy." Fighter said.

"Ironic since anger and happiness are polar opposites." Ranger said before hopping off the archdemon's disintegrating corpse. The exhausted pair then walked over to the palace's entrance...and then yet another swarm of goblins approached, and they made a beeline for the door. Then Ranger unleashed Pestilence upon them, and latched chains onto the door, and slammed them closed, and even tied the handled closed as some goblins tried to bash the doors down over and over, but Ranger kept his footing as the banging got softer and less frequent as the Pestilence took it's toll on the goblins outside until they all died.

"Please let that be all of them..." Fighter breathed out, and then noticed Ranger deflate. "Honey?"

"This is the first time I've endangered you with one of my miracles. Pestilence is not safe to use around allies, and I used it around you...of all people." Ranger said seriously.

"I'm not sick, let alone dead, so don't beat yourself up too much." Fighter said.

"Right." Ranger whispered before Fighter held his hand, and he tightened his hold.

"Let's go see the good Father." Fighter said as she led him to the Pope's chamber.

"Father? We took care of-" Abbot cuts Ranger off.

"Stay where you are!" He snapped...and the pair saw Abbot kneeling in front of the Pope's dead body against the wall...with his head caved in.

"What happened?" Fighter asked.

"He...he took his own life..." Abbot breathed out.

"What...?" Ranger whispered.

"He blamed himself for the Demon Lord's return, and the resurrection of his pet; he said he failed the Supreme God and even agreed with the Cambion and said that he wasn't worthy of being the Pope. I tried to tell him that this wasn't his fault...but he wouldn't have it." Abbot said.

"The Demon Lord set everything up quite nicely, I'll give him that...but he just cut his own throat. He used the Cambion, manipulated everything to his benefits, and now he drove the Pope to end his own life." Fighter said.

"The Cambion is responsible for his own actions!" Abbot growled.

"Actually Father, I spoke to the Cambion after I beat him. He didn't know anything that the Demon Lord was planning, and I believe he would have abandoned his mission if he knew better. He also blamed the paladins for not looking into the country's problems just like the Pope did." Fighter said and Abbot sighed.

"I admit...this country has been on a dark path. Maybe Cambion's actions were necessary to open people's eyes, and the Sword Maiden achieved the highest existence a person could ever hope to obtain...with a great man at her side as her guardian and lover." He said softly before walking over to the alter.

"But there's still the Demon Lord to deal with, and the Hero's team needs our help." Ranger said.

"No...she needs _your_ help." Abbot said...before sitting in the Pope's chair.

"Y-you?" Fighter asked.

"There must be a Pope...and I am certain the Supreme God will approve." Abbot said seriously.

"I see..." Ranger whispered.

"With the Supreme, the Sword Maiden, her charitable protector, and the Champion himself as my witnesses, I swear to not repeat the mistakes made by those who came before me. Should those below me follow in the footsteps of those who betrayed the good of this country, the good of this world and her people, they will step down, or be excommunicated. No cruelty tolerated, no excuses given, no redemption withdrawn." Abbot said.

"Spoken like a true Pope Holy Father." Fighter said before she and Ranger bowed to the new Pope.

"There is also the matter of the adventurers in the capital waiting for the Cambion's orders." Abbot said.

"I'll handle them." Fighter said.

"Are you sure?" Ranger asked.

"Of course I'm sure. Who else is going to get on it?" Fighter said, and Ranger smiled.

"Would you like me to make this an official quest for the two of you?" Abbot asked.

"Well...we were going to do this regardless..." Fighter trailed off.

"Then I will not. Self-motivated quests have more merit anyway." Abbot said.

"By your leave Holy Father." Ranger said before walking Fighter to the door.

"Just to remind you, you can only use Army of One once more, and I'm not allowed to give you a second one." Cherub said.

"Doesn't matter. It's the only one I have, I'll make due." Ranger said.

"That's a pretty ballsy answer, even for you." Cherub said.

"As long as I give Priestess enough time, I will have done my part." Ranger said seriously.

"If you say so..." Cherub said before they reached the outside and then looked at the fight with the Demon Lord that was raging in the background. He was slamming fireballs into the ground, taking bursts of energy himself, and the explosions were so loud that they could hear them, even though the fight was taking place hundreds of miles away.

"Only one Army of One miracle left...so only one hour of time. It had _better_ be enough." Ranger said.

"Sure it will be." Fighter said.

"Are you going to be alright?" Ranger asked and Fighter touched his face.

"I'll be fine. You saw how much ass I can kick." Fighter said softly, and Ranger held her hand.

"One of many reasons I love you." He whispered before giving her and brief but sweet kiss. She then let go of Ranger, morphed a flexible sheet of metal, and wrapped her hair in a ponytail...just like the one she had when they first met. Ranger then ran his hand through her hair, and along her smiling face. "Beautiful..."

"Fighter? You may take this portal to the capital." Cherub said.

"Wait...I want to see this." Fighter said as her husband prepared to use Army of One.

"War God...hear my plea. The Demon Lord himself has returned nine years early, now he threatens everything we have fought and suffered for. Send me your power one last time so I can end this war once and for all! Make me an Army of One!" Ranger said before unleashing his vermilion aura, yelling to the sky and making the ground shake and the wind stir like a hurricane. He was finished a few seconds later, and Fighter looked him over as he relaxed and stared at the Demon Lord who was still busy with Hero's team. Ranger then looked back at Fighter who was somewhat overwhelmed by his display of power, but no else supportive of what he was going to go.

"Go..." She whispered, and Ranger lowered his head before turning to the Demon Lord, and charging off to face him. Cherub then opened a portal when Ranger was out-of-sight and Fighter went through it.

* * *

When Priestess and company got back to Water Town, Summoner and Inspector made a beeline straight for their home, and Guild Girl woke up when they came in.

"Summoner? Inspector? I thought you-" Summoner cuts Guild Girl off.

"The siege is over...but we've got much bigger problems." He said.

"What?" Guild Girl asked.

* * *

"Sword mage! Open up!" Priestess exclaimed as she knocked on his door, and he opened it to reveal his sculpted torso and legs without a shirt or pants on, but he was still covered by shorts.

"Your Grace? I wasn't expecting you back so soon." He said.

"The siege was a success, but I need the Temple of Law under lockdown!" Priestess said.

"What for, if I may ask?" Sword Mage asked.

"The Demon Lord is back." GS said seriously, and Sword Mage recoiled.

"Please tell me you were given false information..." He breathed out.

"No." Priestess said, and Sword Mage went back into his room, put his outfit on, and joined them outside.

"Orders Your Grace?" He asked.

"I want the acolytes on alert and stand-by in case I need them to do anything, and the same goes for the city's guards." Priestess said.

"But Your Grace, it's an hour before dawn, and-" She cuts Sword Mage off.

"I used Vision before I came to you; the rest of the Evil Sect's army is heading this way. They know the Demon Lord has returned, and that this city is the greatest threat to him." She said.

"What of the Hero and Ranger?" Sword Mage asked.

"They're out there buying us time to get our shit together." D.R. said.

"In other words: we're on our own." GS said and Sword Mage sighed.

"I will get to the main chamber and call upon whatever power the Supreme God deems me worthy of." Priestess said.

"And I will stay here and protect you Your Grace." Sword Mage said.

"No, I need you out there to protect the city.

"But, what if Hell Rifts open and goblins get their hands on you?" Cow Girl asked.

"I'll try a Heaven Seal." Priestess said.

"A what?" Cow Girl asked.

"Think of it as a Protection miracle, but far stronger." Priestess said.

"Do you think it'll be enough?" GS asked.

"It worked to keep the goblins from getting out, it'll keep them from getting in as well." Priestess said.

"If you say so." Cow Girl said.

"We should go wake the guards ourselves, and of course help protect the city." Lizard Priest said.

"There's also the acolytes...Sword Mage." Priestess said.

"Then I will see to it at once." Sword Mage said before leaving.

"What about Rhea Fighter?" Wizard's brother asked while still holding her still-sleeping body.

"Have one of the acolytes come here for the Resurrection." Priestess said.

"No...if you're going to use anyone, it has to be me." Wizard's brother said seriously.

"You could also use a water elemental." Summoner said.

"Wait, how badly was she injured?" Female Summoner asked.

"Her spine was broken in several places, would that be enough?" Wizard's brother asked.

"It might, but it depends on what else is happening in her body." Summoner said, and Wizard's brother carried Rhea Fighter into a room, laid her on a bed with the rest of the group holding their breath. The mage checked her pulse first...and stopped right there.

"This isn't good...her pulse is extremely weak, and her breathing is labored." Wizard's brother said.

"Then it would take several water elementals, and a body taking in that much water all at once isn't recommended." Female Summoner said.

"Resurrection it is then..." Wizard's brother said seriously.

"Alright. Everyone, go where you need to go...this shouldn't take too long." Priestess said before everyone left.

"Let's get this over with..." Wizard's brother whispered and Priestess looked away as Wizard's brother started to remove his shirt, but then realized that Rhea Fighter had to be naked as well, so he looked at Priestess, who stripped her for them. When she was done finally, Wizard's brother stripped himself naked, kept his eyes averted from Rhea Fighter's body as long as he could, then got in bed with her. Now they could start...

* * *

When Ranger finally got to where he was going, he saw Hero and her teammates laying down undercover, or behind rocky formations.

"About damn time you decided to show up!" Hero exclaimed as Ranger casually walked out in the open...and the Demon Lord spotted him.

"So...the War God's champion _dares_ to show his face to me. Now I will make you regret threatening me...but perhaps not; perhaps you can be of use to me. I have been observing you for some time now; you have the mark of lust on your soul; you desire a great many things the world has to offer, just as I do. Imagine what you and I could do together, I the Ruler of Hell and you...the greatest of the great soldiers of Earth. You have already led the Cambion to his richly-deserved downfall, now we can do the same to the rest of this tainted world." The Demon Lord said as Ranger morphed a greatsword and plunged it into the ground.

"I am not here for your empty promises...Your Majesty." He said sharply.

"You forgive the world that he broke? The one which let the Sword Maiden's pain fall on deaf ears? The one where your family's plights would go unpunished, despite your child being merely an infant?" The Demon Lord asked.

"The world you describe...is not the one I fight for." Ranger said simply, and the Demon Lord raises his burning hand and Ranger brandishes his blade.

"Fusion..." Sage whispered before an explosion, the likes of which Ranger has never seen engulfed the Demon Lord and knocked him to the ground at least half a mile away, with the impact causing a small earthquake. The explosion was so off-the-charts that even Ranger himself was frightened...and few things frightened him.

"What...was that...?" He asked.

"Fusion, the most powerful offensive spell in the world." Sage said.

"Why didn't you use it before, or teach Wizard for that matter?" Ranger asked.

"In order: You saw the power it has; using it haphazardly is out of the question, and I didn't teach her that spell for the same reason." Sage said.

"Excuse me, you're using Army of One right?" Hero asked.

"Yep. Although this is the only one I can use; the first was used against the Cambion, so I need to make this one count for an entire hour." Ranger said...and then noticed Sword Saint tremble, and remembered her saying that she likes how he sounds in his Army of One state.

"Anyway...if any of you have something to say, now's a good time." Sage said.

"I do..." Ranger trailed off.

"Well, let's hear it." Sword Saint said.

"The first time we were together like this was when we fought the vampire queen, and I became the 11th Platinum Rank, and you Hero became the tenth after fighting the same fight we're in right now. That's makes us the only two Platinum Ranks in the country, maybe the world. Now, I know we've had quite a few disagreements since then, especially over how I did some things, but please understand. As the leader of a team of goblin-killers, I can't _ever_ afford to lose...and now the world's in the same boat; we _have_ to win this." Ranger said seriously.

"Don't worry, we beat him before, we can do it again." Hero said.

"Especially with _both_ Platinum Ranks on the job." Sword Saint said.

"Before he regains consciousness, we should probably go over what he can do since...well, we fought him before and you didn't." Sage said.

"Good idea." Ranger said.

"Well for starters, he can use hellfire in just about every way you can think of, just like he could the first time we fought him, but he's gained some new moves since." Sword Saint said.

"Let me guess: he can use Hell's energy itself?" Ranger asked.

"How'd you know?" Hero asked.

"The Cambion could do that, so why can't the Demon Lord?" Ranger said.

"What else could the Cambion do?" Sword Saint asked.

"He could turn parts of his body into weapons, especially his arms, he could grow new body parts and use them as weapons, and don't get me started on how much of a beating he could take. I could probably destroy an entire mountain ranger piece by piece in my current state, and he didn't care." Ranger said.

"Well...none of that applies to the Demon Lord, except the take-a-beating part." Hero said.

"I figured as much..." Ranger groaned.

"Do you think Army of One will help as much here?" Sage asked.

"Maybe not, but at least I'm not drop-dead exhausted anymore." Ranger said.

"But for how much longer?" Sword Saint asked.

"I estimate 50 minutes at this point...probably less. Part of me hopes the Demon Lord gets up soon." Ranger said.

"I hope you're ready to give him a beating, because he was much less painful the first time we fought him." Sword Saint said seriously.

"Yes I am, and I'm thankful for this Army of One power; I wouldn't stand a chance without it." Ranger said.

"Why wouldn't Cherub give you more?" Hero asked.

"He wasn't allowed to." Ranger said simply.

"Oh well, that boost the cherub gave my sword helped alot though; I've countered almost everything he threw at us by myself so far." Hero said.

"Here he comes!" Sword Saint exclaimed as the Demon Lord finally got up and growled at the group.

"You...little..._insects_...! I don't care how many prayers you have said while I was asleep, none of them will be enough to save you..." He said.

"The only prayer said was the one I said to get my hands on the War God's power, and you should be honored; this is only the fifth time I've used it." Ranger breathed out and started floating. "And you're going to wish I didn't...!" The Demon Lord then watched Ranger fly into the air, then spewed a stream of fire at him, only for Ranger to fly under it, then uppercut his jaw closed. Ranger then punched the Demon Lord's face hard enough to make him recoil, then dodged multiple claw swipes from the Demon Lord before he morphed his gauntlets, and threw a barrage of punches at the Demon Lord's gut, with each blow being harder than the last.

The Demon Lord then creates a volley of fireballs in mid-air, launched him at Ranger, but he dodged them, and the Demon Lord winds up hitting itself...but took no damage. Ranger then flew into the sky, and dived down to strike the Demon Lord on top of the head with both gauntlets, making the Demon Lord fall forward and catch himself with his gigantic hands, just for Hero to unleash a burst of holy energy that blew him backwards again as Ranger regrouped with her team.

The Demon Lord then roared to the sky, unfolded his wings, and hundreds of individual streams of Hell energy exploded out of his wings, only for Hero to counter them by swinging her sword over and over, with each swing causing multiple waves of energy that acted on their own accord to stop the Demon Lord's assault. While Hero was doing that, Ranger raised his hand, and a volley of meteors came down from the sky, right on top of the Demon Lord. Although the meteors didn't do any serious damage, they did interrupt the Demon Lord's energy barrage, and Hero's energy waves left multiple gashes in the Demon Lord's wings...which quickly healed themselves.

"All that work, and we're still not making any progress..." Sword Saint groaned.

"We'll get something done, eventually." Hero said before charging up her sword, jumping into the air and blasting the Demon Lord with the same amount of power Sage used for Fusion...which surprised everyone.

"O.k...that was new." Sword Saint said before Ranger took advantage of the Demon Lord's recoil by flying around, this time with a pair of greatswords, and rapidly slashing away at the Demon Lord everywhere he could reach, from his sides, to his wings, to is torso, to parts of his face. The Demon Lord then charged up a burst of Hell energy, which Ranger flew away from, and then made several clones, all of whom unloaded storms of silver bullets into the Demon Lord. The bullets pierced the Demon Lord's hide, but were quickly pushed out as the Demon Lord healed. The original when re-absorbed the clones, and rapidly punched and kicked the Demon Lord in the gut once again.

Ranger then finished his barrage of punches by uppercutting the Demon Lord hard enough to make him recoil, then flew into the air and slammed down with both fists on top of the Demon Lord's head. He then rejoined Hero's team, before the Demon Lord recovered and threw a barrage of fireballs at them, which Sage was able to negate with Mana Bolts. The Demon Lord then surprised the group by summoning a sword as big as he was, and tried to impale them with it, only for them to dodge it, or at least get stunned by it. Then Ranger morphed a greatsword, ran along the length of the Demon Lord's sword, slicing it to pieces as he ran, superheated his gauntlet, and punched the Demon Lord in the face hard enough to make him recoil yet again.

To add insult to injury, Ranger then morphed a sword just as big as the one he destroyed and brought it down on the Demon Lord's shoulder, chopping into his body all the way through his shoulder, and into his upper chest...which the Demon Lord somehow survived, punched in two, and blew Ranger miles away with the wind gust as Ranger narrowly dodged it. Sage charged up a massive Mana Bolt which she unleashed just as Ranger was launched away, and Hero unleashed a wave of energy that crippled the Demon Lord's hand, and Sage's Mana Bolt was stopped by the Demon Lord putting his wing in the way.

The Demon Lord then brought down another fireball, and Ranger hurled a gigantic harpoon into his hand, which distracted him long enough for Ranger to absorb the two broken halves of his sword. The Demon Lord then pulled the harpoon out of his hand, and tried to destroy the area Hero's team was in, but they were long gone. He then looked around for him...only for Ranger to fly in and hit him in the face with Immolation...which made the Demon Lord roar in pain, frantically trying to put the flame out, which distracted him long enough for Ranger to take the harpoon back, re-absorb it, and fly to where Hero's team were hiding.

"Great, now you really made him mad." Hero said...before the Demon Lord started laughing.

"Or not..." Sword Saint said.

"Petty sneak attacks? I had no idea you were so devious 11th. Now you hide like the cowardly prey that you are, but I will hunt you to the ends of the globe. Although...if you are at the ends of your limits, then you might as well kill each other and save me the trouble." The Demon Lord said, as he looked around.

"How much longer do you have?" Sage whispered.

"I estimate 40 minutes, and the sun's coming up soon." Ranger said.

"Well...it's all or nothing at this point." Hero said...and then she charged out of her hiding spot, with Sword Saint behind her and Ranger flying overhead with Sage behind him.

* * *

Meanwhile, a multitude of adventurers were at a tavern just within the capital's walls.

"When is that asshole coming for us?!" One of them asked.

"Yeah, We wait here all day, fully ready for whatever he has in mind, and some of us even stay up all night on lookout for him. When I get ahold of that no-show..." Another said.

"Maybe someone delayed him?" Another asked.

"Or he just plain lied to us." Another said.

"He's not coming. I kicked his ass." Fighter said as she walked in and closed the door.

"_You_...a little girl, fought the scariest man I've ever seen and won? Yeah, right..." One of the men said.

"You're clearly never met my husband...the 11th Platinum Rank." Fighter said seriously, and the group muttered to themselves; her reputation proceeded her nicely.

"Still, even you couldn't beat someone with the powers of both Heaven and Hell on his side." An adventurer said.

"Do you all know who that man is? He's a Cambion, half man, half demon, and he's the one who murdered the Sword Maiden." Fighter said.

"That's bullshit! How do we know you aren't trying to defame him so the rest of us can't get to the same level you're at?!" The largest one asked, and others quickly joined in the accusation.

"Cambion said it with his own mouth." Fighter said seriously.

"Wait...if she really did beat him then she's got to be worn out from her fight with him." An adventurer said.

"You're right. Get her!" Another adventurer exclaimed, and two men with axes and shields charged her, only for her to weave around them, and give each of them a hard punch in the side, making them both fall down reeling in pain. She then looked the others over; the two she just dropped were Sapphire Ranked, and the others were mostly Ruby Ranked with some Steel, Emerald, Ruby and more Sapphire Ranks, with a few Silver Ranks, the man with a staff, and a big man with a two-handed mace. They all looked at the two men who were on the ground in pain; Fighter could easily kill them, but they weren't enemies, so killing was out of the question for her.

Three more rushed at Fighter, only for her to blocked their swords, trip one and kick him into the other, then punch the last one in the diaphragm. Three more rushed at her, and she countered by jumping towards them and floored them all with a flurry of mid-air kicks. The one with the staff attacked her while she was recovering and Fighter frantically blocked the staff hits; the man using it was clearly a master. He jabbed at her, backed up and swung at her, spun it around to mesmerize her and then swung at her, and even used the staff to vault himself over her, and one time she tried to unbalance him in the middle of a vault, but her attempt to knock him off-balance failed and led to her getting swung at...and the staff grazed her ponytail and kept going.

The fight ended with Fighter grabbed the staff, poking the man in the face with it, then kicked him in the diaphragm. The big man with the mace swung at her while she was distracted, but she had just enough time to block it with both arms...and she felt how tired she was thanks to the impact rattling her bones. She then dashed away as the beast of a man before her kept swinging at her, and eventually grabbed her, slammed her into the ground twice, and while she was out of breath, he brought his mace down on her.

She then rolled to the side, kicked the side of his knee, jumped off of it and kicked him in the face with her other leg, knocking him to the ground. Fighter didn't even wait for him to get up entirely before striking him in multiple joints and other sensitive places, like when she does a split and punches him in the groin, before spin-kicking him to the ground as she was getting up.

When it was over the adventurers were all laying down groaning in pain, or wisely stayed away from her out of fear of winding up like the others.

"Do any of you know what you're fighting for?" Fighter asked.

"We...we were promised the same power and wealth and you and Ranger have." An adventurer said.

"Were you told how you would get your hands on it, and what the cost would be? The Cambion's plan revived the Demon Lord, and led the Pope to kill himself!" Fighter said seriously, and the adventurers recoiled and looked at each other.

"We never wanted that!" Another adventurer exclaimed.

"That's why you shouldn't get involved in an issue you know nothing about. Am I correct in assuming you all became adventurers for the purpose of acquiring power and wealth?" Fighter asked, and no one answered. "That's what I thought. My team became adventurers to make a difference, and my husband, the father of my child, leads us because he wants not only what's best for us, but what's best for the world. He became the 11th Platinum Rank because of the difference he made, and the rest of us aren't far behind I'm sure. All of you can be no different."

"You don't seriously expect us to become Platinum Ranks do you?" The maceman asked as he tried standing up.

"Have you not been paying attention? The Cambion played you because of your greed and self-interest, and if he can, others can as well. I could have killed any one of you, but chose not to because I think there's hope for all of you. Besides...you don't have to be the best to make a difference, if you did, being an adventurer wouldn't have much point, if any." Fighter said.

"Then...what can we do?" An adventurer asked.

"If any of you are healers, you should to them and get on with your lives. Lives that are best spent on something worth spending it on." Fighter said seriously before walking away. She then hid behind a building, saw several mages heal the ones she beat down, and even heard them discussing if she was right. Cherub then appeared and got Fighter's attention.

"That'll make them think about consequences, or nothing will." He said.

"Hopefully it gets them, and us somewhere. Now, send me to Water Town." Fighter said.

"Yes ma'am." Cherub said casually before opening a portal for her.

* * *

When she got to the Temple of Law, the first person she saw was Priestess...in the main chamber.

"Fighter!" Priestess exclaimed and rushed to hug her pseudo big sister.

"I'm alright Priestess...thank the Supreme you are too." Fighter said softly.

"How are everyone else?" Priestess asked.

"Warrior and Wizard are fighting the Demon Lord's pet...and Ranger is with the Hero's team buying you the time you need." Fighter said and Priestess sighed.

"They're alright too..." She said softly.

"What about the siege?" Fighter asked.

"Miss Goblin Slayer cut off the Goblin Overlord's head, and she still has it." Priestess said.

"You're kidding me. What about the rest of the goblins?" Fighter asked.

"Most of them were wiped out, and...well, Elder Revenant showed up-" Fighter cuts Priestess off.

"Wait a minute...you had _him_ help you?!" She asked.

"If it wasn't for him, we would probably still be fighting the goblins, and we would have suffered far greater losses." Priestess said seriously.

"Where is he now?" Fighter asked.

"He's hunting down the last of the goblins, and Goblin Slayer made it a point to emphasis that he should make sure he gets all of them...and we all know that one goblin is all it takes." Priestess said.

"Yeah...we all know the drill, and even one goblin getting it's hands on a girl is the last thing I want to think about now. Anyway...I would congratulate you for a job well done but...now's not the time to celebrate." Fighter said.

"Right...I have to get ready for the Demon Lord." Priestess said.

"Do you have anything in mind for him?" Fighter asked.

"Maybe Restoration; the Sword Maiden used it to weaken the vampire queen, maybe I can use it to stop the Demon Lord. He should have the same weakness to holy arts like the lesser demons have." Priestess said.

"Sounds good to me." Fighter said and shared a smile with Priestess. "Anything I should be aware of?"

"Well...for the past hour or so, we've been getting the defenses up and running, and I had to use Wizard's brother for Resurrection." Priestess said.

"What? Why?" Fighter asked.

"Our rhea friend was injured...badly. But luckily, the Resurrection worked, and when they wake up, she should be fine." Priestess said.

"Good. Anything else I should know?" Fighter asked.

"I had the acolytes stay in their quarters, and Sword Mage went to help lead the guards for when the rest of the Demon Lord's force try to stop us." Priestess said and Fighter sighed.

"Just once I'd like to come here and not have to save this place from a siege...not to mention I just got back from beating some sense into those people the Cambion tempted." She said.

"What?" Priestess asked.

"Oh, right, you weren't here at the time. The good Abbot told us that the Cambion goaded some people into following his cause, don't know what it was, but still. And before you ask, he told us just before you left with Goblin Slayer's team. Oh, and guess what? He's the new Pope now." Fighter said and Priestess gasped.

"He is? Wait...what happened to the one before him?" She asked.

"He...he committed suicide." Fighter said and Priestess' eyes widened. " He felt he betrayed the Supreme by giving the Cambion the remains of the Demon Lord's pet, and helped speed the Demon Lord's return, and felt the Supreme abandoned him. I can't imagine how much guilt he must have felt."

"I can't believe this..." Priestess said.

"Priestess...we're one step away from ending this war once and for all, and alot of good people gave their lives to help speed up the end. Now let's make their losses mean something." Fighter said seriously.

"Right." Priestess said.

"Now...what are my orders Your Grace?" Fighter asked.

"Keep an eye on the city, and if anything goes too far in the wrong direction, do what you can." Priestess said.

"Will do...although, this would be a good time to empower me." Fighter said.

"I can't. I'm out of miracles." Priestess said then Fighter took a moment to think.

"Then I'll just have to pray that there's a life potion somewhere in this city." She said.

"And I will pray for us all." Priestess said.

"Wait...what are the others doing?" Fighter asked.

"Goblin Slayer and the rest of his team are on the lookout for the Demon Lord's forces, the Summoner siblings are in Limbo...for obvious reasons, and Inspector is either at home, or with Summoner." Priestess said.

"Then I'm going to look for a life potion, or something to keep myself awake, then stay there and rest as much as I can afford to." Fighter said.

"Good plan." Priestess said.

"Thanks, now get to it." Fighter said as she went into the hastily-preparing city.

* * *

Ever since Priestess gave the word, the guards were slowly but steadily getting on full-alert, the civilians who were waking up were told to stay inside, but the adventurers weren't having it; they formed up at the barracks run by Ranger's father, and were kept in reserve in case they were needed. When H.E. Druid shot a flaming arrow into the air to signal that the Evil Sect was coming down the road. The guards then took to the gates to prepare for an attack from the front with some sentries keeping the people in order.

While they did that, H.E. Druid, D.R. and several dozen riflemen took pot shots at their troops from the walls and towers...and to their surprise, several boats were seen ferrying troops to the walls, and returned fire at the group, with several riflemen getting hit, with most being grazed and others being killed on the spot. Lizard Priest then evened the odds by not only slinging bombs at them to sink their boats, but also summoned skeletal crocodiles to attack them. Cow Girl then summoned water elementals to heal the troops that were able to be saved...and just in time too; several grappling hooks were thrown up onto the walls, only for the newly-healed troops to cut the ropes with their swords.

Several riflemen all of a sudden had their throats cut, their heads smashed open, or their heads cut clean off with a single moment...and a black-suited specialist appeared. Lizard Priest threw a freeze bomb at him, which scored a direct hit...then the specialist broke out and charged right at him. Lizard Priest used his Partial Dragon form to combat the specialist; he was too strong to fight normally as past experiences taught him, and then he threw the specialist across the city, making him roll and stumble along the ground.

When that was done and over with...they saw large fireballs coming towards the city, then a World Spawn appeared out of Limbo and stopped them with a gust of icy wind. Several black-suit specialists then appeared on a few of the boats, and used cables to climb onto the World Spawn, only to get hit with a burst of fire from its skin once they touched it, and sent flying into the water. Amazingly, they were all still alive; they must have magic-resistant suits. The World Spawn then unleashed a burst of lightning into the water which cooked or drowned all of them. It then took a moment to assess the situation and recover it's power...then a Mana Bolt flew at it and blasted it to pieces, stunning everyone on the wall.

"What the hell was that?!" A guard asked, then D.R. looked through his scope.

"A goblin shaman!" He yelled.

"What? Since when can a goblin shaman do that?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I don't know, but this one doesn't look normal." D.R. said.

"Then what are we waiting for? Shoot him!" A guard yelled and they all opened fire at the same the goblin shaman was...and it was still standing.

"How did that not work?" A guard asked, then the shaman left.

"That was no shaman, it was a goblin mage, the same one I took down in the swamplands." GS said as he approached the guards.

"Then what's he doing back?" A guard asked.

"Maybe it came back along with the others." GS said.

* * *

The specialist that Lizard Priest threw landed in the middle of the city's main square, and took a moment to compose himself before taking to the rooftops, and heading for the barracks. Once he got there, he looked over the number of recruits, and then returned to the city's main square to looked over the number of guards scrambling to the gates, and around the city to spread news, and orders. He then took off to the Temple of Law...and then vanished into a Hell Rift.

Noble Fencer kept an eye on the events from the window of her home, and unsurprisingly, she came outside once Sword Mage was spotted...and brought her sword as well. Her first moment outside was seeing Sword Mage heading to the docks to help fend off a black-suited specialist that was tearing the guards there apart. All the surviving guards could do, was distract the specialist...sometimes with their last breath while Sword Mage attacked the specialist.

The specialist's last move was to put a knife in a guard's throat, and then get Sword Mage's blade through his chest, and then get the back of his neck slashed.

"Get the wounded to the barracks immediately." Sword Mage said as he walked away, and Noble Fencer hid in order to give him space...but he stopped a few feet from her. "I knew you were there."

"I just...wanted to see if you needed help." Noble Fencer said.

"No...but those men did." Sword Mage whispered.

"I'm sorry." Noble Fencer said softly.

"Let's just get rid of this siege...!" Sword Mage said seriously, and Noble Fencer followed him to the front gate, to see the guards holding back an army of Hell goblins...and their experience with the last time they faced them showed. The guards in front bashed their smaller foes with their shields, and had smaller swords like GS, and used them to quickly stab and chop any goblins that weren't crushed by their shields. The pair watched the massacre for several minutes, and no end was in sight...so Noble Fencer focused on the clouds overhead, and Sword Mage watched them rumble with thunder, and spark with the magic of the woman next to him.

"Lightning!" She yelled and a bolt of lightning came down from the clouds, and vaporized an entire wave of Hell goblins, and gave the guards some much-needed breathing room.

"Impressive..." Sword Mage said.

"That's the first time I've done that in several months, and I hope I don't have to do that too often." Noble Fencer said.

"Didn't Storm Mage train you?" Sword Mage asked.

"Somewhat, but my lightning magic is part of my family. I don't know what kind of lightning he uses, or even how it works, but it's not the same as my own." Noble Fencer said.

"A shame, you could be an excellent replacement for him...if you kept at it." Sword Mage said.

"Now that I will take as a compliment." Noble Fencer said.

"By all means my good lady." Sword Mage said before noticing the small smile, and even blush on Noble Fencer's face. He then walked her down the stairs...and then a Hell Rift opened to spit out a dozen or so Hell goblins.

"Shall we dance?" Noble Fencer asked and Sword Mage smirked and drew his blade as the goblins charged at them...only to be sliced clean in half when Sword Mage swung his blade _once_. Noble Fencer then followed up by spinning around him and impaling or cutting down several more goblins. Sword Mage then twirled his sword around as several goblins rushed him, and got sliced to pieces in the process. Noble Fencer was busy impaling goblins left and right when Sword Mage bisected several goblins in mid-air as they pounced at her. The two then took turns weaving around each other as they impaled and bisected more goblins that poured through the rift.

"You fight well when someone is this close to you." Sword Mage said as he rapidly sliced several goblins in half.

"This is...hardly my...first time...fighting these...bastards!" Noble Fencer said as she kept impaling goblins, and defended herself from goblins with spears before getting close to them and stabbing them each in the face.

"I heard...you were saved by two Silver Ranks." Sword Mage said before more goblins showed up and pounced at him, only for Noble Fencer to start sparking again.

"Lightning!" She yelled before the goblins were all vaporized. "To this day I cannot believe I envied them."

"Well...for what it's worth, you might be a poor adventurer, but you're a phenomenal defender." Sword Mage said.

"So I've noticed." Noble Fencer said seriously.

* * *

Fighter meanwhile, was rummaging through Wizard and Warrior's home, looking for a life potion...and as luck would have it, there weren't any. She then went to her own home, and went in through the front, noticed no one was there, and went to see if they had any life potions stored away, or if they were taken as well, and she found one in a chest in their manor's kitchen. She then made a break for the door...then it dawned on her: she hasn't seen her little girl since she and her team left to fight the Cambion!

Fighter then set the potion down, went up the stairs to see her daughter...who was still sleeping like the angel she was. She then started to tremble as tears rolled down her face; seeing her baby just that one time after so much pain and damage was refreshing beyond words, and her body and heart couldn't take the contrast...and it showed. That child, who had barely begun to live, did more for her in that one moment then Fighter believed she did for her in return, and Fighter silently vowed to return and pay her a proper visit later.

With her fortitude fully restored thanks to her baby, and her vitality partially restored thanks to the potion, Fighter went back out to see what she could do. The first major event she saw was the moment where Noble Fencer and Sword Mage massacred the goblins...and that moment was where her hope for them becoming a pair was cemented. One of the many reasons she loved Ranger was their off-the-charts level of synergy on the battlefield, and she saw the exact same thing with the pair she was watching.

When their dance of death was completely, Noble Fencer and Sword Mage took a breather, and then went back up to the gates to see what was happening...and it wasn't good. The goblins were done...for the most part, but the Evil Sect brought out a war wagon armed with cannons. Next thing they knew, the cannons fired upon them one at a time, chipping away at the bridge, and gate itself. The troops were luckily unharmed, but they were too demoralized to remain outside lest they get blown apart. Noble Fencer then tried to unleash another bolt of lightning...but a cannonball tore through the tower they were in, forcing Sword Mage to jump on top of her to keep the shrapnel from hitting her.

"Are you alright?" Fighter asked.

"Fighter? What are you doing here?" Noble Fencer asked.

"As usual, I'm here to save the day." Fighter said casually.

"Right..." Noble Fencer groaned.

"Where are the two Goblin Slayers? I haven't seen them this whole time." Fighter asked.

"Maybe they're in the sewers looking for goblins, or in the city...looking for goblins." Sword Mage said.

"I get it." Fighter said before looking at the war machine across the bridge. "Wait...that looks like- The Evil Sect copied our wagon's design!"

"Uh...I don't recall you using anything that advanced, and it looks pretty uninspired to me." Noble Fencer said.

"Maybe it's a coincidence?" Sword Mage said...before Fighter notched an arrow.

"Either way..." She trailed off before loosing her arrow, that explodes when it hits the wagon...and when the smoke clears, all three of them were stunned.

"I can't believe it...that thing is still intact!" Noble Fencer exclaimed.

"Then I'm just going to have to get up close and personal." Fighter said before she opened her chakras and jumped over the edge.

"Are you nuts!" Noble Fighter exclaimed, before Fighter landed...and dodged several cannonballs that were fired at her, while they were flying at her. The moment she got close, she tore into several weak spots, like the spacing between the plates in the back, which she tore open to reveal the panicked crew...who were all humans instead of goblins. She then moved to the side as they pulled pistols on her and opened fire, only to hit nothing but air.

As she was looking for another weak spot to puncture through, one crewman had the ingenious idea of coming out and looking for her, only to get her armblades jammed through his head, and heard the rest of the crew scream in fear. Fighter then punctured another space between plates, and the crew actually tried to shoot through the place Fighter punctured, and wound up injuring themselves with their ricocheting bullets. Eventually, Fighter found the store of gunpowder and ammo, and then jumped into the sky, before shooting an explosive arrow at it, which blew the whole wagon to pieces. When she landed, a large team of terrorists were waiting for her.

"I don't believe it. This crazy bitch just took out a siege wagon." One of them said as Fighter continued eyeballing them.

"We should just hold out until the sergeant gets here." Another terrorist said.

"Yeah...the sergeant will have the right gear to deal with this girl." Another terrorist said...then they all took launched blades from her gauntlets to their guts, hearts, and throats.

"You were saying?" Fighter asked casually, before looking into the distance, and into the forest, and put up her guard; something was coming, something he couldn't make sense of for some reason. Next thing she knew, a terrorist in heavier armor walked towards her.

"You're going to die for that..!" He growled.

"You must be the infamous sergeant." Fighter said.

"Yes...I must be." The sergeant said before stopping and the two looked each other over. Fighter couldn't help but notice that his armor was that of a specialist but...heavier. The sergeant then made his gauntlet twice as large, which made Fighter's eyes widen. "Surprised? It's just like that bastard Ranger's. He ripped my friends limb from fucking limb and now, I can do the same thing to you!" The sergeant then punched the ground hard enough to cause a small earthquake, which staggered and surprised Fighter, and then the sergeant throw a chunk of debris at her, which she narrowly avoided.

She then dashed at him with her blades popped, and each strikes was either stopped or countered by his gauntlets. He then ended the exchange by grabbing her arm, and tried to punch her in the face several times, only to be dodged over and over. He then grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the ground before kicking her into a tree hard enough to crack it.

"How...?" Fighter whispered.

"The great Cambion saw fit to give me this armor after studying Ranger's armor, which mean you're going to die here, at the hands of someone using your own husband's weapon!" The sergeant said as he walked over to Fighter, and once he got close enough, she tried to grab his ankle and yank it out, but he jumped over her arm and stomped her back in before grabbing her by the back of the head, smashing it into the tree and throwing her behind him.

Fighter then channeled what little power was still in her necklace, and used it to heal herself...but the necklace had just enough to heal her most serious injuries; if she loses this fight, it's over. The sergeant then morphed a greatsword and tried to impale Fighter with it, only for her to stop clamp it between her hands just before it could pierce her armor, then deflect it to the side, kick the sergeant down, great the sword and chop into the sergeant's armor at the shoulder, into his heart. She rested against the sword to catch her breath, then she heard footsteps and absorbed the sword.

"Impressive...even with so little stamina, you hold your ground." The goblin mage said, and Fighter snapped her head to see it.

"More goblins...lovely." She groaned.

"Yes indeed, did you think we were gone forever?" The goblin mage asked.

"Well, less of you means less pain for us, so that would be nice!" Fighter snapped.

"You wound me human...not as much as I can wound you, but still." The goblin mage said coldly, before Fighter hurled several blades at it, which gets deflected by the goblin mage's magic, and then she gets blasted with a Mana Bolt that knocks the rest of the fight out of her; she tried to get up and failed miserably.

"See, although you killed the Goblin Overlord, there are still ways for us to thrive...with me in his place." The goblin mage said while walking towards Fighter, and then grabbed her face. "And you...get to be my queen." Fighter's eyes widened as the goblin sneered at her...then got hit by a fireball, and was launched back in the opposite direction into a tree. Fighter then turned to see her rescuer...

"You?" She asked as Wizard's brother approached.

"Yes, me." He said.

"What are you doing here?" Fighter asked.

"Saving you. What's it look like?" Wizard's brother said.

"What about Rhea Fi-?" He cuts Fighter off.

"She's fine...now." He said.

"You didn't have to come out here." Fighter said.

"Are you kidding? Ranger and especially my sister, would have my _head_ if anything happened to you, and you look like you've seen better days." Wizard's brother said.

"Very funny..." Fighter said.

"Yeah, I'm a comic genius. Now run along, I have a goblin to cook." Wizard's brother said before the goblin mage got up just in time to have a Firestream to stop with Reflect.

* * *

With the Demon Lord's pet, Wizard's World Spawn horde was giving it everything it could handle. They hurled balls and streams of fire and ice at it, with the contrast making it's movements sluggish, and others hurled lightning bolts at it to take advantage of the water soaking it. Their luck wasn't flawless however; the Demon Lord's pet returned the favor in more ways than one, from the fire it spewed at them threefold, to the ear-splitting roars that pushed them and their magic back with the force alone, and the sound waves that actually damaged the stones making up their composition.

Eventually, the Demon Lord's pet got bold, and charged at them, and even the ones that charged back were swept aside as the pet pounced on two of them hard enough to crush them, bit into two more with two of it's heads, with all three heads working together to rip them apart. It then clawed through no less than three more World Spawns with one swipe of it's paw, and the last three ganged up on it to pummel it from the sides and keep it busy.

"Hey! You're screwed now, you pint-sized pooch!" Warrior yelled as the pet looked at 20 World Spawns approaching with Warrior on the shoulder of one of them. The other 19 then charged at the pet to aid the other three that were struggling to beat it into submission. Warrior him watched from the World Spawn he was riding on as the other members of the horde unleashed their magic on the pet, as he bit into the three remaining World Spawns beating on it and hurled them at the other World Spawns. Then they caught their destroyed brethren, absorbed their power and continued to press the attack.

The pet continued to claw through the elemental colossi like a scythe through grass, but they didn't stop for anything. Every now and then, the pet took a barrage of ice spikes, fireballs, lightning bolts, earth spikes, bursts of pressurized air, or any combination of the three, while the other World Spawns worked together to knock the pet into the blasts, to decrease it's defenses against it, if not just continue punching it in a blind spot The pet then whipped around and used one of it's heads to bite down on one World Spawn, and hurl it into the ones blasting it, but it just made of them dodge it, then continue blasting it.

The pet then surprised both Warrior and Wizard by forming a sleek, black skeleton on top of it's fur...it was upgrading! The World Spawn's punches, even if they didn't connect with the skeleton itself were becoming less and less impactful. When the pet became fully enveloped in it's new suit, it roared with all three heads, then spewed fire at the World Spawns that were relentlessly blasting it, and they never stood a chance.

The pet then leaped away from the ones punching it, and then pounced at them with enough force to shatter them all. The one carrying Warrior then rushed at it, and Warrior jumped onto the pet's back, slashing away at it's armor and skin, but the wounds he inflicted healed rapidly. The pet was too distracted by his assault to cover itself as the World Spawn punched each of it's faces one by one until finally knocking it down.

Warrior then launched himself into the air as the World Spawn created a stronger storm overhead. The World Spawn finally got ripped apart by the pet's three heads, but Warrior channeled as much lightning as he could before unleashing all of it onto the pet in a single stroke, which made the entire area explode underneath the pet. Warrior then flew back to where Wizard and her clones were, and they held Warrior up as he caught his breath.

"Scratch...one...demonic mutt..." Warrior breathed out before Wizard brushed his hair out of his face and passionately kissed him. Warrior was even about to grope one of her luscious breasts before the pet exploded out of the rubble.

"Oh give us a fucking break!" Wizard exclaimed.

"Hit it with another lightning blast." One of her clones said.

"I just hit it with the biggest lightning blast in the _history_ of lightning blasts and it did _nothing_!" Warrior exclaimed.

"Well then...how else are we supposed to kill this thing?!" Wizard snapped.

"Like the Leviathan: from the inside." Warrior said.

"You're going to let that thing swallow you? Are you crazy!?" Wizard asked.

"I always did have more balls than brains..." Warrior said proudly before rushing off to face the pet. Wizard and her clones then looked at each other.

"Well, more World Spawns ladies!" Wizard said before they got to work.

"Hey! Hey puppy! Over here!" Warrior yelled, and the pet looked down at him. "You must be hungry after taking that much lightning to the face, well...tasty human right here!" The pet's center head then reared back and extended it's tongue to wrap around Warrior and yanked him towards it's mouth. "Oh this is going to suck..." Once the pet swallowed Warrior, he charged up his armor with lightning, and his sword with holy energy, then started slicing away at everything around him.

The pet then roared and thrashed around in pain...so he was doing something right. Wizard and the clones stopped working once they saw the pet's body give off faint glows as Warrior sliced up it's insides. Eventually, the outer skeleton cracked apart and Warrior sliced open it's belly and climbed out of the wound, soaked in blood as the pet fell on it's side convulsing as it's wounds healed.

"Back to work!" Wizard exclaimed as she rushed to get Warrior, who was groaning and stretching himself out.

"I'm going to be sore in the morning..." He breathed out, before Wizard showed up and looked him over. "I don't suppose you have any water elementals with you?"

"Not now, but we can get you cleaned up later on...since you're alright." Wizard said.

"I'm better than that glorified stuffed animal behind me." Warrior said proudly.

"Sheesh, you've got a million nicknames for it don't you?" Wizard deadpanned.

"Eh, who cares? I'm not trying to make anyone laugh, I'm trying to get inside it's head...ironically I just got out of it's gut." Warrior said.

"Luckily for you, it didn't digest you." Wizard said as she helped her blood-drenched husband up and led him out of the area.

"I never got to it's stomach; I cut my way out of it's esophagus, and went apeshit." Warrior said.

"Well, you may not have killed it, but it's certainly been in better shape." Wizard said as more World Spawns showed up.

"Leave them out of this...I'm going for it's heads." Warrior said.

"No more stunts for you today." Wizard said seriously.

"It's no stunt..." Warrior trailed off, then Wizard's eyes widened.

"Oh wow...that thing is dead now." She said before draining energy from the World Spawns and giving it to Warrior's armor.

"Yeah...let's see it survive a storm like that _again_. Actually...the _real_ storm is about to start." He said before charging at the pet which was nearly healed, and then climbed up it's side, charged up his sword with as much holy energy as he could and severed one of it's heads, making the other two roar in fear before Warrior impaled the center head, then cut the last one open, making the body drop like a sack of potatoes. He and Wizard then looked at the pet's corpse to see if the wounds would heal, but they didn't. They then shared looks of disbelief, then smiled and laughed at their mutual accomplishment.

"Scratch one demonic mutt...for real this time." Wizard said proudly.

"Now I'm a _real_ monster slayer." Warrior breathed out.

"As your first reward, you get a bath from your lovely wife and her equally-lovely helpers, and whatever else strikes you fancy." Wizard said before summoning a water elemental to wash Warrior off, and heal his wounds by merging with him. When he was clean, Wizard then kissed him as passionately as before...with all nine of her clones getting the same treatment one by one.

* * *

Back with the Demon Lord, Hero pressed the attack from the ground with Sword Saint covering her by deflecting the Demon Lord's fireballs and Hell energy attacks, usually by drawing his attention while Hero hit him where it hurts. Ranger and Sage meanwhile flew around with Ranger pummeling the Demon Lord with one punch after another, with Sage launching Mana Bolt after Mana Bolt at the Demon Lord to either stop his projectiles, or to try and break his guard, or draw his attention even more. Hero then uses her own portal gem Cherub gave her to attack the Demon Lord in his blind spots every now and then...Ranger's unfair advantage mindset was apparently rubbing off on her, but now was not the time for moral dilemmas.

Ranger himself was currently in the middle of dashing from side to side while punching the Demon Lord in the sides of the head, with each blow staggering him. Ranger then wrapped up his assault by flying away, coming back, superheating his gauntlet and slamming into the Demon Lord's face hard enough to knock him back. Hero meanwhile rapidly sliced at his lower abdomen, and each wound she opened, no matter how grievous was closed rapidly. The Demon Lord then roared and unleashed a burst of Hell energy that sent Ranger flying, Hero rolling across the ground, and forced Sage and Sword Saint to take cover. When Ranger himself covered in mid-air, he flew up into the sky, and used Implosion to suck the top halves of several mountains into a single chunk of rock and metal, attach chains to it, and fly around in circles.

The Demon Lord was charging up a burst of Hell energy to counter it, but he was too late, Ranger flew right at him and smashed the enormous hunk of earth into his chest with enough force to shatter the boulder, and knock the Demon Lord down. He then rejoined Hero's team so they could catch their breath, and ll four of them were completely winded. Then...to everyone's horror, Ranger turned back to normal; the Army of One power wore off!

"O.k...that's not good..." Sword Saint said seriously.

"My sword is also almost out of power." Hero said.

"And I'm almost out of spells." Sage said, and then the Demon Lord got back up...and he was still alarmingly strong. The group then looked up at the outraged demonic colosuss and saw him build up more energy...he then looked in the distance.

"So...the Sword Maiden's power persists in this world, even from beyond the grave. That bothersome girl doesn't know when to quit does she? Perhaps it's time...I inform her!" The Demon Lord said before flapping his wings and flying off...straight towards Water Town.

"The portal gems! We have to warn Priestess!" Sage said, and Ranger finally stopped struggling, and they took out both portal gems...and they were ruined.

"NO!" Ranger yelled.

"They must have been damaged with that last burst of power the Demon Lord used." Sword Saint said before Ranger frantically tried to take off after the Demon Lord, and fell flat on his face. The three ladies immediately got on top of him to restrain him.

"Ranger stop! You're no match for him like this, none of us are!" Sage said.

"GET OFF ME!" Ranger yelled as he continued thrashing.

"Stop struggling! This is for your own good!" Hero said.

"HE'S GOING TO KILL MY CHILD!" Ranger yelled as he kept thrashing as wildly as ever.

"Priestess can still save her, and the rest of Water Town!" Sword Saint said and Ranger finally stopped struggling and his eyes watered.

"Cherub!" He yelled, and no one came. "Cherub?! CHERUB!"

"It's no use...he's not coming." Hero said and Ranger collapsed.

"Priestess...please save my child..." He whispered.

* * *

In Water Town, Priestess was in the main chamber, making herself as ready as she could for the Demon Lord...and from the look of the amount of holy energy she was radiating, she was as ready as she could be. She then sucked in one deep breath after another, and then to her surprise, Sword Maiden appeared, put her hand on Priestess' face and gave her the same loving gaze a mother should give her child. Priestess didn't even need to look at her to know what was happening or why, and the smile on her face, and the tears rolling down her face expressed how much the gesture meant to her.

* * *

Outside, Wizard's brother and the goblin mage stared each other down with Wizard's brother holding out his mace in front of him, and the goblin mage brandishing it's staff. The goblin mage made the first move by hurling a Mana Bolt at Wizard's brother, who deflected it by bashing it with his force-enchanted mace. More Mana Bolts were hurled at him, only for them to be deflected again and again, then Wizard's brother launched a quick fireball at the goblin mage, which was deflected by a Reflect 's brother then unleashed a Firestorm, which had just as much luck as the small, single fireball. Be that as it may, Wizard's brother had enough time to collect himself as the goblin mage was enveloped in smoke and dust.

"Do you think that did it?" Wizard's brother asked.

"No...that goblin is still alive." Fighter said.

"Not for long..." Wizard's brother said before the goblin mage used force magic to push the smoke away, and Wizard's brother had just enough time to put up a Reflect spell to counter the goblin mage's lightning spell. The goblin mage continued hurling lightning at Wizard's brother, but his Reflect held fast...for now. He then turned back to Fighter as he kept holding the goblin mage back, and she was still laying down exhausted and beaten; she wasn't helping him, any time soon. He then looked at the battlements of Water Town's walls, and Noble Fencer wasn't there to use Lightning again; he really was on his own.

"Die!" The goblin mage yelled before unleashing a charged-up lightning bolt at Wizard's brother, and he poured everything into the Reflect spell, but the spell shattered, and he took a direct hit from the lightning. He then spasmed out from the lightning and fell down; if he didn't charge up his Reflect he would have died before he hit the ground. The goblin mage then walked up to Wizard's brother, before a water elemental jumped out of the lake and distracted the goblin mage long enough for another to heal Wizard's brother, and for a fire elemental to grant him some more power by merging with him.

Wizard's brother then summoned a flock of crows, and a pack of wolves, all of whom were charged with fire, and the crow spewed sparks of fire at the goblin mage, as the wolves circled him, and pounced at it from different angles. The goblin mage then charged himself with lightning and vaporized all the familiars around him, but the damage was done; it was covered in minor but numerous burns from head to toe, and when he tried to use another spell on Wizard's brother, it failed miserably.

Wizard's brother then got up, with his stamina intact, and threw his mace at the retreating goblin mage, hitting and breaking his leg before calling the mace back to him. He then walked up to the frantically crawling goblin and kicked him onto his back.

"You have not won! The Demon Lord is on his way here now, and he will aveng-" Wizard's brother shut the goblin up by caving it's face in with his mace.

"If anyone's being avenged, it's the people your kind used and abused." Wizard's brother said seriously...and then the sky turned orange before the ground shook violently.

* * *

Within the city walls, everyone came out of their homes to see what the commotion was...and their clamoring turned into dead silence. The Demon Lord himself stood before them, looking over the city with disdain. Only a handful of people had it in them to move a muscle, and those who did, like Guild Girl, could only put their hands on their mouths and shake with terror.

* * *

When Fighter saw the Demon Lord...her heart sank at the sight of him, then it shattered when she remembers Ranger was fighting him; she instantly recalled the time she predicted something would happen to him in Water Town after the first time they made love...and then he was burnt to a crisp. She then gets on her knees in submission as the Demon Lord charged up a fireball in both hands.

"Come on Priestess...it's now or never..." Wizard's brother said nervously.

* * *

As if on-cue, Priestess walked outside of the temple, with her staff in front of her at the ready, and still radiating the holy light she acquired. After opening her eyes...she fulfilled her duty as archbishop with two words...

"Holy Smite..." Priestess whispered, and her voice seemed to echo throughout the city as the temple itself came to life, and the pylon on the top of the temple's roof unleashed a massive bolt of holy energy, that struck the Demon Lord in the chest, making him thrash around and roar in pain as the miracle overtook him. The whole city held it's breath and watched the temple, and especially their new archbishop bring the Demon Lord to his knees.

The Demon Lord managed to compose himself and try to throw his fireballs, but the miracle didn't stop for anything, and eventually overtook his entire body, including the hands he kept the fireballs contained with. After the most agonizing minute, that felt like an eternity, the Demon Lord vanished in a plume of smoke, like he was never there, and the sky returned to normal as the sun rose. Priestess then took a moment to compose herself, then s collapsed to her knees as the gravity of the situation finally sank in: she just defeated the Demon Lord, and saved Water Town in one fell swoop.

Next thing she knew, the city erupted in cheers, applause and shouts of praise to her name from the people.

* * *

Cherub finally appeared in front of Ranger, who was still kneeling in the rubble.

"Sorry I couldn't be here earlier, but the Demon Lord scares-" Hero cuts Cherub off.

"The Demon Lord! What happened to him?" She asked.

"Oh yeah! He's down and out now." Cherub said and Ranger snapped his head up.

"What? Tell me Priestess saved the city!" He said.

"Yep, and...you might want to get there ASAP." Cherub asked.

"Why?" Ranger asked.

"you'll find out. Here's a portal for you." Cherub said before opening one.

"What about our gems?" Hero asked, and Cherub sighed.

"Will a cherub's work, ever be done...?" He groaned before shooting the broken gems with holy energy. "There, now get your butts moving!" Cherub then poofed away as the group went through the portal

* * *

The eruption of celebrating people never stopped in Water Town, and why would it? Everyone thought they were doomed one moment, and then witnessing history in the making the next. Countless people were even calling for a festival to happen soon, but it was highly likely the entire country was going to celebrate this moment.

Except for Fighter, she was tucked into her knees, completely overwhelmed by what happened, and dreading the implications. Wizard's brother didn't dare interrupt her thoughts, but one of the guard on the wall did it for her.

"Look! The Platinum Ranks have returned!" He yelled, and Fighter snapped her head up to see Ranger and Hero's team leaving a portal and walking down the road. Fighter walked right past Wizard's brother as she went to see her husband...alive and well.

"Is it really you...?" Fighter asked.

"Of course it's me." Ranger said, and Fighter rushed over to hug him while sobbing. He was too stunned to wonder what her problem was, nor did he care. His wife was holding him, and she was bawling like a child; returning the hug wasn't optional.

"I thought I lost you...!" She said.

"Fighter...Priestess saved me before anyone else." Ranger said while pulling back.

"She did?" Fighter asked as Ranger wiped the tears off of her flushed yet angelic face.

"Yes. The Demon Lord noticed that Priestess was doing something here, and left to go see for himself." He said and Fighter snuggled into his shoulder again. "He had us where he wanted us before he left as well. He even told us we could watch this place and everyone in it burn, and look how well it worked out." Fighter giggled at her husband's quip, but then tightened her hold.

"When I saw the Demon Lord...I thought you finally made a promise you couldn't keep, and you never once broke a promise, especially not to me." She said before Ranger pulled back and saw the most miserable look on her face he's ever seen.

"I didn't break one before, I wouldn't start now, especially not when other people are looking into a way to cover me. Like always, we won the battle as a team." He said softly.

"No...as a _family_." Fighter whispered before Ranger pressed foreheads as the rest of the people, including Hero's team watched their moment of love.

* * *

**Well...so much for the Demon Lord and his pet. I never cease to amaze myself with how often I have Ranger and Fighter have heartfelt moments even in the middle of a dire situation, or at least a lull in a dire situation. There's "made for each other", then there's this. I know I'm tooting my own horn, but things work out better than planned quite a bit. On another note, that whole "no one fights fair in GS" thing I mentioned earlier? That's something I should have highlighted earlier; how often do you see someone fighting fair in the series as a whole? Priestess using Protection to keep the goblins from hitting her team, while her team could hit the goblins has "Fighting dirty" written all over it, and don't get me started on what GS and Ranger themselves do.**

**Anyway, you remember how I said I originally planned on having Fighter get involved with a revenant but changed it? Well, that moment where Sword Saint unintentionally inspires Elder Revenant to come back to life rather than stay undead was also part of the plan...and as usual, I didn't stick to the plan and made something better. Speaking of plans, I remember stating that Wizard having a duel with another wizard would be a grand event, but it turns out her brother gets the bacon. And then there's the guy who said that GS would become monster slayer...well I think we can safely say Warrior has that title now, and don't get me started on how Priestess one-shot the Demon Lord. Anyway, the big bads are all down and out, but we aren't done yet, there's a few more things to do, chapters to write, so be sure to Rate, Review, and Share as this grand adventure approaches it's end...stay tuned.**

**P.S. take notes Thor, Warrior went for the head(s)...  
**


	52. Chapter 25 Part I

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I did say there was more to the story, and just like Year One, there's quite a bit of peaceful stuff, so if that's your cup of tea, you won't be disappointed here, that's all I can say.**

**Review Response: Yep, three big cheeses down, zero to go...**

**Abbot's probably going to be as much of an asset to the country as he was to the team itself if his track record is anything to go by...**

**Elder Revenant's got alot of catching up to do...5,000 years worth.  
**

* * *

Elder Revenant arrived just in time to see the Demon Lord get vaporized by Priestess at a distance. When the display was over, he climbed down the mountain he was on by jumping down from one platform to another, and then rested on a large hill the Demon Lord made when he oversaw Water Town. He then watched Ranger and Fighter walk inside the walls while holding each other, with the Hero's team staying to bask in the glory. Next thing he knew, the first Revenant appeared next to him.

"Quite an occasion isn't it? To witness the Demon Lord's downfall..." Revenant said.

"What are you here for?" Elder Revenant asked.

"I'm curious. What would drive the oldest, and strongest of the Death God's servants, to ask for his soul back?" Revenant asked.

"A better question is why you did despite how I represented what you could have been?" Elder Revenant said.

"A fair point, or at least it would be had I been raised for this life...should it be worthy of being called that." Revenant said casually.

"You bastard...you are aware that I was raised to become this, while you clung to a family you valued, and valued you in return, yet you mock me!?" Elder Revenant said sharply.

"The difference being that I chose to become a revenant to embrace the death I felt inside, while you were raised on a lie." Revenant said.

"And now you have everything back." Elder Revenant said.

"And now...you have a chance to have something, starting with fame, should you go down there and join those ladies." Revenant said and Elder Revenant finally looked at him. "You know I'm right. If nothing else, they deserve to know your plans."

"I suppose so..." Elder Revenant breathed out, before Revenant vanished, and Hero's team look over the place the Demon Lord flattened when he overlooked Water Town.

"I can't imagine how scared the people were when they saw the Demon Lord..." Sword Saint said.

"Probably as scared as they were relieved that their new Sword Maiden put him down." Sage said.

"Well, we'll find out soon enough." Sword Saint said.

"I'm more concerned about that Fighter girl." Hero said.

"Hey, Ranger might be hardcore, but he obviously cares about her; they have a _baby_ for crying out loud." Sword Saint said.

"Don't remind me. I'm still upset with her for rejecting me." Hero said.

"And we're still amused by it." Sage said.

"Some friends you are." Hero groaned before they went back to the bridge which had a few stone elementals working on it, with the Summoner siblings supervising them.

"I hope they finish that bridge soon. I'm pooped." Sword Saint said before sitting down on a rock.

"Who isn't?" Sage said.

"Wait...duh, we still our portal gem!" Hero exclaimed before taking it out, and opening a portal to the guild hall.

"You go ahead, I want to get some air." Sword Saint said.

"Suit yourself." Hero said before giving her the gem, and going through the portal. Sword Saint then sat there and watched the sun continue to rise and illuminate the mountains in the distance, the forests beneath them, the clear waters of the lake, the city itself, and all of the rest of the world's wonders. She then heard footsteps behind her...and Elder Revenant was coming.

"Hello again." He said.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going after the goblins." Sword Saint asked.

"I was; the goblins in that area were wiped out, and I fully intend to search for the rest later on...but I had to see you again." Elder Revenant said.

"Why?" Sword Saint asked.

"Because...because I owed you as much." Elder Revenant said and Sword Saint got up and walked up to him.

"You yourself are owed. You were bound to the Death God for five millennia, and you're free now." She said seriously.

"I'm aware; it's impossible not to be...but the way I see things, I have quite a few debts to pay, with one less now." Elder Revenant said.

"You don't owe me anything." Sword Saint said.

"I don't think you get how serious I'm taking this. You said yourself that I'm owed, but if it weren't for your team, but especially you...I would have probably existed another five thousand years without realizing it. It wouldn't be the first time I made a foolish mistake." Elder Revenant said and Sword Saint smiled.

"I suppose so...and, on behalf of everyone you're going to spare by taking out the rest of the goblins, thank you very much. And once again, welcome you back to the living, Elder Revenant." She said, and then hugged him. At first, Elder Revenant stood there in surprise, but relented and slowly but steadily returned the embrace.

"Thank you..." He whispered.

"For what?" Sword Saint asked.

"Encouraging me to live." Elder Revenant said.

"That's what heroes do." Sword Saint said before backing up and seeing that Elder Revenant wasn't smiling, but still had the softest look on his face she ever saw. "How do you feel?"

"Warm..." Elder Revenant whispered.

"And your other senses?" Sword Saint asked.

"I...smell the plants around me, as well as both of our scents. I can taste the air itself, and feel the coolness of the air in my mouth when I breath. I can feel the texture of my cloths-" Sword Saint cuts Elder Revenant off.

"I...get the picture. Now, what will you do when the goblins are taken care of?" Sword Saint asked.

"I do not know. I am still able to collect souls, but even if I decide to continue collecting the souls of people...I will try to stay in touch." Elder Revenant said.

"That would be nice." Sword Saint said...before Elder Revenant tore open a portal to the guild hall for her, and she went through the portal before she saw him finally crack a smile like he did before he regained his soul.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter went straight to the Temple of Law, trying to ignore the cheering people, some of whom praised them for helping save the city...again. When they finally got to the temple, Priestess was right there sitting on the stairs breathing heavily. When Fighter saw her, she to hug Priestess, who sat up to return the hug.

"You did it...you really did it." Fighter said. Priestess then smiled brightly before noticing Ranger, who was shaking like a leaf. Fighter then noticed, and let him have a turn...and Ranger grabbed Priestess, pulled her up, and then hugged her as his eyes watered.

"Ranger...?" Priestess asked.

"When the Demon Lord came here...all I could think about was my daughter. Everything else became a complete blank. I prayed that you'd save her, and so you have. How many times are you going to show that you really are her Sword Maiden...?" Ranger said with a sob-choked voice.

"Ranger...I was so caught up in what I had to do that I forgot she was here. But now that you bring it up...never again." Priestess said softly before Ranger let her go, got a hold of himself, and dried his eyes.

"Well, I guess it's for the best; worrying over her is probably the last she would want if she had the presence of mind for it." He said.

"Where's Warrior and Wizard?" Fighter asked.

"Let's go inside, I'll have to ask for the miracle of Vision." Priestess said and she led the trio inside...before they saw a big surprise.

"Guess who!" Warrior exclaimed...and then Fighter rushed to hug him as Wizard and her brother stood there watching. "O.k. o.k., I'm happy to see you too."

"The pet?" Fighter asked.

"You mean this?" Wizard asked as she held up the same skull the Cambion worked on. Fighter then let go of Warrior and eyeballed the skull.

"What the-? How'd you kill that thing?" Fighter asked.

"I let it swallow me, cut up it's insides, then sliced up it's heads." Warrior said simply.

"You are officially the bravest, luckiest, and most reckless person I know." Fighter said.

"And that's why people love me." Warrior said with a smirk.

"Truest thing you've ever said." Fighter said before Wizard took her husband's hand.

"Why do you have the skull in the first place?" Ranger asked.

"Oh, Abbot told us to hold onto it for now. And...you should probably come back with us." Wizard said.

"Why?" Priestess asked.

"You'll see." Wizard said, and Ranger, Fighter, and Priestess all looked at her funny.

"O...k..." Fighter said, then Priestess gave Wizard her portal gem, and Wizard opened a portal to where Cambion was...and they found yet another surprise.

* * *

Cambion was laying in the same place he was before, with his hair still black as night...and Sword Maiden herself was kneeling next to him. The group then went through the portal and watched him wake up and look at the same woman he murdered.

"Sword Maiden...?" Cambion breathed out.

"Hello again." Sword Maiden said.

"Look at this, nephilim and cambion, victim and murderer coming together again." Cambion said.

"We are both victims in our way way." Sword Maiden said seriously.

"I never thought I would see you again...and I'm surprised you would want anything to do with me." Cambion whispered.

"If circumstances were different, I probably wouldn't, but you are not the first one to cross too many lines, only to be proven wrong about yourself." Sword Maiden said.

"You speak of your husband don't you? An outlaw who's history is stained by avarice, irreversibly so, a shining example of what is wrong with this world...and you let him warm your bed. Wonders really do never cease." Cambion said.

"He and I both understand that just because one thing goes wrong, no matter how far it goes, not everything is lost for good." Sword Maiden said.

"A shame no one else thinks that way..." Cambion said.

"That's not true at all." Sword Maiden said, before finally noticing the group.

"Ah...we have an audience." Cambion groaned, and Fighter approached and looked down at him sternly. "What? Come to gloat...?"

"Don't blame her; you were a threat to the entire world, she just happens to be the one who stopped you." Sword Maiden said and Cambion sighed.

"And the Demon Lord took my place...and his pet was no better." He said.

"That doesn't change anything." Sword Maiden said.

"No...I suppose it doesn't. The world is poorer for my defeat either way." Cambion said.

"Cambion..." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Don't...how many times must a nightmare be suffered through before the people wake up? How many pointless tragedies must be take place? How many people must be forced to fight a cause they don't believe in, or understand? How much insufferable misery should flourish? I may have committed heinous blasphemies, but against whom? The Supreme? A deity who forsakes even those who serve the path of righteous to the letter? You Sword Maiden were humbled by How are my sins worse than anyone else's? Tell me!" Cambion asked, and the entire group stared at him in total silence the entire time, with the presence of thoughtfulness on their faces.

"I was like you once, years ago...and I told you before that if you had asked that question ten years ago I would agree with you, and that the world is not as broken as I believed. Despite everything that happened, I still stand by that...just as they do." Sword Maiden said.

"But _how_?" Cambion asked.

"Because...even though I believed nothing would get better, how I would remain haunted by everything that happened to me, and others, my life became whole again, and my suffering became an obstacle to get over, not a weight to drag me down. I also realized that if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone." Sword Maiden said.

"I almost envy the bliss that must come from that delusion." Cambion said.

"What could possibly make the feeling of hope returning to life a delusion?" Sword Maiden asked and Cambion started laughing coldly.

"Hope? You yourself were _destroyed_ by the most vile yet pathetic creatures that have ever lived, I myself was used as a pawn in a game that escaped my attention despite my greatest efforts to look into the workings of Hell and it's ruler...and he used my own attempt to make a difference backfire in the worst way imaginable. So when you speak of hope, I cannot agree; this world is as hopeless as my cause." Cambion said.

"No. Your mission was driven by hope, more than even theirs...and you were correct. Think about it, despite the damage you did, despite you countless blasphemies, you opened the eyes of countless people, and those you failed to effect have a chance to be enlightened in the future. The group you faced stand before you now, knowing what you opposed with greater detail, and now they know what to do to improve this country's standing. You say you opposed the glory they obtained in place of everyone else; whatever glory they obtain in the future, is partially due to your efforts. And there's the right everyone has to acquire a Platinum Rank...yes, anyone could potentially acquire one, but that is ultimately their choice, and not only does almost no one have the drive to fill the role required, but no one has the right to force them to get the drive required. Regardless...Ranger's team is not the only beacon of hope for their country, others can follow in their footsteps...and so can you." Sword Maiden said, and the whole time, Cambion thought about what she was saying, and the rest of the team held their breath waiting for Cambion's answer...which started with a deep sigh.

"Inconceivable...my greatest enemies understand my cause, better than I know it myself. Heaven has worked more wonders on your mind and heart than I knew possible...Your Grace. When I drove my blade into your gut, I told you Heaven could make up for your suffering, but I never expected this. As for the rest of you...I was right about all of you, in every way. I was right to ask you to join me, I was right about thinking we were alike, I was right about you reaching too far for anyone else's good...but I was wrong about thinking a single person could make all the difference by themselves. Sword Maiden is right about the drive to obtain a Platinum Rank, but only if they're focused on what's right, and the right thing for me, is this..." Cambion said before sitting up, closing his eyes and whispering in the Demon Lord's tongue.

"What are you doing?" Fighter asked.

"Wait...that isn't the Demon Lord's tongue, it's the _angels_' tongue." Sword Maiden said.

"The angels...?" Fighter asked, and then Cambion opened a Hell rift in front of him, and drew a stream of Hell energy out of it...with specks of ash mixed into the energy mass. When it was done, Cambion's hair turned silver again.

"If you thought I was a disappointment to you before, just wait until you see what else I have in mind...Father." He said.

"Father?" Everyone asked at once.

"The Demon Lord used the power of Hell to impregnate a dying woman to spite the Earth Mother, and I am the result, for all the good it did him." Cambion said.

"That does explain your incredible power..." Fighter said.

"Right, and for what it's worth...I should probably take pride in that it took no less than four people, each one worthy of a Platinum Rank in their own right, using the pinnacle of teamwork to defeat me." Cambion said.

"Uh, excuse me. What are you holding?" Warrior asked.

"The remains of my father." Cambion said.

"What are you doing to do with them?" Warrior asked.

"This..." Cambion trailed off before sucking the remains into his mouth, became flooded with Hell energy and grew his wings and a lighter version of his demonic armor, but his head was uncovered. The entire group recoiled except for Sword Maiden as Cambion took his most devilish form yet.

"What are you doing?" Ranger asked.

"What I should have done ten years ago. The Demon Lord is a reprehensible being, but now there is a void for a new, greater being to fill." Cambion said.

"You can't be serious!" Fighter exclaimed.

"I have never been more serious. I swore I would change this world for the better, and I will do nothing less. You, female mage! Give me that skull." Cambion said, then Wizard looked at Sword Maiden, who nodded, and Wizard slowly approached Cambion, and gave him the skull. "The Demon Lord's pet, really is mine now."

"What exactly is to become of the Demon Lord now?" Ranger asked.

"He is part of me now, for as long as it takes for me to vomit him into the Abyss, as broken and powerless as he deserves to be." Cambion said.

"You are aware the Leviathans came from the Abyss right? And who knows what else is there." Ranger said.

"I am well aware of the risks of this plan, and that is all the more reason for me to become the new Demon Lord." Cambion said.

"What about the demon hunters? They're not going to be happy they're out of a job." Warrior asked.

"I...can foresee a vast amount of division among the demons; not all will be happy with a new ruler, but that is entirely their problem. The Demon Lord was not an appointed ruler, only the strongest among their number, and now that honor belongs to me." Cambion said.

"What are you getting at?" Wizard asked.

"Hell is nothing more than a wasteland where the demons fight over scraps of power, and the Demon Lord was obsessed with this world because of how much more power there is to acquire. But I am proud to say this is a weakness I do not share with him. As for that wasteland itself...well, it is far better that they fight against me, and among themselves, than torment this world with their antics." Cambion said.

"What about the Hell goblins?" Fighter asked.

"I will give them reason enough to not be pleased when I make my entrance." Cambion said simply

"What?" Ranger asked.

"I said before I do not condone their...less-than-colorful method of increasing their numbers, so for their sake I do hope the enjoyed the flavor of the tears shed because of whatever their diseased minds could conjure, because that memory will be needed to ease the time I have with them." Cambion said sharply.

"Dare I ask?" Ranger asked.

"Well, for future reference, the demons will not release them back onto this world without paying a terrible price. As for their time in my new kingdom...they will pay for their offenses, or join the demons in revolution against me, only to be torn asunder, it makes no difference. I can even promise that when the Abyss rises up in the End Times, the forces of Hell will also stand against it." Cambion said.

"You really think you can organize all of that?" Wizard asked.

"Of course I can. You know of the Demon Lord's true power, and especially my own, in combination...nothing can stop me. And yes, I am aware that the good Priestess here saw to my dear father." Cambion said.

"How?" Priestess asked.

"You still live." Cambion said simply.

"Well..." Priestess trailed off.

"Do not worry, I know you fear me; I did threaten your life last we meet, but I hold no malice towards you, or anyone else for that matter. The question is...do all of you hold any towards me?" Cambion said...and everyone looked at Priestess as she stepped closer to the man who once terrified her.

"I sensed no deception in what you said, but my miracles haven't worked on you before." She said.

"They likely still won't, but have any of you known me to be deceptive? No? Well, I have no intention of starting now." Cambion said.

"Well, you have your own mission in Hell, while we have ours on Earth." Ranger said.

"I still think all of you are a silver-coined solution to a gold-coin problem...but nevertheless, I have no choice but to trust you. With that, I think that's all; I've told you everything I had to, or care to mention. I will also trust your new pope to keep the promise he made when he took the previous one's throne, and that he will bare in mind that I will be watching in on Earth's problems, and if things go as far south as they did before his reign, I will stop for nothing, but until then...I will serve Heaven, by ruling in Hell." Cambion said before flapping his wings, and then flying through the Hell rift.

"Well...that's it then, what next?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Now we head back to Water Town, and get on with our lives." Ranger said.

"Good...cause I'm _done_." Warrior said.

"We'll have to check in with the old man sooner or later though, he'll probably have something for us, or at least what to have a word with us." Wizard said.

"I'll bet he will..." Her brother said.

"What are you getting at?" Fighter asked.

"Isn't it obvious? If he has any sense he'll give you all Platinum Ranks!" Wizard's brother said seriously.

"Oh yeah! We kicked serious ass last night! We're bound to get our hands on some Platinum!" Warrior exclaimed.

"Damn straight!" Wizard exclaimed, and Ranger watched his team clammer around about joining him and Hero at the top of the class.

"Uh, maybe we should let him sleep for now, and then come back later on." Priestess said.

"She's right. He's probably as tired as we are." Ranger said.

"I'll go let him know what's going on." Wizard's brother said.

"Alright." Ranger said before Priestess opened a portal to Water Town, then gave the gem to Wizard's brother as they went back to the Temple of Law.

"We're getting Platinum Ranks...this is just off-the-hook!" Warrior said.

"Alright, we get the point. The boss here got his Platinum Rank from the vampire queen, which is predictable as all hell." Wizard said.

"And the rest of us each took out entities that make Her late Majesty look tame." Fighter said.

"Sorry, I'm just tired...leave it to to exhaustion to let excitement go to someone's head." Warrior said.

"You got a point there. I don't know about all of you, but I'm used to fighting goblins all night, but this was _ridiculous_!" Wizard said seriously.

"Priestess, would you mind if the two of us stay in the Temple?" Warrior asked.

"Why would I mind that?" Priestess asked.

"Just checking." Warrior said.

"That does sound like a good idea. Boss?" Wizard asked.

"We'll get to our own home." Fighter said.

"Right, as for the rest of the city? Well, we can check on them after some rest." Ranger said.

"Alright, see you all later." Warrior said.

"Wait, what about my brother?" Wizard asked.

"He's smart; he'll know what we're doing." Warrior said simply.

"Man's got a point." Fighter said.

"Just go get a nap..." Ranger deadpanned, and Warrior and Wizard both smirked, and walked to the bedrooms. Priestess then group-hugged Ranger and Fighter, with all three basking in the warmth of each other's love before Priestess left the main chamber.

"So that's it then..." Fighter said thoughtfully, before Ranger held her closer, and the two simply stood there holding each, barely clinging onto their scraps of alertness as fatigue caught up to them, but it wasn't enough to drown out their affections...nothing ever was.

"Would my dear wife like to do anything to celebrate at this moment?" Ranger asked and Fighter sucked in a breath.

"I want to see my little girl..." She whispered.

* * *

The two then went straight home through a portal, and Fighter went to their daughter's room, to see her asleep. Ranger was as relieved as she was to see their baby perfectly fine, but neither had the will to wake her, so Ranger left to check on his horse, and she was right where he left her: the small stable built for her. When he got there, she turned to see him, and let him approach and pet her.

Fighter meanwhile stayed with their baby until she finally woke up.

"Hello..." Fighter whispered.

"Hello..." The baby said, and Fighter smiled and put her hand near the baby's face, so she could play with her mother's fingers.

"Guess what sweetheart? It's over. Your mother and father did everything we had to, and we're not leaving you again...at least not for too long." Fighter said softly, and her baby cooed as her mother picked her up and held her close. Ranger then came back to see his two favorite females embracing. "Look who's here...it's your father..." Fighter then handed their baby over to Ranger who was shaking like a leaf as he reached for the girl he once panicked over. When he finally got a hold of himself and held her, the baby put both hands on his face.

"Hello..." The baby said, and Ranger smiled and trembled as his eyes watered.

"Hello." He whispered before kissing his daughter's forehead and held her close. Then the unthinkable happened, the baby that Ranger gave to Fighter, to grow inside of her womb...put her hands on her father's face and in her own unrefined yet heart-jerking way, patted his tears away. Both Ranger and Fighter's eyes widened at the gesture, with the former smiling at the baby in his arms and the latter tearing up herself. "Look at you...not even a _year_ old, and you have a heart bigger than your body. I really cannot wait to see the woman you grow up to be..."

Fighter then approached, and Ranger gave the baby back, then Fighter sat down,de-morphed her armor, and opened her underarmor so the baby could be breastfed. The intimacy was lost on neither parent as Ranger watched his little girl drink her mother's milk. Fighter and Ranger shared a smile with each, and with the baby at the same time, and Ranger knelt down to the baby's level. When she was done drinking, the pair stayed with their baby until she went back to sleep about an hour later, with their fatigue falling by the wayside.

* * *

Next thing the parents knew, they were in the bath together, doing nothing but wash, soap and hold each other; even if either of them drank any potion...neither was in the mood for any foreplay, let alone a mating session. Ranger even let Fighter's hair down before she shook her head to flail her hair around...giving Ranger a flashback to when she did that the first time, and how it took his breath away. He then pulled her in for a passionate yet gentle kiss as the mood finally got to them. They then spent the rest of their bath running their hands through each other's hair, over each other's faces and torsos, with Fighter quieting moaning as Ranger gently played with her luscious breasts.

The magic his hands worked on one of the most intimate part of her divine body made her breath enticing heartbeat more noticeable...and finally gave Ranger an erection; this was a moment of love, not lust until now. Regardless, Fighter never took the opportunity to pleasure her husband, nor did he ask her to. The two then finally finished cleaning each other and themselves before getting out of the bath, drying off, and going to bed for a nap, and the softness and warmth of each other's bodies working it's usual magic and helping them get to sleep twice as fast...as if their fatigue wasn't enough.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wizard's brother took Rhea Fighter from the Temple of Law to the guild hall, and found the place infested with adventurers, most of whom were either celebrating their victory, boasting over how much ass they kicked, or paying tribute to their lost friends, usually by toasting or speaking fondly of their memory. The staff of course were going through paperwork like they were well-oiled machines...but Guild Girl was nowhere to be found.

They then spotted GS' team, minus Cow Girl and GS himself, and they were eating and drinking their fill, with Lizard Priest unsurprisingly feasting on beard and roasted meat covering in melted cheese. D.R. was snuggling into H.E. Druid's side eating veggies, beard, fish, and cheese, and their own fair share of meals they recognized as elven. The pair then went over, and were immediately spotted.

"Well look who it is." H.E. Druid said.

"Yep, a quick Resurrection, and a certain mage to sleep next to, and I'm good as new." Rhea Fighter said proudly.

"It pleases me to see you in good standing." Lizard Priest said.

"Where are the two Goblin Slayers?" Wizard's brother asked.

"You'll find out...actually, here comes one right now." H.E. Druid said, and Cow Girl was rushing past some people with an excited look in the face.

"I did it! I'm Silver Ranked now!" She exclaimed as she held up her new Silver tag.

"Well, good for you." D.R. said with raised eyebrow.

"No kidding." Wizard's brother said.

"I can't wait to tell everyone else." Cow Girl said as she looked over her tag, and then put it on.

"And there's Goblin Slayer number one." D.R. said as GS came up behind Cow Girl.

"Where were you?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Observing." GS said.

"And putting in a good word for me." Cow Girl said.

"I was going to say that." GS said.

"Well, you weren't quick enough." Cow Girl said.

"Sorry." GS said.

"You two are hopeless..." Wizard's brother said.

"Priestess was there as well." Cow Girl said.

"Really? Well aren't you lucky?" D.R. said.

"Well, come sit with us and eat. There's plenty for everyone else...once they get here..." H.E. Druid said as their four extra teammates joined in.

* * *

In the Temple of Law's bathhouse, Warrior and Wizard went to take a bath after waking up...and things picked up quickly. Wizard was currently washing up and she observed no less than nine of her clones massage, clean, and kiss Warrior up and down his sculpted torso. The nine ladies working on his body covered every inch of him; they drench and soaped his hair, traced the lines of his arms, chest, abdomen, and legs, two of them stroked his manhood, and all nine of them switched places to not only get a fair share of what his body had to offer them, but to do the same for him. They even intentionally rubbed their legs, breasts, butts, and so on against him to tease him. When they were done, Warrior had a chance to deeply, and passionately, kiss all nine of them, and he was clean as he was after his last bath...and the two clones stroking his manhood got him to climax as well.

The original Wizard noticed his manhood soften, then used Levitate to make the pill she made for moments like this to float over to him, and he downed it right away...with his erection returning less than a minute after taking it. In the meantime, he got to work sucking on each of the clones' nipples one by one. At one point, he stopped sucking on one of them, and focused on fondling the two breasts that were inches from his face, he then sucked on the other nipple. Another clone pressed her breasts into his back, then he he got to work sucking on them as well, before finishing off the rest of the clone's nipples with his masterful tongue...if he didn't gently twist them, squeeze their breasts themselves, or rub their creamy thighs or knead their perfectly round and soft butts.

One of the clones then pulled Warrior away from another clone's nipple, gave him a brief but deep kiss, then got on his lap, and held onto his shoulder as she starting riding him. Warrior then griped her butt right away as she moved up and down on his lap as his rock-solid manhood was rapidly sheathed and removed from her entrance. His eyes went between watching her lovely breasts bounce and her face contort in bliss as she moaned her lungs out, and the clones watched her move up and down on his manhood until she finally climaxed with Warrior not far behind.

Another clone took the previous one's place as she got off of his still-solid organ, and the moment the next clone swallowed his organ.. He then took it up a notch by grabbing her butt and picking her up, making her laugh at his display of initiative, and the rest of the clones watched Warrior mate with the lucky clone in his arms, as vigorously as the last one mated with him. Warrior gradually increased the speed and force of his thrusts until the clone in his arms spasmed with an orgasm, and continued doing so as the aftershocks crashed into her over and over until he reached his own climax.

He then put the clone back into the water, and the first clone he mated with held her up against the rock in the bath to keep her from drowning. They then rejoined the original on the other side of the bath, and watched Warrior kiss another chosen clone. He then glanced at the original, and teased her by turning the clone's back to her, roughly gripped the clone's butt, and even shook it in his hands. Wizard then sucked in a breath at the way her husband was silently reminding her of how much enthusiasm he has when he plays with her luscious body.

Warrior then bent not, one, but three clones over the rim, and patted all three of their butts before taking his place behind the one in the middle, and drove into her womanhood. The other two clones went back and forth between watching Warrior slam into her from behind, and watching their fellow clone's face contort as she groaned in bliss. Warrior then surprised both of the other clones by sliding the fingers on either hand up and down each of their womanhoods, and their moans were added to the mix. Warrior didn't miss a single beat with the clone who was getting his manhood shoved into her either, and eventually all of them climaxed one by one.

He then laid down on the rim of the bath, and then invited one of the clones to get on his lap, then rested her hands on his chest as she lowered herself onto his manhood and started bucking her hips to take his manhood into herself over and over. Warrior then fought through the mental haze he was in, and met the clone's thrusts with his own to double the friction...and it worked. The clone threw her head back and spasmed out with an orgasm less than a minute after their bodies intimated cooperated.

Only three clones remained...what to do with them? He'd think about that after he caught his breath, and he didn't have a sorceress on top of him with large, pillow-soft breasts, decently-sized muscles, and a butt and legs he needs most of his self-control to let go of. Although...seeing the original Wizard re-absorbing the clones, and receiving all the pleasure he filled the bodies she absorbed with, like drinking water out of a bottle. The clone he just pleased finally got off of Warrior's still-hardened organ, and then swam over to the original Wizard, who waited for the same mental haze Warrior was suffering from to wear off before re-absorbing that clone.

One of the clones got on top of Warrior and simply laid down on top of him, feeling his heart rate, and breathing that were above-average thanks to the...interesting workout he was getting from all the flawless bodies he was pleasing. Eventually, Warrior got out of his haze, just in time to feel the clone that was on top of him give him a series of hungry yet gentle kisses, and made wet smacking sounds in-between. Warrior then ran his hands through the clone's soaking wet hair, traveled down her back and reached her butt, which made her moan into their kiss before pulling back and giving him a toothy grin before the other two clones gripped his manhood and stroked it. Warrior groaned as the two clones in the bath flooded his mind with even more pleasure by fondling the tip and rubbing the shaft until he finally climaxed and spray seed in front of him.

All three clones huffed and raised their eyebrows at the amount of seed he still had in him, and the distance it traveled...and marveled at how Warrior was still hard as a rock. The three clones then got back in the water, and waited for Warrior to compose himself since just like the original Wizard, Warrior was completely spent. The two even looked eyes and smiled at each other; they may have been completely intoxicated by pleasure, but it was all in good spirits to say the least. This was a time for celebration, and what better way to celebrate the greatest victory of their lives than the greatest mating session of their lives?

Warrior then composed himself, and his rigorously-trained body recovered it's stamina as he got back in the water and approached the three clones leaning against the rock in the center. His display of virility impressed them enough to make them smile and chuckle as he approached them. They then stood up and took turns kissing him as the two who didn't massaged his supremely lean body from shoulder to thigh. He got quiet quite a bit bulkier over the last few months as well, not as much as Ranger did but still enough to make his body more pleasing to the clones, and Wizard herself for that matter. The same could be said about Wizard's body; she was no where near as physically robust as Fighter was since...Fighter lived and breathed fighting up close, but Wizard's prowess with a glaive did _wonders_ for her figure.

Both took full advantage of each other's physical blessings as each of Wizard's clones continued mashing their lips against Warrior's one after another , while he kneaded their butts, two at a time. Warrior eventually broke the kiss with one of them, picked her up with his hands under her butt, pinned her against the rock and started thrusting into her right away. The clone's spasms and pleasured groans were immediate, and _impossible_ to ignore as the beast slayer holding her showed her exactly what he was willing and able to do to her. The other clones behind him watched his body flex as he continued mating with the clone he was holding with just enough power to make her feel it, but not so much that it causes her pain...and pain was the polar opposite of what she was feeling; her orgasmic moans signaled that quite nicely.

Not long after, Warrior had his own climax...and _still_ had an erection that was firm as ever. He then walked the two clones over to the rim, with his hands on their butts of course, then he sat down and laid down, inviting one of the clones to ride him again...and one of them did. She got out of the bath, and then turned down so she could ride him backwards, and then her womanhood swallowed his organ, and his hands gripped her plump buttocks as she rapidly bucked her hips and started groaning in pleasure seconds after she got to work. Warrior sat there letting the inside of the clone's tightening entrance scrap against his manhood several times a second, and then she gasped in surprised as Warrior sat up and pushed her forward before finishing their orgasm as he rapidly slammed into her butt.

The second-to-last clone then took a moment to compose herself as Warrior removed himself from her womanhood and laid down straight. The clone then swam over to re-join Wizard as the final clone helped Warrior sit up, and then started sucking on his neck as he got ahold of himself. She then went up and down his sculpted torso, kissing and licking his chest and abdomen until she got back up to his neck and then pressed her breasts into his chest while smiling down at him. She then held his head and pulled him towards her breasts so he could suck on her breasts, and she groaned in pleasure the moment he swirled his tongue around her nipples and groped her breasts from the sides to increase their mutual pleasure, and make licking her nipples easier.

He then stood up and bent the clone over, and stuffed his manhood into her, and he thrusted in and out of her...but she then moved back and forth against him, and he stood their and she moved back and forth, pleasuring them both. Warrior then looked back at Wizard who was still smiling at him, and then Warrior gripped the clone's hips, and thrusted into her in-sync with her movements to double their pleasure...and then he pulled out of her, making her look back at him with a look of outrage on her face. Warrior then erased her disappointment by turning her around, raising one of her legs, then pushed her back onto the rim, and raised her other leg, before spreading them and thrusting into her with her shoulders on the rim as her moaning continued. She then wrapped her legs around his waist as his hands moved up to her plump, shapely buttocks, and their 9th climax arrived not long after.

Warrior then carried the clone back to Wizard like he was bringing her a present, and Wizard re-absorbed the clone and let out her longest moan yet as she leaned back against the stairs with Warrior laying next to her.

"Wow..." Wizard breathed out.

"Nine orgasms in a row...that's got to be a new record." Warrior said.

"I have to admit...I didn't think you had it in you." Wizard said.

"Baby, I fight goblins just like you did; strength-in-numbers means nothing to me. If anything, seeing so many magical beauties in front of me made me want to put that pill you gave me to use even more." Warrior said.

"Typical..." Wizard said.

"Don't pretend you didn't like it either." Warrior said.

"Not a chance..." Wizard said before Warrior came down to kiss her. "Hell of a last thing to do before we become Platinum Ranked..."

"Hell of a last thing to do after we put down the strongest beast in existence." Warrior said.

"I'll say...you slayed the strongest of all beasts, now you slayed me." Wizard said.

"You always were a beast underneath your beauty." Warrior said and Wizard giggled.

"You sounded like the boss just now." She breathed out.

"I wonder why...?" Warrior said before coming down to kiss Wizard.

"I love you so much." She said.

"I know." Warrior teased before flipping them over and kissing him. Warrior then moved his hands down to rub and squeeze her butt, especially from underneath, as well as her hips.

"You just can't resist this ass of mine can you?" Wizard asked.

"You know what I'm going to say..." Warrior said.

"That's what you get for having such a nice ass." Wizard said.

"And guess what? It got nicer recently..." Warrior said while making her flesh wobble.

"How so?" Wizard asked.

"Size for one thing...but also softness." Warrior said.

"A nice contrast to how solid you've gotten...and speaking of solid." Wizard said before looking down as Warrior's manhood.

"That's what happens when my genius wife puts her mountain-sized brain to work in the right way." He said, and then Wizard smirked and gripped the organ.

"To think you put this thing to use on nine copies of me and kept at it the whole time." She said.

"I took down the Demon Lord's pet, after getting my ass kicked by the Cambion; fucking them was nothing." Warrior said and Wizard chuckled.

"For my monster-killing husband, I'd bet you could fuck a hundred of my clones." She said.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now." Warrior said.

"Hey, considering how hard you still are...even after all that, I wouldn't put it past you." Wizard said.

"Right..." Warrior breathed out.

"Would you like to swap Platinum Ranks like we did with our Gold Ranks?" Wizard asked.

"Would _you_?" Warrior asked, and Wizard thought for a moment.

"Nah, it's not as touching the second time." Wizard said.

"Can't argue with that." Warrior said.

"Anyways...I do want a baby of my own someday." Wizard said.

"Once things settle down, I'll give you as many as you want." Warrior said softly.

"Well, in any case...I was thinking about paying the capital a visit sometime." Wizard said.

"Why?" Warrior asked.

"That's where Fighter toke on those adventurers and kicked their asses, well...the sage's academy me and my brother trained at is also there. So...maybe I could make a pilgrimage if you will, and maybe even cook up something new in either my own alchemy lab, or the one there." Wizard said.

"Such as?" Warrior asked.

"Oh...maybe have the training dummies be able to fight back for once, so it doesn't get boring." Wizard said.

"Unbelievable. I fuck your brains out, and you still have enough left to come up with that..." Warrior said.

"Well...maybe you should fuck me some more." Wizard teased.

"I take it back, I got them all." Warrior said and Wizard patted his chest.

"You're lucky you're good at pleasing me." She said.

"I'm lucky to have multiple bodies to please you with." Warrior said.

"That is true..." Wizard said with a smirk, and Warrior lightly spanks her, which made Wizard let off a horny chuckle, and locked lips with him, before he flipped them over. Wizard then wrapped both legs around his own, and Warrior broke the kiss.

"Careful...we didn't drink any potion before coming here remember?" He said.

"That doesn't mean I can't have you inside me one more time; just remove yourself at the last moment." Wizard said.

"Lustful vixen..." Warrior groaned before plunging his manhood into Wizard's entrance and started moving quicker every moment. Wizard's moans left her mouth right away as Warrior pounded her already-tightening entrance, and her vocalizations spurred him to continue without pause despite how much stamina left him already. He then felt himself get ready to climax, and based on how much Wizard was tensing up, and how many more delicious moans left her mouth, so was she...so Warrior removed himself from her womanhood, and stroked himself until he finally climaxed and sprayed his seed all over her belly; good thing they were half-submerged in water.

Fair was fair though; when he was done, he stroked the lips of Wizard's womanhood until she climaxed herself and graced his ears with her longest moan yet, and his eyes by spasming with pleasure that he was responsible for. Warrior then collapsed on top of Wizard and the two laid there catching their breath...and exhaling against each other's skin. Warrior then sat up to look at the blissful look on his wife's face, and watch her lovely breasts rise and fall with each deep breath. She then looked up at him as he came down to lock lips with her, and she giggled into their kiss.

"Damn you're good at this..." Wizard breathed out.

"_Much_ practice." Warrior said proudly.

"Well...that's enough practice for now. We should get back to the others." Wizard said.

"Right...before you change your mind and ask me to fuck you again." Warrior said.

"Not a chance; I can't lose too many brains now can I?" Wizard asked.

"Very funny." Warrior said.

"Honey...we've been at this for about an hour now." Wizard said.

"An hour? That did _not_ feel like an hour...then again, that's not surprising at all." Warrior said.

"Glad to see one of us can think straight..." Wizard teased.

"Yes it is." Warrior said casually.

"Well...by my estimations your arousal shouldn't last more than half an hour...since you can't help staying aroused with me." Wizard said proudly.

"What was your first clue?" Warrior asked.

"Probably the moment were you had nine bodies to play with and then fucked them senseless." Wizard said.

"Let's just get back with the others. All that fucking really works up an appetite." Warrior said and Wizard purred and stroked his face.

"Poor baby." She said before pulling him into a kiss...then Warrior put her legs around him, which led her to hold onto him with all four limbs as he stood up with her in his arms. She then put both feet on the floor before either of them got any ideas...but his hands dug into the flesh of her buttocks the moments her feet hit the floor.

"On second thought...I might just take a few bites out of you." Warrior said.

"You know...that might be the clumsiest pillow talk I've ever heard." Wizard said.

"Clumsy but fitting." Warrior said and Wizard stared at him.

"You win this round." She said.

"And all the others..." Warrior said with a smirk.

"Just muscle through the urge to get your greedy yet incredibly skilled hands all over my ass and let's go fill our stomachs." Wizard said and Warrior spanked her, got a deadpan look from her, and then they dried off, got dressed and left.

* * *

Back at Summoner's home, he, Guild Girl, and Inspector were in bed together, each as naked as a newborn baby, and Summoner eventually stirred...and felt Inspector snuggling into him while sighing dreamily. Summoner then recalled the time he had with Guild Girl before she left for work...

"It's about time you two woke up." Guild Girl said, and shared a smile with her husband.

"What time is it?" Summoner asked.

"Just before noon." Guild Girl said.

"Wait, were you here the whole time?" Summoner asked.

"Not the whole time; I went to the guild hall about an hour ago, and...they didn't even have room for me to work there, so I came here to greet you when you woke up." Guild Girl said.

"Aren't you a sweetheart." Summoner breathed out, and then touched her lower belly. "Is our child o.k. in there?"

"Of course." Guild Girl said.

"I almost feel guilty leaving you out of the times me and Inspector make love from this point forward." Summoner said.

"Well...truth-be-told, that doesn't really appeal to me; even if sex while pregnant was an option, which I doubt, I don't think I'd enjoy it as much." Guild Girl said.

"As long as you're not torn up over it." Summoner said, and Guild Girl kissed him softly.

"I'm...going to see what I can do at the guild hall." She said.

"I thought they weren't...?" Summoner trailed off.

"That was about an hour ago remember? Besides, they could have something for me to do, even if it's minor yet important to someone." Guild Girl said.

"Well, don't let me keep you." Summoner said, and Guild Girl uncovered herself...and looked back at Summoner who was staring at her butt.

"What are you waiting for?" Guild Girl teased, and Summoner wasted no time reaching out and squeezing her butt multiple times before she stopped him. "O.k. o.k. don't get greedy..." Summoner then chuckled and watched Guild Girl put her underwear, then her guild outfit on and smiled at him before leaving.

* * *

Summoner's memory was interrupted as Inspector stirred and then opened her eyes halfway.

"Hey...hey wake up." Summoner whispered.

"Five more minutes..." Inspector groaned, and Summoner smirked.

"It's the middle of the day sweetheart." He said.

"Fine..." Inspector said before slowly sitting up, rubbing her eyes, and then looking down at the man beneath her, and returned his smile.

"How do you feel?" Summoner asked.

"Much better. Being up all night in the middle of a war zone is the most exhausting thing I've ever been part of." Inspector said.

"Luckily, you'll never have to go through it again." Summoner said and Inspector looked around.

"Where's Guild Girl?" She asked.

"She has some business to take care of at the guild hall, but for now...I get some alone time with my sexy priestess." Summoner said before caressing her smiling face and then kissing her. Inspector then took it up a notch by pulling back and kissing Summoner multiple times in quick succession, eventually going down to suck on his neck, and then she giggled as her general reacted by groping her butt. She even felt Summoner's hardened manhood poke her lower belly as the atmosphere got to him.

Summoner then flipped them over and sucked on Inspector's nipples, making her gasp in pleasure and tense her entire body up as he feasted on her chest. Inspector held Summoner's head in place to discourage him from stopping...and wound up getting an even more vigorous licks from him, as well as his hand running up and down her belly, hip and thigh as he went back and forth between her breasts. He then stopped and looked at her face that had an open mouth, and eyes that were shut tight, and he smirked at the fruits of his labor.

Inspector then returned his smile before she looked at Summoner's manhood, and fondled the tip, making him groan right away.

"It's too bad we're out of potion; I could use a good loving." Inspector said.

"Like you're doing to me right now...?" Summoner breathed out as the priestess in front of him continued her work on his manhood.

"O.k. maybe I should stop while there's something left..." She said before letting his manhood go, and Summoner looked down at her.

"Well...at least we're both awake now." He said, and Inspector chuckled before sitting up and kissing Summoner again, and caressed his torso.

"I am now..." She said sensually before kissing him again and pressed into him as he played with her butt.

* * *

When they finally got there, Ranger and Fighter were talking with Hero's team, and the latter group left before the two pairs joined.

"Good morning you two." Fighter said.

"What was that about?" Wizard asked.

"You're not going to believe this: Elder Revenant is alive now, and he's going after the last of the goblins." Fighter said.

"You're kidding me..." Warrior said.

"Nope, that's what they said." Fighter said.

"O.k...now I'm really glad I'm not a goblin." Wizard said.

"You are never going to let me live that down are you?" Ranger asked and his three teammates laughed at his expense before going inside.

"Welcome back." Guild Girl said.

"How's the guild?" Ranger asked.

"So far so good. I've been slaving over a mountain of paperwork thanks to the siege last night, but luckily, I don't have to deal with it all on my own." Guild Girl said.

"Looks like you have quite a bit to do as it is." Fighter said.

"Eh, I can handle this. I've been working on it for less than ten minutes, and even though it's slow, it's also steady." Guild Girl said.

"Well, don't tax yourself now, especially with a baby on the way." Ranger said.

"I'm a big girl; I can handle this." Guild Girl said proudly.

"Wow...you're starting to sound like Fighter." Warrior said.

"Very funny..." Fighter deadpanned.

"Where's Priestess?" Ranger asked and Guild Girl gave a knowing smile.

"She's around...and Goblin Slayer's team is having their lunch, and they have a surprise for you.

"O...k..." Ranger said, and then led his team to GS'...and Cow Girl beamed when they showed up.

"Ranger! Look!" She exclaimed before showing her Silver Rank tag...and all four people in front of her widened their eyes and exclaimed in amazement.

"Nice going!" Fighter said before hugging Cow Girl.

"Thank you all." She said.

"And she's not alone." Wizard's brother said before pointing to Rhea Fighter as she approached...and she was Silver Rank too.

"Being part of the siege in one thing, but taking on the Goblin Overlord is another." Rhea Fighter said.

"Must have been quite a stroke of luck for Goblin Slayer to be there to kill him for you." Warrior said.

"I didn't kill him, she did." GS said simply.

"What?" Warrior asked.

"I did." Cow Girl said and everyone looked right at her.

"You?" Wizard asked.

"We even took his head as a trophy." D.R. said.

"You're kidding..." Ranger said.

"You did it for the vampire queen, why can't we do it?" Cow Girl asked.

"Where's the head now?" Ranger asked.

"We took it home and pickled it in vinegar." GS said.

"To remember the moment by?" Warrior asked.

"Yep. Serves him right too; he actually told me he was going to make me his queen." Cow Girl said.

"And look how well that worked out. Now his soul is going to spend the rest of eternity in Hell, while his decapitated head cries it's eyes out while wishing it had hands to touch you with." D.R. said casually.

"Really? Had to go there?" Wizard asked.

"Hey, I find that hilarious..." D.R. said.

"Well, you stand alone." Wizard said.

"Actually...he tried to touch me before, but hey, he's the Goblin Overlord, and he implied that I'm not the first woman he had his eyes on...are got his hands on, so what the good dwarf said is quite fitting in a way." Cow Girl said.

"Sheesh..." Fighter breathed out.

"And you're o.k. with this?" Warrior asked.

"Like she said, it's fitting, and it reminds me that the goblins are finally dealt with." GS said.

"If you say so..." Warrior said.

"The king of the north actually stored goblin heads in jars, and had his court mage freeze them." Ranger said.

"That could be something else, but...isn't ice and vinegar combined a little overkill?" Cow Girl asked.

"Not unless you just want the skull. That's an option." D.R. said.

"O.k...can we talk about something else please? Some of us want to eat." H.E. Druid said.

"Well please forgive me Your Highness." D.R. said, and with that, the group sat down to eat. When they were done, Cow Girl pulled GS away so they could share their accounts of the siege of the goblin citadel with some adventurers, citizens, and even some guild staff who were off-duty. The rest of their group joined in, and Ranger's team listened to them as they finished up their second meals. Cow Girl and GS then went to Ranger and Fighter's manor to take the gateway back home to celebrate her promotion.

* * *

Cow Girl and GS de-morphed their armor, and put their belts on a rack, with GS running the water. Cow Girl looked GS over as they shamelessly stripped in front of each other. This was hardly the first time she saw his bare skin, or especially the other way around, but the size and definition of his bulk always made her heart race...especially when she recalled how he used his muscles' power on her body like he wasn't willing to risk breaking her, but still had faith in the strength he revered in her.

She then sat on the sink, as GS turned around, and their mutual smirk said it all. He then walked over to her, and the two wrapped their arms around each other while kissing passionately. Cow Girl then wrapped her bulky, yet supple legs around his waist, and chuckled as soon as she felt GS get an erection. He never saw the moment as sexual, but how could he not with Cow Girl's buxom yet powerful body pressed into his own?

The two spent almost a minute running their hands all over each other's hair, faces, and torsos, especially with GS squeezing Cow Girl's heaving breasts, rubbing her thick legs, and eventually picking her up by putting his hands under her butt. Not one to be outdone by him, Cow Girl tightened her hold on him, which earned her a knowing smirk from the muscle-bound man holding her; he's the one who fed her pride in her own strength...not that the results were unpleasant.

"You know...I drank some potion before I came into this room." GS breathed out.

"Lucky me." Cow Girl said sensually before caressing GS' face and kissing him again. GS then got in the water, and sat down with Cow Girl still in his arms, and once they touched the water, their lust was forgotten, and Cow Girl sighed dreamily as she snuggled into him while lazily running her now-wet hands all over his enticingly brawny torso and arms.

She then looked at GS' manhood, then sat up and put his hands on her breasts as she put her hands on his shoulders, lowered herself onto his manhood and started bouncing. The friction between her legs, the raw sensation of GS' manhood filling her lower body, his powerful hands stabilizing and passively massaging her massive breasts as she bounced them around, and the contrast between the hardness of GS' thighs, and the thick, plump skin covering her buttocks made blissful moans pour out of Cow Girls' enchanting lips.

GS then took the initiative by grabbing Cow Girl's butt, picking her up, and pinned her against the wall while thrusting into her tightening womanhood as the waterfall poured down on them, but it stopped nothing. Cow Girl squealed at the surprise, and then started laughing at GS; she was clearly impressed by how much motivation he had to pleasure her. Eventually, his mission was a success; Cow Girl had a mind-boggling orgasm less than a minute after GS slammed her into the wall, and GS wasn't far behind. GS then slowly sat down, and Cow Girl caught her breath in the meantime. She then passionately kissed GS while they ran their hands over each other's faces, shoulders, sides, and backs, and lashed tongues in the process.

"I love you..." GS breathed out against her lips.

"I love you too..." Cow Girl whispered before kissing GS several more times. She then pulled back, straightened herself, and held up her breasts from underneath, and GS immediately fondled and squeezed her breasts, and sucked on her nipples as Cow Girl's pleasured gasping spurred him on. She also held his head against her chest, and GS got the point and swirled his tongue around her nipples with even more vigor. He then pulled back, stood up, turned her around, and put her against the wall. Cow Girl then let off a horny chuckle as GS started groping her round, wide, and supple buttocks, and then pulled on her hip, signaling her to stick her butt out more. She then gasped as she felt GS' thick, dense manhood plunge into her from behind.

Cow Girl's moans filled GS' ears yet again, along with the fleshy slapping sounds of his groin slamming into her butt. He then peeked around to see her breasts sway back and forth as he slammed into her butt hard enough to make her whole body shake, especially her butt itself. GS then slowed down and rubbed her hips for the sake of it, then got back to pounding her tight womanhood until they both climaxed. GS then removed himself from Cow Girl's body, and even held her up, and against his body as her legs gave out from the euphoria, and she took a moment to compose herself. GS then sat down with her in his lap, and still leaning back into him as she caught her breath. GS then gave her a small smile, which he noticed and then returned. GS then groped her breasts repeatedly and Cow Girl giggled at him before simply sitting on his lap, and enjoying his powerful hands work on her plump flesh.

"Enjoying yourself?" GS asked.

"Oh yes..." Cow Girl breathed out as she kept shifting against her muscle-bound lover as he kept kneading her breasts like dough. "If this is the reward for becoming Silver Rank, I would've joined the guild sooner."

"It's not the reward-" Cow Girl cuts GS off.

"Stop, don't kill the mood." She said.

"Sorry." GS said.

"Just kept working on my chest." Cow Girl said.

"Alright." GS said, and his hands kept up what they were doing the whole time.

"Goblin Slayer...would you like us to have our own children sometime?" Cow Girl asked...and GS _still_ continued to play with her breasts.

"I...don't know." He said thoughtfully.

"Well, in case you forgot- o.k. you can quit groping me now." Cow Girl said and GS let go of her breasts and Cow Girl turned around. "In case you forgot, everyone used to say I would make a good mother, and Ranger actually wondered if you'd make a good father. Don't get me wrong, he didn't insult you, but...I can't help but wonder if you would myself, despite how much I love you."

"I see..." GS whispered.

"The goblins are being dealt with as we speak by the Elder Revenant, so... I hate to say it, but at this point, you're no where near ready to be a father since goblin-slaying is your only real strong suit, and their days are numbers." Cow Girl said.

"I know." GS said.

"Then...I guess we'll just have to work on that. Maybe Ranger can teach you a thing about parenting, I mean...you taught him and the rest of us about goblin-slaying, why can't he return the favor?" Cow Girl said.

"Alright." GS said.

"Alright indeed. Now, let's get out and re-join the others...after you give me one last round." Cow Girl said, and then she swam to the other side, and laid back as GS followed her, and then Cow Girl spread her legs and wrapped them around GS' waist and he starting mating with her. She started gasping and spasming the moment GS' manhood penetrated her body, and eventually she held onto him as they both climaxed and groaned into each other's necks. GS then removed himself from her womanhood before the two stood up and dried off and shared one last kiss before grabbing their belts.

* * *

When the pair got dressed, they went out to the makeshift stable Ranger's horse was at...and saw none other than Ranger with her, using a bucket of veggies and fruits, especially apples, to feeds the horse with.

"Welcome back..." Ranger trailed off.

"Good to be back." Cow Girl said as brightly as ever.

"I...wasn't expecting to see you here..." Ranger trailed off.

"You...haven't forgotten that the portal to the fortress you gave us is in that manor right?" Cow Girl asked.

"No just...nevermind, I wanted to see my horse." Ranger said.

"Can I see her?." Cow Girl asked as Ranger motioned inside the stable, and then Cow Girl went inside, and the horse looked to see her. "Hey, remember me?" The horse then neighed softly, as Cow Girl approached the horse and caressed the sides of her head.

"The only person I missed more was my daughter..." Ranger said trailed off.

"I can imagine." Cow Girl said softly.

"You know...I'm thinking about giving her to her and Goblin Slayer when we part ways." Ranger said.

"Us? Really?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yes, she'll do much better in that rolling farmland instead of in this cramped excuse for a stable, and not only would it be better for her, and the rest of us as well." Ranger said.

"Because of my experience with animals?" Cow Girl asked

"That, plus it's a good excuse to pay you a visit when I can so I can check on her. Well..._we_ can check on her." Ranger said.

"Of course." Cow Girl said before looking at the manor. "Well, it's been nice catching up but...I'd like to see that angel of yours."

"Right this way." Ranger said, and Cow Girl shook her head as she followed her teacher inside until they reached the baby's room, and Cow Girl knelt by her and smiled.

"Hello..." Cow Girl said.

"Hello." The baby said, before reaching up, and Cow Girl picked the baby up and held her close.

"I missed you little one." She said softly.

"Ranger..." GS said.

"Goblin Slayer..." Ranger said.

"Is the Cambion dead?" GS asked.

"It's...abit complicated; I'll tell you about it when we get to the guild hall." Ranger said.

"Alright." GS said.

"So, can she see Goblin Slayer now?" Cow Girl asked.

"Alright, but...please remove your helmet around my daughter." Ranger said.

"Right." GS said, and he took his helmet off right away as Cow Girl approached.

"Say hello." She said.

"Hello..." GS said.

"Hello." The baby said.

"Take her, and please...smile." Cow Girl said, and GS looked at the baby for a moment, then softened up, huffed in amusement, then took the baby from Cow Girl, and the baby couldn't stop staring at him. "Isn't she cute?"

"You know...she is." GS said softly.

"She likes you better than she likes Hero apparently." Ranger said.

"Oh..._that_ moment..." Cow Girl said.

"I hope she wasn't too salty over it." Ranger said, and GS and baby kept up their little staring contest, until Ranger touched his daughter's cheek, she looked at him, and reached for him to take her. Ranger then smiled and took her from GS. "To think you were still growing in your mother's womb only a few months ago."

"We were talking about having a child ourselves not long ago." GS said and Ranger smirked.

"While in bed or in a bath?" He asked.

"Yes..." Cow Girl breathed out.

"Hey, I'm happy for you. Having a child isn't there is to it; we have a right to enjoy ourselves." Ranger said.

"You're baby is right in your arms." Cow Girl said.

"Oh relax, I'm keeping the reference as subtle as I can, so even if she does remember this, it won't matter. Besides...she'll learn what I mean when she's old enough." Ranger said.

"Good point...as always." Cow Girl said.

"Well, let's go back to the guild hall, and give _you_ to your grandparents." Ranger said as he smiled at his baby.

* * *

Ranger then carried the baby to the guild hall, with Cow Girl, and GS behind him, and Ranger kept holding the baby close, to assure her that her father was there to support her, which kept her calm even when things got loud when his father's students got started on their training. Lo and behold, his mother was there with Wizard.

"Son!" Ranger's mother exclaimed as she approach her son, and he handed the baby over to Cow Girl as his mother tightly embraced him.

"Hey mother." Ranger said softly.

"Wizard told me everything...she told me..._everything_." His mother said seriously.

"What's the matter?" Ranger asked.

"Cambion nearly killed you multiple times, and then you fought the Demon Lord!" His mother exclaimed with her eyes watering.

"I had no choice. Would you prefer I abandon everyone to their fates like a coward?" Ranger asked.

"No, of course not, it's just...it's not easy for a mother to face the chance her son might die." His mother said softly.

"Mother...there's something you need to know. Before my team left to face the Cambion, I told my daughter that if we were to die, she would still have her grandparents to look after her, and based on how I was raised, I knew she would have nothing to worry about. Fighter, the woman I asked to spend her life at my side, the same woman who carried your granddaughter in her womb just like you carried me in yours, embraced me with _tears_ rolling down her face. I took a risk the moment I first joined the guild, but this is what I was bred for, what you and my father raised me for, and the War God understood exactly what I could do with his power, and that I would do anything and everything I could to help end the war we were waging against the goblins once and for all. I couldn't be there to help the siege, but I could certainly be there to delay the Demon Lord. If I had a son who ran away when he could have helped stop the Demon Lord...I don't think I would ever want to see him again." Ranger said...and everyone stared at him in awe as he told his speech with the same conviction and determination he always took with him.

"You are...such a good man son. That Platinum Rank on your neck hasn't been there anywhere near long enough." Ranger's mother said before hugging her son even tighter. She then let go and looked at the baby. "Let me see my granddaughter."

"Here you go ma'am." Cow Girl said softly as she handed the baby over, and Ranger's mother kept the smile on her face the whole time as she looked at the girl in her arms.

"Hello." She said.

"Hello." The baby said.

"Your father is a hero...through and through." Ranger's mother whispered before looking at Wizard, who watched them in total silence the whole time. "And he leads a team of heroes too." Wizard then nodded slightly.

"Speaking of whom, I need to check in with everyone." Ranger said seriously.

"Not only am I willing to hold your daughter, I insist you let me do so." His mother said.

"Alright. Wizard?" Ranger asked.

"I have to talk to your mom about something. It shouldn't take too long." Wizard said.

"O.k." Ranger said, before leading Cow Girl and GS inside.

"What's on your mind?" Ranger's mother asked.

"Well...for starters, I don't recall ever thanking you for teaching me about potion brewing." Wizard said.

"My dear, you thank me by putting it to use for my son, and the rest of the frontier." Ranger's mother said.

"Right, although I cannot take all the credit can I?" Wizard said.

"No, I would say not." Ranger's mother said.

"Have you come up with any new recipes that I'm not aware of?" Wizard asked.

"Not at the moment. Why?" Ranger's mother asked.

"Because...well, I intend to become an archmage eventually, and I might very well make potion brewing a mainstream occasion." Wizard said.

"That would be delightful! I happen to recall making hundreds of potions for the siege force. Thank the Supreme that the guild is significantly richer than it's ever been." Ranger's mother said.

"And?" Wizard asked.

"From what I heard...those potions were badly needed." Ranger's mother said.

"Then your heroic son has a heroic mother." Wizard said and shared a smile with the older woman.

* * *

"Ranger, and the two Goblin Slayers." Guild Girl said.

"In the flesh." Ranger said.

"Did you tell him?" Guild Girl asked.

"Tell me what?" Ranger asked.

"She's the one who gave me my Silver Rank." Cow Girl said.

"Big surprise." Ranger said.

"I never thought I'd see you become Silver Ranked when we first met." Guild Girl said.

"Yeah, me neither." Cow Girl said.

"Would you give us a moment please?" Ranger asked.

"Alright." Cow Girl said before leading GS to the rest of their team at the table.

"What's on your mind?" Guild Girl asked.

"How are you taking this?" Ranger asked, and Guild Girl put her head down.

"I'm...relieved beyond words that I'll never have to hear about goblins cutting more innocent lives short. I can't tell you how many times I cried myself to sleep over it, nor can I imagine how many times the Sword Maiden cried herself to sleep." She said softly.

"Well...thanks to a pair of brothers, neither of you will shed another tear over those little green bastards." Ranger said and Guild Girl smiled.

"I guess not...I still can't believe Storm Mage and Sword Maiden's ashes were blended together." She said.

"I have half a mind to wonder if my ashes will be blended with Fighter's when we die." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"You love her that much?" Guild Girl asked.

"Guild Girl...I love her more than I've ever loved anyone. That baby I gave her didn't come out of thin air." Ranger said softly.

"I know. You two warmed my heart ever since I found out you were together. I remember the look in your eyes when you first saw her." Guild Girl said and Ranger smiled.

"I couldn't stop staring at her to save my life. I've seen and met girls before her, but none captured my attention anywhere near as hopelessly, especially after seeing how strong she was." He said.

"Funny, not many men are interested in strong women." Guild Girl said.

"Well...it helps alot that we fight goblins together, and doing that with a weak woman with me is something I really don't want to think about. But her? Every time she works over a heap of goblins...I'm amazed I can stop myself from getting ahold of her." Ranger said.

"I ever tell you that Summoner saved me and Inspector from that Rhea Scout?" Guild Girl asked.

"I remember the occasion. Must have been quite something to have a summoner and an elemental protecting you." Ranger said.

"You have no idea..." Guild Girl trailed off, then Wizard came inside.

"How did it go?" Ranger asked.

"I was just talking to your mother about potions, and how they played their part during the siege. Nothing major." Wizard said.

"Nothing major my ass..." Ranger deadpanned.

"So...where's Priestess? I haven't seen her all day?" Wizard asked.

"She's around here somewhere, and FYI...she was there when Miss Goblin Slayer got her Silver Rank." Guild Girl said.

"Wow...she gets the archbishop, and her future husband as observers. How lucky can one girl get?" Wizard said.

"It gets better- actually, I'll let everyone else tell you." Guild Girl said.

"Alright. I'll go ask them." Wizard said.

"I'll be there in a moment." Ranger said.

"You still want to talk?" Guild Girl asked.

"Not for much longer, but yes." Ranger said.

"Alright, later boss." Wizard said before leaving.

"Ranger?" Guild Girl asked.

"I ever tell you how we lasted as long as we did?" Ranger asked.

"I...don't think so, aside from how...brutal you've been towards the goblins." Guild Girl said.

"You sound disturbed." Ranger said.

"Well...Summoner has a pretty disturbing past himself, but he's a demon hunter; that's kind of expected. But then again...goblins aren't much better, so being the same way towards them does sort of make sense. I guess he and you are more alike than I thought." Guild Girl said.

"I noticed. The time he looked after Miss Goblin Slayer, by itself, is something for which he deserves every bit of love he gets, especially from you." Ranger said.

"I'm sure you would have done the same." Guild Girl said.

"Without hesitation." Ranger said.

"But, we're getting off-point here. Sorry about that." Guild Girl said.

"I don't blame you. Several people got me for being compassionate yet having a tendency for being brutal to my foes, especially goblins and demons." Ranger said.

"You read my mind...now, how did you last this long?" Guild Girl asked.

"Teamwork for starters, but also because we don't fight fair. Goblin Slayer said himself, to beat goblins, one must think like them, and even fight like them, and...fairness is not a word in their vocabulary." Ranger said.

"I can imagine. Warrior once told me that you make things personal when fighting goblins..." Guild Girl said.

"Don't get it wrong, it's not like I pin _every_ single goblin down and cut them apart every time I get the chance, although having blades that can be heated up makes getting brutal with them significantly easier." Ranger said.

"Dare I ask?" Guild Girl asked.

"Have you ever been burned before? Have you ever been cut before? Well...imagine getting sliced open and the blade that does it is hot enough to seal the wound closed." Ranger said and Guild Girl recoiled. "Yeah...not a nice way to go."

"Doesn't sound like it..." Guild Girl said.

"At least being...violated comes with the chance to recover, but this? You're not recovering from that any time soon." Ranger said.

"Have you done that to anyone that wasn't a goblin?" Guild Girl asked.

"Not really." Ranger said.

"Well...at least the goblins are dealt with for good, and I'd say thank you on their victims' behalf, but I only have one mouth." Guild Girl said.

"I'll pretend you did." Ranger said.

"So...what do you plan on doing now?" Guild Girl asked.

"So far, join the festivities, and enjoy ourselves in whatever other way we can think of." Ranger said.

"Makes sense, although...the guild could probably still need you and your team in the future." Guild Girl said.

"Don't worry, we're not leaving the guild anytime soon." Ranger said.

"Good..." Guild Girl said...before Ranger hugged her. "Ranger?"

"I still believe you deserve part of the credit for our triumphs, but even if you didn't...you deserve this as a principle." Ranger said softly, and Guild Girl returned the hug. Ranger then pulled back and looked at her lower belly. "Summoner is a lucky man...and I can tell you're quite to be quite a mother."

"Thanks." Guild Girl whispered, and the shared a smile with Ranger, before he let go of her and went to his team...who had regained a missing member.

"Hey boss? Guess what..." Rhea Fighter said as she held up her own Silver Rank tag.

"Well, good for you." Ranger said.

"And Priestess observed for me as well." Rhea Fighter said as she pointed to Priestess, who was on her way over.

"And then some so I hear." Ranger said.

"I observed for quite a few people actually. I can see Sense Lie just like Inspector can." Priestess said.

"Not to mention that having the archbishop around can really make an exam more flavorful." Warrior said.

"Right." Priestess said.

"Wizard? Where's your brother?" Ranger asked.

"Right here boss." Wizard's brother said.

"So...?" Ranger asked.

"I just came back from checking in with the pope...and he wants to see all of you." Wizard's brother said with a smirk, then the team looked at each other.

* * *

Wizard's brother led Ranger's group to Abbot, who was in his chair taking a nap, and he woke up as soon as the group entered the room.

"It's done." Ranger said.

"So I see..." Abbot trailed off.

"Father?" Priestess asked.

"Listen to me...we've depended on all of you. You're the best group of adventurers I've ever had the honor to serve, and quite possibly the best group the guild has ever assembled." Abbot said.

"Thank you Father." Fighter said.

"I say this to all of you because you deserve every ounce of praise, every last coin, and every second of happiness you gain after this night, and as I predicted, you all became greater heroes than the tenth Platinum Rank herself, and it is the greatest honor of my life, and a great start to my role as the new pope, to give you all Platinum Ranks of your own. There isn't a single one of you four that hasn't earned it. Fighter? You have defeated the Cambion; you have not only avenged the Sword Maiden and Storm Mage, but stopped him from becoming an even greater threat to this world. You have also demonstrated through your defense of Water Town, and your fight with the adventurers he made a false promise towards, that should the fight have continued, you would emerged the victor. The control you displayed over the immeasurable power of your husband's Army of One miracle, despite it not being your own, in addition to all of your feats, is more than enough reason for me to name you the 12th Platinum Rank." Abbot said as he walked up to her and pulled a Platinum tag out of his pocket.

"Thank you Father..." Fighter said as she bowed and accepted her new Platinum Rank. She then looked back at Ranger who nodded at her.

"Wizard...you have summoned an entire army of World Spawns, something that has never been done before. You have gone above and beyond the limits of the art of summoning, and the fact that you assisted in the demise of the Demon Lord's pet as well, deems you worthy of becoming the 13th Platinum Rank." Abbot said and Wizard smiled and bowed as she was given her own Platinum tag.

"Thank you Father." Wizard said.

"I am also aware of your progress in the rest of the arcane arts; if you go as far as you have with summoning, you will become quite possibly the greatest archmage in history." Abbot said.

"Oh, I am no where near done Father." Wizard said.

"Warrior...you are the one who dealt the killing blow against the Demon Lord's pet, and even distracted it while your wife here prepared to unleash her army of World Spawns to aid you. These are actions that require cunning, skill, and bravery that are beyond measure. By doing this, you have saved countless lives, and prevented the Demon Lord from becoming an even greater threat than he already was. With that, you will be the 14th Platinum Rank." Abbot said as Warrior bowed and received his tag as well.

"Thank you very much Father." Warrior said, and Priestess bowed the moment Abbot approached her.

"And you...Priestess..." He trailed off before giving her Platinum tag to her right away. "You defeated the Demon Lord...single-handedly. You did what not one, but two Platinum Ranks failed to do as a team, with a great deal of help, when the Demon Lord was at his most powerful. For that single moment, you wielded the same level of power the Champion himself was said to have wielded! There is not a single person here that would be alive today had you not done what you did. You...have surpassed the Sword Maiden beyond _any_ hope she would have had of catching up to you, and you deserve to become the 15th Platinum Rank...many times over."

"Father..." Priestess breathed out and Abbot pulled her into a hug.

"I have always been proud of the cleric you've become, but now...I almost feel like I should be the one bowing to you." He said seriously, and Priestess returned the embrace as the rest of the group looked at each other.

"Hey boss, now we're Platinum Ranks like you." Warrior said and Ranger smirked.

"I still became Platinum Ranked first." He said.

"I remember when you talked about us all becoming Platinum Ranked back in the day, you were actually a bit torn up about it thanks to Hero." Fighter said.

"Well, now look at us." Wizard said proudly, and they all put their Platinum tags in a circle.

"Ever since I got my Porcelain tag, I was curious about becoming Platinum Ranked...and now here I am with not only my own, but with the second Sword Maiden, the ultimate monster killer, an archmage in the making...and my loving wife, who happens to be the mother of my daughter." Ranger said.

"So what now oh great and powerful Platinum Ranks?" Wizard's brother asked.

"Are you going to go for a Platinum Rank for your own?" Wizard asked.

"Nah, I'll stick to Gold Rank; Platinum Rank is too much pressure." Her brother said.

"If you say so." Wizard said.

"You'll get one when you're ready for one." Fighter said.

"Hey Priestess? Now is a golden opportunity to become the first Diamond Rank." Warrior said.

"You remember that?" Ranger asked.

"Hey, the good pope here said that Priestess deserves a Platinum Rank many times over. That sounds like something a Diamond Rank should be to me." Warrior said.

"If anyone deserves to have that rank it's the Champion." Fighter said.

"She could have my necklace; it's diamond." Ranger said.

"No...it's yours." Priestess said.

"If you insist." Ranger said.

"Well how about that? You're officially the 15th Platinum Rank, and the archbishop of Water Town, and unofficially, the first Diamond Rank." Warrior said.

"Should you be aware of anyone else who may be worthy of a Platinum Rank, please...send them to me, until then...have a nice life all of you." Abbot said.

"Very well Father." Ranger said, before Priestess opened a portal to the Temple of Law.

* * *

"Your Grace?" Sword Mage asked.

"Do we have news for you." Warrior said.

"Yes, yes, you're all Platinum Ranks. The miracle of Vision showed me everything, but...I have terrible news." Sword Mage said.

"You've got interesting timing for terrible news my good sir." Wizard's brother said, and Sword Mage sighed.

"I am truly sorry, and I really am honored to be in the presence of no less than five Platinum Ranks, but I must inform you...the clones are dead." He said, and the team recoiled.

"What? How?" Priestess asked.

"It must have been the Demon Lord, or that damned goblin mage; a final bitter curse to decrease the taste of our victory." Sword Mage said.

"Well it didn't work. Those clones now have a free-trip to Heaven, with the Sword Maiden. If she can find happiness, so can they." Ranger said simply and Sword Mage stared at him.

"I...did not consider that..." He said thoughtfully.

"He's right you know." Fighter said.

"Yeah, we met the Sword Maiden several times since she was sent to Heaven, and she's been beaming ever since." Warrior said.

"I am surprised that you came to this conclusion so easily my good lords and ladies." Sword Mage said.

"Trust me, if you went through even half of what we did, you'd feel the same way." Wizard said.

"Of that, I have no doubt. Forgive my despair, but as you know, I have not the experience you all have in such matters." Sword Mage said.

"There is nothing to forgive Sword Mage." Priestess said.

"Well, enough doom and gloom. We're at the top of the class now, let's go celebrate!" Warrior exclaimed.

"Maybe tomorrow; it's almost sundown, and we can surprise everyone tomorrow." Fighter said.

"Good idea." Warrior said.

"We could celebrate on our own times..." Ranger said.

"Now that's a good idea." Wizard said.

"Well, while you do that, I'll let everyone who asks know the drill. Don't worry, I won't spoil the surprise." Wizard's brother said.

"See to it that you don't." Ranger said.

"See you later." Wizard's brother said as he went to leave.

"In the meantime, I'm taking a trip to the capital." Wizard said.

"Why?" Fighter asked.

"I've got some things to check on, and something to work on. I'll be back in time for tomorrow's celebrations, and I don't care how they're celebrating in the capital; I'm coming back here." Wizard said.

"I'm coming too." Warrior said and Wizard smirked.

"So I get to return home, and I get an escort. Yay me." She said.

"We're going home; show our little girl how far her parents came." Fighter said as she leaned into Ranger.

"I'll stay here and catch up on my duties." Priestess said.

"As always, I am at your service." Sword Mage said with a bow.

"Much appreciated." Priestess said before she left the main chamber.

"Here's a portal gem for you." Ranger said as he held the gem up.

"Great, but...I don't remember the capital very clearly." Wizard said.

"I thought you were trained there?" Fighter asked.

"I haven't been to that place in ages." Wizard said.

"Oh well, I can give you a hand with that." Fighter said before taking the gem from her husband and opening a portal to the capital's gates.

"Shall we?" Warrior asked as Wizard took his arm and they walked through the portal...and Wizard marveled at the place as they went through the gates.

"Home sweet home..." Wizard whispered.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter then went home, and checked on their little girl, who was crying for her parents, and Fighter made a beeline for her once she heard the sound, and then smelled that her baby was in need of a new diaper, so she fixed the problem, and then held her baby until she stopped crying. Ranger then approached and caressed the baby's face with his finger, and Fighter smiled as she watched her husband caress their little girl until she fell asleep.

The two then went to their room, stripped naked, and then Ranger sat on the bed...before his wife planted her buttocks on his rippling thighs, and they used a recaller to see the time Fighter fought the adventurers. Ranger watched the entire thing with a grin on his face as he watched Fighter dance around them like they were lumbering oafs, and even make short work of the Silver Ranks, while she herself was dead-tired. Fighter felt Ranger's manhood swell underneath her legs, then recalled the time she fought the Cambion, and even though seeing her get pummeled wasn't easy to watch, seeing her alive and well on his lap made things easier for him, especially when he saw the same goddess on his leg beat the Cambion within an inch of his life.

The icing on the cake was when they recalled the fight with the archdemon at the pope's palace...which spoke for itself.

"Take that you demonic assholes!" Fighter said and Ranger burst out laughing.

"You remember that?" He asked.

"How can I not?" Fighter said sensually while caressing his face.

"I ever tell you I love you?" Ranger asked.

"Well...your little Ranger sure loves me." Fighter said before rubbing her thigh against his erection.

"I told you...I like strong women, and last I checked, no one in this country is stronger than you." Ranger said, Fighter then chuckled before locking lips with him, and then lashed tongues with him while he rubbed her hip and thigh. The two continued mashing lips and lashing tongues, with their lips moving back and forth between being locked, and not locked together. Fighter then moaned into their kiss as Ranger moved his hand up her belly and then fondled her lovely breast. He then teased her by reaching down to grope the side of her butt.

"Unreal...my butt is smothering your thighs, and your crotch, and you still want a handful." Fighter said.

"And how many people could blame me?" Ranger teased.

"You're such a pervert..." Fighter said.

"But I'm _your_ pervert." Ranger said with a smirk, then Fighter returned the smirk.

"That you are..." She said before continuing to kiss Ranger while he got back to rubbing her thigh, belly, and breast. Fighter then shifted against him, and moaned into their kiss when Ranger started twisting her nipple. He then let go of it, then started squeezing the breast that was pressing into his chest.

"You know...the Sword Maiden compared me and Storm Mage quite a bit. Our looks, our hair, I think our strength as well...but I just now noticed another thing: our luck with women." Ranger said.

"Oh?" Fighter asked.

"I think I made my feelings about my current position pretty clear, and even though I am associated with other women...come on, in what world did I display any romantic feelings for them? I don't recall ever doing so, and don't say I better not; you know me better than that." Ranger said.

"I know the drill baby. You shrugged off the Sword Maiden for fuck's sake." Fighter said.

"Right...although even now I question if I would have been as much of a walking boon for her as Storm Mage was- I mean is." Ranger said.

"Considering how much care you showed for her, and how much love you showed for me...I can't think of anyone else that could have filled Storm Mage's shoes." Fighter said.

"Now this is all assuming I never met you first in this scenario." Ranger said.

"Right..." Fighter whispered.

"Although...despite how much I care about her, I don't think I'd enjoy being in bed with her as much as I presume Storm Mage does. I don't know how many times he was in bed with her, nor am I curious since...that's none of my business, but like I said earlier: I like strong women." Ranger said.

"It shows, but on a serious note...yeah, Sword Maiden is beautiful beyond words, but I don't see you with her given your taste." Fighter said.

"Storm Mage doesn't seem to mind either, although I suppose lots of men would go for that kind of body. That being said when Guild Girl got more attention from men than she probably should have." Ranger said.

"And now she's with Summoner...speaking of men who have luck with women." Fighter said.

"I guess it runs in the family." Ranger said.

"Storm Mage slept around and then got married to the Sword Maiden, and then Summoner has a decent amount of moments with Wizard before getting not one, but two wives. I wonder what their big sister's luck with men was like...?" Fighter said.

"We could ask her tomorrow." Ranger said.

"My thoughts exactly." Fighter said, and then Ranger smirked.

"I just now recalled the time you showed me your time with Miss Goblin Slayer in the bathhouse...I still can't believe you showed me that." He said.

"I still can't believe you check out my ass, but not hers." Fighter said.

"Eh, it's the same ass." Ranger said casually, and then Fighter stood up and let him look at her flawless butt.

"You _really_ don't see a difference?" She asked, and then Ranger stood up and Fighter braced for Ranger's hands to slam into her buttocks and start squeezing it...but he surprised her by groping her breasts from behind and fondling them. Fighter then had a flashback to when she undressed and then told Ranger to surprise her, and then he did _exactly_ what he was doing now.

"I sincerely hope Goblin Slayer likes strong women like I do, because he's dealing with the same type of body. she claimed that she's stronger than she looks...and considering how heartily you yourself have been eating, it's easy to see why your skin is so...layered." Ranger breathed out, and the way he applied such delicious pressure to the softest parts of her body, and spoke so intensely right next to her ear made her _shudder_.

"The way you speak should come with a warning sign..." Fighter groaned.

"As should this body of yours, and speaking of warnings...I do believe I'm about to fuck me a Platinum Rank." Ranger said.

"Oh, _are_ you know?" Fighter teased.

"I made a certain affectionate wife of mine a promise to use clones of my own, and what better way could there be to show her how much her body suits my taste?" Ranger said, and Fighter gasped at the idea, and shuddered even more as Ranger dragged his tongue the side of her neck. He then chuckled as he held her up as her knees buckled, and pressed against her back with his manhood sliding up the side of her spine.

"You're as cruel as ever..." Fighter whispered.

"That _just_ dawned on you?" Ranger asked.

"No...no it hasn't. I accepted that nothing around us was normal a long time ago; we went after goblins, demons, and other abominations for almost two years straight. Besides...I married you for a reason. Supreme help me...I think all of this knocked a screw loose." Fighter said.

"Then maybe I should _screw_ it back in." Ranger breathed out...and then made no less than four clones in front of Fighter, and she sucked in a breath, seeing them all as bulky as the man holding her, and their erections just as long and thick.. "I can feel your heart racing."

"I'm just excited." Fighter said.

"I don't blame you. You think one little Ranger is something else? Well...now you've got four, and trust me, these fine gentlemen are looking to give you a hell of a time. Although it might be intense..." Ranger said.

"Oh I'm counting on it..." Fighter said harshly, and then Ranger gently pushed Fighter into the arms of his clones, and they immediately got to work on her body. The one in front of her roughly gripped her butt, making a loud slapping sound, and a ripple that went through her abundant flesh, two more started sucking on her neck and each one groped her breasts and rubbed her back, while the last one knelt down to rub her legs, especially her inner thighs. Fighter's moans filled the air right away, and the original Ranger watched his four clones pleasure his wife and make her respond to it in every way. Not only did she let out the deep, throaty moans that always enticed him to continue his work, but her lungs inflated as much as they could, she threw her head back, and shifted against the four muscle-bound clones giving her everything she could handle...and more.

The clone rubbing her thick legs watched his fellow clones squeeze, rub, lick, and wobble Fighter's flesh, and then she leaned back into him...and he held her up as the clone in front of her held up her legs before the clones on the sides sucked on her nipples. Fighter tensed up and moaned even more as the clones playfully chewed on her breasts and swirled their tongues around her nipples, drenching them in their saliva. The two clones then used both hands each to knead one breast, and the clone in front of her shuffled his hands underneath her butt, then signaled the one holding up her back to place her shoulders on the bed as the clones working on her breasts backed off.

Fighter then took things up a notch by actually standing on her own two feet, muscling past the mind-numbing bliss she was in, then bent over the bed, and Ranger got a good view of her heaving breasts pressing into the bed, and her arched back and buttocks as a clone got behind her and ran his hands over the creamy skin on her back and hips. Fighter then shared a smile with the original Ranger as the other clones got behind the first clone just in time to see him plunge into Fighter's moist, swollen womanhood, and Fighter started groaning right away. The original Ranger watched her already-pleasured mind enter a state of animalistic lust as the clone behind her slammed into her butt over and over, with the other clones getting on the sides to watch her lose her mind with pleasure from different angles.

Ranger then walked away when Fighter was too consumed by euphoria to pay attention to him, then turned both a swig of potion...and a pill Wizard gave him for what he had in mind next; his wife had as much lust as he had, and there was no way she was done for good. Ranger then watched the clone giving Fighter a good time plunge his manhood into her entrance over and over until he and Fighter climaxed. He then watched another clone take the place of the first one, and then she started groaning and panting again.

Ranger himself smirked at the effect his clones were having on the goddess he married as they shoved their manhoods into her one by one. He then recalled how _incredible_ it felt to be inside her. She was as warm as a day on the beach, and just as moist as the sand by the ocean, not to mention she was so narrow that it was a miracle he could fit inside her, not that he minded; the challenge made it that much more worth it. Then there's the effect it had on her; he saw the same raw, unrefined lust on her face that he saw now, and when she was the one in charge of their trysts, she was as every bit as hungry for his body as he was for hers. Even after all the times they made passionate love, she never lost her flavor, and apparently, neither did he.

The last clone mating with Fighter finally climaxed, and Ranger re-absorbed the clones one by one...and their sensations confirmed everything he thought previously as he groaned with euphoria and collapsed onto the bed's edge and took a moment to compose himself. He then looked at Fighter who was sill panting, convulsing, and occasionally chuckling in bliss. Ranger then held her up and helped her lay on the bed properly, then he watched her luscious breasts rise and fall rapidly as she continued panting.

"That was intense alright. Are you o.k.?" Ranger asked as he laid down next to her, and she slowly got on top of him, and gave him bright smile before sucking on his neck. "Someone's in a good mood."

"After what you just did to me...who wouldn't be...?" Fighter asked before continuing to lick and kiss his neck.

"You planning on returning the favor?" Ranger breathed out and Fighter stopped and thought for a moment.

"I might...but for now, let me taste you some more." She said before continuing to treat his neck. Ranger then ran his hands through her hair as she put one leg around his torso, and started massaging his brawny chest with her own hands.

"Anything to say?" Ranger asked.

"Other than the fact that if you were this big and sexy when we first started making love, I probably would have asked you to fuck me every way possible." Fighter said sensually.

"Look who's talking..." Ranger said before groping Fighter's butt.

"Bigger isn't always better my ass...speaking of which." She said before putting his other hand on her butt, and chuckled as Ranger played with her flesh.

"You like this too much..." Ranger said.

"And you _make_ me enjoy this too much you lecherous brute." Fighter teased and Ranger lightly spanked her.

"This lecherous brute has a habit of making you lose your mind with pleasure. Need I remind you how enchanting you look like that, especially compared to how you normally look?" He asked.

"Oh...I'm not complaining." Fighter said.

"Now, I believe my reward should fit my services." Ranger said.

"Do you now?" Fighter asked.

"I not only took some potion earlier but...Wizard gave me a pill that's supposed to keep me from going soft on you, until I stop being so damn fixated on your body...impossible as that may seem." Ranger said.

"She did not make that..." Fighter deadpanned.

"Yep, and take a wild guess how she knows the way it works." Ranger said.

"That charming half-wit always was sweet on her." Fighter said.

"I'm not surprise either...now, be a good girl and give me what I'm owed." Ranger teased, and Fighter smirked and stood up. She then turned and raised an eyebrow at him...then Ranger answered her silent request by slapping her butt and watching her flesh jiggle. She then made four clones of her own, then they immediately helped Ranger stand up before he got to work kissing the one in front of him while groping the butts of the ones to his left and right, and the last one pressed her breasts into his back repeatedly.

Fighter herself watched their clones show how thankful she was for Ranger's touch on her behalf by massaging and kissing him, and letting her grope them. Two clones even returned the favor from earlier by kissing and licking his neck...but then turned it up a notch by gently biting him, then turned it up another notch by including his chest and shoulders. Ranger reacted by looking back at Fighter, who shrugged and smirked innocently, he then looked at one of the clones biting him and then she licked her teeth like a vampire..._alot_ like a vampire.

"Baby? Remember when you were tempted by the vampire queen? Well...I'm your vampire queen for now." Fighter said, and Ranger smirked before he pulled the clone in for a kiss, and she pressed herself into Ranger's bulk as much as she could while their mouths mashed together over and over. He then reached under her butt and picked her up before placing her on the bed, then she wrapped her legs around his waist as he stuffed his manhood into her, and her moans graced his ears the moment he started thrusting into her. His hands never left the plentiful flesh of her buttocks as he continued thrusting into the clone's womanhood with speed and vigor until she climaxed...and then he kept thrusting into her, and the clone actually starting screaming in pleasure until Ranger finally climaxed.

He then pulled out of the clone, saw his fluid-drenched manhood was still hard, and he hummed in acknowledgement. Two of the other clones continued caressing his bulk while watching his organ get plunged in and out of the lucky clone in front of him trying to catch her breath. Ranger then placed the clone he just pleasured on the bed correctly, then bent one of the other clones over the bed, and then started mating with her as well. Fighter herself then stared at Ranger's thick manhood as it was thrusted into her clone's womanhood that was gripping the organ penetrating it like it didn't want to let go, until she finally climaxed.

Ranger then bent another clone over the bed and gave her the exact same treatment since his manhood was still as firm as before. His reaction was the same as well; his own mind was as boggled with pleasure Fighter's was earlier, but he was determined to give an orgasm to the clone getting her butt slammed into. Her pleasure moans erased any doubts from his mind as he kept mating with her until she finally climaxed like the other two. Ranger then pulled out of her, then caught his breath before checking out his still-swollen manhood.

"Damn...that is one _effective_ pill she made..." He breathed out.

"I hope you're not done with it yet, there's still one more." Fighter said as her fourth and final clone turned his head, kissed him, then made him sit down before putting both his hands on her flawless butt, before mounting his lap and sheathing his manhood into her before moving up and down. She then pressed her breasts into Ranger's chest as she bounced in his lap, and moaned as his manhood scraped against the inside of her lower body. Fighter kept her eyes glued to the entire event as Ranger's manhood disappeared and reappeared as her clone took his flesh into her own until she finally let out a groan that signaled another orgasm and spasmed out.

Ranger then laid down with the clone still on top of him with his still-hard organ firmly lodged into her womanhood. Once she caught her breath, she got off of him, and the first three clones put their strength to use by positioning him on the bed properly, then took turns kissing him before the first clone Ranger mated with crawled to the other side of the bed, giving him a perfect view of her flexing buttocks and the entrance he was most likely going to penetrate again. As luck would have it, the two clones on either side of him crawled away from him, and laid down next to on their fronts, with their butts in grabbing range as the last one watched Ranger passionately kiss the first clone he made love to for a moment, and then sheathed Ranger's manhood into her entrance while she rested her hands on either side of his head.

The clone on top of him then started bucking her hips and started panting and gasping right away, with Ranger's hands going between squeezing the butts of the clones at his sides, and groping the breasts of the clone mating with him. The clone on top of him quickened her pace as her gasps became louder and more frequent, especially when Ranger held her hips and thrusted into her in-sync with her until she finally climaxed.

Another clone then pulled the first clone off of Ranger's lap and took her place as she mounted his lap in reverse, and started bucking her hips as his still-solid manhood was swallowed by her entrance. Ranger then gripped her bouncing buttocks and thrusted into her in-sync with her as she let out her own fair share of moans until she spasmed out with her own orgasm. The other clone mounted Ranger's lap, and then he sat up and thrusted into her from behind as she arched her back to present her buttocks even more, and continued to put her throat to use until _she_ had an orgasm.

Ranger then got on top of the final clone and started kissing her while playing with her breasts. She then wrapped her legs around him as Ranger started thrusting into her, the other clones then watched Ranger's manhood get shoved in and out of the last clone with his own buttocks driving the point home. The clone that was beneath Ranger moaning her lungs out, then grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down as she began bouncing on his lap her fair share of times. Ranger then flipped them over again and started thrusting into her...then she pushed him up and then pushed him down as she and the other clones held him down and had smug smiles on their faces as the clone he was mating with smirked at him herself, and bucked her hips until they both climaxed.

The clone that just dominated Ranger collapsed on top of him, and after he caught his breath, the other three clones took turns passionately kissing and lashing tongues with him. Two of them then put one of his hands on their breasts, and moved back and forth for him as he squeezed them and twisted their nipples. All the while, the group of tangled and hungry bodies on the bed gasped, chuckled, and moaned in pleasure. The clone on top of Ranger got off of him...and revealed that his manhood was _still_ solid! How effective was that pill?

Fighter then saw enough and walked over to them, and one clone rejoined with her, and Fighter trembled from the pleasure she was just shocked by. Ranger then held the last clone he mated with close, and caressed and groped her as the real Fighter re-absorbed her clones one by one, with her eyes closed the whole time. Fighter then re-absorbed the final clone...and opened her now-cyan eyes, which made Ranger sober up.

"F-Fighter!? Are you insane! You could have died-" Ranger shut up the moment Fighter put her finger on his lips.

"I can handle the power of your Army of One miracle, no less than a dozen orgasms is nothing." She said.

"A dozen...?" Ranger trailed off.

"Yep, congratulations. Thanks to you, I just had the time of my life 12 times. Oh wow...the 12th Platinum Rank, just had 12 orgasms in a row." Fighter said.

"And I'm the man you used to do it..." Ranger breathed out and Fighter chuckled.

"It's your honor as a fellow Platinum Rank...and as a man, _my_ man." She said.

"A truer word never passed those enchanting lips of yours." Ranger said.

"Did I mention that I opened my chakras so I could get myself together thanks to the...mind-boggling pleasure you gave me?" Fighter asked.

"No...you did not..." Ranger said.

"You should try it; you look pretty groggy yourself." Fighter said.

"Alright..." Ranger said before closing his eyes, and then opening them a few seconds later, and the two stared into each other's turquoise eyes like they were hypnotized. Fighter then came down and kissed Ranger...and both their minds connected. The felt each other's bodies as if they were a single being; each of them felt like they had 24 orgasms instead of 12, they felt each other's skin, muscles, bones, body fats, all as if they belonged to each other. As long as their lips were connected, the out-of-body experience, combined with the total-body experience was omnivorous, and the feeling lingered as the two separated and look at each other with disbelief. That was the most insane experience of their lives, and it was caused by one kiss; what would a mating session do to them?

* * *

In the morning, Ranger and Fighter checked on their baby, and took her out to see the people getting the festival up and running. There was no sign of Warrior and Wizard yet, but the pair still trusted them to make it back; there was no excuse for them not to. Eventually, they went to the guild to see Ranger's father training the trainees; just because the goblins were dealt with, doesn't mean there was no more adventuring to be done...far from it.

The pair then avoided the training group to keep interruptions to a minimum, and went inside...and saw a big surprise. The guild was throwing another dance, and dozens of people were involved with violins, drums, lutes, flutes, and even harps booming through the guild hall. Sword Mage was also involved...as was Noble Fencer, who was now dancing by herself, with a huge smile on her face. Sword Mage then stopped dancing once he noticed her spinning and skipping around, then she locked eyes with him, then they both moved towards each other and it was their first dance all over again.

Sword Mage and Noble Fencer continued to dance for several minutes, and Ranger and Fighter watched them and no one else, even though there were still dozens of people dancing as well. None of them had the same grace or emotional attachment as the pair they were watching. Their dance then ended with Noble Fencer spinning away from Sword Mage, and he pulled her towards him, and dipped her. The entire dance ended, and there were thunderous applause and cheering among the dancers and spectators, so much so that no one noticed or cared that Noble Fencer was now locking lips with Sword Mage, and when they finally separated, the pair couldn't stop smiling.

* * *

"Hey, Ranger!" Summoner exclaimed as Ranger walked by without Fighter.

"Summoner? Where were you?" Ranger asked.

"I was with Mister Wizard setting up some of the more advanced props for the festival." Summoner said.

"How's it going?" Ranger asked.

"So far so good." Summoner said.

"What about your sister?" Ranger asked.

"Oh, she's at the capital, and guess what? She's going to bring her family here." Summoner said.

"No shit." Ranger said.

"Nope." Summoner said simply.

"Well, I can't wait to meet them...if they get here soon enough." Ranger said.

"I can't imagine why they wouldn't." Summoner said, and the two men watched some people get some minor celebrating in by applauding a small drinking contest.

"May I ask you something personal?" Ranger asked.

"What...?" Summoner asked.

"I couldn't help but notice that...you and Storm Mage have some pretty serious luck with women..." Ranger said.

"Where are you going with this?" Summoner asked.

"Did your sister have the same luck with men?" Ranger asked.

"She knew her husband for half of her life before they got married, and even before they were married, he's treated her wounds, slaved over their house when she was out-of-commission, did everything he could to support her trade, and even hired people to do things outside the house for him." Summoner said seriously.

"Enough said..." Ranger trailed off.

"Why do you ask?" Summoner asked.

"I just...thought it ran in the family or something." Ranger said.

"If it does, I cannot explain it." Summoner said, then sighed.

"Is something wrong?" Ranger asked.

"No I...I just remembered our mother." Summoner said.

"Oh...that..." Ranger said.

"Well, at least the Demon Lord's been dealt with...on our front door no less!" Summoner said seriously.

"You know he tempted me to join him?" Ranger asked and Summoner scoffed.

"Now that's funny..." He said.

"I mean it, but you're right. I've refused offers from several people. The vampire queen, the Cambion, even Sword Maiden." Ranger said.

"Huh?" Summoner asked.

"She tried to seduce me once, when she was a...different woman." Ranger said.

"Most people would envy you." Summoner said.

"My heart belongs to Fighter through and through, and once I made that clear, she respected the place my heart was and left it alone." Ranger said.

"And now she's with my brother, in Heaven...and still on Earth." Summoner said.

"Oh right...the urn." Ranger said.

"They put...the ashes of their bodies...in the same urn... How many people have that honor?" Summoner said seriously.

"When I die...I want my ashes mixed with Fighter's as well." Ranger said, and Summoner started trembling.

"Ranger...if this keeps up I'm going to cry like I did when I last saw my mother..." He whispered.

"Sorry." Ranger said, and Summoner then took a moment to compose himself.

"When Guild Girl gives birth to our child, I have every hope I'll be to her what my brother-in-law is to my sister." He said.

"If you can be half as good as I think you can be, she has nothing to worry about." Ranger said seriously, and Summoner smiled.

"Thanks." He said.

"Of course." Ranger said before the two clasped hands, and hugged before Ranger went back to the guild hall. to see Wizard, Fighter, Priestess, and especially Warrior bragging about what they did to get their Platinum Ranks with the people eating it up. Even Ranger's father and his trainees were there listening.

Speaking of the trainees, Wizard introduced the new training dummies that could fight back. She even demonstrated herself that the dummies could defend themselves, hit back, neither, or both, by fighting a few herself, and wowing the trainees with her glaive skill. Groups of trainees then fought a single dummy to start with, but the fights got progressively harder, ending with only one trainee fighting the dummy at a time. A few veteran adventurers got involved to show how it was done, and it was one against several dummies. Good thing Priestess was there because one of the veterans got overconfident and didn't take a dummy seriously enough and was clobbered for it.

* * *

When everything was done, Fighter and Ranger went back home to check on their baby and prepare dinner for everyone before they all went to bed. Next thing they knew, Ranger and Fighter were kissing and stripping each other and going to sleep...or they would if things weren't too tense for their own good for hours on end.

"Ranger?" Fighter whispered, and Ranger looked at her right away.

"You're still awake too?" He asked.

"I couldn't sleep..." Fighter said.

"Me neither." Ranger said, and Fighter snuggled into him and he held her closer.

"I just...I can't believe it's over..." She said thoughtfully.

"Well it is. The goblins are being dealt with, the Demon Lord was replaced with Cambion, who as far as I'm concerned is redeemed, or on the way there...and we all have Platinum Ranks with our names on them." Ranger said.

"And we get to see our little girl grow up...in peace..." Fighter whispered, and Ranger felt her tears wet his shoulder as she tightened her hold on him. The two then laid there without moving an inch as Ranger held his crying wife.

"Fighter..." Ranger said softly as the goddess in his arms continued pouring out her leftover feelings. Fighter eventually calmed down as Ranger ran his hands through her black, silky hair, and across her back to feel her breathing get deeper and slower, along with the rippling muscles underneath her thick, creamy skin.

"I'm sorry..." Fighter whispered.

"Don't be. That fight with the Demon Lord, and everything else was...exhausting, even by Platinum Rank standards." Ranger said seriously.

"Thanks for being here for me, like you always are." Fighter said softly, and smiled as Ranger caressed her face.

"You've done no less for me." He whispered before she pressed her lips against his.

"I love you so much." Fighter breathed out.

"And I love you." Ranger said before kissing her again, and when she broke the kiss, she sighed against his neck as they both went slack and felt each other's breathing and heartbeat.

"Did you...go after the Demon Lord when he came here?" Fighter asked and Ranger sighed.

"Yes..." He whispered.

"Ranger..." Fighter said softly.

"I couldn't stand the idea of our child...our sweet, _beautiful_ child, who had barely began to live, become the Demon Lord's meal. It actually took all three of the ladies to retrain me and keep me from charging after the Demon Lord despite my body reaching it's limit.

"Ranger..." Fighter breathed out.

"I know that wasn't smart, but..." Ranger trailed off.

"I wasn't going to say anything like that. I'm just relieved Priestess came through and saved you both, in addition to our home." Fighter said.

"Right..." Ranger whispered.

"I was more worried than I've ever been when I saw the Demon Lord. I even braced myself to die." Fighter said and Ranger's eyed widened and his breath hitched. "If he killed you...I don't know what I'd do; this was the time you caught fire all over again."

"Army of One's power even ran out on me, although...call me a nutcase, but I think my necklace absorbed some of it's power." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"It wouldn't surprise me, but...we'll have to talk to Wizard about that; she's the expert afterall." Fighter said.

"Don't I know." Ranger said.

"Until then...I"d like to snuggle with the man with a heart, mind, and will the size of a mountain that I married." Fighter said softly.

"I'm sure he'd love that as much as he loves the woman with the body, soul, and voice of a goddess he asked to marry him." Ranger said with a smile before the two snuggled even more, with Fighter sighing dreamily. The two then laid there, basking in each other's love, warmth, and simple presence for the better part of an hour, drifting in and out of consciousness. Eventually, Fighter looked sat up, and looked out the window...before noticing Ranger looking at her breasts.

"We should get back to sleep...unless you'd like to see more?" Fighter teased, and Ranger smirked.

"Just get off of me." He said casually, before Fighter rolled off of him, and he got up to look out of the window. "It must be about midnight now."

"Yes...it must be." Fighter said, before Ranger turned to see her looking over his bulk. "Hey, you looked me over, I can look you over."

"Fighter...baby...what do we have to hide?" Ranger asked before Fighter got up and took her sweet time walking over to him and he watched her enticing motions.

"I'm just toying with you...is that so wrong?" Fighter asked sensually as she pressed her chest into his and kissed him while her hands gripped his shoulders, and his hands gripped her waist. Ranger then pulled her closer as Fighter wrapped one leg around his waist and moaned as his solidified manhood dug into her belly.

"How can something this right, be wrong?" Ranger asked.

"Poetic as ever..." Fighter said, before Ranger slapped her softened butt cheek.

"Smartass...and keep your size jokes to yourself." He said before Fighter giggled.

"When should we have our next child?" She asked.

"When things settle down completely." Ranger said simply.

"Of course..." Fighter trailed off.

"Were you going to ask me to give you one now?" Ranger asked.

"No...I was actually thinking the same thing you were, and besides, I don't feel like having sex right now, despite how much of a master you are at the craft." Fighter said and Ranger huffed.

"Says the woman who tends to ride me like a horse when every chance she gets." He teased.

"I wonder why..." Fighter said sensually before gripping his manhood.

"Haven't you had enough last night?" Ranger asked.

"Come on...you have to admit that was a great way to celebrate our promotions, especially since we both had lots of bodies to play with." Fighter said.

"Right...it was like an early birthday present." Ranger said.

"I promised you ten clones to fuck, not four." Fighter said.

"Smart girl." Ranger said with a smirk.

"Also...you know what those dummies mean for us right?" Fighter asked.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"You and me...we get to fight together whenever we want." Fighter said sensually, and Ranger caressed her face.

"And I get to watch my baby remind me of all the times she tore the goblins a new one." He said.

"That is more enticing than it has any right to be." Fighter said.

"At least our daughter never has to deal with the goblins' bullshit when she grows up..." Ranger said.

"Let's just stop right there." Fighter said seriously.

"Sorry..." Ranger said.

"How about we get some ice cream?" Fighter asked.

"Might as well." Ranger said and they grabbed their belts, morphed their underarmor, and went to the ice box to grab some ice cream, and sometimes feed some to each other. When they had enough, they put the ice cream away and looked at the clock.

"It's going to be midnight any second now." Fighter said.

"I noticed...we should head back to bed." Ranger trailed off, and Fighter clung onto him as they walked back to bed and laid down.

"Honey?" Fighter asked.

"Yes?" Ranger asked.

"Did you notice the calendar?" Fighter asked.

"Not really...why?" Ranger asked.

"Because I did...Happy Anniversary." Fighter said, and Ranger's eyes widened before Fighter kissed him deeply and sweetly, and Ranger accepted the kiss.

* * *

**Well...that's it then, the whole team's Platinum Rank, and boy do they know how to celebrate or what? And Cow Girl is Silver Ranked so...fuck yeah. lol Also...Paradise Lost moment: Serve in Heaven, or rule in Hell, Cambion pulled quite a switch-a-roo didn't he? And no...I am not pulling your chain; you really did see that Fighter wished Ranger a Happy Anniversary, so the next chapter is a purely positive one. So make sure you Rate, Review, and Share before that should-be-posted-on-Valentine's-Day chapter rolls around, so stay tuned.  
**


	53. Chapter 25 Part II

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I don't know what the deal is, but has been having...issues with updates, but I'm still committed to getting this done. Anyway, like I said in the end of the last chapter, here...we have a positive chapter. Quite a bit has been going on in the recent chapters, quite a bit of it being tense, but here? The pot's off the boil, the bacon's out of the frying pan, and the milk and honey's flowing like water with Ranger and Fighter's wedding anniversary. At this point in time...they were married no less than 365 days...as if I'm not paying her enough richly-deserved tribute already...**

**Review Response: Yeah, how many people are more able to get Goblin Slayer of all people to move into another profession than Cow Girl and Ranger? Cow Girl's Silver Rank (And Rhea Fighter's for that matter) are well-deserved as well. And...nevermind that we have a whole team of Platinum Ranks now. That TOTALLY doesn't mean anything...  
**

**That's what happens when you get a talking-to form the freaking Sword Maiden; that lady is nothing if not persuasive...and impossibly hot.  
**

* * *

Ranger woke up to find Fighter...his love and life, still fast asleep, and still as naked as he was. As always, it took most of his discipline to stop staring at her face, but it took no effort to resist the urge to grope her; this was a day of love, and it was highly unlikely that the desires of the flesh would have a place in his mind anytime soon, especially since his cravings were satisfied the previous night multiple times over. He couldn't help himself and brushed some of her hair away from her face to get a better look at her...dear Supreme she was beautiful. Ranger then managed to move away from Fighter as she was snuggling into his side...and pressing her breasts into his arm, and when he left her side, he went straight to their baby's room, and looked at her until she woke up, and saw her smiling father.

"Hello..." The baby said.

"Hello little one." Ranger said softly before picking the baby up and holding her close. "This is a special day for me and your mother. It's been a whole year since we became a family. I know you don't understand what I'm saying, but you'll learn at the right time...me and your mother have alot to teach you." Ranger than looked out the window to see the sun rising. "On her behalf, I am sorry we weren't there for you for so long, but...that's our fault in more ways than one. You were born into a dangerous time, and my team and ourselves had to run around quite a bit to ensure the country's survival. Even though we all obtained Platinum Ranks...I can't help but feel like it won't amount to much. Now...I do not expect you to become an adventurer, and especially not to achieve the same level of greatness; my own parents certainly didn't when I was growing up...but no matter what, you're still my daughter, and I love you as much as your mother does. In fact, when I look at you...I see proof of our love, and our desire for a family that I cannot deny, as well as the greatest motivation we could have to come home in one piece, and maybe give you some siblings. As far as I"m concerned, that makes you deserve your own Platinum Rank."

Fighter then came in, and overheard her husband talking to their baby, who was awestruck by the gigantic man holding her. She then leaned against the wall, watching her husband carry the baby she gave birth to, and Ranger eventually noticed her leaning against the wall, still as naked as he was. She then walked over to take her baby from him, and then he held her against his side as the baby started breastfeeding.

* * *

When they were done and the baby feel asleep again, Ranger and Fighter got dressed...in the noble clothing they haven't worn in months, with Fighter putting her hair in a ponytail like old times, and then sat down by themselves for a breakfast before everyone else showed up. When they were done, they sat down together on the couch, with Fighter simply snuggling into Ranger's side as he wrapped an arm around her back, and held her hand with the other. Fighter then reached up to caress Ranger's face before kissing him as deeply and sweetly as she could, before pulling back and gracing him with a smile. Next thing they knew, the gateway was used, and Cow Girl led GS through it...just in time to see Ranger and Fighter in their fancy clothing.

"Wow, look at you two. What's the occasion?" Cow Girl asked.

"It's our anniversary." Fighter said simply, and Cow Girl's eyes widened.

"What? We've got to celebrate this ourselves!" She exclaimed.

"We were hoping to keep this to ourselves." Ranger said.

"But this affects all of us, your team! All of Water Town was in on the occasion." Cow Girl said seriously.

"O.k. o.k...we get the point." Ranger said.

"But we don't want this to get too out-of-hand. So let's keep it between all of us please." Fighter said.

"Shouldn't be a problem." Cow Girl said.

* * *

"Hey, you two!" Hero exclaimed as Ranger and Fighter were on a bench seeing the sights.

"Yes?" Fighter asked, before Hero looked over their outfits.

"Whoa, what's with the fancy clothing?" She asked.

"Tell us what you what first." Ranger said.

"O.k. Mister I-lead-a-whole-team-of-Platinum-Ranks..." Hero said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh...that." Fighter said.

"Yes, that. You, Her Grace, and that magic couple all have you own Platinum Ranks, and the whole guild hall won't shut up about it!" Hero said seriously.

"Dammit Warrior..." Fighter groaned.

"So...may I ask who got their Platinum Ranks in which order?" Hero asked.

"Well...you're looking at the 12th." Fighter said proudly as she showed her tag.

"How about that? The 11th and 12th Platinum Ranks are husband and wife." Hero said.

"Speaking of which...the clothes are for our anniversary." Ranger said, and Hero's eyes widened.

"Really? Well...happy anniversary." She said.

"Thanks." Fighter said.

"The rest of the order is Wizard as the 13th, Warrior as the 14th, and Priestess is the 15th." Ranger said.

"Unbelievable...the Sword Maiden was Gold Ranked, and now her successor is Platinum Ranked." Hero said.

"That's what happens when you one-shot the Demon Lord, as a Gold Rank, when two Platinum Ranks fail after an entire hour." Ranger said.

"Two Platinum Ranks, and two Gold Ranks." Hero said.

"Right." Ranger said.

"Where's the rest of your team?" Fighter asked.

"Still at the guild hall getting their ears chewed off. Truth-be-told, I recommend you stay from the place, especially on your anniversary." Hero said.

"Alright, thanks for the warning." Fighter said.

"To be fair, Warrior, Wizard, and Priestess do have a right to be proud of themselves." Ranger said.

"Even still, unless you want to be swarmed like they are, stay away from the guild hall; it's chaos over there." Hero said.

"Alright. May I ask who else is over there?" Fighter asked.

"Well, there's Goblin Slayer and his team, most of the adventurers who recently returned from the siege, or should I say the ones who marched back from the frontier, after they in-turn got here from the siege...anyway, there's them, and most of the trainees whom their senior drill instructor, aka your father wants to meet to get inspiration from...who else?" Hero said as she took a moment to think.

"I think we get the point." Ranger said..

"We actually split up with the Goblin Slayers earlier since they were at out house earlier." Fighter said.

"I hope for your sake they keep their mouths shut." Hero said.

"They're pretty smart, and they promised they'd stay quiet. Even if they don't...we're famous in this city; if someone was going to harass us they would have by now." Fighter said.

"Good point." Hero said.

"Now...can we get back to our day?" Fighter asked.

"Oh...right... well, happy anniversary." Hero said before walking off.

"Now, anything you want to do?" Ranger asked.

"I was about to ask you that." Fighter said.

"Baby...I'm sitting on a bench, holding the single best woman I know, and I'm in the middle of the Supreme God's holy city. You'd have to _pry_ me away from this spot." Ranger said, and then Fighter hummed thoughtfully while smirking.

* * *

Next thing they knew, Fighter was leading him to the docks, and then morphed her skin-tight underarmor, and mask, and Ranger did the same thing afterwards. The two then dived into the lake and used their ability to manipulate their suits to move around without actually swimming. When they did actually swim, it led them to obtain incredible bursts of speed similar to the speed they used on the battlefield. Thanks to the lake's clarity, neither of them had any problem seeing where the other was, no matter how far or how deep they went.

Fighter kept the lead for the most part, with Ranger faithfully keeping up with her...even when she tried having fun with him by speeding ahead, and then moved deeper into the water, only for him to catch her when she stopped and then hug her from behind. It was faint, but Ranger noticed her cheeks tense up which implied that under her mask, she has a huge smile on her face. It hurt that he couldn't see it, but it was more than made up for by the memory of all the times she smiled at him...especially after the time he had his vision restored by Sword Maiden.

When the happy pair made their way to the surface, they noticed they were near the opposite end of the shore, several miles from Water Town itself. The two then swam back to the dock as quickly as they could, with Fighter reaching the underside of the pier a split second before Ranger did. When she got there, she peeled off her mask, and leaned against one of the pylons under the dock to catch her breath, with Ranger doing the same thing on another pylon. Fighter then side-glanced at her husband, shared a small, toothy smile with him, and he swam over to hold her so they could bathe in their intimacy as well as the water.

Once he reached her, the two simply sat there holding each other, and listening to their deep, and enticing breathes. Ranger then looked over Fighter's hypnotically-parted lips , and when she noticed, she kissed him..._passionately_. Their exhilarating swimming trip ended with the pair gently caressing each other, and softly and steadily shifting their mouths against each other over and over, occasionally separating just long enough to make a wet sucking sound to add to the water swishing around. Fighter then giggled as she felt her husband's swollen manhood poke her lower belly; it was a shame to let it go to waste, but now was not the time or place since neither drank any potion, or were in the mood for sex in general...even if they could go somewhere less public.

* * *

Fighter and Ranger then took a while to dry off before getting back into their fancy yet still humble street clothes, and walked around the city, taking in the sights of the people spending time together in every way they could, from simply walking together like they were, talking to each other about various things, especially how the Demon Lord looked, how grateful they were for their new archbishop saving them, and how they have a whole team of Platinum Ranks to help them. Ranger and Fighter even saw some couples who had the same idea they had: tour the city and enjoy themselves in the process. They even saw some pairs kiss...and share food with each other, which gave them the same idea...

Their swimming trip lasted the better part of an hour that did _not_ feel like an hour, and even for them, the trip took alot of energy, so they went to a public kitchen for lunch, which consisted of veggies, bread, and already-opened crabs. The whole time, the two either simply enjoyed their own meal, watched the other do so, or watch the people around them get on with their lives.

"You enjoying your anniversary so far?" Fighter asked.

"Am I ever? I was actually about to ask you that." Ranger said.

"Honey...do you really need to ask?" Fighter asked.

"No, I guess not." Ranger said.

"Well, you guessed right." Fighter said before Ranger sighed and held her hand.

"It just occurred to me that...we skipped your birthday this year..." He trailed off and Fighter deflated.

"I noticed..." She said, and Ranger touched her face.

"Hey, on your next birthday, you're getting twice as much, especially since your next birthday...you'll be two decades old." He said, and Fighter smiled.

"I love you so much." She said softly.

"And I love you." Ranger said before sharing a brief but sweet kiss with her.

"Two decades...it won't be long until I'm old enough to be a grandmother." Fighter said.

"That won't change anything between us. Even if you can't have anymore children, for whatever reason...I'm never going to stop loving you." Ranger said.

"If you keep this up, you'll make my cry." Fighter said.

"Sorry..." Ranger said, and Fighter tightened her hold on Ranger's hand.

"Don't be." She whispered, before the two continued smiling and staring at each other while caressing each other's hands.

"What do you say we get some more food then get something for our little girl?" Ranger asked.

"Not a bad idea." Fighter said before the two got more food.

* * *

True to their word, the two parents went straight to the market to get a goodie or two for their baby, as well as some updated decorations for their house itself. Some of it was too much for them to carry in one trip, so when they got home, they had some people fetch their items on their behalf. In the meantime, Ranger and Fighter had some time to spend with their baby, most of which was spent with Fighter breastfeeding her. Ranger simply watched his two favorite females interact in the most intimate way they could: a mother giving her daughter milk.

When she was done, they all went out for a stroll around the city, with some people occasionally stopping them, to say hello to the baby...and wish the pair a happy anniversary of course. Eventually, they reached the guild hall, which had almost no one there, so they figured it was safe to go inside...and the place was full of people, but not much was happening.

"Ranger! Fighter!" Guild Girl exclaimed.

"Hello." Fighter said.

"What's with the fancy clothes...and why do you have your baby with you? You almost never bring her." Guild Girl asked.

"First, Hero told us that this place was chaos. What's going on here?" Fighter asked.

"It was, but the celebrations are over, or at least the main event if you can call it that." Guild Girl said.

"Dare I ask how chaotic it was?" Ranger asked.

"Let me put it this way: I've seen brawls, I've seen the entire guild hall in the frontier erupt in celebrations, I've obviously been there where the goblins attacked the frontier...this place was not safe for a baby to be in. Speaking of whom..." Guild Girl said before eyeballing the baby, who was staring at her.

"Want to hold her?" Fighter asked.

"Would I ever." Guild Girl said before taking the baby, who was curiously staring at the woman smiling at her. "Hello."

"Hello." The baby said.

"I'm going to have my own baby soon. Maybe you two can be friends when you grow up." Guild Girl said softly.

"That would be nice." Fighter said.

"You never answered me though." Guild Girl said.

"Oh, right...it's our anniversary." Ranger said, and Guild Girl gasped as her face lit up like a bonfire...and so did Inspector's as she just finished a stack of papers.

"It's what?" She asked before rushing over to see the family.

"You heard me right. A year ago today...you met the Sword Maiden." Ranger said, and Inspector looked around clearly overwhelmed.

"I can't believe this..." She breathed out.

"Hey, she's alright now, and she is still with us, in a way." Guild Girl said, and Inspector gave her a small smile.

"Right." She said, before Guild Girl gave the baby back to Fighter, and hugged her friend. Inspector then looked at Ranger. "Thanks again for introducing me to her."

"Not a problem." Ranger said.

"You know Sword Maiden came to me on our wedding with Summoner?" Guild Girl asked.

"Really? Lucky you." Fighter said.

"She also came to me in a dream; she showed me exactly what she has now, and how she recovered." Inspector said.

"Lucky you." Ranger said, and smirked at Fighter.

"Smart ass." She deadpanned.

"Anyway, where are Wizard and Warrior?" Ranger asked.

"Probably out back, giving a demonstration-" Guild Girl stopped talking to moment some trainees came in from the back door with Warrior, Wizard, Summoner, Priestess...and Ranger's parents leading them.

"Or they're coming in through the back door..." Inspector deadpanned, then several people noticed the pair, and motioned them to come over.

"You go ahead." Ranger said.

"What?" Fighter asked.

"They're heard my part of the story already, but you're the one who beat the Cambion, so your word has more weight than mine." Ranger said.

"This isn't something I wanted to do on my anniversary." Fighter said.

"Fighter...baby, this is your day as much as it is mine, and you deserve a moment of glory, which I had already. Besides, my case can be made up for later, as if seeing you enjoy yourself isn't enough." Ranger said, and Fighter smiled at him.

"I love you." She said.

"I know." Ranger said, and then Fighter walked towards the adventurers, while Guild Girl and Inspector held the baby. Ranger then went to get a light meal while he watched his wife tell the adventurers about the fight from her point of view, especially what it was like to wield the War God's power, on top of the power provided by multiple World Spawns, all to fight a single enemy. The hall then erupted from the hype created by Fighter using a recaller to show them how chaotic the fight was, and Ranger couldn't help but smile at how his wife was being worshiped like she was a child of the War God and Love Goddess...which was quite fitting from where he was standing. When he was done, he simply stood against the wall, watching his four Platinum Rank teammates bask in their well-earned glory, and his daughter being fawned over by two women who were on their way to being mothers themselves. Things were really looking up.

"Ranger?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Yes?" Ranger asked.

"I know this is probably a bad time to ask, but do you remember when I wanted to talk to you about your political standing?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Ranger asked.

"Well...I'm not going to twist your arm into discussing anything like that on your anniversary, but when you get the chance sometime after today, I'd like to talk to you for real at my house." Noble Fencer said.

"Alright, and I do appreciate your consideration for what day this is." Ranger said.

"Hey, trying to be selfish on someone's anniversary is just twisted." Noble Fencer said, and then left him be. Ranger then remembered when he saw her locking lips with Sword Mage. He had to admit, Noble Fencer is a reasonably attractive woman, no where near as attractive as Fighter was, but still. If she was on her way to marrying Sword Mage, it was logically going to result in his daughter, and the rest of his children for that matter, having even more friends to grow up alongside.

Next thing he knew, Fighter was talking to both of her in-laws, he couldn't hear what the topic was, but he could ask later. When it was done, Fighter looked back at Ranger, hugged both of his parents, then they went to get their baby, and left.

* * *

They then used a portal gem to head to the Ether Gazer in the Temple of Law...and Fighter summoned her father, who couldn't help but smile at seeing his daughter dressed up. She then slowly approached and hugged him as Ranger stood there with their baby watching his wife and father-in-law have their moment.

"Fighter." Her father said softly.

"Do you know?" Fighter asked.

"Of course...it's my little girl's anniversary." Her father said, before looking at Ranger and the baby he was holding."You even brought my granddaughter with you!"

"Yes we did. As far as we're concerned, she has her fingers in this as well." Ranger said, and Fighter's father approached with his eyes glued to the infant in Ranger's arms.

"I still can't believe how much she looks like her mother when she was born..." He whispered.

"I have a sense she'll be just as strong and lovely when she's the same age as well." Ranger said.

"That would be a feat...but not an unlikely one." Fighter's father said as Fighter approached.

"Say hello." She said softly.

"Hello." The baby said, and Fighter's dad smiled.

"Hello to you too." He said as he put his finger in grabbing range, and the moment the baby grabbed his finger, Ranger looked at each other as their three-month old daughter played with the incorporeal finger of her deceased grandfather.

"Father..." Fighter trailed off, and then got hugged by him.

"I know everything daughter, all of Heaven knows." Her father said softly.

"Really?" Fighter asked.

"Yes...to think my daughter would be the 12th Platinum Rank, and married to the 11th, I have no idea how I can be more proud of you." Her father said, and then looked at Ranger. "And you my dear son-in-law...I can't tell which of you deserves the other more, and I rarely have moments of indecision."

"This child I'm holding is nothing if not proof of how much this day means to us." Ranger said.

"You don't have to tell me son, I remember how passionate you both spoke at my grave a year ago. Even though I didn't learn about your words until later on...not giving you both my blessing, was unthinkable. My granddaughter could not wish for better parents." Fighter's father said proudly.

"Thank you." Ranger said.

"Happy anniversary to you both." Fighter's father said as he left to go to the Ether Gazer. Fighter then started shaking.

"Honey?" Ranger asked.

"Let's just get home and set our baby in her crib..." Fighter said with a sob-choked voice. Ranger then wasted no time opening a portal back to their baby's room. When they got there, Ranger put her in her crib as Fighter went to their own room, sat and teared up. Ranger then slowly approached, sat next to her, and held her close.

"Fighter..." Ranger whispered as Fighter sucked in one deep breath after another while sniffling.

"I'm o.k...I just need to moment." She breathed out.

"Take all the time you need." Ranger whispered as Fighter continued to simply let her husband hold her while she got herself together. Eventually, she did, then wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry if I worried you, it's just...this day just gets more and more emotional; anniversaries are supposed to be days of love, but...nothing could have prepared me for this." Fighter said softly before Ranger caressed her cheeks.

"Baby, you have nothing to apologize for, let alone explain." He said.

"I know...I just had to say it." Fighter said before snuggling into Ranger's chest as they held each other as close as they could.

"I love you Fighter, more than I can ever hope to express." He said.

"I love you too Ranger, and I can't thank you enough to being in my life, even when you weren't doing anything." Fighter said, and then Ranger pulled back, looked Fighter in the face, and then the pair kissed as deeply and softly as possible. When they managed to find the will to beak the kiss, they pressed their foreheads together and simply sat their inhaling and exhaling in-sync with each other.

"May I ask what my parents talked to you about?" Ranger asked.

"Nothing special, aside from welcoming me to the family for the umpteenth time." Fighter said and Ranger chuckled.

"That sounds like them..." He said.

"I also talked to Priestess for a moment, she said that Goblin Slayer's team were on an actual adventure, one that doesn't involve goblins." Fighter said.

"There's a first..." Ranger said.

"It's still nice to see that he's branching out, although...I really have to wonder when he and Miss Goblin Slayer are getting married." Fighter said.

"Well, they'll get married, when they get married. Now, is there anything else you want to do today?" Ranger asked.

"A few things, but first...I'd like to use the recaller for something." Fighter said, then Ranger got up to fetch it, even though it hurt that they had to separate for a moment. Ranger then brought it to her...and then he saw the time he and Fighter washed each other off with a bucket and wash cloth, before discussing children...and teasing each other about their bodies, and then the moment Fighter took Ranger to her hometown, stopped halfway there to say that she'll help him through the pain of getting burned...and finally her speech in front of her father's grave, which really tugged her heartstrings.

* * *

When they were down, it was nearly sundown, and Fighter and Ranger went to the main square, which had no one in it, and looked over the statue of Sword Maiden.

"I'll bet she never expected us all to become Platinum Ranked when we first met her." Ranger said.

"She probably expected it more than anyone else, which is quite a statement." Fighter said.

"That is very true..." Ranger trailed off, and Fighter looked him in the face.

"Honey?" She asked softly, before Ranger looked at her.

"I was just remembering how she is, compared to how she used to be." He said.

"She went from a broken 15-year-old in the body of a full-grown woman, to...a nephilim with a man who loves her by her side. In a way, I can relate to her." Fighter said.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"I'm not a broken 15-year-old, a servant of the Supreme, and I didn't kick the Demon Lord's ass, but that's where the differences end. If I was in her shoes, would you love me the same way?" Fighter asked, then Ranger hugged her.

"I would love you no matter what..." He whispered, and the two simply stood there holding each other, feeling each other's deep breaths and steady heartbeat, and basking in their warmth. Fighter then turned Ranger's head and kissed hm as sweetly as she could.

"To think that both Sword Maiden and Storm Mage had their ashes put in the same urn..." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"Would you want that for us?" Fighter asked.

"Now that you mention it...absolutely." Ranger said and Fighter smiled.

"Together in life, inseparable in death." She said softly.

"Poetic." Ranger said before holding his wife close to him...and then heard her stomach growl.

"Dinner time!" Fighter said dramatically, and Ranger laughed at her before they went to the guild hall for their dinner...which was already set with GS' team, and the rest of their own team sitting around a table.

"Happy anniversary!" They all yelled at once, and both Ranger and Fighter's eyes widened at the development.

"You did not..." Fighter said.

"Yes...we did." Cow Girl said.

"To commemorate the time of your union, preparing this feast at this time seemed most fitting Sir Ranger and Lady Fighter." Lizard Priest said.

"We even spent some of the money we got our hands on from some materials that yours truly, and an assload of clones dug up to pay for this." Warrior said proudly

"Speaking of which, what was the quest about?" Fighter asked.

"Just...seeing the sights mostly." H.E. Druid said.

"And giving some other adventurers some pointers, and some spare stuff." Wizard said.

"That reminds me, have any of you seen that much of the northern kingdom?" Ranger asked.

"I've been there a few times, but nothing serious." D.R. said, and everyone else either shrugged or shook their heads.

"Then it's settled, when we get the chance, we're going up north to look around." H.E. Druid said.

"But first, let's eat." Cow Girl said, and the group spent the next hour or so stuffing their faces, and talking about miscellaneous things...and using the recaller to watch each other's feats.

* * *

After dinner, everyone went straight home...except for Ranger and Fighter; they were following Priestess to the Temple of Law for one of the highlights of their anniversary: they were going to renew their vows. The beauty was that they were already in the perfect outfits to do the ceremony, but even still...neither of them needed a recaller to remember how the other looked on their wedding. Fighter's pure white dress and Ranger's suit contrasted each other as perfectly as their hearts, minds, and even bodies fit together. Even Priestess in her archbishop outfit was the spitting image of the Sword Maiden, who graciously and with fierce determination, asked Ranger and Fighter to let her bless their wedding.

"Hard to believe we walked down this aisle a year ago..." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"Even harder to believe that we were just Porcelain Ranks a year and a _half_ ago." Ranger said.

"And back then there were goblins aplenty, the Sword Maiden still had that...ungodly blindfold on, and Priestess wasn't the archbishop." Fighter said.

"I didn't even want to become archbishop, let alone know I'd be chosen by the Sword Maiden's spirit." Priestess said.

"Do you have anything to say to us as the new Sword Maiden?" Fighter asked.

"No. To tell you the truth, I feel like more of a witness than an archbishop." Priestess said.

"I guess that makes sense, although...for the record, you probably made history by becoming the youngest archbishop to ever live." Ranger said.

"And now we all made history by becoming the first team of Platinum Ranks thanks to the new pope." Fighter said.

"And why wouldn't we? You defeated the Cambion, Warrior and Wizard defeated the Demon Lord's pet...I became the 11th thanks to me killing the vampire queen, but that doesn't count here." Ranger said.

"And I defeated the Demon Lord...we've been through more than anyone should ever have to go through between then and now." Priestess said.

"Right, and from where I'm standing...things got better in the end, especially between us." Fighter said.

"I know what you mean; I fell in love with you so many times over I lost count, and I can see you feel the same way." Ranger said.

"A truer word has not been spoke in ages." Fighter said softly.

"Although, I have no idea what we'll do now that we're Platinum Ranks. With the goblins being mopped up, the Evil Sect destroyed, and even the forces of Hell itself being led by a better leader...what will we do?" Ranger asked.

"Until we figure that out, we'll just have to enjoy the peace, like we always have." Fighter said.

"Right, and like you said earlier, things between us have gotten better; even when I was in the thrall of unfathomable rage, you never let your fear overshadow your love for me, and that both soothes any fear I may have that we would drift apart, not that there was any, but...it also makes me realize that you probably saved me from myself, yet again. I don't think there's anything I can do that will be enough to thank you." Ranger said.

"Are you still angry?" Fighter asked, and Ranger took a moment to think.

"No...there's nothing to be angry at. But even if there was...I told you before we got married, that I would still be the same man you fell in love with, and anything added to the mix would be just an addition, not a replacement. I even looked the Sword Maiden in the face, said I wanted you in my life, and I told Guild Girl, Inspector, and the rest of you, that I wouldn't use the War God's power for evil. Have I not kept my word?" Ranger asked.

"Yes...you have. I remember after our wedding, you proved your devotion as a father and husband by telling me that you wouldn't leave Water Town until after I gave birth to that cherub we call our daughter, and you told the Sword Maiden that you would see to it that you'd use the War God's power for good, and I would see to it that you'd see to it. That's even more promises kept..." Fighter said, then Ranger held both her hands.

"And that is why I can never thank you enough for being with me." He said.

"You can thank me by staying in my life, and by walking through the gates of Heaven with me when we finally die." Fighter said.

"I promised you I wouldn't enter Heaven without you...and why would I break that promise when the other were kept without any problem?" Ranger asked, and Fighter huffed in amusement.

"Good point." She said before hugging Ranger, and stood there with him as they simply sucked in one breath after another.

"Also...I just know remembered that I promised you a life of peace, and a baby on your 18th birthday. I'm sorry it was late." Ranger said, and Fighter started shaking.

"Ranger...you're going to make me cry again..." She whispered, and Ranger held her tighter, and caressed her back, ran his hands through her hair, and kissed the side of her head.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"It's alright..." Fighter whispered.

"I love you." Ranger said.

And I love you." Fighter said, before Fighter pulled back, smiled at her husband as he caressed her cheeks, and kissed her. Priestess watched the entire moment of love between them...and then noticed Sword Maiden standing in the distance smiling. She then turned around, walked to the door where Storm Mage was, and then they vanished like they weren't there.

* * *

When they were done, the pair went straight to the bathhouse, and unlike their wedding, they did nothing except for simply wash and massage each other. Ranger wet, soaped, and rinsed Fighter's long, silky, pitch-black hair taking his sweet time doing it, much to her enjoyment. The smile never left her face as Ranger's hands were run through her hair with nothing but care in his movements. The way his hands were run over her skin was no worse; Fighter sighed and sucked in countless deep breaths as Ranger massaged and caressed her shoulders, back, sides, and eventually her belly from behind her, noting that her skin was still as thick and creamy as ever, while still being thin enough to show how her impressively-sized muscles were as defined as ever.

Amazingly, Ranger left Fighter's _entire_ lower body alone...but she wasn't holding her breath for obvious reasons. For now, it was her turn to treat Ranger's body...and his body was as enchanting for her and hers was for him; he looked bigger and more powerful every time she saw him naked. His skin was never as thick as hers, but his muscles being more than twice as hers was expected, not that she minded; the strength he displays, and the way he uses it on her body was a plus on even the worst of days. Which leads right into how much enjoyment she was having now with how she was treating his dark-brown, shoulder-length hair with the same reverence he gave to her hair. Eventually, she was rubbing and squeezing the large, dense muscles in his arms, abdomen, and especially his chest and legs, unlike Ranger himself who avoided those parts of her body.

Ranger then turned to her and gave her a teasing smile; he knew she enjoyed his body as much as he enjoyed hers, and the fact she wasn't pulling any punches when she did was one of the things that never ceased to pique his interest. Fighter then returned the smile, and even closed her eyes halfway as she pressed her soaped-up breasts into his back and he sighed right away.

"Someone's enjoying themselves." Fighter teased, and Ranger tensed up and exhaled deeply as the tone she was using, right next to his ear no less.

"I remember the first time you did this...after I came home from the north." He breathed out, and Fighter chuckled while continuing to rub his back with her luscious breasts.

"This whole day has been one long trip done memory lane hasn't it?" She asked.

"And no one would complain." Ranger said.

"It was probably the best way I could think of to welcome you home." Fighter said.

"Only a group of clones would have been better, and that's obviously stretching it." Ranger said.

"Right, neither of us knew that spell at the time." Fighter said.

"It would have made up for alot; I hated having to sleep without you next to me." Ranger said.

"That's not happening any time soon my love." Fighter said sensually before kissing the back of his neck, and then getting back to massing his rippling back with her breasts, and Ranger continuing sighing in bliss as he focused on the soft, ample flesh of Fighter's breasts remove any tension he didn't even know he had, and her perky nipples lightly tickling him.

"Oh Fighter..." Ranger breathed out.

"Enjoying yourself baby?" Fighter teased.

"Very much so." Ranger said.

"Good. Although...this is doing a number on my legs, but surely I don't need to remind you how _strong_ my legs are, do I?" Fighter said sensually...and the_ incredible_ feeling of Fighter's shapely legs and round, supple buttocks instantly came to mind.

"No...you do not..." Ranger breathed out, and Fighter chuckled.

"Don't worry, you'll get another chance. Before this day is over, I want you inside me...again." She said.

"Anything for the goddess I married." Ranger said, and Fighter stopped moving, then put her hand on his chin to turn his head, and he saw the lust on her face right away.

"Good answer, now bestow a kiss upon your Love Goddess." She breathed out, and then Ranger parted his lips and kissed her as deeply as he could, and Fighter pressed her breasts into his side as much as she could before breaking the kiss.

"Good enough?" Ranger teased.

"Oh yes..." Fighter whispered, and then got back to massaging his back with her breasts since they got the lust out of their systems.

"Baby?" Ranger asked.

"Yes?" Fighter asked.

"Some of the bad things we went through came up sometimes, it was no match for the good times we has, especially with our love driving the point home." Ranger said, and Fighter stopped.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yes..." Ranger whispered, and then Fighter wrapped her arms around him, and leaned into his back as he held both her hands that were resting on his abdomen.

"What exactly came up?" Fighter asked seriously.

"Everything. Our first quest, the misery you healed afterwards, the time I caught fire, even my desire to make the goblins suffer the same hell they put others through. All of it crossed my mind today, but there was no way I was going to let it taint what we have, not 365 days after we married. I wasn't even going to tell you about it because..." Ranger trailed off.

"You didn't want to spoil things for me..." Fighter breathed out.

"Yes." Ranger whispered.

"Turn around..." Fighter said and Ranger wasted no time doing what she said, and then she lightly guided him to the rim of the pool by pushing on his chest, and when he got to the rim...she wrapped her arms around him, as he did the same. "How many times are you going to make me fall in love with you?"

"Fighter..." Ranger said softly, and the two simply sat there, bathing in the water, and each other's warmth, and inhaling the steam, and each other's scents.

"Did you enjoy my breasts?" Fighter asked.

"Of course I did." Ranger said.

"Good..." Fighter whispered.

"Did you enjoy the rest of the day?" Ranger asked.

"The day is not over baby." Fighter said.

"Very true..." Ranger said, and then Fighter nudged him to get up, then sat him on the rim, before making him lay down before climbing on top of him. She then caressed his face as he laid there watching her stare at him with the magnitude of how serious the day has been for her evident on her angelic face. She then parted her lips and kissed him as deeply as before, but this time was different. Both of them always enjoyed the smooth texture, the thickness, and softness of each other's lips, especially when they press and shift together like they were now, but now was a movement of wholeness.

Even without their chakras open, both of them felt like they belonged no where else in the world except when their mouths were connected. Both of their bodies were screaming at their minds to let their hands run over the most desirable parts of each other's bodies, but they were having none of it; they were hungry for each other's kiss, and nothing was going to get in the way if they knew what was good for them. Fighter then broke the kiss...but the moment she did, both of them gasped, sighed, and lightly trembled as the intensity of the moment, and the raw feeling of their kiss itself lingered,

"Ranger..._touch_ me." Fighter breathed out, then Ranger dug his hands into the flesh of her buttocks, which invited a moan out of her throat.

"Like this...?" Ranger teased.

"Oh yes..." Fighter said as her husband continued playing with her flawless butt.

"Stop me at any-" Ranger stopped talking once Fighter grabbed his hands. "-time..."

"I wanted you before, but now I _must_ have you." Fighter whispered.

"If you keep kissing me like that...I won't be able to separate from you..." Ranger said.

"Then I'll wait until tonight...but you better not disappoint me." Fighter said.

"When have I ever disappointed you?" Ranger asked, and Fighter smirked.

"Not once..." She said, before looking down at his fully-erect manhood and chuckled.

"Wait until tonight you impatient vixen." Ranger teased.

"You make it hard to wait, considering that you're just the right size from head to toe, and you know how to use it, and I swear...the head you have down there got bigger overtime." Fighter said.

"That's what happens to a muscle that's been used over and over." Ranger said and Fighter ran her hands over his arms.

"Don't I know..." She breathed out.

"Hey, we might have other things to do." Ranger said.

"I already have something in mind...but first, let's enjoy this a bit more." Fighter breathed out before locking lips with him again while he fondled her buttocks.

* * *

When they were done and dried off, they went home, and put on the same clothes they wore on the day they met. Fighter still had the black, baggy pants, and white robe and Ranger had the remake of the scale armor and green cloak he wore that day, and Fighter even put her hair in a high ponytail. They then used a portal gem to head back to the pond at Ranger's old home, and Ranger sucked in a breathed right away. The place had it's flowers and other plants uprooted and relocated to their manor along with the statues of the different mythical beasts a long time ago...but the pond was no less important to him, especially when he remembered the times he had with Fighter in this very place. She seemed to have the same idea, since they took one look at each other and knew right away that they had the same idea.

Next thing they knew, both were on their knees, holding each other, and interlocking their hands with Ranger in nothing but his shoes and pants, with Fighter clad in the same thing, plus a bra that was barely able to contain the breasts that Ranger could barely fit into his hands. The two then slowly opened their now-cyan eyes, and stood up at the same time..before they relived the time Ranger first observed Fighter doing a kata.

They locked arms or hands, stepped through each other's legs, moved around or away from each other, moved in ways that mirrored the other, or in a way where one covered the space the other didn't. All the while, they moved as if they were a single being; their chakras being opened let them feel each other's bodies without being required to physically touch afterall. When they actually did touch...the reaction was explosive, but completely silent, neither of them so much as twitched, let alone spasm from the pleasure caused by their intimacy, proximity, or both. Their kata ended with Fighter slowly embracing Ranger, who wrapped his arms around her as they sat back down. The two then brushed their cheeks together as they turned their heads to kiss as deeply as they could while continuing to simply embrace.

When they were done, they put their clothes back on, and sat on the same stone bench they always sat on, with Fighter leaning on Ranger, with his arm around her, with their chakras closed again.

"I'll never forget the night I saw you move like that." Ranger whispered.

"You and I have _never_ moved like that." Fighter said.

"But you have. With my heart in that many pieces, you could have been drenched in mud and you'd still be a walking breath of fresh air." Ranger said.

"Ranger..." Fighter said.

"Don't worry, that incident has been water under the bridge for ages; even if someone else brings it up, it's not enough to dampen my spirits...especially not now." Ranger said.

"Good." Fighter whispered, before the two shifted against each other, and sat there peacefully for about a minute.

"You and I have put that off for far too long." Ranger said.

"Put what off?" Fighter asked.

"_That_. That kata we did together. We should do that more often." Ranger said.

"Now that the war is over, we can do that...and other things, whenever we want." Fighter said softly.

"Us, and everyone else too." Ranger said.

"Right." Fighter said, and then Ranger looked down. "What's wrong?"

"I just remembered when you held me for the first time. Nevermind how broken I was...dear Supreme you were breathtaking..." Ranger trailed off...and then Fighter did the unthinkable: she got in front of Ranger, and hugged them...the exact same way she did the first time they were in that space. Ranger was just as surprised by the tribute she was paying to that moment that he couldn't move anymore than he could when he was hugged the first time. Ranger even trembled as his heart spilled over before hugging her back and sucking in breath after breath.

"I don't care how often your heart falls to pieces like that. I will put it back together however I can. I love you too much not to." Fighter said softly.

"You are...an absolutely _amazing_ woman." Ranger whispered, before Fighter pulled back and smiled at him...the same way she smiled at him the first time. Ranger then looked her enticing mouth over, and Fighter noticed right away and gave him a teasing kiss.

"You know...part of me wished I had kissed you back when we were first here." Fighter said.

"Baby...we just met at the time; if you had kissed me, well...I'm not going to say I would've minded, but it still would have been something to think about." Ranger said.

"Well...all the more reason for this to be something to remember this moment fondly for- Wait a minute...we came here before, with our baby." Fighter said.

"That's different." Ranger said.

"I...guess so, and I'm alittle amazed things aren't souring because of these revelations." Fighter said and Ranger huffed.

"Even after all this time...trouble's eyes were always blind to this place." He said, and Fighter caressed his face.

"That's a phrase I will never stop treasuring." She said softly before kissing Ranger deeply as he wrapped his arms around her.

"This is a place I will never stop treasuring...especially now that you reminded me how little impact my inner demons have." He said.

"Well...take that you demonic assholes." Fighter said...then Ranger fell down to the side laughing. Fighter just watched him lay there covering his face with one hand as the hilarity got to him. She herself started grinning at how casually she said something so perfectly-timed, and how long it was since she said that. Seeing her husband laughing at her old quip in the most hallowed place in his world added more fuel to the fire warming her heart, right up until Ranger finally pulled himself together.

"If nothing else...that just made my day..." He said as he sat up.

"And everything else didn't?" Fighter teased, and Ranger just stared at her.

"You know that just isn't fair..." He said and Fighter knelt next to him smirking.

"Can't have that, can we baby?" She said casually, before planting her lips on his.

"Let's just go home and finish this day the only way we can." Ranger said.

* * *

When they got home, both of them helped themselves to some ice cream, and when they had their fill, they went straight to their room to hang up their outfits, starting with Ranger hanging up his armor, while Fighter drank some potion, and then hung up her robe. They then stripped each other's underwear, and Ranger laid Fighter down on the bed and locked lips with her. She then rubbed her legs against his own while their lips shifted against each other. At first, they were perfectly content to just lay on the bed kissing, but Fighter had other ideas; she flipped them over, and then looked down at Ranger, with her hair framing her face.

She then came down to kiss his neck, and Ranger held her head against his neck while she licked and sucked on it like it was covered in ice cream. She then moaned into his neck as Ranger's powerful hands pressed into her buttocks from the sides, and squeezed from other angles as well. Fighter then kissed up his jawline until she reached his lips and his hands continued fondling her butt while they lashed tongues, and sighed and gasped in bliss.

Ranger then flipped them over and returned the favor by sucking on her neck, after kissing down her cheek and jawline. He then moved down to suck on her nipples, which made Fighter gasp and tense up from the pleasure as she held his head in place, silently begging him to continue. While sucking on one nipple, the hand on each of their respective sides squeezed the breast he wasn't swirling his tongue around.

When he was done tasting both of her nipples, and squeezing the breasts they were attached to, he sat up and rubbed her belly and sides as Fighter sighed and giggled while her husband caressed her sensitive belly. For a moment...Ranger recalled how swollen Fighter's belly used to be when she was pregnant with their child, and confirmed that her belly was going to be just as swollen several months in the future, starting some day soon...but not today; the rest of the hours they had left in that day were purely for them.

Fighter then spread her legs, and Ranger looked down at her swollen, dipping-wet womanhood, before supporting himself on his hands, both of which were on either side of her head as he stuffed himself into her. Fighter started moaning the second Ranger's thick, rock-solid manhood entered her body and then moved back out over and over. The pleasured moans leaving Fighter's enchanting mouth spurred Ranger to continue mating with her as she wrapped her strong, bulky legs around his waist, and felt the muscles in his lower body flex repeatedly.

Eventually her warm, moist, and narrow womanhood constricted the organ that was being stuffed into it. Ranger picked up the force to compensate for the tightness, which as always, increased the friction and made their orgasms approach more quickly. When they finally arrived, Fighter spasmed and moaned as Ranger's manhood softened while he himself groaned with the same euphoria Fighter was experiencing. He then removed himself from her body, and collapsed on top of her, with both of them gasping for air, and eventually smiling at each other.

"_Damn_ you're good at this..." Fighter breathed out.

"Nothing but the best for the goddess I married." Ranger said.

"That's yet another promise kept..." Fighter said before Ranger kissed her.

"Want some clones to play with?" He asked.

"Not this time; we've done that quite a bit, but now...I only want you, and I want _all_ of you." Fighter said sensually before pressing her lips against Ranger's and wrapped her legs around his waist again. Fighter then ran her hands all over Ranger's back until he flipped them over, and she broke the kiss, smiled down at him, put both his hands on her buttocks, and put her own hands on his chest and massaged his pecs and abdomen.

Ranger's hands in turn never left her butt, especially when Fighter laid down flat on top of him, which not only softened her buttocks, but also gave her the chance to dangle her breasts in Ranger's face. He took advantage of that right away by sucking on her nipples one by one, over and over, and even let go of her butt, and pressed both of her breasts together to suck both her nipples at the same time. Fighter's gasps and moans spurred him to continue pleasuring her, just like they always have.

Ranger then flipped them over yet again, and went down past her breasts to her abdomen, and then her legs...the same ones she uses for stomping, and for kicking goblins hard enough to splatter them across an entire battlefield. One squeeze and Ranger remembered exactly why she could kick so hard: her thighs were as solid as the rest of her muscles, despite her skin being half as thick as a finger, and her muscles themselves being as thick as the trunk of a small tree. Fighter then laid there, sighing and shifting against the bed as Ranger gave her leg the deep massage they earned. Ranger occasionally watched Fighter's heaving breasts rise and fall as she sucked in one deep breath after another, and felt her legs flex as they bent, not only to move with his hands so he could treat another part of her leg, but to make sure he realizes how strong she was. Every individual detail of the experience made Ranger's manhood swell to maximum size again.

Fighter then smirked at Ranger, and flipped herself over, giving him a perfect view of the buttocks she knows he can't keep his hands off of, and much to her amusement, Ranger grabbed both cheeks with enough force to make a slapping sound and a ripple in her flesh, but not hard enough to hurt her for obvious reasons. Fighter then sighed and chuckled as Ranger continued to knead her flesh like it was dough, and then rub her thick, powerful legs which were just as fit and plump as her butt.

Fighter then raised her butt off the bed, with her front pressed into the bed, her back arched, and her knees supporting her lower body. Ranger then smirked, got behind her, and thrusted into her from behind. Once again, pleasured moans spilled out of Fighter's throat as her muscle-bound husband slammed into her buttocks hard enough to make her flesh ripple, but gentle enough to keep it from hurting. Fighter tightened around Ranger's manhood yet again, and their orgasms weren't far behind. Fighter then stayed put as Ranger's manhood twitched inside her, and Ranger himself rubbed her spasming back muscles, inviting giggles out of Fighter. Ranger then removed himself from her, and placed himself on top of the woman beneath him as she laid down straight, she then turned her head to him and smiled as she continued gasping for air.

"You want more?" Ranger asked.

"As long as you promise to keep up the good work." Fighter breathed out.

"Good work is it?" Ranger teased.

"Oh yes..." Fighter said.

"In that case..." Ranger trailed off, but Fighter pinned Ranger to the bed, while smirking.

"Not this time...this time, I want to feel you." She breathed out before coming down to claim his mouth, and then went down his neck, chest, abdomen, and then came back up again, occasionally kissing and licking different parts of his bulk. She was just starting to massaging his chest, and feeling his pounding heart and rapidly inflating lungs when she felt his manhood get aroused yet again, she then looked it over as it twitched in-sync with his heartbeat, while still slick with both their fluids. Fighter wasn't surprised considering how they were in bed in the past, but it was still amusing that she could effect his mind like that...and the bulb on the end of his manhood reminded her of how the very organ she was eyeballing was shoved into her not once, but twice just now. How something so large and rough caused her mind-boggling pleasure instead of insufferable pain was beyond her, but the Love Goddess has her ways, just like the rest of the gods.

She then flipped Ranger over to massage his back...which was jut as bulky as the rest of him, and she eventually squeezed and rubbed every inch of his back and arms, before going down to his legs and butt. And she thought his manhood itself was impressive; his entire lower body was arguably as developed as hers was. It was no wonder he was able to thrust into her with the kind of power and speed he always could for such a long time, repeatedly. She saw herself how his butt flexed over and over when he mated with her clones, and now that she thought about it...Ranger always praised her body, but she felt like she was the lucky one; _no_ part of Ranger's body wasn't the right size. Ranger even teased Fighter by flexing his butt just like she flexed her legs now, and her own butt in the past.

She then flipped him over, planted her lips on his repeatedly, and then backed off...before opening her chakras. Ranger then did the same thing, just in time for Fighter to lower herself onto his lap and take his manhood into herself. The moment she did...everything around her lost it's impact on her; each moment she spent moving up and down on Ranger's lap was an orgasm unto itself. She could even tell that Ranger felt the exact same way as they both spasmed out despite having complete control over their bodies. Amazingly, neither of them made a single vocalization despite being in more pleasure than they've _ever_ been in.

Everything they loved about each other's bodies became the only thing they could process, the feeling of each other's skin, muscles, and in Ranger's case, the different reserves of fat on Fighter's body that came with a female body by default, each other's looks, the sound of their voices, and even their flavors and scents, all became as clear as they possibly could. The entire experience made the kiss they had with their chakras open look pathetic, and their current love-making spell filled their minds so completely, so intimately, that it was a miracle they could think straight, let alone keep their individuality despite being each other's bodies, and their own, at the same time.

Fighter then finally had enough mental clarity to see that she was bucking her hips hard and fast enough to make the entire room shake violently; she knew opening her chakras made her stronger and faster...but using it on her husband...who in-turn was thrusting into her in-sync with her was pure madness. For all their self-control, their bodies were on a mission to obtain as much pleasure as they could, and to hell with anything that would get in the way, including the very real chance of _death_. Fighter and Ranger eventually tensed every muscle in their body as hard as they possibly could before finally going slack and Fighter collapsed on top of Ranger without an ounce of strength left as her disposal despite being plenty leftover.

Fortunately, both of them were still alive, but the entire experience paralyzed them mentally. It was nothing they couldn't recover from, thank the Supreme, but it undeniable that this was _not_ something to do on a regular basis, although...whoever said an anniversary was a regular day? Ranger managed to recover just enough to move his fingers, and eventually his arms as he slowly brought them up to wrap them around Fighter who was still connected to him, and as such, he could tell her mental state was no worse than his was...

"Happy...anniversary...indeed..." Ranger whispered.

* * *

**Was that an anniversary or was that an anniversary? It's also about time a 10,000 word chapter made it's triumphant return. Yes, I know I'm beating a dead horse with the chapter length, sue me. Anyway, not much left to do for the team now, so be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while we wait for this planet-sized, two-part tribute to the most mishandled group in anime history to end. So stay tuned...**


	54. Chapter 25 Part III

**Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Technically this is the last chapter, but there's an epilogue after this which will tell what happens in the future. I have no freaking clue if I'm going to make a part three...or even if it's possible to make a part three, since let's face it: without the goblins, this isn't even Goblin Slayer anymore. Yes, they could break out of Hell...but Cambion's got that covered. I could do an apocalyptic scenario where the Abyss unleashes every monster in it's depths, but...that's insane. Besides...not that many people have been reading this (at the time I was on this) so...thick chance. But whatever, I'm getting light years ahead of myself, let's just light this candle.**

**Review Response: Yeah...Ranger and Fighter are one hell of a power couple aren't they? My number one fan TheCarlosInferno, who's been following me since the Stone Age, said they're his favorite pairing in this storyline...and it's no wonder why, but Sword Maiden x Storm Mage is a pretty close 2nd. (Speaking of 2nd, sorry Engineer, but you get the Gold medal while he gets the Platinum medal in my fanbase)**

**GS and company already went exploring, but their planned quest? Well, see for yourself...**

* * *

In the northern kingdom, a lone female adventurer with a spear, steel shield, chainmail, and a fur coat was fighting a hob armed with an axe. It tried to chop her in half, only for her to dodge it. She then turned to see several goblins charging at her, only for one to get skewered, another two got their heads bashed in with the shield, another got it's face stomped in, then another was skewered, and then the hob kicked the woman to the ground hard enough for her spear and shield to fly out of her hands. She then turned to the angry hob behind her, and prepared for her death as the hob raised it's axe...only for a pair of blades to flash past it for behind, and then it falls down with blood pouring out of it's waist.

The woman saw none other than Elder Revenant behind the now-bisected hob brandishing his scythes to either side, with both weapons dripping with blood. Next thing she knew, dozens of goblins came out from behind him and charged right past her. She then panicked without knowing the goblins were undead, and she found out when they pounced on the still-living goblins, and bit chunks of flesh out of them, with even their most brutal injuries treated with apathy. An undead hob even appeared and grabbed two goblins, and bit one of their heads off, and chewed the other one's guts out.

Elder Revenant himself then charged through the middle of the goblins' ranks, butchering every goblin in his way, and when he reached the dug-up forest clearing the goblins were using as a base, he threw both scythes at the two hobs standing watch, hitting them both in the throat. A goblin sentry then raised the alarm bell, and the goblins in the houses, woke up just to get a scythe to the face, or see others get their heads removed or get eaten by the undead goblins. Some more hobs then came out, only for Elder Revenant to jump on one's chest, and jam his scythes into it's back, then tear them out through it's shoulders, and then another gets jumped over, only for Elder Revenant to hook his blade around it's neck and sever it's head. He then cut down several more retreating goblins, threw his two-handed scythe at some more goblins in the distance, caught it as it returned just in time to whirl it around to crave through some goblins brave enough to charge at him, then finish off the last hob by jamming his scythe into it's brain with one hand.

He then removed the scythe by tearing it out through the hob's face, then watched the rest of the his undead goblins get mopped up by a champion. When it was done, Elder Revenant decayed the champion, and looked over the souls of the goblins and thought; should he give them to the Death God, or wait for another revenant to potentially take his place? He then absorbed the souls of the goblins; he gave plenty of goblin souls to the Death God already, there was no reason to stop now. When he grabbed the last soul, he drew the mark of the Death God, and felt the souls rush out of his body into the Death God's ground.

He then knelt to the ground catching his breath, trying to stop his trembling body; having souls removed is nothing to laugh at, hence why most revenant are undead: they can't feel the supremely unsettling sensation of having countless souls ripped out of you. This is what the Elder Revenant choose, so now he has to deal with it. He then looked in the distance, and sensed the soul of the girl he saved retreating, and no goblins were with her, so she was leaving on her own accord.

Once he recovered however, he sensed a single goblin survivor, then dashed towards it as it tried to run away and grabbed it by the back of the head as it struggled to get free. He thought about killing it...but he wasn't only unwilling to summon the Death God again, but thought of something much more fitting...

* * *

Back in Water Town, the festival was entering the first day of it's execution, and it was fairly low-key. Most of the adventurers got the celebrations out of their systems, but where more than willing to put their training to use, like the rogues and martial artists displaying their acrobatics, and fighting skills, either by themselves, or with partners. They flipped and jumped off of things, or each other, they had sparring matches, they tested their physical power by lifting and striking things, some even set themselves up to get thrown by larger adventurers into fruit boxes for a laugh. The crowds of course ate up every display like they were devouring parts of the feast that was prepared as well.

The guards themselves got involved with musicians playing marching music as they marched through the streets to pay tribute to the victors of the goblin siege with a parade, ending with the mages displaying their magic, in-sync with each other no less, with some spewing fire, others throwing up ice spikes, bursts of snow, and streams of icy water, and others making lightning spark between the ice crystals, making no small chunk of the sky light up like there was a small fireworks display.

The rest of the team meanwhile showed off the upgrades made on the dummies, thanks the Wizard siblings, as well as the alchemists and other mages they worked with. These upgrades included animating them like elementals so they could move around, and arming their with shields, and various melee weapons so they could actually fight back. It started off as a simply trial run with GS and Cow Girl fighting them side by side, and...Cow Girl could have handled them as a Porcelain Rank; the dummies didn't work as a team, the upgraded armor made them slower than a frozen hob, and GS and Cow Girl just stopped fighting halfway through. After some minor tickering for about an hour, things picked up drastically.

GS's entire team got involved, with Lizard Priest using his twin sickle swords as effectively as ever, while swatting and tripping the dummies with his tail. D.R. actually tag-teamed them with Lizard Priest or H.E. Druid; they hit high, he hit low, or they hit low, while he hit in the middle. Some examples are the times D.R. tripped a dummy, then H.E. Druid jammed a knife into it's face, she jumped over a dummy, then tripped it with her leg, then D.R. chopped it in half before it hit the ground with his rifle's axehead. GS and Cow Girl worked their usual magic by taking turns protecting each other while they struck the dummies anywhere on their bodies, sometimes they even struck different parts at the same time, like the legs and head.

The highlight of the demonstration was when Priestess herself took the stage; everyone held their breath to see just how good their new archbishop was with a sword. The rest of the team cleared out before Priestess even showed her face, but once she did, nothing else had anyone's attention except what she was going to do. The Wizard siblings reconstructed the dummies in the blink of an eye before Priestess readied herself, as if the tension couldn't have gotten thicker.

And they're not disappointed; all of the dummies swarmed Priestess all at once, and she danced circles around them, slicing through their sides, necks, knees, and arms while dodging their attacks, and then impaling some through the side and out the other. The crowd was mesmerized by how fluid her movements were, yet how much damage her blade did; it was significantly sharper than it looked. Her style wasn't as brutal as Ranger's, or as flashy as Fighter's, or even as straightforward as Warrior's, but it didn't have to be; every time one of the dummies attacked her, it fared no better than the thousands upon thousands of goblins Priestess cut down beforehand. Their weapons were either deflected or dodged, and they lost limbs, got impaled, or beheaded. The finale came when Priestess rolled away from a dummy's spear, then threw her sword at it like a javelin, hitting it in the head, then pulling the sword out, deflecting another spear, cutting it in half, then severing the dummy's head before sheathing her blade, and the crowd roars and claps her praises.

After that, Hero challenged Warrior to a rematch, which he accepted without hesitation. Both of them got their hands on some blunt swords so they wouldn't hurt each other as badly, then took their place in the main square, and unlike their last match in which they were evenly-matched...Warrior lost this match badly. Hero's movements were almost completely different from before, and Ranger noticed that Warrior wasn't as refined as he normally is; he was making the same mistakes Hero used to make, while she learned from those same mistakes. Warrior swung at Hero's neck, and she deflected it and put her sword at his neck instead...that was point number one already.

Hero then ducked under another swing at the head, then put the tip of her sword at Warrior's gut, that's her second point. Warrior then swung at Hero at an upward diagonal twice, only for her to dodge the first, and block the other, then spin around him to put her sword at his neck, that's three points. Warrior then got fed up, and spun around to attack her mid-section, which she was barely able to block, and then blocked several more swings before retreating. Warrior then took a moment to calm down himself, before charging at Hero, then they both moved to either side, and he finally got a point, bu at the same time she did when they both poked each other in the gut, so he had a single point, when she has four. She finally got her fifth and final point when Warrior thrashed at her, desperate to catch up with her, and at first, he did fairly well keeping Hero backed into a corner, but once she found an opening, she lunged forward, and put the tip of her sword right over his heart. The match, and revenge, were hers...

The rest of the day was spent with the people continuing to mingle with each other, while the final act of the day was prepared, and it came with the mages organizing a spectacle that made the demonstration earlier look like child's play. The entire dusk sky was lit up, without the need for fireworks either, and it was all thanks to the mana gems they borrowed from the Wizard siblings to hurl explosive fireballs into the air, most of which split into a dozen smaller fireballs that in turn split into even smaller fireballs. The organization of that one spectacle was enough of a crowd-pleaser; the ice-lightning combos that were put on display were just overkill. The people couldn't stop staring at the sky the entire time beforehand, but the various lights, and how they moved was impossible for them to look away from, especially when the green Mana Bolts the Wizard siblings threw into the sky completed the array of colors and power.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter took the entire morning to recover from the mental fog they were in thanks to their...incident with their chakras open .When everyone asked where they were, they simply said they were looking after their baby, which wasn't a total lie; they did spend time with their little girl. The pair didn't even miss the demonstrations, at least the best parts anyway. Cow Girl also looked after their baby when they had their parts to play in the festivities...although their baby could also take so much before crying from the overstimulation, and the parents had to leave.

After the festival, Wizard actually gave Ranger and Fighter some dummies as a late anniversary gift; now they could fight together whenever they want...like right now. Fighter and Ranger both dressed in their new training gear, with both of them wearing black, baggy pants, and since they were fighting solid metal dummies, they had special gauntlets and leg armor to keep themselves from getting injured by their own strikes. Ranger was completely shirtless...but Fighter had her breasts covered by sarashi bandages. Ranger couldn't help raising an eyebrow at her laughable attempt to hide the breasts that could barely fit in Ranger's hands, but it was no secret she was trying to tease her husband...and it was working as well as the fact that his torso was completely bare.

Neither distraction could save the dummies they were training with. Fighter rushed at a group of them, jumped over one, grabbed it by the top of the head, and slammed it into the ground as she came down, backflipped away from the others as they attacked her, then ducked under some of the dummies' weapons before grabbing two of their feet, and yanking them out from under them. She then deflected a spear thrust, punched the dummy that attacked her in the face hard enough to stagger it, then stab one dummy that was on the ground in the chest.

The other dummy got the dummy that had the spear slammed into it as Fighter picked the dummy up and smashed it on the dummy. Another pair of dummies attacked her, and she threw no less than four kicks at it while jumping and spinning. The first kick deflected the spear, the second kick broke it in the middle, the third kick staggered it, and the last one caved it's face in. She then sweep-kicked one dummy and then kicked it into the other one, and then stole a spear and hurled it at the dummies, and skewered both of them at once.

Ranger for his part, threw a barrage of punches at a dummy all over it's torso with each punch getting more and more rapid. He hit it's abdomen, it's ribs, it's collarbone, even it's groin, despite it obviously not having genitalia. He then finished it off with a knee to the gut, then side-kicked another dummy to the ground, before grabbing the first dummy, and slamming it into the one he kicked to the floor. Another group of dummies attacked him, and he took a page out of his wife's book and jumped at the dummies, throwing a flurry of kicks at them. He then ducks under a club, then flip-kicks the dummy in the chin so hard it's head jerks back hard enough to crush the back of it's neck.

Another dummy that attacks Ranger gets it's club grabbed, yanked out of it's hand, used the club to bash another dummy, several times, and then Ranger grabbed the dummy he took the club from, tossed it into the air, then spin-kicked it towards Fighter as it came down, and she skipped towards it and kicked it hard enough to cave in it's chest. She then danced around another dummy and punched, elbowed, and kneed it in several places, and finally kicked it towards Ranger, and he grabbed it and slammed it into the ground. Fighter then spin-kicked the last one into a wall and the pair took a moment to rest, and look over the damage they did.

Both of them were gasping for air, soaked in sweat, had racing hearts...and were completely thrilled if the smiles on their faces were anything to go by.

"And here I was thinking that the fight with that archdemon was our last fight side-by-side, now we can do this whenever-" Fighter shuts Ranger up by slamming her lips against his, and starts a series of passionate, and noisy kisses with him. He made their kisses as deep as they could get himself by pulling her against his body, and even her bandages didn't keep him from feeling the goods she was hiding under them. The heat and silkiness of their skin was just overkill. Fighter eventually pulled away and looked up at Ranger's face, with a look of satisfaction on her own face.

"I noticed you using my moves." Fighter breathed out.

"And you used mine." Ranger said simply and Fighter giggled.

"So I did..." She said sensually before Ranger pulled her into another series of kisses.

"Great minds really do think alike..." He breathed out.

"And Wizard really outdid herself with these dummies. I would train like that all night if I could." Fighter said.

"Especially we're us dressed like this right?" Ranger teased.

"Quid pro quo; you get to show your goods, I show mine, sort of." Fighter said.

"Right..." Ranger said.

"Hey, I feed our daughter with these." Fighter said as she put her hands on her chest.

"And then some." Ranger teased.

"Oh shut it, and you're no worse to look at you big brute." Fighter said.

"Careful...you know our bed is one walk away, and I still know the Repair spell." Ranger said, and Fighter smirked before taking his hand, and leading him straight to their room, and the moment they got there, Fighter pinned Ranger to the wall and continued kissing him as passionately as before. Ranger then removed Fighter's hairband, which let her raven locks flow downwards, and she moaned softly into their kiss as Ranger's fingers wove through her strands of night-black hair with the same passion he was kissing her with.

Fighter then broke the kiss, and caressed her husband's face as he continued stroking her hair., she then chuckled when she felt Ranger's erection poking her lower belly. Ranger then knelt down, and starting pulling down her pants, taking his sweet time rubbing the strong, silky legs he saw her use minutes ago to destroy several solid metal dummies. Fighter then reached into a drawer and downed a swig of potion; she had a strong idea were this was going, and didn't want to slow down for a moment. Next thing she knew, her underwear was removed, and Ranger's hands dug right into the buttocks he loved so much.

He eventually stopped kneading her butt, and even made Fighter tremble by brushing the lips of her womanhood with the back of one of his fingers as he stood up. Fighter then caught her breath, and starting pulling his pants down in return...and then eyeballed his erection, which was just as thick and solid as ever. She then made Ranger sigh when she started gripping and stroking the very organ that brought them both so much pleasure.

"You plan on giving this to me...?" Fighter breathed out, and Ranger smiled down at her and continued caressing her hair.

"It's all yours baby." He said, and then Fighter stood up, and then looked down at her bandages, then at Ranger. He got the message and started removing her bandages, making her breasts less and less tight. "I feel like I'm unwrapping a present."

"Funny...I feel like a present that's being unwrapped." Fighter said, and then Ranger surprised her by grabbing several bandages, and tearing them off of her, and she reacted by tensing up and then giggling at his display of strength. She continued watching his bulky muscles strain while he continued to unwrap her chest, remembering the intoxicating power he always used on her body, and waiting for it to come her way. When the last bandage was ripped off, Ranger watched Fighter's breasts spill forward and bounce. She then smirked before gripping his shoulders, picking herself up and wrapping her legs around his waist, making sure her breasts were mere inches from his face, and he dug his hands into the supple, abundant flesh of her buttocks with enough force to make a slapping sound before he pinned her to the wall, and answered her silent request.

Fighter started gasping and sighing in bliss as Ranger's tongues swirled around her nipple, and he caressed her thighs and butt while she continued clamping onto his waist and shoulders. Ranger then moved his hands up to the sides of her breasts to squeeze and fondle them while Fighter held onto him; he had absolute faith in her strength, and her pleasured breathing and tense muscles didn't allow her to let go of him. Fighter's breathing and heartrate spiked evermore when Ranger's hands, tongue, and even his gums continued digging into the plump flesh on her chest. Fighter eventually started spasming and Ranger moved his hands back down to her butt as Fighter's breathing spurred Ranger to please her breasts so much that she practically climaxed on the spot.

Ranger then gave her a moment to catch her breath...but Fighter wasn't done. She slowly licked her lips, knowing full-well that Ranger loves to see her do that, and then latched onto her nipples once again to finish what he started. Fighter threw her head and and started gasping and even chuckling at her husband's display of lust for her flesh. He even groaned into the plump, abundant flesh on Fighter's chest, and the vibrations his throats made made her pleasure increase even more.

Fighter couldn't feeling _anything_ except for Ranger's mouth on her nipples as he continued going back and forth between her perky nipples, chewed on her breasts themselves, rubbed her thighs and buttocks, and listened to the love goddess gluing herself to him fill the air with pleasured noises that he was inspiring. Eventually, Fighter started groaning and slacking from the pleasure, but Ranger didn't stop, and eventually the milk she was emitting from her breasts flowed down his cheeks. He then stopped and set her down on the nearby desk to catch her breath, while he licked up the milk she graced him with. Fighter then side-glanced at the man who just dominated her in one of the best possible ways, and gave him a small smile.

Ranger then pulled her into a hug, and despite the tenderness on her nipples, Fighter was perfectly content in his massive arms. She even snuggled into Ranger's built, and spacious chest; words could never express how lucky she felt when she was alone with this man, this loving, powerful, and gigantic man who both loved and lusted for her in equal amounts. Their anniversary somehow re-ignited their flame even though it burned as hot as a furnace; there was _nothing_ she didn't love about him, from the power he obtained over the years, both material, and immaterial, to the pleasure he gave her in bed, out in the world, and even on the battlefield, just by being at her side...to the care he showed for her, and the daughter he blessed her with, as well the people of their country whom he values as his own family. Even the darkness that occasionally consumed him couldn't keep them apart, quite the opposite it fact; the rage, lust for power, and even envy of other people's power only made them grow closer.

Fighter's daydream was interrupted when Ranger turned his head and gave her the softest kiss they had all day, with the same depth as before. His still-aroused manhood moved with him, and she was reminded that it was still resting against the thighs she was immensely proud of, as well as the fact that he hasn't mated with her yet. If history was anything to go by however, their fun was just beginning. She was proven right when Ranger lashed tongues with her, and she tasted the same milk he and their baby tasted all this time, it was both fitting and strange at the same time. Ranger's mood then changed back to lustful as their tongues brushed against and swirled around each other, and then he surprised her by pushing through her lower lips. Fighter then recalled how snug the fit was when he entered her lower body, but how the sweetness of the friction put even ice cream to shame. As if things weren't sweet enough Ranger stopped thrusting into her, but more than made up for it when he approached her ear, and spoke.

"_Ride_ me..." He breathed out, and the depth of his voice, combined with the leftover pleasure of what he recently did to her body made her quiver. Ranger then carried her to the bed, sat down on the edge, and Fighter put her knees on the bed before lowering herself onto Ranger's manhood . She gasped right away when she felt the organ fill her entrance again, and Ranger's hands never left the softened flesh of her toned, perfectly-shaped buttocks as he rubbed her flesh with the occasional squeeze as Fighter continued to move around until she found the perfect angle. Once she got the angle she was looking for, she moved up and down...and there was _no_ stopping her.

While she was moving around trying to fit Ranger's manhood into her snug entrance, she pressed her luscious breasts into Ranger's pecs. Her butt also rubbed against his brawny thighs as she bucked her hips, and her breasts rubbed against his equally-brawny chest as she continued sucking in one deep breath after another while alternating between bucking her wide, alluring hips, and bouncing up and down. The bulb of Ranger's manhood scrapping against the inside of her womanhood caused her to mix her gasps with quiet but throaty moans. That, combined with the contrast of her soft, thick skin and his lean, bulky muscles, as well as the wonderful pressure his powerful hands caused in the plump, substantial flesh of her buttocks caused her hunger for her husband's body to increase even more.

Fighter quickened her pace as she bounced up and down on Ranger's perfectly-sized organ, and he continued rubbing and squeezing her butt in response. He then added to her pleasure by pushing her butt as she bounced upwards to make her pace quicken even more, and it worked. Fighter's moans increased and became more labored as their combined strength made the sweet friction between their legs build even more rapidly and intensely. She eventually reached her orgasm and groaned for several seconds straight and clung onto Ranger's torso while the omnivorous pleasure shooting through her body at break-neck speed made her spasm.

Amazingly, yet somehow not surprisingly, Ranger's manhood was still as stiff, dense, and thick as ever; he didn't climax yet, but the moment Fighter got a hold of herself, and Ranger's patience ran thin...he made her gasp in surprise as he picked her up, and squeezed her butt even more as he thrusted into her with the exact same speed, force, and passion she used on him. Her moans picked up where they left off, and so did her muscle contractions as Ranger stuffed his manhood into the moist, swollen lips of her entrance. He then placed her on the bed, and still continued thrusting into the woman underneath him who had the biggest smile on her face and had the most provocative sounds in existence pouring out of her equally-provocative mouth. Her tightened womanhood squeezed an orgasm out of him a moment later, and he tensed up in response.

Fighter then caught him with her strong arms, and big, squishy breasts as Ranger caught his breath. Fighter then pulled a big surprise: she spawned no less than three clones behind Ranger, and they all pulled him off of Fighter herself, as she pushed him off of her, and Ranger looked around at the three women around him, including the one who's thighs his head was resting on. Fighter herself then laid there catching her breath, and then crawled over Ranger, and smirked down at him.

"Surprise baby." She said sensually.

"You like having me like this don't you?" Ranger asked as Fighter and the clones caressed his arms, legs, chest and abdomen.

"Come on, you're surrounded by four beautiful women who all want a piece of you. How can you not like this?" She asked as the rest of the clones chuckled and sighed with lust.

"Good point..." Ranger said, and Fighter looked down at Ranger's sculpted body, put her knees on either side of his waist, lowered herself onto his manhood again, and slowly but steadily bucked her hips as the clones kept him held down. Fighter continued to undulate her hips, which made her butt continue rubbing against his thighs, and her womanhood swallow his organ over and over...and Ranger never climaxed.

"How much...do you have in you?" Fighter asked.

"I was actually about to burst twice...but you stopped me." Ranger breathed out, and Fighter purred.

"Sorry my love." She said before the clones caressed his face, and one kissed him as Fighter continued bouncing up and down on his lap.

"That kiss is a good start..." Ranger breathed out.

"You better finish this time." Fighter said seriously.

"Maybe you need to ride me harder." Ranger teased, and Fighter rested her hands on his shoulder before smirking even more.

"Be careful what you wish for." She breathed out.

"Ride...me..._harder_..." Ranger said, and Fighter sucked in a breath, and then ran her tongue over her luscious lips while moaning...then latched her lips onto Ranger's. He then aggressively lashed tongues with her, and groped her butt as she made the bed shake while continuing to rapidly and _vigorously_ buck her hips as she let out higher-pitched moans right into his hungry mouth. The clones' eyes feasted on the lustful spectacle before them the whole time it was playing, Fighter's hips continuing to thrust downward as her womanhood took Ranger's organ into it's maw, his hands squeezing and rubbing the butt that was flexing and softening over and over as Fighter milked all the pleasure she could out of the War God beneath her. All the while, her lips and tongues shifted against Ranger's as the breasts Ranger drank from earlier were rubbed against his chest. Eventually, Ranger finally climaxed along with Fighter, and they both spasmed and groaned repeatedly while their mouths remained connected.

Fighter then disconnected her lips from Ranger's and went completely slack as they both sucked in as much air as they could, and their hearts kept pounding like drums. Fighter then planted a kiss on Ranger's neck, and then started sucking on it as she straightened her legs out and raised her butt to remove Ranger's now-soft manhood from her entrance. Ranger's hands immediately glued themselves to Fighter's softened buttocks, and the rest of the clones watched Ranger play with Fighter's _inhumanly_ sexy body. Eventually, Ranger flipped them over, and sucked on her neck and even started fondling and squeezing one of her breasts as Fighter sighed and shifted against the muscle-bound juggernaut laying on top of her.

He then got off of her, and rested his head on the pillow, as the clones crawled over to Ranger like cats, making his newly-aroused manhood get even harder as he eyeballed the slow, sultry sway of their hips, the minor but alluring bounce of their breasts, the horny smirks on their faces, and even the top-most curves of their butts. He was more than smart enough to know they had their own plans for him...and he was not disappointed; once they reached him, two of them took turns sharing brief, but passionate and rapid kisses with him, sometimes licking his chest and neck while the other clone was locking lips with him.

The third and final clone was massaging his powerful legs, and eyeballing his manhood that was _dripping_ with his and Fighter's fluids, clear evidence of his role in causing the mind-drowning pleasure the original Fighter was in. Eventually, all three clones laid against Ranger, and he wrapped his arm around two of him as they snuggled into his sides, and each wrapped one leg around his waist, and the third got on top of him before finally getting her chance to taste Ranger's mouth, while he did the same with her.

"Satisfied baby?" The clone to his right teased.

"I still owe you all quite a few orgasms...my babies." Ranger said.

"Oh, you'll find a way to please the original down there fully." The clone to his right said before the one to his left touched his face.

"Maybe _all_ of us..." She said sensually before kissing his neck.

"Too bad we used up the last pill, then I'd fuck all three of you at once." Ranger groaned.

"You can have some clones do it for you." The clone on top of him said.

"Maybe some other time." Ranger said.

"Oh well, I guess we'll just have to take turns." The clone to his left said.

"You can still please us in other ways...like grabbing these big asses of ours." The clone on top of him said with a smirk, and the other clones sighed.

"I can feel it already..." The one to the right said.

"Wait...Fighter? Baby? You still breathing?" Ranger asked casually.

"Very funny, I'm just waiting to see which one of these ladies gets fucked first." Fighter said.

"How generous, but...how about I give you some so you don't feel left out?" Ranger asked.

"Can you handle it? I'm winded myself, and you spent more energy than I did." Fighter said.

"I'll get us a life potion." The clone of Ranger's left said, and she got up to grab a life potion from a drawer...and noticed Ranger staring at her butt, much to her amusement. When she got back, Fighter re-absorbed the clones...and moaned as her mind was filled with the clones' memories of how _incredible_ Ranger's body felt pressed against her own.

"Baby...how do these muscles of yours feel now?" Fighter asked.

"After being treated by those lovely ladies you introduced me to? Not as good as your chest feels, but still great. You?" Ranger asked, and Fighter giggled.

"How much better can you possibly get at sex?" She asked.

"Don't know, don't care, as long as it's with you." Ranger said, and Fighter smiled before downing a swig of the life potion, and instantly felt her body's power return. She then gave the rest to Ranger, who had the same reaction.

"So...I believe you know some handsome gentlemen who want to meet me?" Fighter teased.

"I'd like to spend more time with those ladies again." Ranger said.

"Deal." Fighter said before kissing him, and then they both made three clones for the other to interact with. Ranger laid back down with Fighter's clones surrounding and caressing him, while Ranger's clones invited Fighter to stand up...and then immediately got to work on her body. The anticipation she felt when she saw the clones was replaced with excitement and pleasure once they got their hands on her. One of them started sucking on her neck and groping her buttocks, another sucked on the opposite side of her neck while rubbing her sides, belly, and breasts, and the last clone knelt down to massage her powerful calves and especially her thighs, with her inner thighs and the swollen lips of her womanhood getting an occasional stroking.

Ranger simply laid there enjoying the show, with the clones surrounding him taking particular interest in what was happening to Fighter's supremely buxom body. A body that went from being a living engine of power, destruction, and unstoppable resolve, to a lump of wet clay in the palms of three men that were on the same mission the original was on: to drown her in an ocean of euphoria. Based on the music escaping Fighter's throat, the clones surrounding her weren't just succeeding, they were working wonders on her heavenly flesh.

The one in front of her moved his hands from her buttocks, up her back to eventually hold her head as his tongue dragged up her neck until he reached her mouth, and then stifled her moans as he locked lips with her. The clone behind her then joined the other one that was kneeling as their hands replaced the first one's hands on her butt...which was big enough to require all four of their hands to smother it completely. Fighter's moans picked up even more as she repeatedly kissed the clone in front of her while her gigantic buttocks was fondled, along with her thighs on occasion. One of the clones started focusing on her bulky legs; he ran his hands along the lines of her hamstrings, her inner thighs, which made Fighter tense her legs slightly, and she gasped when the clone started licking and even lightly biting her thighs.

The other clone next to him was still squeezing her butt, but then started biting and sucking on her hips, her shoulder, and then when Fighter broke the kiss with the first clone, she turned to the one that just sucked on her shoulder, saw the smirk on his face, then the first clone watched her kiss the second clone. The last clone finished with her legs then got his turn to kiss her, while the first clone looked her over...and saw the slightly pink marks on were she was bitten. Obviously, none of them treated those parts of her body rough enough to cause damage, let alone suffering, but it was still hard enough to make Fighter get the point; it was no worse than what the original did to her breasts, and he did that to her a bounty of times.

The first clones looked at Ranger himself, and the rest of Fighters clones, who were all breathing deeply at the sight before them, as well as shifting against Ranger's bulk, and caressing him while their muscles tensed from excitement. Ranger then looked at the other end of the bed, and the clone he was looking at got the message right away. He led Fighter to the front end of the bed...then bent her over it, which gave Ranger a view of her breasts that were squished against the bed, and the curve of her buttocks that was presented to all three clones behind her.

One of them grabbed her shoulders, and slowly ran his hands down her back, making her relax and arch her back. The excitement turning into trust and tenderness with such ease was yet another sign of how much care was hidden beneath their seemingly unbridled lust. One of the clones even got next to her and stroked her face.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Oh yes..." Fighter breathed out, and one of the other clones grabbed her butt and spread her cheeks.

"Here it comes." The clone next to her said, and then Fighter gasped as she felt her womanhood get filled with the diamond-hard flesh of the clone behind her. Several more gasps followed suit as the clone behind her continued thrusting into her soaking wet entrance, and eventually went deep enough to make faint slapping sounds as he lightly struck her butt. Once those noises were made, the mood went back to the way it was; the clone mating with her thrusted into her harder and faster, making her moan even louder and more frequently, and the sound of her flesh being stuck increased as well. Ranger and the clones surrounding him watched Fighter's face twist in euphoria, her buttocks ripple as it was struck, her breasts sway and bounce back and forth, and her muscles tense and spasm as her mind was flooded with the same bliss her body was filled with.

Her pleasure eventually exploded as the clone behind her made her orgasm, shortly before he did as well...and then her spasms and groans continued as the second clone took the first one's place as he removed himself from the confined space of Fighter's womanhood. It was the night they opened their chakras all over again; Fighter's face went from that of a woman who was having the time of her life,, to that of a woman who couldn't even think straight thanks to the bliss she was swimming in. It was a good thing she was used to this, since the clone behind her was shoving his girthy manhood into her, striking her buttocks just as hard yet lovingly all the while.

Even after Fighter climaxed two times in a row, and the clone mating with her was done with his own, the third one got behind her...but waited until the aftershocks of Fighter's orgasm stopped; she may have a high tolerance the amount of bliss these moments give her, but there was no sense in taxing her. Fighter then had the third and final clone's manhood stuffed into her entrance, which happened to be dripping with the seed from the other two clones, which combined with her own fluids, made the fit a snug, but easy one. For a single moment, she was able to focus just enough to see the original Ranger's erection in front of her...and then focused on the organ that was being crammed into her entrance right now.

The clone doing so didn't let up until they both climaxed, with Fighter getting her third in a row. When the clone was done spraying his abundant but useless seed into her, he removed himself from her body, and then he, and the other two clones that were watching helped Fighter lay on the bed to recover her wits, and catch her breath. Fighter's clones then made space for Ranger to re-absorb his clones...and then he groaned and went slack from the combined pleasure they contained. He could completely empathize with his wife; that much pleasure all at once was intoxicating.

Her clones patiently waited for the couple to get themselves together...and they both opened their now-cyan eyes. They used their chakras to help recover from the mental strain of having that much pleasure flood their minds, which was already a piece of cake thanks to their experience in such matters. Before they knew it, both went from being unable to focus on anything, to only being able to focus on each other, and give each other a smile.

"Well...that was fun to watch." A clone said.

"Even more fun to be part of..." Ranger breathed out.

"I'll bet you're still not satisfied." Another clone said.

"Given how rock-hard you still are, I'd say no." The first clone said.

"We'll just have to do something about that, won't we ladies?" The last clone asked.

"I'd like that very much." Ranger said before the clones all took turns kissing and lashing tongues with him. Each clones kissed Ranger just as deeply and passionate as he did with the original, with their lips shifting and mashing against each other while their tongues swirled around each other. The clones Ranger wasn't kissing were either squeezing or rubbing his bulky chest, rippling abdomen or limbs, with the occasional lick or kiss to any of them. Ranger himself returned the favor by groping their large, shapely butts, or plump, milky breasts, caressing their backs and faces, or mutually shifting his body against theirs. The only sounds in the room were the ones Ranger and the clones made: deep breaths, the occasional moan, gasp, or giggle, and Fighter herself watched her clones give her inhumanly handsome husband the same pleasure his clones gave her...but of course, they were just getting started.

The clone caressing his thighs, crawled up his body to kiss him as her legs rubbed him, and while their lips were locked, the clone put both her knees on either side of his hips and broke the kiss in order to position his manhood so her entrance could envelop it. Once his organ was completely swallowed by her womanhood, she held his shoulders and started bucking her hips as rapidly as she could. The pleasure was immediate, and attention-stealing; the clones started gasping and sighing as the tip of Ranger's dense, hefty manhood scrapped her inner walls, and stretched them out, making waves of pleasure ripple through her body, and giving her the raw satisfaction of being filled with his flesh.

Ranger's hands wasted no time grabbing her buttocks, which was flexing and softening over and over as she took her lust out on his body, much to their mutual benefit. Next thing they knew, Ranger pushed the clone back with his manhood still buried inside her, and she laughed in surprise before going back to moaning her lungs out as Ranger sat up and started thrusting into her while holding her lower body off the bed with his hands firmly planted onto her butt. The other clones watched Ranger's manhood get shoved into the lucky clone in front of him, and saw his perfectly-shaped and toned buttocks drive the point home with the same power the rest of his body radiated. It wasn't long until the clone he was mating with has an orgasm, along with him.

"Don't forget about us now." Another clone sensually, and Ranger looked behind him to see both of their bodies outstretched, with one puffing out her chest with her hands holding up her upper body, and a one bent, and the other simply laying down on her chest, and crossing her legs, giving him a flawless view of her butt. Ranger then set the clone he just pleasured down on the bed as he disconnected from her, then kissed the clone puffing out her chest and groped one of her breasts. The clone moaned into their kiss right away, especially when Ranger twisted her perky nipple, and when he was done, he saw the seductive smirk on her face, then she glanced at the other clone.

Ranger got the message and lightly slapped her buttocks and watched her flesh jiggle. She then giggled in response to the loving slap, and then felt whatever tension she had leave as Ranger's hands rub her back, sides and shoulders. When he got to her buttocks, he stuffed his hands full of as much of her flesh as he could, but there was just too much of it. That didn't stop him though; he squeezed and fondled her butt from all angles, and the clone's pleasured moans and amused chuckles, combined with the minor flexing she did with her butt gave him even more motivation to work with everything her buxom figure had to offer for all it was worth.

His manhood was solid as before in no time flat, and when he was fully swollen, he laid back down with his head next to Fighter, who was still on the opposite end of the bed, and she gave him a quick but passionate kiss. She then watched the clone Ranger massaged position herself so her butt was still facing Ranger, then lowered herself onto his manhood and moved up and down. Ranger then watched her bend forward and flop her buttocks around as she bucked her hips and moaned her lungs out. Ranger then grabbed the clone's butt hard enough to make her stop before he sat up and then starting thrusting into her, making the musical slapping sounds of his flesh slamming into her's. Both of them groaned in euphoria as another orgasm washed over them not a minute later.

The last clone climbed over Ranger as he and her fellow clone went slack against the bed. When the last one saw Ranger come to, she pulled him upward to make him stand with her. When they were on their feet, her lips pressed against his own, and their hands started exploring each other's bodies right away. The clone's hands caressed Ranger's abdomen, and arms, squeezed his pecs, and even groped his butt, like he was groping hers. She also rubbed her breasts along his torso, and he watched her dance around him as she worked every angle. The other two clones got involved as well once they gathering their wits, and before long, Ranger had all six of their breasts rubbing against his bulk. Eventually, the clones decided to repeat history by kissing and licking Ranger's bulk up and down and even nibbled on his sides, pecs, and shoulders, if not suck on them.

"How about that? You have your own group of vampires to play with..." Fighter teased.

"I'm amazed how much more tasteful that idea is than I thought...oh sweet Supreme..." Ranger breathed out as the clones continued working his sculpted body with their ravenous mouths. One clone then started stroking Ranger's manhood with her hand, and the fluids drenching it made her work much easier, and Ranger's groans come much sooner as the other two clones sucked on his neck as he fondled the butt of the one directly in front of him.

She then stopped the clone stroking his manhood, which made Ranger look at her puzzled, and then she smirked, grabbed his shoulders, and wrapped her bulky yet plump legs around his waist. He got the point right away and held her up by the butt, and started thrusting his newly-aroused organ into her, causing moans to spill out of her enticing lips. He then silenced her with a kiss, but she kept making noise as they furiously pressed and shifted their mouths together, and she pressed her breasts into his chest with the other two clones peeking to see Ranger's manhood move in and out of the clone in his arms, just like it did with them.

Fighter's clone threw her head back with an orgasm less than a minute later, and Ranger set her down on the bed. Fighter then re-absorbed her clones and went right back to being delirious with pleasure as she inched her way to the pillows, while Ranger knelt over the bed's edge. He then drummed up the will to crawl in next to Fighter as they both caught their breath, and inhaled their scents...as well as the smell of the fluids they both expelled repeatedly.

"I counted eight rounds..." Fighter breathed out.

"I didn't even count at all." Ranger groaned.

"Well...one of us had time to gather all the brains that a certain walking, talking lump of stone fucked out of her." Fighter said.

"Good for him." Ranger said.

"Don't bother apologizing for not doing it for me fewer times than you did last time; in this case...less is definitely more." Fighter said.

"I would hope to hell so, because I'm done." Ranger said.

"Hey, you got to fight side-by-side with me, which we can do from now on whenever we want." Fighter said.

"I'm never saying no to that..." Ranger said.

"You know what the best part is? This was all you. No pill, a workout beforehand...o.k. yes their was a life potion in the middle of it, but hey, that just made things more intense, and our clones divide our strength in the first place." Fighter said.

"Right...things did balance each other out pretty nicely." Ranger said, and then Fighter looked at the clock.

"Wow, it's almost midnight." She said.

"What? We've been at this for about five hours...no wonder we're beat." Ranger said.

"Well, in the morning, we'll clean up, check on our little girl, and then get right back to...whatever our team has in mind." Fighter said.

"But in the meantime...I get to sleep next to my affectionate, powerful, ingenious...and _sexy_ Love Goddess." Ranger said, and Fighter smiled.

"Would my big, sexy, generous, and ambitious War God like to sleep next to some clones of mine?" She asked sensually.

"So I get more breasts pressing into me? Lovely." Ranger said.

"And more asses to grab right?" Fighter teased.

"I think I've had my fill." Ranger said.

"O.k...who are you, and what have you done with the insatiable brute who loves grabbing my ass?" Fighter asked...before Ranger squeezed her butt.

"Happy?" He asked, and Fighter stared at him.

"Welcome back..." She said, before making two clones, each of whom snuggled into each of his sides, as Fighter herself laid on top of him...and then Ranger used the Repair spell on the bed and made Fighter chuckle and press her breasts into him even harder. The amount of abuse they put their bed through was amazing...

* * *

True to their word, the two simply wiped the sweat off of their bodies with a towel and bucket before checking on their baby, who was still asleep. When she finally woke, she was greeted to her smiling mother, had a changing, burping, breastfeeding, and so on. Fighter then took their baby with them as they left their manor, and while she went to find Ranger's mother...he himself had a visit to make.

Next thing he knew, he was at Noble Fencer's manor, knocking on her door...and being answered by the very woman who asked to see him.

"Ranger?" Noble Fencer asked.

"You wanted to see me didn't you?" Ranger asked.

"Yes I did. How was your anniversary?" Noble Fencer asked as Ranger came in.

"In a word: Heavenly." He said.

"Glad to hear it. I'd ask for details but..." Noble Fencer trailed off.

"Maybe later. For now, let's get down to business." Ranger said before they sat down. "Now, you've been getting on me about my potential future in politics for some time now. Care to finally unburden your mind?"

"Well...have you given this any more thought?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Don't really have to. My plans were actually made for me." Ranger said.

"What? How?" Noble Fencer asked.

"For one thing, like I said before, I'm an adventurer not a politician, and like you said before, I have first-hand knowledge of what being on the front lines is like. Which means I'm perfect for the job." Ranger said.

"O...k..." Noble Fencer said.

"Now that the threats have been dealt with, there's not much use for us Platinum Ranks on the front lines anyway, until the world gets threatened again in some way." Ranger said.

"Yeah, Warrior and Wizard wouldn't shut their mouths over how the rest of your team became Platinum Ranks, and don't get me started on how much worship Priestess got; I swear, the people must think she's the Supreme God's daughter or something." Noble Fencer said and Ranger smiled.

"I'm not surprised..." He said.

"So, do you have any plans for how you and your team could get a place in the government?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Well, we're all Platinum Ranks, we're fairly wealthy, and...do I really need to say anything about our reputation? Not to mention Priestess is an authority figure herself, and I myself know the high king of the north quite well, hell all of us do." Ranger said.

"Alright...but that's two different places." Noble Fencer said.

"Unity is tragically underrated my good lady." Ranger said.

"I'm aware of that, but...take it from someone who's been around other politicians for years: there's bound to be some discord sooner or later, and not everyone is afraid of being shot or beheaded, whether it's because they hide behind the idea of their killer facing consequences, they think you don't have the stomach for it, or they're just that stupid." Noble Fencer said

"What...the...hell have you been dealing with?" Ranger asked.

"I'm just letting you know what you're dealing with, or should I say might deal with. I know you're not a barbarian, but if someone doesn't care for their own life, they're not going to care for the lives of others, although...you and you're team being involved in politics might be the best thing to happen to this country, minus the goblins getting purged, and the Cambion getting his ass kicked." Noble Fencer said.

"What makes you go that far?" Ranger asked.

"You said some of the reasons yourself, what with your team having more connections than a spider web, and those are just the connections you're telling me about, but if people respect and fear you too much to ignore you, and you've shown your intentions aren't malicious...come on, you can have people do whatever you want." Noble Fencer said.

"I came here to let you know what my plans are, not to get a school session." Ranger said seriously, and Noble Fencer sighed.

"Sorry...I've been itching to talk to you about this, and I've been pretty anxious about it to be honest. I dare say I didn't really think this though." Noble Fencer said.

"Well, that explains alot." Ranger said.

"The Evil Sect possibly being around still doesn't help either, just because the Demon Lord's gone now, doesn't mean he won't be back." Noble Fencer said.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." Ranger said.

"What?" Noble Fencer asked.

"I'll explain later, but to summarize my plan: it's business as usual for the most part. Just like how I advised Priestess on certain matters, like when I told her about that mining operation weeks ago being a possibility, I can advise other authority figures, and there's no reason my team can't either. As for finances, well, like I said, I have more coin than I know what to do with, and Wizard has a dream of becoming an archmage...and oh boy can you make some good coin from that." Ranger said, and Noble Fencer snickered.

"You don't know the half of it; some of the wealthiest people in history were archmages. What about Warrior and Fighter?" She asked.

"Fighter is obviously going to do things at my side, I'm not sure what her goals are outside of that though. I can very much see her training people in her spare time time, just like I would for that matter. Hell, our daughter and her future sibling being involved would hit two birds with one stone." Ranger said.

"I knew you'd show your daughter a thing or two." Noble Fencer said.

"Don't forget the sibling, or siblings, we're going to give her. Now, as for Warrior...well, I can't see his case being any different, especially since he and Wizard used to do that very thing for a living." Ranger said, and Noble Fencer sighed.

"Did they ever tell you that they saved me and my team from goblins?" She asked.

"Not in detail no." Ranger said.

"Well...I'll never forget it. We were up north hunting goblins for weeks, with some pretty good success as well if I do say so myself. We also had a plan to camp out in front of a cave to starve the goblins inside out...then Warrior and Wizard found us and told us how bad an idea that was, especially if we split up to get supplies like we were going to." Noble Fencer said and Ranger sighed.

"Splitting up when dealing with goblins is _never_ wise." He said seriously.

"That's what they said, and they were correct. All of us went to get supplies, and when we got back to camp...the place was ruined. Goblins showed up in the middle of the night and took our stuff. Wizard then used Life Sight...and I'll never forget how much my heart sank. She saw dozens of them in the very cave we were camping in front of, and the tracks we founds suggested they can from all sides. If that many attacked us while we we sleeping...I don't even want to think about it." Noble Fencer said.

"No wonder you're so fond of them." Ranger said.

"It gets better. We later found Goblin Slayer and his team looking into a goblin fortress, and together...we laid siege to it for days on end. At the time, it was, without question, the most intense fight I've ever been in. When we went inside...nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. Makes me tear up just thinking about it..." Noble Fencer said before taking a moment to calm down.

"I know how you feel..." Ranger breathed out.

"From that point forward, I knew my place wasn't on the battlefield, it was behind the scenes supporting the adventurer training regime. Although...there was no harm in taking part myself if I could; I did end the siege with a lightning spell afterall." Noble Fencer said.

"Did you now?" Ranger asked.

"Yes I did, and it was after Goblin Slayer took out a goblin big shot." Noble Fencer said.

"You mean a paladin?" Ranger asked.

"That's it." Noble Fencer said while pointing at him.

"The same paladin Goblin Slayer killed returned from Hell and attacked me and Fighter at the Pope's palace before I helped fight the Demon Lord." Ranger said.

"I wish I saw the look on his face when you put him down." Noble Fencer said.

"It was nothing special to be honest." Ranger said.

"If you say so. Although...I'm curious how you've been so good at killing goblins, as in, how you got as far as you did." Noble Fencer said.

"You mean aside from the fact that we used literally _everything_ at our disposal, improvised, not improvised, magical, non-magical, you name it?" Ranger asked.

"Yes..." Noble Fencer said.

"Well, like Goblin Slayer, we picked up on how the goblins fight, and added our own blend to it. Bottom line: we don't fight fair; we see an edge, we take it, we don't see an edge, we make it." Ranger said.

"Yikes, combine that level of tactical know-how with the amount of power and synergy you've shown...no wonder you're all Platinum Ranked." Noble Fencer said.

"You don't know the half of it. Even Miss Goblin Slayer got her hands on her fair share of the glory." Ranger said.

"I can imagine." Noble Fencer said.

"Did I ever tell you I gave her her first quest?" Ranger asked.

"Really? Well, if a Platinum Rank gives you a quest, you damn well better follow it through to the letter." Noble Fencer said.

"And she did; we were at a fortress full of demon hunters, the Evil Sect unleashed an army of undead on us...and she protected my daughter from goblins, even though she almost wound up like the Sword Maiden, and we all know how much of a mess that would have been." Ranger said.

"Bless that woman..." Noble Fencer said.

"My thoughts exactly. I don't know what goblins do to babies...and I don't think I want to know." Ranger said.

"Me neither." Noble Fencer said and Ranger sighed.

"Thank the Supreme the goblins are dealt with; the idea of my little girl growing up, only to be violated by goblins makes me sick to my stomach." He said.

"Well, like you said, they're dealt with, so no more little girls are growing up to be used like that again." Noble Fencer said.

"Right..." Ranger whispered.

"On a more pleasant note, you know me and Sword Mage took out some goblins that got inside the walls before the Demon Lord came here?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Really? Good for you." Ranger said.

"Yes it was..." Noble Fencer said proudly.

"Well, not that it's not good swapping stories, but I'd like to get back to our discussion." Ranger said.

"Go ahead." Noble Fencer said.

"As useful as me influencing my connections, and making sure as many people that need to get paid stay paid...I might very well need to become a connection myself eventually." Ranger said.

"Aren't you already a nobleman in your own right?" Noble Fencer asked.

"I'm a made-man; I have alot of resources to use, but...again, I'm an adventurer; my place was in the field, but now that things are changing, I'm going to need to change myself.

"Into?" Noble Fencer asked.

"I don't know, a lord, a general maybe, something along those lines. I don't know how yet, but I'll find a way, me and my team always do." Ranger said.

"You know...I wasn't expecting you to change your mind so radically." Noble Fencer said.

"Well, things have been pretty radical recently." Ranger said.

"Dare I ask?" Noble Fencer asked, and Ranger sighed.

"Well...about the Cambion's goals..." He trailed off.

"What about them?" Noble Fencer asked.

"It's what he planned on doing...he was pissed off beyond words at how dire the country's state of affairs was, what with the goblins running amok and almost no one doing a thing about them." Ranger said.

"Can't say I blame him, but why did he care about that? He murdered the Sword Maiden for crying out loud." Noble Fencer said.

"He thought she was an obstacle to remove, and speaking of whom, she spoke to the Cambion a few days ago, just before he took the Demon Lord's throne." Ranger said and Noble Fencer recoiled massively.

"He what?!" She exclaimed.

"You heard me right, and Sword Maiden encouraged him to do it." Ranger said simply, and Noble Fencer started sputtering.

"I never thought I'd see the day where I ask if she lost her damn mind!" She said.

"If I didn't hear what Cambion's reasons were from his own mouth, I could probably call her crazy myself. But his resolve, and conviction spoke for themselves; he really did do what he thought was right." Ranger said.

"Right?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Please...hear me out. His last moments on Earth were deeply personal." Ranger said, and Noble Fencer sighed.

"Alright, I'm listening." She said.

"He went around this country for...Supreme-knows-how-long, and he's seen things that quite possible make the things I've seen look like child's play, and...I hate to say it, but if I was constantly exposed to what he told me about, I'd probably do the same thing." Ranger said.

"Ranger..." Noble Fencer breathed out.

"I'm not like the Sword Maiden; she dreaded the very air the goblins breathed, but almost anyone else as strong as she used to be would probably follow in Goblin Slayer's footsteps a hundred times over, but she's not the hold-a-grudge type, not least not on the same level as I used to be. I dare say he even lost his faith in love and hope as concepts, nevermind the sources. Maybe he and I are kindred spirits afterall..." Ranger said.

"Sheesh this is getting heavy." Noble Fencer said.

"Well, he stayed true to his conviction to the end, so if Sword Maiden thinks it's better if he's the ruler of Hell instead of the Demon Lord...I believe her." Ranger said.

"I guess you have a point there. There are two words that can never be used to describe the Sword Maiden: stupid, and malicious." Noble Fencer said.

"Truest thing I've ever heard you say. Speaking of truth: Wizard told me that she would pay a visit to the capital, and return with those dummies, and look how that turned out. Wait...the capital is one of the few places we haven't been to. Getting the king involved in this would be a complete shoo-in.

"Ranger...I discovered something about the king you're not going to like." Noble Fencer said seriously.

"I'll manage." Ranger said.

"He...he knew about the Sword Maiden. Specifically...her incident with the goblins." Noble Fencer said.

"What...?!" Ranger breathed out.

"You heard me right." Noble Fencer said and Ranger kept staring at her.

"How...long...?" He asked.

"I don't know, but it was well before you met her a year ago." Noble Fencer said and Ranger continued staring at her awestruck, and then looked away.

"He...knew...how vile the goblins were...and didn't do a _thing_ to prevent more damage from being done...?" He asked.

"Maybe he thought people could handle it." Noble Fencer said.

"That changes nothing. I have half a mind to say he doesn't deserve to be a king, but...I saw the former Pope commit suicide over the Cambion's-" She cuts Ranger off.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! He what?" She asked.

"The Cambion drove the previous pope to kill himself out of guilt for betraying the Supreme, and the Abbot took his place." Ranger said.

"O.k...that's just cruel. Why would Sword Maiden forgive this guy?!" Noble Fencer asked.

"In a way, the Pope had it coming; the Cambion blamed him for turning his back on the people...like the king did." Ranger said and Noble Fencer sighed and leaned back.

"Any more shocks you wan to share with me?" She asked.

"Other than Abbot gave us our Platinum Ranks, except my own of course." Ranger said.

"I figured as much." Noble Fencer said.

"Now, do you know that story?" Ranger asked.

"Well...quid pro quo." Noble Fencer said.

"First off, the Sword Maiden herself sent me up north to look into the vampires' doings." Ranger said.

"That much I do know, and you besieged their queen's fortress and kicked her ass." Noble Fencer said.

"Yes...but it wasn't that simple. First, I had to get a girl from one town to another, and kill a heap of goblins in the process. Then, I had to clear out a vampire cave...without my armor being anywhere near as good as it is now. Then, I got information on the vampire queen from the jarl of the town I was at, as well as a vampire who wanted revenge for his friends, and...once I told people I was going to kill the vampire queen...everyone questioned my sanity." Ranger said.

"Yikes..." Noble Fencer said.

"Can't say I blame them though; the jarl was contacted by Her late Majesty directly, and she demanded that he sleep with her so she could have a child, and when he refused her, she vowed vengeance, and killed his people one by one, until I showed up and got rid of the vampires dishing out the carnage. I'll bet you anything that the one-by-one approach was done purely out of spite, not to mention that she did that to others as well. Once everything was said and done...my mind was made up: I had to stop her." Ranger said.

"So...it wasn't out of revenge?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Oh, there _was_ alittle revenge, but it was mostly because she had to be stopped, and I'm the only one I knew that could stop her, or at least lead to her downfall. The result? The siege, everyone involved getting rich, my team getting Gold Ranks, and myself becoming the 11th Platinum Rank." Ranger said.

"I take it she was nothing to smile at either?" Noble Fencer asked.

"You have _no_ idea. The only reason I could get the drop on her is because I had to outsmart her; overpowering her was completely hopeless." Ranger said.

"What did you do?" Noble Fencer asked.

"First...she tried to seduce me." Ranger said.

"Why am I not surprised...?" Noble Fencer asked.

"She did so in just about every way you can think of too, from twisting her naked body in provocative way, to speaking and looking at me like we were already lovers, to making promises she knew were complete bullshit. At first...I was just more disgusted with her, but then I realized that she was completely serious, so I played along...before jamming a sword into her gut and setting her on fire." Ranger said.

"Yikes!" Noble Fencer exclaimed.

"That blood-sucking bitch sent a succubus to get between me and my wife, and that she-demon made both of us see the other try to force ourselves onto each other. I didn't lose sleep over it before, I'm not going to now. Although...it's kind of sad one she turned out; she wasn't always like this." Ranger said.

"What do you mean?" Noble Fencer asked.

"She used to be a servant of the Supreme God, but...well, my wife can tell the story better; she's the one who told me the story, but the vampire queen wound up losing the man she loved, and made a deal with the Demon Lord to become the vampire queen." Ranger said.

"Didn't see that coming...at all." Noble Fencer said.

"It gets better. Are you aware we made several trips to Heaven, and I talked to her when she was in nephilim form?" Ranger asked.

"I'm not surprised..." Noble Fencer said.

"Not only does she not blame me for using her head as a trophy for the high king of the north, but she said right to my face, that having that succubus come after me and Fighter, by itself justified my actions. She also got to see her lost family thanks to me." Ranger said.

"Wow...she's as forgiving as the Sword Maiden is." Noble Fencer said.

"Me and Cambion have yet another thing in common: we both met a well-known woman we killed, and were forgiven by them both." Ranger said.

"Would you rule Hell like he is in order to keep the demons in check?" Noble Fencer asked.

"If there wasn't too much on Earth for me...I might have." Ranger siad.

"May I ask why the Cambion told you what he wanted to do?" Noble Fencer asked.

"He had hope we would join him." Ranger said.

"Yeah, look how that worked out..." Noble Fencer said.

"It worked out great for him in the end actually. He wanted to replace the Supreme God, but would up replacing the Demon Lord instead, so his plan worked flawlessly, just not how he intended. Also...he pointed out just how dire their country's state of affairs is, and that we need to deal with them." Ranger said.

"With enemies like that, who needs friends...?" Noble Fencer said.

"Don't give him too much credit; not everyone would be so forgiving to him for killing the Sword Maiden." Ranger said.

"I know, but still. May I ask when he told you his plans?" Noble Fencer asked.

"After flooring us in the first round of our fight...and he jammed my own harpoon into my gut." Ranger said.

"He what? How are you still alive?" Noble Fencer asked in awe.

"I've been injured more times than I can count, and my necklace lets me heal wounds in the blink of an eye." Ranger said.

"Oh..._that's_ fair..." Noble Fencer said.

"Lady, my team fights to win, and there's no such thing as cheating when literally all of the odds are stacked against you." Ranger said seriously.

"You are officially the luckiest, and craziest son of a bitch I've ever met..." Noble Fencer said.

"I'm sure my mother will love to hear that." Ranger said, and then chuckled at the deadpan look on Noble Fencer's face.

"Unbelievable. I asked you to come here so I can ask for information on your plans...and I get one surprise after another brought to the surface." She said.

"My team has been through more insane things in one day than most people go through in their whole lives." Ranger said.

"Please don't tell me anything else; I envy you too much as it is...then again, no I don't." Noble Fencer said as she recalled the nightmare she saw in the goblins' fortress.

"May I ask if you told Sword Mage your story?" Ranger asked.

"I will...I will..." Noble Fencer breathed out.

"Do you have anything else to tell me before I leave?" Ranger asked.

"Well...I understand your distaste for the King, but I feel like I have to throw him a bone." Noble Fencer said before Ranger crossed his arms.

"Please do..." He said.

"He asked Goblin Slayer and company to save his little sister when he was going to be sacrificed to the Demon Lord...by the goblins." Noble Fencer said.

"A virgin sacrifice...so the goblins didn't try to use her for breeding." Ranger said.

"Apparently." Noble Fencer said and Ranger relaxed.

"She was _very_ lucky...most women captured by goblins don't-" He stopped talking to compose himself. "They don't stay virgins for long."

"So I've heard, but thank the Supreme that's a thing of the past now." Noble Fencer said.

"You know...part of me wants to curse the Elder Revenant for not dealing with the goblins earlier, but on the other hand...that wasn't really his job." Ranger said.

"And to be fair, he is trying to make sure no one else has to go after them anymore." Noble Fencer said.

"True...which does count for something, even though it's who-knows-how-long after it's due." Ranger said.

"Right...now, I think that's quite enough, let's go find your team." Noble Fencer said.

"You're coming with me?" Ranger asked.

"Why not?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Alright...suit yourself." Ranger said, and with that, the two left her manor.

* * *

When they got to the Guild Hall, they saw that some rookies were having their lunch break after Ranger's father was done training them. GS was also having their own lunch...with Ranger's team, and Hero's team as well...with Fighter holding her daughter.

"Look who's here sweetheart. It's your father." She said softly, and Ranger walked over to greet his daughter. "Say hello..."

"Hello." The baby said.

"Hello." Ranger said before taking the baby from Fighter, and Noble Fencer looked her over.

"Hello." She said.

"Hello." The baby said.

"Hey, Hero? You never told us about the Demon Lord fight. Was it harder the first or second time?" D.R. asked.

"Oh, it was harder the second time..." Hero groaned.

"Well, at that was the last time he'll be troubling any of us." Warrior said.

"Thank the Supreme for that..." Sword Saint said.

"You told them?" Ranger asked.

"Yeah, so?" Warrior asked.

"How many people have you told?" Ranger asked.

"Everyone we could. We didn't know it was a secret." Wizard said.

"It's not but...it was pretty risky letting people know the Sword Maiden's killer is the new Demon Lord." Ranger said.

"People need to know." Sage said.

"Still." Ranger said.

"We were just talking about that, and a few other things. The good Ranger here brought up that people might not be so understanding." Noble Fencer said.

"Which is precisely why we said the Sword Maiden's spirit believes in him...and who's going to question her?" Wizard asked.

"Lady's got a point." D.R. said.

"So...when are we going to explore the north?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I suggest we go at night. The place looks much better at night." Ranger said.

"Might I ask what the plans are for the time between now and then Sir Ranger?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Uh, none so far. Why?" Ranger asked.

"Because you, me, and the missus here, get to have a two-on-one fight to show the trainees how it's done, and to kick the next part of the festival into high-gear." Warrior said.

"Really?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Then why ask about when we're going to leave for the north?" Ranger asked.

"Because you may have had something in mind for the new few weeks for all we knew." Wizard's brother said.

"What about me and Goblin Slayer?" Cow Girl asked.

"Well...do you want to get involved, or look after my daughter?" Ranger asked.

"I'm looking after our daughter, those two...are getting involved." Fighter said.

"Alright. When do we start?" GS asked.

"You...will start when that beast of a man Ranger calls a father calls the rest of the recruits back." Summoner said as he approached.

"He giving them that much of a hard time?" Ranger asked.

"They definitely know they're being trained, that's for sure." Summoner said.

"You should have seen the training he put me through..." Ranger said.

"Yes, yes, you were trained since childhood, we know the story." H.E. Druid said.

"You're a hundred times my age, and you only became strong enough to challenge me recently. What's your excuse?" Ranger asked.

"He's got you there sweetheart." D.R. said.

"Who's side are you on?" H.E. Druid snapped.

"Can we finished out food please?" Rhea Fighter asked, and what that, Ranger and Noble Fencer got their own meals, and sat with the rest of the group.

* * *

After Ranger's father graciously allowed the trainees to watch the match between his son, and Warrior and Wizard, with the rest of the team standing watch as well. Things started off with Ranger walking into the middle of the arena, and then morphing a single shortsword...which he immediately starting downwardly-twirling to his side, then upwardly to the other side with enough speed to make the blade almost invisible. The display went on for several seconds, before he stopped, started again, spun it again in front of him, then aimed in various directions as he threw diagonal, horizontal, and vertical slashes and stabs, and ending it with a spin-kick. He then turned it into a longsword, and swept the blade all around him several times, like he was craving through dozens of imaginary goblins, and ending by jumping and then giving a powerful side-to-side slash to the place with the most space, and made the wind blow back a burst of dust in the process.

Warrior and Wizard then took the space behind him, with neither one being afraid of him, and he turned to face them as Warrior unfolded his shield and drew his blade, and Wizard put her glaive out in front of her. Ranger simply looked them over, especially when each of them got to either side of him; they knew the rules: either of them has to hit him a single time, but he has to hit both of them a single time. Numbers were on their side in every way, but Ranger was still their leader for more reasons than one; he wasn't just their wisest member, but he was also their fiercest, and most experienced, so Warrior and Wizard having to fight smart despite the numbers being on their side was a must.

Ranger then turned his longsword into twin shortswords, and the duel commenced. Warrior swung at Ranger's head, and his swing was ducked before Ranger jumped on Warrior's shield, then jumped off of it, right over Wizard's head as she braced to stab at him. She then turned around as Warrior moved around her, and the two took turns stabbing and slashing at Ranger as he blocked their attacks with his dual blades, with the crowd eating up their performance. Ranger and Warrior both tired slashing at each other's abdomens, but their attacks were either blocked or dodged via moving backwards. Wizard once slashed at Ranger's leg, but he raised his leg just in time, then she put the middle of her glaive in the way of a kick, which knocked her down before Ranger and Warrior locked blades, and wrestled to both sides, before Ranger pushed him back, and then leaned back at Wizard swung at his head then backflipped away as she went for his legs with the other end of her glaive.

Warrior then got behind Ranger, and the pair attacked Ranger from both sides, striking high, low, and in the center, but Ranger never lost any ground. They swung, he blocked, they stabbed, he dodged or deflected, they struck high, he ducked, they struck low, he jumped over it. Eventually, Ranger kicked Warrior's shield so hard he fell backwards, and clashed blades with Wizard, repeatedly. This struggle ended with Ranger locking blades with Wizard, driving hers into the ground, before ducking the blunt end, then locking blades with her again, before side-stepping as she tried pushing him back, and tripping her so she fell down next to Warrior.

Both of them then got up and looked over Ranger who was simply standing there eyeballing them...and having almost no trouble breathing, while they were inhaling deeply, mostly from the thrill of fighting their leader. Ranger's iron focus would have fooled most people, but they both knew he was as honored as they were to be in their clash. Ranger then watched his two opponents gather themselves, and then he holds both blades in reverse-grips.

He then dashed forward, and the two barely had time to block him as he swiped both blades at them at once. The next minute was nothing but him pressing the attack while both his opponents frantically blocked his rapid, and unorthodox strikes, from side-stabs, to downward stabs, to using his right sword to slash to the right instead of the left, and his left sword to slash upwards to the right instead of the left, to him using both blades to use the same strike from both angles. Every time they tried striking back, Ranger simply moved his blades from side to side to intercept their strikes. Their clash ended with Ranger throwing several downward slashes and stabs at Warrior, who backed up desperately blocking Ranger's strikes, and then Ranger rolled away as Wizard tried to slash at him form behind.

Ranger then looked at the crowd who were completely awestruck by how intense the duel was...but they haven't seen anything. Ranger then morphed a longsword, twirled it around in every direction then pointed it at his opponents. Wizard then shared a glance with Warrior, who returned it, and then she stepped forward to fight Ranger...alone. She then charged at Ranger as he held his sword to the side, then he blocked and dodged one swipe of her glaive after another, until they locked blades, and then Ranger jumped over Wizard, who caught her balance right after she lost it. She then swiped at Ranger's feet, and his midsection several times, only for her attacks to get jumped over, or avoided. Ranger then backflipped away from her to get his bearings.

Wizard then charged at Ranger just as he landed, and then threw another flurry of stabs and slashes at him, which he actually had a hard time defending himself against, and then Wizard went for his feet again, and he moved back only to fall back. Wizard then spun her glaive, and her body around before lunging at Ranger, which he narrowly side-stepped, and the swatted her glaive away, only for her to hold onto the end of it before it feel out of her hand. She then moved back, plunged her glaive into the ground, and vaulted over Ranger, and he ducked just in time to avoid her attempt to stab him from above. When she landed, she spun around again as she moved away from Ranger.

Warrior then attacked Ranger from behind, and he blocked and ducked under several sword swings from Warrior, and his own strikes bounced off Warrior's shield. Ranger then locked swords with Warrior, who twisted his sword out of the lock, and made Ranger lean back so hard he fell down, then push himself off the ground, then flip-kicked at Warrior, who put his shield in the way. Ranger then morphed his sword into a harpoon, and pressed the attack and threw several stabs at Warrior, with each strike pounding on his shield. Warrior then countered with his own swing, and Ranger nearly lost his harpoon, but twirled it to the side before he could lose it. Warrior then pressed the attack as Ranger backflipped, cartwheeled, and jumped several times over before finally long-jumping far enough to get enough distance.

Wizard then took over as she charged at Ranger while he was moving back, and once she got close and prepared to stab at him...she faked him out and went for a swipe to the side instead, and Ranger had just enough time to block her attack. He then exchanged blows with her while smiling with pride; his training was coming through for them more and more every moment. Wizard then grabbed Ranger's harpoon, then ducked his kick as he jumped over the harpoon. He then raised his end of the harpoon over his head, spun around, then yanked it out of Wizard's hand before blocking several more slashes. He then ducked under one slash, and rolled back as she tried to stab him.

Ranger then took a moment to catch his breath and refocus; both of his opponents were putting up more of a fight than he thought they would...which was _really_ saying something. He then slowly got up, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and sucked in one final breath; it was now or never. He then charged at Wizard, skipping from side to side, before she blocked his thrust, and jammed the head of his harpoon into the ground...and then noticed Warrior's sword on his shoulder. Ranger then turned and saw Warrior holding the sword with a serious look in the face. All three combatants then relaxed; the match was over; Ranger lost fair and square.

The crowd then erupted in applause, and the victors helped Ranger to the side, and Wizard gave him a towel, and Warrior handed him some water. Fighter then came over with their daughter, and Ranger couldn't help but smile at her. Warrior and Wizard then watched the trainees get back to their training...and then left the area to head to their apartment.

* * *

Next thing they knew, Wizard was being pushed into the room as Warrior peeled her clothes off and slammed them on the ground, as she did the same with him, all the while deeply and noisily kissing him. When he finally got her down to her bra, he practically tore it off of her, freeing her _delectable_ breasts from their confines, and making them bounce, much to his viewing pleasure. Wizard then smirked at his reaction, and then she tore off his shirt, and helped him remove his pants...and underpants, before staring at his manhood, fully aroused, and thick and long as ever. Wizard then moaned as Warrior stuffed her breasts into his hands as she rubbed one of her thick legs against his waist.

"To the victor go the spoils..." Warrior breathed out as Wizard let off a horny chuckled and mashed her lips against his while his hands continued to knead the globes of plump flesh on her chest, and extract even more moans out of her throat, into his mouth no less. He then let go of her breasts, watched them bounce, and then grabbed her round, plump butt hard enough to make a musical slapping sound, and make her tense up in surprise, and chuckle even more.

They kept lashing tongues with Warrior kneading and rubbing Wizard's watermelon-sized butt like the dough it felt like, all while hearing her exhale deliciously, and grazing her luscious lips against his own. She then smirked as the man continued playing with her enormous butt, and gave it a quick spank that made her flesh ripple.

"I cannot believe we beat the boss...and now you're beating my ass just as hard." Wizard said.

"Don't pretend you don't like it." Warrior said while continuing to squeeze her flesh.

"You know I'd like more?" Wizard asked sensually.

"What...?" Warrior asked.

"For you to drink some potion, bend me over that bed, and fuck me..._hard_." Wizard said, and Warrior smirked.

"Can't say no to my lovely sorceress now can I?" Warrior asked, and Wizard walked over to the bed as Warrior grabbed their bottle of potion, then walked over to Wizard, while watching her enticing hips sway as she walked. Once he reached her, he put both hands on her upper back, lightly pushed her down, and she complied as leaned forward slowly, and rested her breasts and elbows on the bed. She then felt his hand move down her toned yet thick-skinned back, and she arched her back in response to present her buttocks to the monster-killer behind her. His hands fondled her flesh even more, and she gasped as he spread her cheeks and entered her womanhood in one swift motion.

As she requested, Warrior started slamming into her buttocks as quickly and as forcefully as he could, which made her moans flow out of her mouth in no time. Every second, Warrior's manhood moved in and out of her multiple times with his groin making ripples in her flesh without failure. Wizard then started groaning and even growling as she felt Warrior continuously pounding her tightening entrance, without letting up for a moment. He knew Wizard had moments where she liked him being rough with her...and he was going to have every inch of her slender, yet shapely body feel how much power he had.

Before they knew it, Wizard finally climaxed...but Warrior wasn't done with her; he kept thrusting to make sure she stayed as far into the clouds as he could keep it there. Wizard continued spasming as her orgasm continued it's rush through her mind. All the while, she continued vocalizing and eventually, her gasps and moans became more and more high-pitched, until Warrior finally climaxed himself. He then simply remained inside her womanhood as they both caught their breath, and Warrior looked over his wife's face-splitting smile as she sucked in one ocean-deep breath after another, and Warrior himself bathed in the warmth of her entrance. Wizard then gasped as Warrior removed himself, and then she flipped herself over.

"Oh, I _love_ you...!" She groaned, and then Warrior came down to mash his lips against hers as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I think you've had quite enough." Warrior said.

"I will _never_ have enough of you..." Wizard said.

"I meant for now baby." Warrior said.

"That might be true...but I still want as much as I can take before we head up north. Now get on this bed and I'll give you some more bodies to play with." Wizard said, and Warrior smirked before laying his head on the pillow, and Wizard made four clones that got next to him while she got on top of him. The five women took turns kissing Warrior while caressing his abdomen and chest, or sucking on his neck. Some of them moaned into his mouth or neck as their man groped their butts, or breasts.

"To the victor go the spoils instead..." Warrior breathed out, and Wizard chuckled before pulling his head away from a clone to kiss her instead.

* * *

A few hours later, twilight was nearing it's end, and the group was preparing to head to the northern kingdom, with several of them equipping winter clothes.

"Do all of you still have your warmth-enchanted clothes?" Priestess asked.

"I've got mine." H.E. Druid said.

"As do I." Lizard Priest said.

"I got mine as well." D.R. said.

"Thanks to me." Wizard's brother said.

"And...I salute you for it..." D.R. deadpanned.

"Play nice you two." Fighter said.

"Anyway...who has an idea of where to go?" Ranger asked.

"Well, there's an uncharted area in the north I went to once, and almost died in." D.R. said.

"What?!" Fighter asked.

"Yep. Lovely place, but...not somewhere you should go alone." D.R. said.

"Well, you're far from alone now, so let's go see it." H.E. Druid said.

"Alright. Send us there." Ranger said before tossing D.R. the portal gem.

* * *

When they reached their destination, they were on the outskirts of a snowy forest, with a large town on the other side of a river.

"Uh, where are we?" H.E. Druid asked and Priestess checked a map.

"This is actually the edge of the explored of the northern kingdom; the northern frontier." She said.

"I told you we're about to enter uncharted territory didn't it? Although it's not technically unexplored; lots of people went through the wilderness beyond this forest, but not many bothered to bring a map, or a cartographer for that matter." D.R. said.

"Luckily, the Sword Maiden was a whiz at cartography, and now so is our dear Priestess here." Warrior said with his hand on Priestess' shoulder, and she smiled at him.

"Lucky us indeed." Rhea Fighter said.

"Well, let's go. We've got a place to explore." H.E. Druid said before the group followed D.R. through the woods.

* * *

The group traveled through the woods for what seemed like hours, stopping on occasion to eat their rations and down some water, or even get and clean some snow to melt and replace the water they drank, or even forage plants and hunt animals for food. Sometimes, Warrior went on mining trips with his clones when someone found a metal deposit. Aside from several good-looking rocks to use for decorations, nothing good was dug up, and H.E. Druid strongly disliked the idea of ruining the earth just to get something pretty, so the mining trips were halted.

When they finally got through the woods, they saw that the sun was still barely visible on the horizon; they spent less time in the woods than they thought. They then saw a snowy plain big enough to build a village, or even a small city or fortress at. Unfortunately, the entire area was filled with blisteringly cold and wild winds, so going through it wasn't going to happen...at least normally. D.R. then spotted a passage on the other side of the snowy plain, and Priestess drank some holy water, then threw up Protection around the group.

It was a pretty interesting experience seeing the snowy winds blew over and around the barrier as the team looked it over. None of them could keep their eyes off of the winds, but Priestess never took her eyes off of where they had to go. Lo and behold, her strategy where she looked at the direction her footprints were pointing instead of where they had to go worked wonders, and the passage was right where it was supposed to be. The winds didn't let up however, but it was obvious it was just part of the weather instead of magical protection.

They then went through the decently narrow mountain pass, with a series of small mountains in the distance, walked alongside a frozen river, then a series of rolling hills with woods splaying around at their base. Priestess then used Vision to see multiple paths that led to the center, and they split into multiple groups to see every angle. For example, Ranger and Fighter went in one direction that led them to a series of frozen, and not-frozen rocky outcroppings, and cliffs, and at one point, they reached a high point, to look over the entire valley under them. Fighter then tried going down, and then fell down the cliffside, and jammed her armblades into the walls until she slowed down. Ranger just watched her catch herself; he knew she was perfectly capable so he didn't try to help her, but now she was just sitting there trying to calm down. He then lowered a chain down to her so she could climb up, and when she reached him, she thanked him with a brief but sweet kiss.

The group then joined up in the middle of the valley, and set up a minor staging area for the rest of their exploration. They even went the extra mile and went through a strange mountain in the distance...that turned out to be made of ice as well as stone. The whole group eyeballed the walls and ceiling that was made of ice, it was radically different from what they were used to, and hauntingly beautiful. This wasn't just a mountain, it was a glacier. Eventually, they got to a rock floor, with the ice overhead getting more encased, and it drowned out what was left of the sunlight, so Priestess used Holy Light.

They then left the glacier, and went back to the forest to see the sights, especially the tallest mountain among the other smaller mountains, with the twin moons overhead. H.E. Druid then sat down on a log to rest, and sighed deeply.

"Now _that_ was a hike..." She said.

"To think all of this wasn't mapped yet. The people have no idea what they were missing." D.R. said.

"You're right. This place is really beautiful." Cow Girl breathed out.

"It is quite different from the forests. Although I don't see myself coming here often, especially not without civilization so far from here." H.E. Druid said.

"I for one am quite grateful for this opportunity to see such a place, equally so to have the experience shared with my friends." Lizard Priest said.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself. I actually regret not looking this place over when I first came here..." Ranger said.

"The beauty is, there's still more to check out." Wizard said.

"I'm up for it." Warrior said.

"Big surprise." Wizard said.

"You go ahead, I'm staying here." H.E. Druid said.

"I'll look around the area around this place." Rhea Fighter said.

"Alright, I'll stay too." Wizard's brother said.

"As will I. Lizard Priest said.

"I'm checking out that clearing not far from here." Cow Girl said and left the area. Ranger then looked at GS, shrugged and then watched everyone separate. He went with Priestess to look over the map, along with Fighter.

* * *

When GS caught up with Cow Girl, she reached the edge of the clearing, and sat down on a rock.

"Are you alright?" GS asked, and Cow Girl sighed as she looked up at the night sky.

"Do you remember all those times we laid out in the grass, at the farm? How I kept asking you about the future, what would happen after the goblins are dealt with, where our lives would go, or...your condition?" She asked.

"Yes. I remember all of them." GS said.

"And now here we are, in literally uncharted territory, with all the goblins dead, with the same twin moons we always looked at watching over us as always." Cow Girl breathed out.

"That is pretty special, in it's own way." GS said, then Cow Girl looked at him.

"Are you o.k.? You sound awfully strange." She asked.

"I...it occurred to me that everything is turning peaceful now, even my hatred for the goblins no longer has a place in this world, so that only leaves us." GS said.

"What do you mean?" Cow Girl asked.

"I mean...I have something for you." GS said...before reaching into his bag and showing her a silver ring, and she gasped and covered her mouth.

"Is...is that what I think it is?" She asked.

"Yes." GS said.

"Where-? How did-?" Cow Girl trailed off.

"I got my hands on it before the festival. I went back and forth trying to make up my mind about which one to use for this, but since we're both Silver Rank now, and this ring is made of silver, I figured that nothing could be more fitting-" Cow Girl cuts GS off.

"Goblin Slayer...ask me." She breathed out, and GS knelt and handed her the ring.

"Will you marry me?" He asked, and Cow Girl frantically nodded.

"Yes..." She whispered before de-morphing her left gauntlet so he could put the ring on her finger. Once it was on, she threw her arms around him, then he stood up while holding the annoying little girl who grew into a farmhand who was lovely beyond words, had enough love, willpower and luck to become a high-tier adventurer in a matter of months, and despite his lack of acknowledgement, soothed his mental anguish whenever she could. Well, his days of ignoring her care were over a long time ago, but now they aren't even a memory. Cow Girl then removed GS' helmet, and with a newly-formed aurora forming over their heads, she kissed GS as deeply as she could.

* * *

Warrior and Wizard meanwhile were trekking through the woods, until they got to another clearing between the woods and a small mountain...then Wizard looked at the aurora, and her eyes watered right away; her memories of her engagement night came flooding back to her. Warrior then looked at his wife sitting on a rock, then her reaction to the aurora, then approached her before sitting on the same rock. She made him no mind, but he understood completely.

He then wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned into his shoulder right away. The rest of their exploration could wait, for now, he was going to have a moment with the woman who enchanted him in more ways than one. Neither complained about the cold; the literal warmth of their outfits, and the metaphorical warmth of their moment kept them from feeling it.

After they were done, and the whole team re-grouped, they returned to Water Town, and marveled over how GS proposed to Cow Girl. No one was surprised, but everyone was amazed he had it in him to make a move like that; soon Cow Girl would be Missus Goblin Slayer. Priestess took the liberty of having the acolytes keep in mind that another wedding was on in the morning, but for now, everyone had sleep to catch, except for Ranger and Fighter. Once they went home to check on their baby, and they fed, changed, and made sure she was asleep, and even paid Ranger's horse a visit...they went right back to the Temple of Law to finish some business.

* * *

Next thing they knew, Ranger was in the bathhouse with four of Fighter's clones surrounding him, moaning, sighing, and chuckling as Ranger licked, sucked, and groped their breasts. He was currently sucking on one clone's nipple while squeezing a breast on two of the other clones, while they caressed, and massaged him with their hands, and breasts. The one who didn't have her turn getting her lovely breasts worked on simply watched, or joined the others in massaging the muscle-bound man pleasing their bodies. She wasn't left out for long though; she pressed both of her breasts into his back over and over, and Ranger eventually got the point, turned to hers, and sucked on her nipples as well. He then detached his mouth from her perky nipples, grabbed both of her hand-filling breasts while she lashed tongues with him as they rapidly mashed lips together.

Fighter herself simply watched from the side as her clones pleased her husband...and her husband pleased them. She was well-aware she'd feel the clones' pleasure when she re-absorbed them, so watching her husband work on their bodies was a joy to watch, especially with her getting to see how he works on her own body. Until she got her turn however, she was perfectly content to just sit there and wash herself off.

Ranger then finished kissing one clone, then gave the others brief but deep kisses, then got back to work on licking one clone's perky nipples with her gasps spurring him onward. He then finished by dragging the whole length of his tongue up her hardened nipple, and listening to her groan and feel her shudder in bliss. He then went to another clone, started kissing her and groping her breasts... then moaned into their kiss as another clone fondled the bulb of his manhood, and another stroked the shaft. The last clone watched Ranger's organ swell even more as it was handled by her fellow clones, and Ranger himself mashed lips with the first clone. Eventually, Ranger groaned as his organ sprayed seed all over the clone's midsection again and again as the clone handling it didn't relent until his organ was completely soft again.

While that clone rinsed the seed off of her body, the other clones got to work sucking on Ranger's shoulders, chest, and neck as he caught his breath. He leaned against the clone behind him as she and another sucked, licked and lightly chewed on his neck and shoulders, while the last one devoured his bulky chest. Ranger meanwhile simply sat there sucking in the deepest breaths he could while the four beautiful, and bulky women surrounding him worked their magic on his body. One clone even stood up and turned around to give Ranger a chance to grab her supremely fleshy buttocks...and he took advantage right away by reaching out and squeezing her toned yet plump flesh while she looked down to give him an alluring smirk.

Ranger's manhood was hard and thick again in no time, and the clone whose butt was just squeezed mounted his lap by putting both knees on either side of his waist with her butt facing him. Ranger then held her soft hips as the clone in front of him moved up and down with his manhood fully-sheathed inside her..and stretching her walls with it's girth. The rest of the clones watched as the lucky clone in Ranger's lap felt his swollen manhood scrap the inside of her entrance and send waves of pleasure shooting through her body, and filled the air with moans gasps, and the water's swishing. Ranger meanwhile got to feel the clone's large, shapely buttocks rub against his abdomen and slam into his lap as she rode him for all he was worth. Apparently, he was worth a mind-consuming orgasm, because that's what the clone expected, and received as she groaned and spasmed against Ranger's still-solid manhood...and then kept going to make her orgasm last even longer.

When she was done, she fell back as Ranger's manhood softened inside of her entrance, and her face split with a smile as Ranger reached around to fondle her breasts even more, as the clones kept watching. Fighter then tossed the pill she was safe-keeping over to a clone, then she fed it to Ranger as he opened his mouth. The clone on his lap then got off of his lap as Ranger built up saliva in his mouth then swallowed the pill. Once he did, the clone who gave it to him slowly closed the distance as their mouths opened, and then their tongues intertwined before their lips contented. Ranger then ran his hand over her strong thigh as she caressed his face and chest.

Eventually, his manhood became solid again, and then the clone he was kissing got in his lap...before Ranger grabbed her butt, made her squeal in surprised as picked her up, then he placed her against the rock as he thrusted into her. The other clones then watched Ranger's legs and butt rapidly flex and soften as he shoved his thick manhood into the clone he was holding. The moans, gasps and chuckles pouring out of her mouth spurred Ranger onward as his mission to please her commenced, and the other clones watched the entire display of dominance with keen interest.

When both of them finally climaxed, Ranger set the clone down, then went for another clone to mate with. One of the other two then wrapped her legs around Ranger's waist one but one and hold onto his shoulder as he Ranger sat down and let the clone lower herself onto his manhood. Once she fully enveloped him, she straightened herself out and held Ranger's head against her breasts, and he snuggled into them as the goddess on his lap shifted against him while moving forward and back. Ranger reached own to grope her rapid-flexing buttocks as she kept gasping and sighing in bliss. The last clone then got behind Ranger and much to his pleasure, started massaging his back, with her butt. She shifted it against him, pressed into him, and tried to keep herself from bending over as much as she could to make sure as much of her flesh was pressing into him as possible.

The clone that was mating with Ranger then climaxed along with him, and then he held her until she quite spasming. Her fellow clones then took her off his hands, then he turned and spanked the clone behind him. He then watched her flesh jiggle as she chuckled, and then he got up, bent her over as she leaned into the rock, grabbed her hips, and started slamming into her butt. The wonderful sound of Fighter's fleshy buttocks being rapidly struck as Ranger vigorously mated with her, as well as the swishing of the water, and her throaty moans filled the room the entire time Ranger mated with her. The clone eventually climaxed along with Ranger, and he held her up to keep her from falling, and breaking her face on the rock.

He then held her against him as her legs were somewhat shaky from the pleasure, but Ranger held her as tightly as he held the real Fighter against his bulk. The clone in his arms couldn't keep the smile off her face as Ranger holding her left no doubt as to how devoted he was, and she kissed and held onto him the moment she regained her bearings. Ranger held her just as tightly as she snuggled into him and passionately kissed him, as well as rub her leg as she rubbed it against his own leg. She then chuckled into their kiss as Ranger groped her round, supple buttocks which was too big for his hands, and then he leaned his head to the side as the clone sucked on his neck.

Ranger then groaned as two other clones sucked on his shoulders, and one fondled his manhood. The two clones sucking on his necks had their butts groped as well, and eventually, they turned around to rub their butts against Ranger's brawny thighs...and then his hands went to their womanhoods, and they both gasped as his fingers fondled their lips and nubs. The clones rubbed their perfectly-round butts against him with even more vigor in-sync with his fingers to double the friction. The other two clones watched them get pleasured, and then went back to sucking on Ranger's neck and shoulders, and pressing their breasts into his chest and back. Eventually, the two clones Ranger was pleasing with his fingers climaxed, and he held them both up against his body, just like he did with the first one.

Just for additional fun, the clones went up and down Ranger's bulk kissing, licking, and chewing on his bulk, from his shoulders, to his chest and abdomen, to his sides, to his thighs and calves. Their hands weren't much different either; Ranger even flexed his butt so they clones could feel how much power he used to drive his manhood into them and deliver their most recent mind-boggling orgasms. Ranger then walked the clones back to Fighter who was leaning against the rim of the bath with her arms stretched to the sides with her legs crossed. She then stood up, re-absorbed each clone one by one, spasmed each time, and then when she absorbed the last one...Ranger held her up. Fighter then shared a series of aggressive yet passionate kisses with him while they ran their hands all over each other's bodies.

"Hell of a way to celebrate mapping out the northern frontier." Ranger breathed out.

"Hell of a way to wrap up what our glorious anniversary started." Fighter whispered before continuing their kiss.

"Would you like me to return the favor baby?" Ranger asked.

"Oh yes _please_..." Fighter groaned before Ranger made four clones of himself, each one as aroused as he was. Fighter looked over each of their manhoods and her heart and lungs spiked. The clones then surrounded Fighter and immediately took turns fondling her breasts, groping her butt, caressing her back, thighs, and abdomen, and sucking and lightly biting her neck as she chuckled, moaned, and gasped in response. At one point, she was kissing one clone who reached around to squeeze and rub her buttocks as another clone sucked on her neck while reaching around to grope her breasts...but they then took it up a notch as the clone behind Fighter held up her upper body as two other clones held up each of her legs with her excitement mounting.

Once they were in position, the final clone held her up by the butt before thrusting into her and making her gasp and throw her head back. Her single gasp turned into a series of blissful, throaty moans as her entrance was stretched by the organ penetrating it repeatedly. There was never a difference with how Ranger's own manhood compared to his clones, but it was rarely this clear; they were as long, dense, and thick as his was, which was saying quite a bit. The clone mating with her was just as fervent as well; he thrusted into her with as much power, speed, and affection as the real Ranger did, and Fighter had an orgasm moments after she finished thinking.

The clone holding her up sat on the rim of the bath with her butt on his lap, and they stayed like that until she caught her breath. She smiled as the clone held her close with her shoulder leaning on his chest before returning the hug and sighing. The clone then casually massaged her hip and thigh before moving up to her face and giving her a deep kiss. She then moaned into their kiss as the clone reached up to play with her breast, gently twist and pinch her nipple, and move down her rippling abdoment.

"Do you remember the hot spring...after we saved the elf queen?" The clone asked and Fighter gasped at the memory.

"Oh yes..." She whispered.

"You really showed your colors in that spring." The clone teased, and then Fighter gently pushed the clone down and hovered over him.

"Show me your colors..." She breathed out.

"Oh?" The clone asked.

"Yes...I want more, _much_ more." Fighter said before she locked lips with the clone...just like she did with Ranger on their anniversary. She then put her legs to the side completely straight, and then sat up and she did a split right over the clone's manhood...and then he slid into her as she came down. She then slowly bucked her hips as she planted her hands on the clone's chest...which was every bit as hard and bulky as Ranger's was, much to her pleasure. Eventually, she sat up and the clone beneath her watched her breasts bounce and her hair flail about as she continued riding him.

She then felt his hands roughly grab the plump flesh of her buttocks, gasped and chuckled in response, then came back down to hold herself up on his chest. She then felt a second pair of hands grab her butt, which had just enough flesh on it for all four hands grabbing her bottom to fit on it. None of that stopped her from bucking her hips however; even with four powerful hands kneading her rapidly-flexing buttocks, Fighter was determined to obtain another orgasm, and obtain it she did. The hands on her butt added to her pleasure with their kneading, as well as pushing her down onto the manhood of the clone beneath her.

When she raised herself off of it, the clone behind her immediately replaced the organ she raised herself off of, and her throat unleashed more music as soon as the clone behind her stuffed his own manhood into her. The clone that was still beneath her watched her face contort in bliss, and her lovely breasts sway back and forth as the clone behind her repeatedly slammed into her round, softened butt. Fighter's moans picked up when the clone beneath her groped her breasts and treated her nipples with his fingers by twisted, pinching, and simply running his fingertips along them side-to-side, and Fighter climaxed moments later...but the clone behind her stopped for nothing. Fighter even screamed as her orgasm became strong enough to make her whole body spasm and undulate somewhat violently until the clone behind her finally climaxed.

She then collapsed on top of the clone beneath her, gasping for air, and occasionally spasming from the pleasure. The clone beneath her wrapped his arms around her and Fighter eventually got a hold of herself then locked lips with him. She then rolled over and laid there basking in the bliss she was filled with...and then glanced at the last clone who didn't mate with her, then giggled before spreading her legs and revealing her womanhood that was still swollen and dripping with the clones' plentiful but useless seed. The last clone then pushed through her lips and Fighter moaned at the contact and wrapped her thick, powerful legs around him as he held her buttocks.

Ranger himself watched the entire display, and now he got to watch his wife get pleasured yet again by the tower of muscle he gave her to play with. That same tower gave Fighter yet another orgasm and then let her lay there basking in the aftershocks of her bliss as Ranger came over and re-absorbed the clones...then groaned each time he felt the pleasure they obtained from her bulky yet plump body. When she finally opened her eyes and saw Ranger himself hovering over her, she reached up for him to come down, and he recalled how adorable he used to think that was then came down to kiss her.

"Have I now satisfied my sweet Love Goddess?" Ranger asked.

"You most certainly have baby..." Fighter said sensually before kissing him yet again.

* * *

The next day, Fighter spent the whole morning nursing her baby, and watching some recruits run an obstacle course with her father-in-law coaching them, and Ranger himself giving some demonstrations before Warrior and Wizard sparred with more recruits. Even Noble Fencer showed up to see the displays of physical and mental refinement. The training included weapon training of all types, including firearms; even though they were logically outlawed for the public considering how dangerous they were, there was no point forbidding them for military use, or even in the guild.

"Nice to see them moving along." Noble Fencer said.

"You should have seen them earlier; they were training up a storm." Fighter said as the two ladies got back to watching Ranger's father yell at the rookies to keep up the pace.

"Sheesh, I heard that man was hard , but he's not pulling any punches is he?" Noble Fencer asked.

"It's all part of the training." Fighter said.

"Really?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Yep. Warrior and Wizard told me the whole story. While I was pregnant with the cherub in my arms, he used a similar training method he used with Ranger when he was a kid, only...he didn't give the trainees any special treatment." Fighter said.

"Let me guess: he didn't pamper them, yell at them, or give them less training than they could handle because they're not his sons?" Noble Fencer asked.

"That's only half-true; yes he was easier on Ranger as a child, but...he was a child; expecting the same level from him was stupid, and rangers are anything but stupid. What I meant was that he trained Ranger quite a bit, and sometimes Ranger went out to train on his own...but I digress. With them, his father is actually expecting them to be the best they can be, like his son, and he's treating them as such." Fighter said.

"I can see why." Noble Fencer said.

"And yelling at them is just the start; he's insulted them, he questioned them, he even told jokes to them." Fighter said.

"Say what now?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Yes. The whole point is to instill control over emotions; he might get personal with them, but he's ultimately challenging them to look past it." Fighter said.

"I guess that makes sense..." Noble Fencer said.

"Unfortunately, he never did any real emotional training with Ranger, and they both regretted it years later. Although...if they did, he probably wouldn't be his daughter's father." Fighter said thoughtfully.

"Really?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Yes. He's always been a sensitive man, which definitely explained his unstoppable rage towards the goblins, and it makes his control over it even more impressive." Fighter said.

"I'll bet." Noble Fencer said.

"I am dead serious; he's done things to the goblins that would make most people question his sanity." Fighter said.

"Dare I ask?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Well...we actually went through a fortress infested with goblins, and before we left, we found a naked woman chained to a wall...with _bite_ marks all over her. Unsurprisingly, all of us were pretty pissed, and a goblin that jumped out at him learned that the hard way, before he crushed and melted it's face." Fighter said.

"Yikes!" Noble Fencer exclaimed, then they looked at the baby who was still fast asleep.

"Anyway, afterwards, we all took a moment to compose ourselves, because not only did Ranger have more control over his rage than all of us combined, but we were...frankly used to seeing things like that, and getting emotionally numb was just as bad as losing control, and either case was a death sentence against goblins." Fighter said.

"And even with all of them dead, that kind of mental training is priceless, on the field, or in life." Noble Fencer said.

"Couldn't have said that better myself." Fighter said, and the two women shared a smile, before noticing the trainees go inside for lunch.

* * *

After lunch, the group mingle with the rookies, from telling some tricks, especially with Wizard and the mages, to some of the graduates sharing their stories about exploring, seeing the world, and finding riches, to some of the adventurers getting visits from their families. Some people even went to see Ranger and Fighter's baby...although, Fighter had to leave when things got too much for her and she started crying, but some alone time with her mother straightened her out, although...Fighter wasn't taking anymore chances. Ranger then saw Guild Girl pause her work and get a meal herself, he left her to it, but when she went back to her desk and took a breather, Ranger walked over.

"Any trouble?" He asked.

"No, this has actually been a pretty easy day, I'm just getting myself back together." Guild Girl said.

"I can tell you're having some trouble." Ranger said.

"I'm used to this now; things might be harder here than they were in the frontier, but things are looking up in multiple ways. Although...it doesn't help that I'm doing this with a baby on the way." Guild Girl said while holding her lower belly.

"I can imagine. Please don't tax yourself." Ranger said.

"I won't. Besides, money is flowing through the guild, so if things get too hectic, I can go get something nice, or my husband will get something for me." Guild Girl said and Ranger smirked.

"Women..." He said.

"Hey, that's what he's like." Guild Girl said seriously.

"I know, I was just messing with you." Ranger said.

"Right." Guild Girl said and then sighed.

"You know, I heard my wife talking about how my father is training the recruit to control their emotions?" Ranger asked.

"I noticed myself." Guild Girl said.

"In my honest opinion, that the single best kind of training someone can go through." Ranger said.

"Oh?" Guild Girl asked.

"Yes. Do you know how many times I was an inch away from completely losing my temper thanks to a stunt the goblins pulled?" Ranger asked.

"I'm afraid to ask." Guild Girl said.

"Smart woman, although...now that things have cooled off, I'm calmer than I've ever been. Even the idea of me being traumatized by what happened isn't likely. I probably have that goddess I married to thank." Ranger said.

"I'm sure you all have each other to thank, I know the people have alot to thank you for." Guild Girl said.

"You could not be more right about either of those things, especially since everyone knows about the goblins." Ranger said.

"And most of them probably wish they didn't." Guild Girl said.

"Well, for what it's worth, my team has no intention of stopping our work, so should the goblins ever escape Hell for whatever reason, we'll be ready for them." Ranger said.

"That's comforting..." Guild Girl said.

"Even more so for myself." Ranger said.

"How?" Guild Girl asked.

"Because of the calm. I may be Platinum Rank...but I'm still human, and seeing all the atrocities the goblins committed took it's toll, but now that there's finally some peace and quiet...well, imagine Goblin Slayer's case, but multiplied by the number of people involved." Ranger said.

"I cannot believe I never thought of that." Guild Girl said.

"That being said, even with the goblins down and out, it's better to have as many adventurers with control over themselves running around the country, and who knows? They may spread the word of their results and the cause of it." Ranger said.

"As usual, your wisdom amazed." Guild Girl said and Ranger deadpanned at her and she giggled at their antics.

"Anyway, one thing the world is definitely better off without are the goblins' tactics- oh dear Supreme it hurts just to _think_ of them as tactics..." Ranger groaned.

"Uh, the goblins weren't know for being public servants." Guild Girl said.

"Well, nevermind how vile they were to people they captured, they didn't even leave a lasting legacy, and distasteful as it is, military matters are one of, if not the single best way to leave a legacy...and they somehow manage to fail at that." Ranger said.

"Really?" Guild Girl asked.

"Yes. Goblin Slayer may have picked up their tendency or take or make any advantage they could, but...outside of that, it's no wonder we could kill so many so easily." Ranger said.

"What do you mean?" Guild Girl asked.

"Remember how I said control over your emotions is vital in combat? Well, the goblins were a prime example of what a lack of control looks like." Ranger said.

"Really?" Guild Girl asked.

"Oh yes. I've seen countless fights where goblins got riled up, or got so full of themselves since they were in massive numbers that they jut threw themselves at us. They thought they were going to be heroes...but it doesn't work like that; they always would up dead." Ranger said.

"Figures." Guild Girl said.

"Well, no one ever said goblins were refined." Ranger said.

"Heaven forbid anyone here follows the same logic." Guild Girl said.

"If you can call it that...although some people do actually follow it. They just grab a weapon and rush at their target and mindlessly swing at them. Granted it was just training, but...it's a good thing it was just training." Ranger said.

"Wow." Guild Girl said.

"I know. Even Warrior had that mindset at first, but that mindset had to go; if he had just rushed at the goblins like an idiot, he would've died like an idiot." Ranger said.

"And now here he is hailed as the man who killed the strongest monster that ever lived." Guild Girl said.

"Yep." Ranger said.

"Anyway...do you have any plans for the future?" Guild Girl asked.

"I should be asking you that." Ranger said.

"Well, Summoner is with his sister now, when he gets back...well, there's no need for goblin or demon slayers anymore." Ranger said.

"He's still a Gold Ranked adventurer, and that counts for something." Ranger said seriously.

"I know, and there's a handful of things he can do instead of demon hunting...but I still need to hear it from him." Guild Girl said.

"By all means." Ranger said before hugging Guild Girl, then looking down at her lower belly. "You are going to be an excellent mother."

"Thanks." Guild Girl said softly, before Ranger kissed her forehead and walked away as Guild Girl continued smiling.

* * *

When he went outside to watch the rookies, he was treated to seeing Fighter facing several rookies, without even using her armor while they were using practice weapons and wearing padding for armor. Every time they attacked her, sometimes one by one, she danced around them, stopped their strikes, or even tapped them with her fists or feet as false counters. Ranger's father coached them to attack all at once, and they did, with actual results; Fighter was actually hit a few times from different angles, and pretended to be harmed. The whole thing was a mere exercise so she had to tone herself down for their sake; if she went full force, they would all be dead in less than a minute. Most of her opponents were women, but there were a fair number of men as well, and even though she was married...it was extremely apparently they weren't fond of hitting a woman as beautiful as Fighter was.

Even Cow Girl was involved, and her situation was even worse; she wasn't married, but as far as Ranger was concerned, her beauty did not surpass Fighter's, even with bias thrown into the mix. Regardless, her unarmed skills shined when the rookies that attacked her had zero luck, just like they did with Fighter. As it turned out, all of that was a warm-up; the real training had yet to begin. Ranger's father told them to use unarmed skills, so the rookies all discarded their weapons, and sometimes armor and engaged the two women up-close. Sometimes it was one-on-one, sometimes it was one-vs-many, and sometimes it was even both women vs one rookies...which unsurprisingly terrified their single opponent, but it was all part of their mental training. How many times would one find themselves stuck in an absolutely hopeless situation? As long as they were just training, they could get away with any mistake, regardless of how big it was, so the more mistakes they made here the better.

When it was all said and done, the rookies all walked away with some minor bruises to their body, major bruises to their pride, and even more major lessons to consider for the future. Afterwards, they were treated to a match between Cow Girl and Fighter, and it was truly a match between professionals. The difference in rank meant nothing to either of them however, they were Silver and Platinum Ranks, but in this match they were just opponents. The crowd around them didn't care about any of that, they just wanted to see the two beauties has it out, and they hashed it out alright.

Fighter threw a flurry of spinning kicks at Cow Girl after jumping at her, Cow Girl threw a flurry of kicks at Fighter with her legs touching the ground then launching back off the ground after side-stepping Fighter's jump attack, Fighter and Cow Girl both threw a series of punches, some of which clashed while other were blocked or dodged, and the exchange was so intense they backed off right away to recover from the pain.

Cow Girl then recovered first, and skipped and spun from side to side to confuse Fighter before she threw a false round kick at Fighter's leg before side-kicking her in the gut, but Fighter didn't fall for any of her tricks. It was a strong tactic, but Fighter's experience was stronger. Eventually, Cow Girl's training with Ranger kicked in, and she went for Fighter's leg after ducking a spin-kick, then Cow Girl beat Fighter by twisting her foot in the opposite direction, and keeping Fighter from reversing it with both of her legs. She then rolled backward and stood up raising her fists in victory, then helped Fighter up as the two caught their breath, and even hugged it out like the sisters they saw each other as.

* * *

After several hours of training, with and without the team supervising them, the rookies were dismissed, with some heading to get some potions to recover their stamina or heal their injuries, or just going home to their families. Some even took minor quests to do once they got themselves together, or some rookies stayed in the guild hall to socialize. The team however wanted more food, so they went inside for supper, and Hero's team joined them eventually.

"Don't you think the people would like to see us going at it, especially since we get to see who's stronger once and for all?" Hero asked.

"Hero...we've seen each other in action multiple times. You know as well as I do that if we fought each other tooth-and-claw, it would pretty much be an unstoppable force hitting an immovable object." Ranger said.

"He's got a point there, and besides, that Pestilence miracle is lethal no matter what." Sage said.

"Alright I get it." Hero said.

"Hey, did you see Elder Revenant up north?" Sword Saint said.

"We didn't see anyone up there." H.E. Druid said.

"Other than the native animals of course." Lizard Priest said.

"That goes without saying." H.E. Druid said.

"Of course, my apologies." Lizard Priest said.

"So...what are you three ladies going to do now that this is all over?" D.R. asked.

"For starters Ranger, do you still have that replica of my sword?" Hero asked.

"Yes, I still have it." Ranger said.

"Be sure you give that you hand that over to your daughter when she's old enough, and tell her what inspired you to make it." Hero said seriously.

"Right." Ranger said, and the group got back to their meal, and when they were done, Cow Girl approached Ranger.

"Hey, Ranger? Can I talk to you?" She asked.

"Alright." Ranger said before following her to another room.

"I just wanted to thank you." Cow Girl said.

"For what?" Ranger asked.

"Everything...for helping to save the farm a year ago, for being with Goblin Slayer whenever I couldn't, for training me, for helping the country...and for inspiring me and Goblin Slayer to get married." Cow Girl said, then Ranger hugged her.

"Of course." He whispered before Cow Girl returned the hug, and the two stood there holding and snuggled into each other while deeply breathing and basking in each other's warmth.

"The Goblin Overlord told me he was going to make me his queen." Cow Girl said, and Ranger continued holding her.

"O.k..." He said, then Cow Girl pushed back somewhat.

"O.k.? That's all you have to say?" She asked.

"You took his head, and I'm sick of being so much anger in my heart all the time. Besides, you got a Silver Rank out of it, as well as Goblin Slayer's hand in marriage, both of which are well and long-deserved." Ranger said and Cow Girl smiled.

"That's the Ranger I know and love." She said softly.

"I love you too, and I know my daughter loves you." Ranger said.

"I love her as well...and I'll love my own daughter just as much, well...my daughter or my son, depending- oh you get the point." Cow Girl said.

"Of course." Ranger said.

"Another thing...I took Goblin Slayer to the Ether Gazer, and both our families gave us their blessing." Cow Girl said.

"There was doubt?" Ranger asked and Cow Girl smiled.

"Good point. Although...I also talked to Priestess, and we're having our wedding in the oceanic city, with the Sword Maiden blessing us like she said she would." Cow Girl said.

"Why not have it here?" Ranger asked.

"Because...I want it to be just him and me, like Warrior and Wizard had theirs." Cow Girl said.

"Does anyone else know?" Ranger asked.

"I think so; Goblin Slayer told me he'd break the news to everyone." Cow Girl said.

"I see..." Ranger said, and Cow Girl giggled.

"You still sound like him when you say that." She said.

"Surprise surprise." Ranger deadpanned.

"Well...that's all I wanted to say, unless you have something?" Cow Girl asked.

"There is one thing I'm curious about, although it's kind of personal." Ranger said.

"Go ahead." Cow Girl said.

"Have you...used your chakras when you two were in bed?" Ranger asked.

"I...never thought about it." Cow Girl said.

"Well, I have to tell you right now...do _not_ sleep with him with your chakras open. Me and Fighter did that at the end of our anniversary, and even though it was far and away the most pleasant experience of our lives, the risk of being mentally paralyzed from the shock was enormous. I still don't know how we're still alive..." Ranger said and Cow Girl's eyes widened.

"Why would you do that?" She asked.

"We were just caught up in the moment..." Ranger trailed off.

"Oh...well, do you have anything against using my chakras in other ways?" Cow Girl asked.

"I'm not against anything but going all the way, but if you want him to touch you in other places with your chakras open...all I can say is get ready." Ranger said.

"O.k..." Cow Girl said, and then they both left the room they were in.

* * *

Along with the rest of the group, the pair got a second meal, and then watched the rest of the trainees mingle with each other. True to his word, Ranger's father never called them back to training, and Ranger's mother gave everyone their fair share of potions to consume. Inspector even put her healing miracles to use to save potions, and Noble Fencer showed up and got herself a meal after a meeting with the hall's manager.

They were then treated to a big surprise: Songstress and Bard returned, and Sword Mage was there to greet them. Noble Fencer couldn't help but smile at her lover embracing his mother. When they were done, they spotted the group, and Sword Mage walked them over.

"Bard? Songstress? Where have you been?" Fighter asked.

"We were at the Elves' kingdom, getting married." Bard said.

"Really? Well, good for you." D.R. said.

"We also wrote you all a song." Songstress said...in the human tongue.

"You...you know our language?" Fighter asked.

"Yes, and I understood everything you said just now." Songstress said.

"Thanks to her new husband." Bard said.

"Alright, so when can we hear this song?" Warrior asked.

"If you want, right now." Bard said.

"O.k..." Cow Girl said, then Bard and Songstress took the center of the room.

"Everyone! We have a song for all of you. One I would personally like to dedicate to the group of Platinum Ranks in our midst." Bard said, and everyone focused on the two as Bard started strumming his lute. Before long, he was singing about how legends were made after or in the middle of chaos, suffering, and tragedy, and that love, hope, and well-doings can only be the result. Songstress even joined in when she wasn't humming or vocalizing, and she did so in the human tongue without missing a single note.

The tone even shifted to what it meant to be a legend: facing the storm brewing over the world, crushing it, and making things better in the end. The promise of being immortalized in the people's memory was thrown into the mix as well, and the song itself even directly asked the audience if they were willing to test their mettle, and told them to feel themselves grow. The trainees were clearly inspired by the message; the team noticed them look at each other intensely, smile, and even pump their fists, raise mugs, and weapons, and some even sang along.

Much to Guild Girl's delight, Summoner showed up and watched the trainees get invigorated by he song.

"Hey baby." Summoner said softly.

"Hey baby." Guild Girl said before Summoner approached and then kissed her.

"How's my child?" He asked.

"Exactly as he or she was when you left." Guild Girl said.

"Good. Now, other than this song, what did I miss?" Summoner asked.

"Nothing I didn't miss." Guild Girl said.

"Are you sure?" Summoner asked.

"Positive." Guild Girl said.

"O.k..." Summoner said.

"Although, I was talking to Ranger earlier, and he asked me what you intend to do as a career now." Guild Girl said.

"That's a good question...without the demons running amok, there's no need for demon hunters anymore. Although I'm still a Gold Ranked adventurer, and that counts for something. And there's the fact I'm a priest of the Love Goddess...all-in-all, I can't see myself being anything aside from a trainer, teacher, both, or something along those lines." Summoner said.

"And your sister?" Guild Girl asked.

"She's on her way to the capital to fetch her family and bring them here...so we can be a family. _All_ of us." Summoner said as he put his hand on Guild Girl's lower belly then kissed her again.

* * *

When the festivities were over, GS and Ranger's teams were led by Sword Mage to Priestess at the Temple of Law to check in with her.

"Your Grace? I brought them as I promised." Sword Mage said with a bow.

"Thanks." Priestess said as the teams approached.

"May I ask of what service we can be?" Lizard Priest asked.

"I'm actually curious what we do next. I know all of you were talking about that with various people...but now that we're together, I want to know what to do myself." Priestess said.

"Well, with the goblins and even demons dealt with, it looks like we're free to do as we please." Warrior said.

"Be that as it may, there's no way we're not going to be needed again." D.R. said.

"I concur Sir Dwarf. There are a bounty of services we can provide off the battlefield." Lizard Priest said.

"Me, Warrior, and my brother got in touch with the Sage Academy in the capital where we trained. Thanks to my- well, our contributions and advancements in the mystic arts, we were offered a place in their staff." Wizard said.

"Did you accept?" Fighter asked.

"What kind of question is that? Of course we accepted." Wizard said.

"And you?" Fighter asked.

"Well, magic isn't my cup of tea, but I can probably demonstrate the enchantments there, show how useful they can be, or something. But outside of that? Well, I can get back to training people, or maybe even give the military itself some of the boss' tricks that he shoved up my sleeves over the years." Warrior said.

"Hey, from where I'm standing, you could be a general someday if your leadership of the city's guard was anything to go by when we freed this place from the evil Sect." Wizard said.

"Wow...so I go from beast slayer, to general." Warrior said.

"Don't get greedy now." Fighter said.

"Killjoy..." Warrior deadpanned and Fighter giggled.

"And you Orcbolg? What are your plans now that the goblins are dealt with?" D.R. asked and everyone looked right at him.

"Did...you just say Orcbolg?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Yeah. So?" D.R. asked.

"That's an elf thing." Rhea Fighter said.

"I'm married to an elf princess, so...what's your point?" D.R. asked.

"Nevermind..." Rhea Fighter said.

"We're going to see what we can do in the oceanic city after our wedding, and of course, we'll try to stay in touch." Cow Girl said.

"No need to stress; we can visit each other every now and then." Fighter said.

"And that leaves you two." Warrior said.

"Well, I was talking to Noble Fencer about my place in the political skeleton of this country, and for now, all I can see myself doing is giving input to higher-ups, like the high king of the north, Priestess here, or the jarl I first spoke to on my first trip to the north." Ranger said.

"Like how you informed me about that place the mining operation could be held." Priestess said.

"Yes, and Noble Fencer raised a good point about how my place as a Platinum Rank adventurer makes me a complete shoo-in for a role like that, and...if I can do it, why can't others?" Ranger said, and everyone started thinking.

"She does have a good point..." D.R. said.

"Wait...what about you three?" Wizard's brother asked.

"I myself will continue to carry my people's will to the other kingdoms should they no longer need my services." Lizard Priest said.

"And if you need any help in helping them get back on their feet, don't hesitate to ask." Fighter said.

"Right, we helped you before, we can help again." Warrior said.

"You are all great friends, but as it stands, you have done more than enough for us. Regardless, I am thankful your services are still available in the future." Lizard Priest said.

"That's how we got as far as we did last I checked, and as long as it stays that way...I wish anyone who wants to cause trouble in the future as much luck as they can get ahold of. They're going to need all of it." Warrior said.

"Spoken like a true general." Fighter said seriously.

"I try." Warrior said.

"As for us? Well..." D.R. said.

"I'm going to find a way to give you the same longevity my people have, just like I promised." H.E .Druid said softly.

"I know love." D.R. said.

"Maybe me and my brother can help if you need it." Wizard said.

"Hell, maybe the Sage's Academy itself can help out." Her brother said.

"We elves have our own fair share of magic you know, but thanks anyway." H.E. Druid said.

"I know we're married but-" She cuts D.R. off.

"You're not talking me out of this; I'll study magic myself if I have to." She said seriously.

"Alright, I can't say no to a beautiful Elven princess can I?" D.R. said.

"No...no you can't." H.E. Druid said casually before Cherub poofed in.

"Good news everyone." He said.

"Well? Let's hear it." Fighter said.

"Don't ask me how I know this, but Cambion is keeping his word; the demons running around the country are being pulled back to Hell, and the demons in Hell are being dealt with in every way you can think of." Cherub said.

"Wait...how do you know that last part?" Warrior asked.

"I just said don't ask." Cherub said dryly.

"Sorry..." Warrior said.

"What about the goblins?" GS asked.

"You'll have to ask Elder Revenant." Cherub said.

"What?" Fighter asked.

"Yeah, he's been running around for the last few days slaughtering goblins by the thousands, and you would not believe how much of a horror show it's been for them." Cherub said before a portal opens and Elder Revenant shows up carrying a squirming goblin.

"And this...is the last one." He said as he held the goblin up, and it thrashes around when it sees all the people in the room.

"The last goblin..." GS breathed out.

"What should we do with it?" Warrior asked.

"Kill it." GS said.

"I meant how?" Warrior deadpanned, then GS looked at him, then everyone else, and then Ranger morphed a sword and handled it to GS with the handle facing him. GS then took the sword as Ranger morphed his own sword.

"I'll gut it, you behead it." Ranger said.

"Right..." GS said before the two looked at the terrified goblin, and GS stood behind Ranger waiting for him to make the first move...but he just stood there. For a moment, Ranger actually looked at the goblin with pity; it looked like nothing like than a broken child in a room full of monsters. But a moment later...the memories came flooding back to Ranger's mind: the broken faces of the women the goblins used to breed against their will, while their unholy children's fathers delights in their suffering, the ruined places full of butchered corpses the goblins left in their wake...how Sword Maiden herself fell victim to their lust and was plagued by it ever since.

Ranger's pity was smothered by the hatred he once felt to full effect and he snarled while jamming his blade into the goblin's lower belly, piercing it's intestine and making blood and bile spill out of the wound as his sword soaked it up like a sponge. GS then took Ranger's place as he back up and severed the goblin's head as Elder Revenant held onto it. GS then took the goblin's head and put it in a small bag.

"Well...that's it then." Warrior said casually.

"Why did you bring it here?" H.E. Druid asked.

"To be honest, I didn't want to; I almost feel like an intruder in a place like this, although in hindsight...that is just me trying to adjust to being alive. But to answer you in full, I felt it would be far more appropriate if the Goblin Slayer was the one to finish off the goblin race for good." Elder Revenant said.

"You're not wrong." GS said.

"And you Ranger...I would question why you insisted on needlessly impaling it, but then...the War God's servants have a reputation for being agents of revenge, so I cannot fault you." Elder Revenant said.

"In a way, I can. I told myself I wouldn't give into my desire for revenge again...and here I am making a goblin die in one of the worst ways imaginable, and I don't want to hear anyone ask who cares." Ranger said.

"I...wasn't even thinking about it." Wizard said.

"Still." Ranger said.

"Well, you will no longer have to burden yourself. That really was the last goblin, and the rest are suffering in Purgatory, or trapped in Hell with the Cambion venting his own wrath upon them." Elder Revenant said before Sword Maiden and Storm Mage appeared.

"Fitting." Storm Mage said.

"Oh..._you_ two." Elder Revenant said.

"Yes...us two." Storm Mage said casually.

"To what do we owe this honor?" Lizard Priest asked.

"Despite how little my past fears mean to me now, it comforts me beyond words that the goblins are no more. So much so, that I'm more determined than ever to bless Goblin Slayer's wedding." Sword Maiden said.

"We're as honored as before Sword Maiden." Cow Girl said softly.

"How about that, you get to bless a marriage with me as a witness afterall." Storm Mage said.

"What?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I offered to bless Warrior and Wizard's wedding beforehand, but Priestess doing so was more fitting, which I cannot deny." Sword Maiden said.

"Oh...that..." Wizard said, and Sword Maiden walked to her and put her hands on Wizard's shoulders.

"Please...do not associate my death with your wedding. That sort of misery is the last thing you deserve, the last thing any of you deserve." Sword Maiden said softly.

"Alright." Wizard whispered.

"The rest of you...I doubt this will be the last time we meet, but my place is in Heaven, with my dear husband at my side. Supreme be with you all, especially you revenant. Life has a bounty for you in the future, I am sure of it." Sword Maiden said.

"You speak of the Sword Saint aren't you?" Elder Revenant asked.

"Yes. I know she is curious about your whereabouts, and based on what you went through, it is not easy to fault her." Sword Maiden said.

"I...I will see her when I am able to." Elder Revenant said.

"Good." Sword Maiden said.

"As for the rest of you...well, if you need me for something aside from harvesting souls, I will do what I can." Elder Revenant said before pulling the soul out of the dead goblin and tearing open a portal.

"Wait! I know you and I serve gods that are brothers, and I remember you came to me after I helped save Water Town from the ogre...what exactly does that make us?" Ranger asked.

"It does not make us brothers, but...your zest for what life has to offer is motivating I must admit, but do not expect anything special, for I have nothing special to give, and everything special to take." Elder Revenant said before stepping through the portal.

"Well..._that_ can't be taken out-of-context at all." Wizard's brother said.

"He meant that-" He cuts D.R. off.

"I know what he meant; he wants to live life to the fullest now, but still." He said.

"So...where does that leave us?" D.R. asked.

"We're not going to disband are we?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"Even if we do, our family won't." Wizard said.

"Damn straight." Warrior said seriously.

"Well, all our plans are laid bare, so let's enact them." Cow Girl said.

"Then I must bid you all farewell. Sir Ranger? May I have that jewel?" Lizard Priest asked.

"You mean this? By all means." Ranger said before handing over the portal gem.

"Wait! Let me have it first." Cow Girl said.

"Why?" Ranger asked.

"I assume the good lizardman would like some cheese?" Cow Girl asked and Lizard Priest sighed and wagged his tail.

"Oh Lady Goblin Slayer! You honor me so highly..." He said, and everyone smirked or chuckled at his antics, and Cow Girl used the portal gem to go to her fortress home, fetched a wheel of cheese,and handed it to Lizard Priest.

"Hey, maybe your people can herd cattle yourself if you can." Wizard's brother said.

"We may very well, although it might take some convincing." Lizard Priest said.

"Just let them taste the cheese." Warrior said.

"If letting this divine ambrosia be tasted by the rest of my people is the result, I'm sure your gift will make all the difference it possibly could!" Lizard said seriously.

"Speaking of gifts, don't you have anything for their wedding?" H.E. Druid asked.

"He doesn't have to give us anything." Cow Girl said.

"No...I must repay this service. Here is a dragonbone skull I used for the Dragonbone Chargers. Let it be a testament to the service you provided me, and a reminder of the pride you should feel at this service." Lizard Priest said as he handed over a small dragon skull.

"Thank you very much." Cow Girl said.

"No, thank you Lady Goblin Slayer. This is quite possibly the most important gift I have ever received." Lizard Priest said.

"Much good may it do you Sir Priest." Ranger said.

"Much good to all of you." Lizard Priest said before taking a portal to the marshlands.

"Sir Priest...good touch." D.R. said.

"Thank you very much." Ranger said.

"I wish we had something to give..." H.E. Druid said.

"You could give your bow and take my own." Fighter said.

"No way, this bow is special to me." H.E. Druid said.

"Isn't that the point of a gift, for it to be special?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"That's not- Fine...since it's a special occasion, and now that I think about it, I am curious about how that metal bow works, so here." H.E. Druid said before handing her bow over to Cow Girl, and Fighter gives H.E. Druid a metal bow...and she gasped once she pulled the string back.

"Well?" Fighter asked.

"No wonder you like this thing so much. It handles like a dream!" H.E. Druid exclaimed.

"And here I am getting the inferior version."Cow Girl groaned.

"You can upgrade it." H.E. Druid said before everyone stared at her. "What?"

"You just said it was special to you." GS said and H.E. Druid sighed.

"It is, but it's not mine anymore now is it...? Besides, it is inferior to what I was given, and as a ranger, I should know that improving your gear is critical." H.E. Druid said.

"That is very true." Ranger said.

"I'd give you my rifle but...that's kind of a redundancy." D.R. said.

"Not necessarily. Me and Wizard swapped tags before. Granted it was due to sentiment, but this can be the same context as our dear elf princess giving her bow away." Warrior said.

"Well said." Fighter said.

"That is a good point." D.R. said before handing over her rifle, and taking hers.

"Now, can we go home now?" H.E. Druid asked casually, then Ranger opened a portal to the forest.

"You remember?" Fighter asked.

"How can I not?" Ranger said, and Fighter smirked as she remembered their time in the hot spring.

"Take care all of you, and congradulations on your wedding Orcbolg." H.E. Druid said.

"Thank you." GS said.

"Ladies first." D.R. said before H.E. Druid smiled and went through the portal before he did.

"We'll give you ours later, but would the former and current arcbishops like to say anything?" Wizard asked.

"Other than I'd like to show you the paintings made in your honor." Sword Maiden said and everyone's faces lit up.

"We have our own paintings!" Warrior exclaimed.

"I know! Please show us Sword Maiden!" Wizard exclaimed, and Sword Maiden smiled and showed them the row of paintings made in each of their honors. Fighter's painting showed her exchanging punches with Cambion, with him in his armored demonic form, and her with the cyan aura around her.

"Damn..." Fighter whispered and Ranger kissed the side of her head and they shared a smiled.

"It's right next to my painting to...12th Platinum Rank." Ranger said, and then Sword Maiden showed Wizard's painting which showed him standing on the bloodied corpse of the Demon Lord's pet.

"Now _that's_ what I'm talking about!" Warrior exclaimed before laughing proudly, then Sword Maiden showed Wizard standing in front of a small army of World Spawns.

"And I summoned those beauties...although I made a bunch of clones helping me." Wizard said.

"Eh, who cares? You still did it." Storm Mage said.

"True..." Wizard said...before Sword Maiden showed the painting of Priestess staring down the Demon Lord with the Temple of Law behind her with her holy aura and the Demon Lord's hellish presence clashing.

"That's our Priestess..." Fighter said before sharing a smile with her little sister.

"And with that...I think I'm done here." Cherub said.

"Really?" Priestess asked.

"My task was to help you deal with the threats to this country, and you just did that. Back to Heaven for me." Cherub said.

"See you then." Fighter said.

"Yeah, see you." Rhea Fighter said.

"See you all when you get to Heaven, although..hopefully it won't be a permanent stay. Ciao." Cherub said before poofing away.

"Well...that's it then?" Wizard's brother asked.

"I guess so..." Priestess said.

"Yes, you should all go prepare for their wedding." Sword Maiden said.

"Sword Maiden? Can I talk to you, alone?" Ranger asked.

"Alright." Sword Maiden said as she followed Ranger out of the main chamber.

* * *

He then led her to the same chamber she blessed his marriage to Fighter, and the atmosphere spoke for itself as Ranger sucked in the deepest breath he could.

"I'll never forget that day..." Ranger said softly.

"Ranger?" Sword Maiden asked.

"Goblin Slayer and I had quite a few things in common from the start, but now we get to add "blessed by the Sword Maiden" to the list, and now he has the beyond-extraordinary honor of having his marriage blessed by the Sword Maiden while she's a Nephilim." Ranger said.

"No Nephilim has ever blessed anyone's marriage before, let alone myself. Although...I suspect this isn't what you wanted to talk about." Sword Maiden said. and Ranger sighed.

"May I speak to her?" He asked.

"Who?" Sword Maiden asked and Ranger looked away.

"You know who..." He said.

"Oh...of course." Sword Maiden said before taking her 15-year-old form. Ranger then stared at her, and Sword Maiden put on her blindfold. Next thing she knew Ranger threw his bulky arms around her while trembling.

"You've been avenged...the goblins are extinct now. What happened to you will never happen again to you, or anyone else ever again. Thank the Supreme Storm Mage met you; you grew into one of the greatest women who ever lived, and you deserve every second you spend with he who loves you. There is no blessing I do not wish for you both. Heaven knows you deserve all of them..." He said while tears poured down his face.

"Ranger..." Sword Maiden whispered and Ranger tightened his hold on her at the sound of her voice. She then returned the hug and let Ranger pour out his compassion for her as she pulled them to their knees. Eventually, he got ahold of him self, and Sword Maiden pulled back to dry his tears...and then removed her blindfold and reveal her shining blue eyes that Ranger could not stop staring into.

"I know you're alright now...happy beyond words as well, and for what it's worth, I'm not angry anymore, despite how violent I was towards the last goblin, and I'm sorry I scared you with my wrath earlier." Ranger said and Sword Maiden took her grown-up form.

"Don't worry, just rejoin your team, and make your family grow as much as you want." She said softly, and Ranger smiled, got kissed on his forehead, and Sword Maiden vanished before Ranger finally stood up.

"I will." He whispered.

* * *

At the beginning of twilight, Cow Girl went to the guild hall's training grounds to get a feel for how a bow works, and H.E. Druid was telling the truth: her newly-improved bow handled like a dream. Granted, she had to get a feel for how it was done; using a bow wasn't as simple as just pulling a string back and letting the arrow fly afterall. Luckily, she had Fighter there to give her a hand, and in less than an hour, Cow Girl was hitting multiple targets one by one without too much trouble. She was nowhere near as good as Fighter or H.E. Druid, but she was just getting started.

When Ranger got there, he was just in time to see Cow Girl nail three targets in a row...and saw Fighter in her original outfit, which made his heart jump at the memory of when she first started archery with him at her side. Cow Girl hugged Fighter and left, but Fighter stayed put as she looked over her bow; she was clearly having the same thoughts he was. She then went back to shooting targets, and when she got to her second one, Ranger couldn't help himself and went up to her. Fighter then spotted him, and smiled at her approaching husband.

"Hey baby." Fighter said.

"Hey baby." Ranger said before giving Fighter a brief but deep kiss.

"How much did you see?" Fighter asked.

"Enough to see Miss Goblin Slayer fill her new shoes as well as can be expected, with help from her master." Ranger said.

"You mean one of them." Fighter said seriously, and then took aim at another target...before Ranger snuggled into her back and wrapped both arms around her abdomen, feeling the tension in her sculpted muscles under her baggy clothes and thick skin.

"I remember when we first practiced like this...and you're still as lovely now as you were back then." Ranger breathed out, and Fighter trembled and relaxed the string.

"Were you trying to make me miss?" She asked.

"If I wanted you to miss...you would have shot and I would've made you miss." Ranger said.

"I'll bet." Fighter said.

"But really...do you remember that day?" Ranger asked.

"I'll never forget, that was the day we had our first kiss...and I beat down those two clowns who hit on me." Fighter said and Ranger smirked.

"I wonder what became of them?" Ranger said.

"Who knows, but I'd love to see the look on their faces if they could see me now." Fighter said.

"Chances are, they'd be as terrified as I am aroused." Ranger said and Fighter scoffed.

"You damn pervert." She teased.

"Hey, we're married; I'm allowed to be aroused." Ranger said.

"I know...I'm aroused myself." Fighter said casually.

"And you call _me_ a pervert." Ranger said.

"Touche my love and life." Fighter said and Ranger smiled and kissed her again...with even more passion.

"Well?" Ranger asked.

"You kissed me like that after I beat down those two clowns." Fighter said.

"It's a shame I wasn't as hot then huh?" Ranger asked.

"Ranger...if you were as big then as you are now, I wouldn't be able to stop staring at you." Fighter said sensually.

"Good...there were too many distractions as it was." Ranger said

"Like I didn't distract you..." Fighter teased.

"Oh you distracted me alright...when I could afford it." Ranger said.

"I'll bet." Fighter said.

"You do know we're all alone, and your entire body is in perfect grabbing distance right?" Ranger teased.

"What's stopping you?" Fighter asked...before Ranger squeezed her breast.

"Happy?" Ranger asked and Fighter giggled.

"Very..." She breathed out as Ranger kept working her flesh until his hand rested over her pounding heart.

"You know...it won't be long until we have our second child." Ranger said softly.

"I know." Fighter said.

"My offer still stands to give you as many as you want." Ranger said.

"Let's just have our next child and see what happens." Fighter said.

"Right, no pun intended but there's no sense counting our offspring before they're born." Ranger said.

"Wow..." Fighter said.

"Not a word..." Ranger deadpanned and Fighter giggled.

"Hey, you walked right into it." She said.

"Just go see your student off before she goes through the same magic we went through a year ago." Ranger said.

"Yes sir..." Fighter teased...before Ranger lightly spanked her as she walked away and he shook his head as he left for their home.

* * *

When he got home, he immediately thought of his daughter...and her crying made him rush to check on her. He then picked her up and held onto her until she finally calmed down.

"It's alright little one...your father's here, and I'm sorry I left you alone, and even more so that I promised I wouldn't and broke it. But I'm here now, fixing that vow, and I still love you as much as your mother does." Ranger said, and then spent about an hour feeding her fruit pulp, changing her when needed, and just simply spending time with her. He then heard a knock on the door, put his now-asleep baby in her crib, then answered the door, and GS was there.

"Ranger." GS said.

"Goblin Slayer." Ranger said.

"May I come in?" GS asked.

"By all means." Ranger said as GS walked inside.

"The others are with my fiance giving her presents on both of our behalves." He said.

"And you came here because?" Ranger asked.

"I wanted to hear your input on this." GS said.

"Really?" Ranger asked.

"Yes. She values your friendship very highly, and I do as well." GS said and Ranger smiled.

"You're progressed quite a a bit since we first met Goblin Slayer. Want a drink?" He asked as he pointed to a wine cabinet with his thumb.

"Alright." GS said and Ranger walked over to the cabinet and grabbed several bottles.

"I've collected quite a few types of wine over the last year, some made by human hands, others by elves, others by dwarves. Never been much for wine, but now's as good a time as any to try them out." He said as he poured different wines into different glasses.

"I see..." GS said as he observed Ranger's work, and removed hid helmet to join Ranger in tasting one type of wine, and Ranger sucked in a breath at the flavor.

"Not bad..." He said.

"What's this one?" GS asked.

"An elven wine, nothing special, but it's sweeter than ale...then again that's not saying much." Ranger said as GS took the wine and tried some.

"It tastes like the wine from the vineyard not far from the fortress you gave us." He said.

"There's a vineyard around there? I didn't know that." Ranger said.

"It's further down the road." GS said.

"Huh...that's one of the few places we haven't explored." Ranger said.

"Right. What about the other wines?" GS asked.

"Well...let's try them out." Ranger said, and the two spent the next few minutes trying different types of wine, and even mixing some types before settling on a blend between a human and elven type. They then went outside to oversee Water Town and sat at a small table.

"I never thought I would see the time I got to kill the last goblin in the world, let alone get married afterwards." GS said.

"And I never thought I'd settle down in the Sword Maiden's holy city with the mother of my child when I first became an adventurer." Ranger said.

"Few things go according to plan don't they?" GS asked.

"In battle, or in life, but if they did go according to plan...well, sometimes then nothing would get done at all, since there would be no plan to follow in the first place." Ranger said.

"I remember how we planned on dealing with the Cambion, and the Demon Lord before dealing with the goblins." GS said, and Ranger chuckled.

"Yeah, look how well that worked out..." He said.

"I also remember the quests we took when we first met, like how I took your team to destroy that goblin fort while you went to save some adventurers who didn't even need your help." GS said.

"I remember too...I got a promotion thanks to that one act alone, and I got to see my goddess of a wife burn down that fort alongside you. Supreme above she was a vision." Ranger said softly.

"Yeah..." GS said.

"I also remember how Miss Goblin Slayer reacted to seeing you injured thanks to the ogre we fought." Ranger said.

"I know." GS said.

"She actually broke down crying into my shoulder, and people don't do that unless they give...alot of damns about you." Ranger said.

"I know..." GS said.

"Have you...ever considered going for Gold or Platinum Rank yourself?" Ranger asked.

"Maybe." GS said.

"At first I was a bit surprised that you never went for those ranks before; I myself was curious about Platinum Rank since Day One. I even envied the Hero because of it, and wondered how one could possibly obtain Platinum Rank, let alone how my team could. I'm still somewhat ashamed that I first served the War God because of my desire for power." Ranger said.

"And now all five of you are Platinum Ranks." GS said.

"Yes...yes we are." Ranger said...and GS actually raised his glass.

"To the people we lost." He said and Ranger raised his own glass.

"To the people we love." He said before they clanked glasses and drank.

"Let's not forget how you became Platinum Rank in the first place." GS said.

"Oh...that. You know people questioned my sanity when I said I was going to kill the vampire queen? Although considering she was far and away the strongest person I fought at the time, and was feared by everyone in the north...it's no wonder." Ranger said.

"And it ended with you cutting off her head and becoming the 11th Platinum Rank." GS said.

"Yes...yes it did." Ranger said proudly.

"Ranger...there is something I envy you for." GS said.

"My rank?" Ranger asked.

"Not even close; I meant your tendency to take quests that didn't involve goblins." GS said.

"Well, to be fair, your specialty was goblins, and you had more reason than anyone to hate them." Ranger said.

"But your team advanced more quickly than most, and was able to keep up with me, or in some cases, do better than I could...and you weren't even Emerald Ranks." GS said.

"That is true..." Ranger said.

"Miss Goblin Slayer is right; I should have acquired teammates sooner. But whatever, there's no point dwelling on it now. Like she kept saying...we should look to the future." GS said and Ranger nodded before he poured them more wine and they just sat there watching the city while drinking.

"Things will never be the same anymore will they?" Ranger said.

"No, but that's not necessarily a bad thing." GS said.

"From where I'm stand- sitting, it's a good and a bad thing." Ranger said.

"How so?" GS asked.

"Well...I'm proud of how far we've come, but...things won't be as much fun without the goblins to kick around." Ranger said before chuckling.

"You think that's funny?" GS asked.

"It is a bit funny yes; I told the Sword Maiden I was glad to be less angry, yet here I am wishing I had the goblins around so I can hate them. How contradictory can you get?" Ranger asked while he kept laughing, even GS smiled at the irony.

"That is pretty funny." He said and Ranger finally got a hold of himself.

"I need to stop drinking now..." He said.

"Right." GS said and then they saw Cow Girl approach the manor's front door. Both men went to meet her up front, which surprised her.

"Oh, Ranger." Cow Girl said.

"We saw you coming." GS said.

"Oh...alright, good." Cow Girl said.

"What did you get?" GS asked.

"Just some props." Cow Girl said.

"Such as?" GS asked and Cow Girl looked around.

"Well...they taught me the clone spell-" Ranger cuts Cow Girl off.

"They what?" He asked.

"Yeah, they said it can come in handy, and I can see why. I only made a few clones and I feel better." Cow Girl said.

"What else did you get...?" Ranger asked.

"Well, the Wizard siblings set up a replica of your old armor." Cow Girl said.

"Really? Talk about nostalgia." Ranger said.

"When are they sending it home?" GS asked.

"Already have." Cow Girl said.

"Anything else?" GS asked.

"I got one of these." Cow Girl said as she held up a pill...and Ranger's eyes widened,

"Unbelievable." He said.

"They...told me this is for you Goblin Slayer." Cow Girl said and GS took it.

"What does it do?" GS asked.

"It keeps your...spear between your legs hard after you have sex." Ranger said.

"I see..." GS said.

"Hell of a way to prepare for consummating your marriage, and I assume you want kids as soon as you can?" Ranger asked.

"I do...yes." Cow Girl said softly.

"Alright, and speaking of your wedding...I have yet to give my own gift." Ranger said.

"Which is?" Cow Girl asked.

"My horse." Ranger said seriously.

"You...you're actually giving her to us?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yes. I can't keep her here like I said, and you are the most qualified person I know who can take care of her." Ranger said.

"We'll care for her like we raised her." Cow Girl said and Ranger mutually hugged her, Cow Girl returned the hug, and then Ranger walked over to his horse, coaxed her to come to him, and started petting her head.

"Guess what? You're getting an actual home now...and a new owner. Don't worry, I'm going to visit you every time I get the chance; I'll miss you far too much otherwise. And who knows? You might meet a nice stallion and have your own family. The rest of us found love, so why can't you? Still...parting ways with you like this is not appealing, even though we spent a whole year apart..." Ranger said, and Cow Girl put her hand on Ranger's back.

"She will never not be available to see you. We'll pay an army of people to build a stable specifically for her if we have to." She said.

"Goblin Slayer...never divorce this woman." Ranger said seriously.

"I won't." GS said, and Cow Girl looked right at him.

"That is...oddly sweet." She said.

"So...when's your wedding?" Ranger asked.

"The Sword Maiden is waiting at our home right now." Cow Girl said.

"What? You're getting married in your home? That's unusual. But then again...we haven't seen a single temple in the oceanic city." Ranger said.

"That, plus it's more secretive." Cow Girl said.

"Oh...you got a point there." Ranger said.

"Well, let's go see where we can stash our new horse until the wedding is over, then you're free." Cow Girl said and Ranger smirked.

"Thank you very much." He said before opening a portal to GS and Cow Girl's fortress.

* * *

After GS and Cow Girl asked a local stable master to look after their new horse, and Ranger said his final good-byes to them all before going home, the engaged pair went home to dress for their wedding. Both of them respectively wore a simple but still fancy suit and dress, with GS putting his Abyssal Hide on display...right next to the replica of his own armor. He even cracked a smile at the nostalgia. Cow Girl then showed up and put the heads of the Goblin Overlord, and the last goblin next to each other as a monument to their successful conquests.

They then walked hand-in-hand to the backyard...where Sword Maiden and Storm Mage were waiting. She was even gracious enough to decorate the place with ribbons, flowers, and even precious stones and metals. Storm Mage shared a glance with Sword Maiden as the pair approached Sher, and once they got close enough, Sword Maiden's smile brightened.

"Sword Maiden..." Cow Girl breathed out.

"Sword Maiden." GS said.

"Welcome, both of you. I have looked forward to blessing you two again for some times now. It actually makes me feel like an archbishop again." Sword Maiden said.

"We are equally honored...Your Grace." Cow Girl said.

"Is there anything you'd like to say to each other before I say something myself?" Sword Maiden asked.

"I do." GS said.

"Then speak..." Sword Maiden said softly, before GS looked right at Cow Girl's smiling face.

"I have to admit, I'm abit embarrassed to say I didn't give you the attention you deserved; you gave me everything my sister did when I had almost no one to look out for me. I don't even want to think about how I would've turned out if you weren't there. I would ask you to forgive me, but we have a lifetime to make up for it." GS said and Cow Girl shuddered with happy tears the whole time.

"Being with you was the only thing I could do; I always loved you, but knowing that you were fighting the very monsters who took away so much from this world destroyed any thoughts I could have had about abandoning you. Now that your mission is complete...I hope for nothing less than to give you the same peace I see in the lives of those we quested with." She said softly, then Sword Maiden took both their hands.

"I am...happier for the two of you than I can express. Only Ranger and Fighter's wedding touched me as much as this one does. You Goblin Slayer have done me the first, most personal service anyone has; only my husband and protector behind you surpasses you. And you Miss Goblin Slayer...take care of this man; he deserves everything you have to offer. Now...kneel." She said, and the pairing both knelt before Sword Maiden.

"Shall I my love?" Storm Mage asked, then Sword Maiden nodded before Storm Mage hit two stones with lightning, and they lit up the other stones around them, illuminating the entire yard.

"Let the powers responsible for the beauty surrounding you burn the memory of this, your moment of union into your minds. May this occasion be a reflection of the promise your futures hold, and the ties that bound you since childhood, shall go ever stronger. Now...with my final act on this Earth until the Supreme God grants me return once again, I deem both of you husband and wife, and implore you to embrace before me." Sword Maiden said softly, and then GS and Cow Girl stood up and kissed as deeply as they could. It was Ranger and Fighter's wedding all over again, only...they went substantially longer to be together, and now here they were surrounded by colorful lights that rivaled the aurora itself, and embracing. Cow Girl then broke the kiss and saw the softest look on her new husband's face she ever saw.

The pair then shared looks with both Sword Maiden and Storm Mage, and then the last spectacle was Sword Maiden opening a portal to Heaven, taking Storm Mage's outstretched hand, and walking through it with him.

* * *

After the majesty of their wedding, Cow Girl went straight to their room with GS in tow. When they got there, Cow Girl peeled off her dress, looked her naked, bulky, and supremely buxom body over in the mirror. GS meanwhile hung up his suit, then saw the thoughtful look on his new wife's face.

"Goblin Slayer?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yes?" GS asked.

"What do you think of the work I put into my body?" Cow Girl asked and GS walked up behind her and held her hips.

"I think the work you put into it is why we're here now." He said.

"I meant how do I look, and more importantly...how do I feel?" Cow Girl asked.

"You look like a true adventurer, and you feel as pleasant as ever." GS said.

"Goblin Slayer...I'm trying to say I want sex, without the potion, and I want you to feel everything I added to my body." Cow Girl said.

"I see..." GS said, and then Cow Girl flexed her arms forward.

"Feel them." She said, and Gs ran his hands down her brawny, yet thick-skinned arms.

"Like I said, you have the body of an adventurer." GS said.

"Well...I've always been stronger than I look, and guess what? That's still true." Cow Girl said proudly as she flexed one arm upwards.

"I see." GS said as he continued feeling how powerful Cow Girl's body was.

"O.k...now feel the rest of me." She said.

"O.k." GS said as his hands traveled down her body, starting with her shoulders, back, and especially her abdomen. He then went back and forth between the sides of his brawny yet beautiful wife.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Cow Girl asked.

"No." GS said simply.

"Yes you are..." Cow Girl said.

"What?" GS asked and Cow Girl stopped him.

"My butt." She said...and then GS made her let go, and then roughly pressed his hands into the top half of her gigantic buttocks.

"I told you...I haven't forgotten." He said as he squeezed, rubbed, and fondled the mound of flesh that was too big for his hands. Cow Girl just stood there letting her husband run his powerful hands over every square inch of her supremely fleshy buttocks.

"How is it?" Cow Girl breathed out.

"Pleasant...very pleasant." GS said.

"I think so too." Cow Girl said sensually.

"Me too..." GS said, and then Cow Girl looked down at his fully-aroused manhood which was hidden by his underwear. She then stopped GS' hands, pulled down his underwear and her breath hitched at the sight of his girth...and even more so when she recalled the times he caused an explosion between her legs with the very organ she was staring at.

"Keep handling my butt." Cow Girl breathed out before turning around, and GS knelt down to get a closer look at her buttocks as his hands pressed into them. When he finally covered her entire buttocks, and when Cow Girl finally had enough, she walked toward the bed and bent forward.

"Would you like me to drink any potion?" GS asked.

"No...I want a child, and I want it soon." Cow Girl said seriously, and GS walked over to her, removed his underwear, and tapped the side of her feet to make her spread her legs more; her butt was too big for him to drive himself into her womanhood without doing so. He then made her suck in a trembling breath as his diamond-hard manhood entered her most scared area and made her butt ripple even more.

GS then moved in and out of her slowly but gently at first, but Cow Girl's pleasured gasps, which turned into moans wouldn't allow his self-control to last. He eventually plunged into her warm, tight womanhood as deeply and as vigorously as he had many times before, making musical slapping sounds as his groin struck her buttocks, which was always the most desirable size and shape for most men. Cow Girl reached her badly-craved orgasm in no time as GS' seed filled her womb with the promise of a child coming with it.

GS then removed himself from Cow Girl's body, and she climbed onto the bed and laid down while catching her breath. GS then laid down next to her, and felt her warm breath on his chest as it poured out of her soft, beautiful lips. She eventually regained her focus and looked up at GS before kissing him slowly and passionately. GS' hand went through her shoulder-length hair with reverence as their lips pressed and shifted together.

"Would you like more?" GS asked.

"Yes please..." Cow Girl breathed out, and GS flipped them over so she was underneath him, and his eyes feasts on her chest...before his mouth did. Cow Girl gasped and held GS' head as he sucked on her perky nipples one by one. His hands kept Cow Girl's heavy breasts in place as he continued sucking, biting and squeezing her flesh. He then got up and went down to her legs...her inhumanly muscled yet plump legs coated in thick, creamy skin which GS couldn't help but sink his hands into. Cow Girl relaxed as GS' hands once against showed how much power they had and how gentle the heart guiding them was as he deeply massaged the abundant flesh on Cow Girls' thighs, sometimes with both hands on one leg. Before long, his erection returned, but he still gave his beloved Cow Girl a break from the excitement of the moment; she's certainly earned it.

When she caught her breath, she spread her legs and allowed GS' manhood to enter her body. It was their first moment all over again, but GS was gentler, steadier, more focused on power than speed. Her womanhood was narrow enough, and his manhood was large enough to make as much impact as they needed. Besides, they were trying to make a new life; focusing on the love they shared wasn't optional, even if they weren't suffering from newlywed fever.

None of that failed to keep Cow Girl's lustful moans from pouring out of her throat however, and GS reacted by increasing the power of his thrusts, but his speed remained steady. Cow Girl even moved her hips to entice GS to pick up speed...and he couldn't deny her; he thrusted into her tightening womanhood with twice the speed, and her moans came out twice as often until she spasmed out with a second orgasm.

"How much more would you like?" GS asked.

"As much...as I can...get..." Cow Girl breathed out.

"Alright...let me know when you're ready." GS said.

"Actually...I want to pleasure you." Cow Girl said.

"Alright." GS said before flipping them over, and Cow Girl simply laid there with her large, perky breasts squishing against GS' chest. She then snuggled into GS' body, and felt his arms wrap around her and the two simply laid there basking in each other's love. Cow Girl then gently kissed GS' neck a single time, before repeating the process until she was genuinely sucking on it. GS couldn't help himself and groped her butt and inspired Cow Girl to moan into his neck from the way her husband was squeezing the flesh he couldn't get enough of.

Cow Girl then detached from GS' neck, but his hands stayed on her buttocks as she rubbed his chest, arms, abdomen and face until his erection returned. Once it did, she took him into her body and rested her hands on his shoulders as she slowly but steadily bucked her hips. She sucked in one breath after another as her womanhood swallowed GS' organ and his hands kept pressing and squeezing her bouncing buttocks as deeply as he could. Unsurprisingly, his hands never reached her bones thanks to there being too much flesh in the way.

Her pace eventually quickened, as did her moans, and GS even thrusted up into her to double the friction between their legs, much to her surprise, amusement, and bliss. GS even grabbed one of her dangling breasts, latched onto it with his mouth and started licking it. She then threw her head back as GS masterfully tasted her nipple, especially when some of her milk leaked out of it. He then grabbed the other and pressed them together so both could be sucked on at once. Cow Girl then squirted milk into GS' mouth and spasmed as her third orgasm shot through her body and made her collapse on top of GS as she tried to catch her breath.

"I'm spent honey...but that's enough for us to have a child...I hope." Cow Girl said.

"I think so too." GS said, and Cow Girl snuggled into his side, and the two got under the blankets and Cow Girl snuggled into GS' side as her warm breath rolled down his chest and neck. His head was also turned towards her as their eyes struggled to stay open, but it was no use. Both of them closed their eyes as Cow Girl blissfully smiled and shifted against him while they kept breathing the same air.

"Are you still awake?" Cow Girl asked.

"Yeah, why?" GS asked.

"Just wondering." Cow Girl said softly before they went back to their attempt at falling asleep.

"Thank you." GS said.

"For what?" Cow Girl asked.

"For staying with me...all this time." GS said before Cow Girl gave him a brief but sweet kiss.

"You're welcome." She whispered.

* * *

Meanwhile, Warrior and Wizard went to the capital to set themselves up, with Wizard's brother and Rhea Fighter joining them, and the four of them went to the Sage's Academy for any sort of admission into their system. Luckily, the Wizard siblings' reputation, and their Platinum and Gold Ranks spoke for themselves, and the headmaster gave them both a chance to work for the academy. Even Warrior and Rhea Fighter were allowed to contribute, either as assistants or as trainers in their own rights. Both couples then purchased their own neighboring homes, and got to work setting things up, which was a cinch with their alchemy and portal gems; they could just make the decorations, and relocate their possessions from their old homes to their new homes without trouble, and what they didn't make or relocate, they could just buy later.

Wizard and Warrior then laid down on their newly-set up bed to relax after their successful day, both completely naked and kissing passionately while lazily caressing each other.

"Hell of a first day living in the capital." Warrior said.

"And it'll get better overtime...especially once we have our child." Wizard said.

"Of that, I am certain." Warrior said, and Wizard laid down with her head next to his, and they continued feeling and listening to each other's slow, deep breathing.

"What do you say we celebrate everything with a good loving?" Wizard asked sensually.

"I say you're still a genius." Warrior said and Wizard chuckled.

"Good answer." She breathed out.

"Go get some potion then." Warrior said, then Wizard used Levitate to get a pill for him, much to his confusion.

"You'll need this instead...ladies?" Wizard said before making six clones, all of whom were standing around the bed. Warrior immediately exhaled deeply and swallowed the pill as Wizard got up and leaned against the wall as her clones slowly crawled towards the man waiting for them. One clone started kissing and lashing tongues with him while the others picked a limb or part of his torso to massage. Warrior simply laid there as the six beauties worked on his sculpted body, and occasionally put his hands on their breasts.

His hands flexed as soon as they touched their mounds of warm, plump flesh and they sighed and moaned as they felt the sweet pressure put on their breasts. Other clones simply changed places with the clone kissing Warrior, or put his hands on their breasts, with him twisting and pinching their nipples every now and then. Sometimes the clones mixed it up by putting his hands on their butts...and then one clone put her hands on Warrior's shoulders, mounted his waist and starting riding him.

She started gasping in bliss right away, and her fellow clones put Warrior's hands on her butt as it rapidly flexed and softened as she mated with the man beneath her. Warrior then surprised the women by pushing the clone back and thrusting into her himself. The clone beneath him threw laughter into the mix as Warrior relentlessly drove her to an orgasm that arrived with an elongated moan signalling it.

He then got up and the other clones followed him as the clone he just mated with laid there basking in the afterglow. Warrior then kissed another clone and made ripples in her buttocks by spanking her before turning her around, bending her over the bed and pushing through the swollen lips of her womanhood. It was the last session all over again: her moaning her lungs out as Warrior scraped his manhood against the sensitive walls of her entrance, and making ripples in the abundant flesh of her buttocks as his groin slammed into it. The other clones watched Warrior's manhood slip in and out of the clone he was mating with until they both climaxed.

Another clone laid down with her feet on the ground and her shoulders on the bed, and Warrior got the message right away as he got between her spread legs, reached under her butt, and pushed through her lower lips as well. The clone wrapped her thick legs around his waist as she started groaning in bliss herself with Warrior's manhood getting shoved into her only to get yanked out over and over. Warrior even got to watch her breasts shake enticingly which gave him even more reason to thrust into her with vigor, and his efforts were rewarded with his ears being filled with the clone's longest moan yet.

Another clone spun him around to start kissing her, and his hands glued themselves to her buttocks and started playing with her plump flesh. The clone then wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and her legs around his waist one by one, and Warrior held her up as he shoved his manhood into her, and started thrusting. The clone started gasping and moaning right next to his head, and eventually into his neck as she started sucking on it, which made Warrior mate with her with even more vigor. The clone in his arms then threw her head back as she climaxed...and Warrior kept thrusting, which made the clone he was pleasuring let out high-pitched gasps until Warrior climaxed himself, and the three clones he mated with previously held her as her head swam from the bliss she was drowned in.

A fourth clone then bent over against the wall, and Warrior got behind her to mate with her, and when he was inside her womanhood...the clone reached up to support herself at head-level, which made her buttocks softer. Warrior then rubbed her softened flesh, which was too abundant for his hands, and even pressed her cheeks together to increase the amount of flesh smothering his manhood, which made the clone chuckle, and then start gasping as Warrior started moving in and out of her. Their strange yet satisfying new position worked wonders for the amount of pleasure they were feeling, and they both climaxed within minutes of Warrior entering the clone.

A fifth clone then threw Warrior down onto the bed and then mounted his lap...and the other clones held him down and the fifth one started bouncing up and down on his still-swollen manhood. Warrior just stared at the smirking clones holding him down as the one on his lap claimed his manhood for herself. He was too mesmerized by the bouncing breasts of the clone mating with him to care about their roles, but even if he did...they had their moments like he did, so it was fair regardless. Before they knew it, both the clone and Warrior had their fifth orgasm, and she got off of his lap to catch her breath.

The sixth and final clone came up behind him and pressed her breasts into his back while kissing him, and when she was done, she laid down and spread her legs. Warrior then got between them, and they locked around his waist as his manhood entered her body. His vigor and gentleness never wavered as he pushed in and pulled out of her. The clone beneath him had the same tendency to release lustful moans from her throat the others did as well, and their effect on Warrior's mind was reflected in how he faithfully and enthusiastically mated with her to hear more of them. Eventually, Warrior drove the clone to orgasm along with him as her longest moan yet poured out of her enticing mouth, and when they were done spasming and gasping for air, the two locked lips as Wizard re-absorbed her clones one by one...and spasmed with their own orgasms fresh and ready for her to receive.

When she absorbed the clone Warrior just finished kissing, he caught her as she collapsed on the bed. Wizard then caught her breath, and smiled up at her beast-slayer husband, and pressed her lips against his as they simply laid there tasting each other. She the broke the kiss and they went right back to how they started: him holding her, running his hands through her silky hair and over her creamy skin while she felt his dense muscles and they both inhaled each other's scents, which now had hints of sweat, their fluids, and pheromones in it.

"Should I return the favor?" Warrior asked.

"No...I've had enough. Although, tomorrow morning...I want us to watch our clones have fun with each other." Wizard said.

"Wow..." Warrior said.

"Not that you'd mind, you damn pervert." Wizard said.

"Hey, you still have the ring I put on your finger." Warrior said and Wizard smiled.

"Yes I do...and I'm never getting rid of it." She said before kissing Warrior.

"You still want more?" Warrior asked.

"You know you want more too." Wizard breathed out.

"You know me so well..." Warrior groaned before deepening their kiss. Wizard then flipped them over, and gasped as Warrior went back and forth between her breasts as he sucked on one nipple, and squeezed both her breasts themselves. Wizard continued gasping as she held Warrior's head against the breasts he was feasting on. Wizard then spasmed as milk spilled out of each nipple and Warrior lapped it up as Wizard caught her breath. Once she did...Warrior snuggled into her as she held him close.

"Baby?" Wizard asked.

"Yes?" Warrior asked.

"I...I want a baby..." Wizard said.

"Let me guess, that's why you didn't want to drink any potion?" Warrior asked.

"You know me so well..." Wizard said seriously, and Warrior smiled at her.

"I know..." He whispered...and Wizard gasped as Warrior's manhood pierced her entrance, and her legs wrapped around him. Warrior then mated with her with more care than ever before as she laid there sucking in one breath after another as the future father of her child continued his work on her body. Wizard even bucked her hips to show her devotion to making their child, and Warrior didn't miss any beats either as their thrusts eventually synchronized. Once they did, Wizard started moaning and twitching in pleasure, as did Warrior, and their dance of love continued until they both orgasmed, and Warrior's seed flooded her womb. The two then slumped as they looked outside to see it was nighttime, and snuggled into each other praying they would be blessed with their own baby, and vowing to continue mating until their efforts were rewarded.

* * *

The following day, Ranger and Fighter set up their new home in the north, checked in with the high king, and the rest of the people for that matter, so they could know they had a new resident. Naturally, everyone was thrilled that the slayer of the vampire queen and his family was living among them. Several people asked to see his baby, and they were spellbound by her, because of her parentage, and likely the same life Ranger saw in her mother, as well as the usual innocence that came with infancy.

Ranger even let the high king know about his plan to keep him informed about the on-goings around the country, along with the rest of the higher-ups, especially Priestess. The high king then offered Ranger a place in his inner circle, but Ranger turned it down since he would rather earn his place through demonstrating his political prowess, but His Majesty wasn't having it; he said he would take Ranger under his wing to let him know how it was done in the royal family, that is if Ranger legitimately required it.

Fighter's case wasn't much worse; her Platinum Rank and marriage to Ranger made her popular with the people by default, but her beauty, kindness, wisdom, and strength made her place in society open and shut. Some people actually asked about what it was like to be married to Ranger, to which she said it was difficult, but not his fault, and the rewards made up for everything, and other people asked how she became a Platinum Rank. The moment the recaller was used to show Fighter's battle with the Cambion was shown, the people were both awe-struck and terrified of her; this woman wielded the power of the War God himself against a foe powerful enough to defeat Ranger, and the rest of her team, and she handled it despite getting beaten within an inch of her life...and still keep fighting goblins, demons, and some adventurers afterwards. This woman wasn't even human...

* * *

When everything was said and done, the people calmed down and then the parents put their baby to bed before taking some time to themselves...at the beach where they celebrated killing the leviathan. Ranger and Fighter both brought large towels, their belts, and even coconut oil and melted ice cream. At first the two laid out their towels on the sand and just laid there sunbathing.

"And we get to come here whenever we want." Fighter breathed out.

"Yep, and there's no one here either. Just you, me, and the stuff we brought." Ranger said.

"When our baby grows up, we should bring her here." Fighter said.

"I could not agree more baby." Ranger said before Fighter kissed him.

"I love you." She said softly.

"And I love you." Ranger said before Fighter snuggled into him as they kept sucking in one deep breath after another, and listened to the rolling waves and occasionally seagull squawk.

"Want to go swimming?" Fighter asked.

"Anything to see that pillow you call an ass." Ranger teased and Fighter tapped his chest before they got up...and Ranger actually resisted the urge to grab her barely-covered butt as they went to the pier. Once they got there, they stripped naked, opened their chakras and dived into the water, and they felt the presence of every fish in the area, from the hundreds of smaller fish in the small coral reef beneath them, to the larger ones further out...to the tiger shark prowling the seafloor in the distance, and the schools of fish out in the open water.

They spent several minutes at a time swimming around taking in the sights between the times they came up for air; they were both trained well beyond what it took to hold their breath for long enough to stay underwater for minutes on-end. Ranger even dived all the way down the bottom, dozens of meters below the surface looking for anything precious, but found nothing, and came up slowly and steadily to compensate for the water pressure. Yes his chakras made his resilience and endurance well beyond that of what it was normally, but the less stress he put of his body, the better.

Fighter for her part simply swam around at the surface, or deep down taking in the scenery. Ranger eventually joined her and swam around at her side...before grabbing her butt, and she turned around to smirk at him. They then went to the surface, and she playfully splashed him with water, and he returned the favor before they shared a brief kiss and a smile before diving back underwater.

Their swimming trip ended with Ranger and Fighter swimming under the pier to catch their breath, and once they did, they looked at each other through half-closed eyes, saw each other's parted lips and heaving chests...then their lust got the better of them as Fighter latched onto Ranger and mashed their lips together. The two did nothing the whole time except taste each other's mouths, run their hands over each other's faces, muscles, hair, and in Ranger's case, Fighter's perfectly round and supple buttocks. Her lustful moans and chuckles were added to the sounds of their lips smacking, the water swishing, and their deep breathes.

The two them swam back to the beach and laid down on the towel as the sun dried them both. Once their stamina returned...and Ranger got a chance to calm his erection after their intimate encounter, he went to their stockpile, grabbed some coconut oil, and went back to his wife who was on her front letting the sun dry her back. He then laid down next to her, noticed her eyes were closed, and shook her.

"I'm awake." Fighter said.

"Just making sure; we can't have you get wrinkled." Ranger teased.

"Just shut up and put that coconut oil on me." Fighter said.

"As my love goddess wishes." Ranger said before Fighter turned around...and Ranger put the oil on her shoulders, and spread it around, and paid special attention to her breasts. Fighter's lungs inflated deeply as Ranger's powerful yet gentle hands kneaded her breasts and move them around, as well as rub the oil over them. He then went down her toned abdomen and sides, then to her hips, and thighs.

"Ranger...you know we didn't bring any potion." Fighter breathed out.

"We don't need to have sex you know. Besides, i we change our mind, we can just go get some." Ranger said.

"Still...I want another baby, and I want it soon." Fighter said softly and Ranger stopped rubbing her.

"Now soon?" Ranger asked.

"Maybe not right this moment but...I don't want to waste any time." Fighter said.

"Alright...let's see where things go." Ranger said seriously, then Fighter turned around, and Ranger got to rub oil on her back...and her buttocks. Fighter couldn't keep the smile off of her face as her man used his strong hands to knead the flesh on his favorite part of her body, which she respectively was the most proud of; he took pride in pleasuring her, and she took pride in being there for him to get pleasure from. Ranger continued pressing his hands into her flesh while listening to her exhale deliciously, then went down her strong, muscled legs that were covered in skin that was as thick and plump as ever, the perfect contrast to the dense, heavy, and supremely-useful muscles underneath.

Fighter then raised her butt off the towel, arched her back, and spread her knees, and Ranger got behind her right away before pushing into her womanhood...and she sucked in the deepest breath she could; she was waiting for this. Ranger's thick, diamond-hard manhood moved in and out of her moist, swollen entrance slowly, but steadily, and she gasped and moaned as she felt the same power she felt in his hands as her beloved Ranger mated with her.

Even the waves crashing behind them didn't drown out the sounds of Ranger's groin making musical slapping sounds as he struck her perfectly fleshy buttocks, and her lustful moans Fighter released as Ranger's manhood was vigorously and rapidly stuffed into her entrance that was tight enough to make Ranger think she was trying to crush the organ penetrating her. Fighter eventually spasmed and groaned in bliss as Ranger shot streams of his seed into her womb, which carried the chance of his woman becoming pregnant again. Ranger then removed himself from her womanhood as Fighter collapsed onto the towel trying to catch her breath, with Ranger collapsing on top of her doing the same thing.

"Oh Ranger..." Fighter breathed out, and Ranger kissed the side of her head.

"I'm still here baby..." He whispered.

"And I cannot thank you enough." Fighter said.

"I told you on our wedding day that every day we spent together was it's own adventure, and this day was no different, even though it's not yet over." Ranger said.

"I remember...and I remember the hut in which we made love properly." Fighter said.

"Would you like me to take you there?" Ranger asked.

"Please." Fighter whispered, then Ranger removed his softened manhood from her body, flipped her over, and carried her to the hut on the end of the pier, and set her on the straw bed before coming down to kiss her and caress her side while she caressed his chest. She then rubbed his side with one of her thighs, and entwined her entire leg around his while rubbing her skin against his, and his reaction was a deep breath, which subtly hinted he enjoyed what she did. He then broke the kiss, and went down her neck to suck on it. Fighter held his head as he kissed and licked her neck, and then went further down, making her giggle; she knew what was coming.

She giggled even more as Ranger kissed the top of her breast, and then she gasped as he took one of her perky nipples into his mouth and swirled his tongue around and over it. Neither of them were concerned about the coconut oil covering her flesh; if he consumed it, it wouldn't hurt him anyway, quite the opposite in fact, plus it was the ultimate excuse for him to massage her breasts again, and neither of them would say no to that. Fighter started moaning as Ranger stepped up his efforts by licking her nipple twice as vigorously, and went back and forth between her breasts, and of course squeezed the breast he wasn't sucking on.

"Your flesh is just delectable..." Ranger groaned, and the vibrations made her breasts vibrate pleasantly, and Fighter eventually spasmed as milk leaked out of her nipples, and Ranger wasted no time lapping as much of it as he could...along with the coconut oil. Ranger was even about to go get more, but Fighter stopped him cold, and flipped them over. Ranger looked at her with a forrowed eyebrow, but her smirk said it all: she had other plants for him, and he could guess what it was as he watched her butt bounce with each step as she went outside. She even teased him by walking out slowly and taking deep steps to show off her buttocks.

Fighter then return less than a minute later with the rest of the coconut oil jar...then smothered her luscious breasts with it. She then spread the oil around herself, which made Ranger swallow hard at the sight of her breasts, which he could barely fit into is hands, being moved around so enticingly. She eventually noticed, smirked and turned towards him to get a better view.

"You know what I'm going to do with these babies?" Fighter asked.

"I can guess..." Ranger said.

"Let's see if you're right." Fighter said sensually, before Ranger flipped over, and Fighter used her large, soft and smooth breasts to smear the oil all over his back, shoulders, and even his arms, with his legs and buttocks not far behind. His body was still moist from the water they swam in, and her breasts were covered in more than enough oil to cover him, despite the fact he was twice Warrior's size...and Warrior was not a small man nowadays. Ranger simply laid there and breathed deeply as his loving and inhumanly beautiful wife used one of the Love Goddess' gifts to both please, and serve his own body. She moved side-to-side, back and forth, forward and back, all while her breasts pressed into his massive muscles, and spread the skin-serving oil around. His manhood was back to full-size in no time; despite the fact he saw her butt get showed off right in front of him...it wasn't enough to completely restore him.

When Fighter finished servicing his back, she smeared more oil on her chest, and then rubbed down his abdomen, chest, and even his chin, with the same slow, sensual motions she used before, and Ranger's arousal had no hint of subtlety. Fighter then lowered herself onto his manhood, and took it into her body while gasping. She then rode Ranger's manhood as he put her breasts to use again by watching them bounce along with her silky black hair, and the rest of her divine body.

Fighter eventually held onto Ranger's shoulders and started bucking her hips with Ranger's hands gripping her buttocks and thrusting up into her. Their mastery of sex and their natural sense of teamwork revealed itself yet again when he even helped her move down onto his manhood by pushing her butt down, and timed his thrusts accordingly. Ranger then got the idea of grabbing Fighter's breast and licking it...as it she was engulfed by enough pleasure already. She gasped and moaned even more as Ranger furiously swirled his tongue around her nipple, and dragged it across her nipple, and grabbed the other before giving it the same treatment. Once her flesh was secured within his mouth, he could lick her nipples easier as his hands returned to helping her hips come down to engulf his manhood with her lower body. Everything worked wonders as Fighter's moans were frequent and intense, right up to the moment she hit her second orgasm and received even more of Ranger's seed.

Ranger then held Fighter's exhausted but pleasure-filled body against his own as she caught her breath. Ranger couldn't help but smile at the fact his wife was laying on top of him with a smile of her own that bared her teeth and split her face. She also has inflating lungs and a pounding heart...all things that made her the most beautiful woman she could be.

"Is my dear, sweet Love Goddess pleased?" Ranger asked.

"Oh yes..." Fighter breathed out.

"It's a shame our anniversary already came; this would have been the perfect way to end it." Ranger said.

"It's more fitting that we make love like this the same way our first baby was conceived." Fighter said.

"That time was...actually less loving than this, but then again, you wanted a baby, weren't going to take no for an answer, and I wasn't about to think of denying you." Ranger said.

"You never fail to give me more reasons to love you." Fighter said before kissing him.

"I love you too." Ranger whispered, and then Fighter looked out the window at the setting sun.

"The sun...it's just as beautiful as this moment." Fighter said softly.

"How right you are...my love and life." Ranger said before Fighter looked at him, and the two smiled before sharing another heart-melting kiss.

"Make love to me again." Fighter whispered, and Ranger flipped them over, and looked her over; just the memory of touching her body, and even making another child with her was arousing to him. He got even harder by looking down at her womanhood that was dripping with some of his seed, and a decent amount of her fluids. He then came down and pushed into her womanhood while grazing his lips over hers. She groaned into their kiss, and he interlocked their fingers. Fighter's moans weren't drowned out however, and Ranger released her lips to listen to her throaty moans in full as he mated with her.

Ranger actually groaned himself as Fighter's womanhood crushed his manhood with it's contractions, and Fighter spasmed with yet another orgasm as Ranger shot the last of his seed into her womb. The two then rolled onto their sides once they caught their breath and basked in the afterglow. Once they were done with that, they looked each other in the face and ran their hands through each other's hair.

"That should do it..." Ranger breathed out.

"I think so too." Fighter said.

"You know...I think the Goblin Slayers got married by now." Ranger said.

"Most likely, I hope their marriage is as happy as ours is." Fighter said.

"With their luck? Absolutely." Ranger said.

"You know, me and her discussed quite a few things that you and Goblin Slayer have in common, and noted how different you are." Fighter said.

"Funny...me and him discussed something similar; he actually envies us for doing things other than killing goblins." Ranger said.

"Really? Wow..." Fighter said.

"Yes. I even asked him if he wants to become Gold or Platinum Ranked." Ranger said.

"Well...this plan of ours is a sure-fire way for him to become the 16th Platinum Rank." Fighter said before Ranger caressed her lower belly.

"I have something much more important in mind..." He trailed off, and the two embraced as the setting sun shined through the window and highlighted their moment of love.

* * *

**And there we go, a happy ending for everyone. Goblin Slayer is married, everyone went their separate ways in the best way possible, 3 of the main couples are expecting babies, all that's left is to say what happens 10 years down the line. Now...you don't HAVE to read it if you don't want to, but I can't imagine why you'd loss any blood if you did. Anyway, this richly-deserved tribute is about to end, so be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while the end is coming, so for those of you who are still curious...stay tuned.**

**P.S. 38,400 words...new record...  
**


	55. Epilogue

**Hello people, and welcome to the finale of Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. Thank goodness...it's taken me 10 long months of headaches, hardships, and sacrifices, but I have finally done it. I have created the ultimate Goblin Slayer story devoted to Warrior, Wizard, and especially Fighter, and I would be genuinely surprised if anyone surpassed it in the future. So you three, this one's for you. I know you don't exist, but your impact on the story was the best impact...no one ever had. So here I am to pick up the pieces, and give you the credit you deserve, in YOUR series. In fact, it should be called "Goblin Slayers" in my mind, because this story being made should NEVER have been necessary.**

**Alright GLG...calm down, quit foaming at the mouth and pull yourself together. Your fans are waiting for you to wrap this up...so let's wrap it up.**

**Review Response: Technically Ranger made the last goblin suffer first so he gets some of the credit, but yes GS took the last goblin's head...as a trophy no less. This chapter of course is to let people know what's what in the next decade, so...**

**Given how close Ranger is to Sword Maiden, I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted nothing to do with His Majesty, and given how passionate he can be...that's probably a good thing. But then again, since the goblins are now wiped out, it probably doesn't matter; Ranger has something in common with Sword Maiden above all: neither of them are idiots.  
**

* * *

Over the course of the next decade, everyone was busier than ever before. Even without the goblins, problems brewed in every corner of the country, one of which being monsters of all kinds having their populations explode in uncivilized parts of the country, and adventurers fighting them to a stand-still, even with Silver and Gold Ranks aplenty on the front lines. Despite how effective the adventurer training system was, and how many people it helped, casualties on the people's sides, and the monsters' sides were almost equal in proportion.

For all the damage received, it was ultimately worth it; the frontier pushed far beyond it's original boundaries, and more land was claimed for mining, farming, lumberjacking, quarrying, treasure hunting, smithing, and other desirable professions. Before long the county's population and wealth grew at accelerated rates as more was available to go around to the families raising more children per family, and producing more food. Some adventurers even formed ties to people on the new frontier, either regular friendships, their sense of honor being powerful enough to keep them tied to the frontier itself to help out if need be, or even romantic bonds; several families spawned from such encounters as well, many of which were genuinely touching to those outside the families. These families in turn produced children who would grow up to become workers, adventurers, or merchants when their time came.

The fields of magic were also put to use; alchemists created special tools for the people, including fertilizer from farms, machines that generate or reduce heat for smiths, or even machines that harness the power of storms to tell when another storm will happen. Potions were brewed by countless mages throughout the country, which aided the people's hardest jobs in more ways than one. Animal tamers and summoners both veteran and rookie went around using elementals to bend the land itself to suit the people's needs. Healers and priests were sent to heal and protect the people, and the adventurers supporting them every day as well.

* * *

However, this newfound prosperity bred corruption as well; landowners, crime lords, bandit armies all flocked to take bites out of the people in every way they could. Ironically, this made the number of bounty hunting quests explode, and hundreds of adventurers were specifically trained to snuff out criminals, and they were never out of a job. Some quests even included people kidnapped for ransom or...entertainment, and more often than not, the adventurers who defeated the outlaws and saved the people were given promotions to the next rank right after one quest, minor or major. The higher-ranked quests actually involved capturing or killing crime lords...which was far easier said than done.

They were the lords for a reason; in the criminal world, no where is truly safe, and they had to be as cautious as they could, even paranoid. The most infamous case of a lord being brought down was when one of his own henchmen betrayed him and led a small army of adventurers right to his front door. Although, others cases were no where near as extreme; some quests involved a landowner being shown the price of their actions, sometimes with a simple beating, but other times their corruption pushed them to either commit murder, or even sexual violence, and they were executed on the spot, sometimes without ever seeing the face of their assassin.

Even the dark arts were a menace to society;despite the forces of Hell being quelled, demons were summoned and tamed by countless mages who turned to the darkness when their arrogance, greed, desire for revenge, or power corrupted them. A Female Revenant was also tamed by a dark mage who was obsessed with death as a concept, and as such lusted after her. He got what he wished for in the end however; after the frontier was devastated and temporarily pushed back to where it used to be...the Female Revenant kissed the dark mage before extracting his soul from his rapidly-decaying body.

Fortunately, there were neither sightings, nor rumors, or encounters with goblins or demons aside from the latter being summoned and tamed by warlocks. Cambion was clearly keeping his word when he promised to rule in Hell for the betterment of the world. Ironically, demon hunters were still needed both in their craft, and outside of it because of how many warlocks were on the loose. Entire covens were discovered with imps and possessed ghouls serving them, and countless people went missing as a result. Some covens were so unimaginably treacherous and far-expanding, that Gold Ranks were awarded to those who could deal with them, even when those involved were in numbers.

* * *

Outside of the country however, other nations discovered how much the country was growing, and feared their power would rival or eclipse their own, and before long, the four great races had to join together against invading armies, just like they did against the goblins. Thousands of troops of every type poured into the front lines, many of whom were seasoned from the cataclysmic battle with the goblins. Their familiarity with brutality as a concept, in addition to the training their adventurer comrades had with GS and everyone else for that matter paid off in the end. Sometimes, in the middle of battle, some heroes emerged when one or more adventurers used the goblins' tactics by fighting unfairly, usually with traps or attacking from an unorthodox angle. War isn't fair after all...

Not all countries desired war of course, some even tried to remain neutral, got strong-armed into participating by other nations, and when Priestess got wind of it, she personally beseeched the King and other high-ranking individuals to aid them. Some of her pleas were refused, but others, like Abbot, called for crusades to aid their fellow nations. Forcing other nations into a war they wanted nothing to do with, especially when the nations responsible for the duress was just cowardly, and none of them were going to stand for it.

Priestess and Abbot actually attended some crusades personally, and despite their combined and extreme power, they were only two people; they could only do so much by themselves, they had limits that demanded to be considered, and most of all...they couldn't be everywhere at once. When they were present, not only did the crusaders benefit from the pair's miracles, but their presence itself made them feel they couldn't lose. Unsurprisingly, the crusades had results, and even led the nations they opposed to their downfalls...but at a _staggering_ cost. Hundreds of thousands dead, countless relics were lost or destroyed with their power being required to have weeks if not months of repair done to restore their usefulness and value, and years required to fully repair the damage done to the land, even with miracles and magic utilized to their fullest.

* * *

In her personal life, Priestess grew quite well over the years, in both physical and psychological stature. She wasn't was well-endowed as the Sword Maiden was, but regardless, she was no less beautiful. Her presence alone was enough to brighten a dull atmosphere, and rumors that weren't entire false circulated that her presence itself was divine. Some men even approached her with the hope of becoming enforcers for her, but not only were they not cut out for it, it was a secret to no one that they were simply looking to win her heart. Unsurprisingly, Priestess never lost her virginity during the entire decade, and while she did accept some people to become crusaders for her, she had to respectfully turn down more than she accepted.

As archbishop, Priestess was no worse than the Sword Maiden; everyone worshiped her just as much, she was just as fair, and her power spoke for itself. The memory of the Demon Lord's defeat was as fresh in everyone's mind as it was a decade prior. With Sword Mage and other people in her inner circle keeping her informed about the on-goings in the country, and even the rest of the world, making the best decisions possible wasn't too much trouble. At first however...Priestess struggled with making decisions based on principle rather than passion; she wanted everyone to benefit, but had to accept that wasn't always possible, and she relied on Ranger's input more often than she had any right to.

Sword Mage eventually set her straight with constant reminders of how there is nothing wrong with doing something unfair in one moment as long as you truthfully intend to make up for it in another, as well as sticking to his role as her enforcer and even getting enforcing her will on herself whenever she loses her nerve. Aside from his place at her side, he had his own role in the temple, which along other things, was to oversee the crusaders. Priestess' role was to oversee the cultural, political, and religious aspects of Water Town, just as Sword Maiden had before her, it was Sword Mage's job to oversee the rest of the city's matters, especially it's military.

In his personal life, he eventually became a Gold Rank himself, and took Noble Fencer as a wife and mother of his son, Noble Mage. Their little boy trained with the sword with both his parents, if he wasn't learning to control lightning like his mother could. He even learned the same lightning magic Storm Mage used to wield by following the Sky, Sea, and Fertility gods, and eventually the War God and Love Goddess, but never obtained any miracles beyond Smith, even though he could use it up to five times a day. The chance of him growing up fully to become like Ranger was unthinkable; Ranger was in a class by himself, and Noble Mage wasn't just too young, he was too kind and innocent to learn the War God's more brutal miracles.

Noble Fencer herself was as devoted to Priestess' cause as her husband was. She was as good a treasurer for her as ever, and even joined Sword Mage on a few quests, just for kicks. She started from Porcelain Rank of course, but she rose through the ranks reasonably quickly thanks to her new sword which went from being aluminum, which puzzled everyone who knew that fact, to being aluminum, steel, and silver thanks to some local alchemists. She also obtained a suit of light armor, and even an unfoldable shield like the one Warrior had. Sword Mage had an unfoldable shield of his own as well, and Noble Fencer even taught him her lightning spell. He wasn't as good with it as his wife was, but his space-enchanted sword let him be a master of close combat anyway, and Noble Fencer's sword wasn't given the same enchantment for safety reasons, so him being the close combat one of their pairing was a shoo-in.

* * *

The rest of Water Town's adventurers weren't much worse off; Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric became Silver Ranks in no time, with their crusader comrades even following their lead when Sword Mage wasn't around. Heavy Warrior and Female Knight remained part of Priestess' crusaders, and their major role was of course, training them. Both pairs had their own children as well, with A.C. having two daughters, and Female Knight having a firstborn son and a daughter. Every now and then, both pairs had the same quest together to face the legion of warlocks and outlaws plaguing the country, and the women had moments where they simply used Empower on their husbands and watched the former master and student fight side by side as equals, which was as glorious as one would think.

Summoner and Female Summoner had their own band of demon hunters to lead with Summoner as the official leader, and his sister as his right hand. Despite her superior experience and power, her little brother was still the more compassionate one, and filling his sister's shoes heavily motivated him to improve his station. Everything worked out as well; Summoner occasionally asked for his sister's input, and definitely respected her superior prowess, but he was never lacking as a leader. Whenever his team encounters an issue, they all looked at it critically, put their heads together, and Summoner personally gave them a go-ahead on the best option.

However, the best option either turned out to not be a good option at all, or they were wrong; worst case scenario, someone lost their life in an accident, multiple crusaders were killed or crippled, or their foe got away. Summoner himself lost an arm that had to be artificially grown back by an alchemist and his sister was pierced through the intestine by an outlaw's pike. She claims she suffered from worse, but her blood poisoning spoke for itself and if it wasn't for Priestess herself healing her...she would have died.

Surprisingly, Assassin and Werewolf returned to Water Town, with their five children, and returned to their demon-hunting. Even their children were involved; according to Werewolf, hunting for outlaws, warlocks, and the like was good training for them, and there was no room for weakness in the pack. As fortune would have it, the pups were natural-born killers; even on their first quest, the pups managed to corner not one, but multiple outlaws and make meals out of them. Somehow, their parents kept their children from making a scene within Water Town's population, whether is was because they were just that good a parenting, or an inborn tendency for werewolves to listen to their superiors without question, no one knew, and anyone who managed to find out their secret didn't ask.

Guild Girl and Inspector both gave Summoner children as well, with Guild Girl turning out to have been pregnant with twin girls, and Inspector giving Summoner a single son a year later. With Female Summoner bringing her own children to Water Town to live with her brother, their children could play together like true cousins should. When word got out his three children had two mothers, most people gave Summoner a pass because he was a priest of the Love Goddess, but when he made it clear he married both his wives because he loved them both...it was decently controversial. Some people believed his teachings that love wasn't supposed to have limits, others looked down on him for supposedly dividing his love between two women, and others just left them be. No one was stupid enough to attack them verbally or non-verbally however, either out of fear, respect, or both.

All three of Summoner's children were interested in the art of summoning, but it didn't go further than that, mostly because Summoner never encouraged them to take it up. For the most part, Summoner just had the elementals make them things to play with, or alter their backyard to fit their mood, from using ice elementals to make snow and slides, to using earth elementals to make things to climb on, to using fire elementals to create explosions to amaze them, to using water elementals to clean and occasionally heal them when they hurt themselves. Ironically, Guild Girl's daughters weren't interested in her line of work, but Inspector's son was.

As for the two women themselves, Guild Girl remained a worker for the guild, as did Inspector, with the latter escalating her role in the church by healing people's bodies and minds more frequently, sometimes out on quests. She never became an official adventurer, but Summoner wasn't above summoning her to a battlefield to help out, not without her input of course. Her miracles became more powerful, and she could use them more frequently of course, to the point where Priestess considered making her a crusader, but Inspector's place wasn't on the front lines of battle under any circumstances. Guild Girl actually rose through the ranks of the guild and became one of the guild hall's managers, with her own staff to supervise, with her still being as hands-on as ever.

* * *

In the new frontier, Spearman and Witch gained significant wealth and prestige as the ones who led a large number of the expeditions to expand the country's territory. The pair actually took a page out of Heavy Warrior and Female Knight's books and trained a good number of adventurers, many of whom came with them on quests, and revered their leaders as the Silver Ranks they were. Spearman even returned Witch's interest and she had no less than three of his children, a twin girl and boy, and a single boy.

The three children grew up surrounded by the adventurer's life, from watching the training, trying to take part themselves and being held back by Witch, to asking her to train them in the spells she knew. Before long, they were all using staffs that let them use magic and melee attacks without too much trouble. Logically, none of them were allowed to go on major quests, or even minors ones until they were in their mid-teens, the age most people were considered adults.

They paid visits to Water Town on occasion, and ironically, the youngest of their sons was sweet on one of Guild Girl's twin daughters, so much so he could tell one twin apart from another when the other children struggled sometimes. Priestess herself had quests to give to the veterans, most of which involved something to do alongside Heavy Warrior and Female Knight for old time's sake. Together, the four were undefeatable; they were sometimes rivals in the past, but now they were expanding the country's horizon side by side. Working alongside Summoner's team was just unfair; he and Spearman buried the hatchet ages ago, but even with sparks flying between them on occasion, they pushed through it and completed even their most grueling quests within hours for the sake of expanding the country's borders.

* * *

Sage wandered the country as a lone agent, and occasional guide to other adventurers, both fresh and veteran alike. She even though some magic-users some of her tricks, which included how to focus magic as effectively as possible, but never taught her more high-end spells, especially Fusion. Her Gold Rank continued to be well-deserved over the course of her travels as well, since she was responsible for single-handedly wiping out some of the strongest and most remote warlock covens. When she could, she went to the Sage's Academy to share her input with the masters there, and advised them in matters that concerned the frontlines, as well as the rest of the country she explored, and even their political agenda to a degree.

Sword Saint never left the adventurer's life, although she did take quite a bit of time off, she still kept her taste for the thrill of battle, pride in her skills, the typical wanderlust, and especially the salvation of those she could help. Sometimes she encountered, or was directly visited by Elder Revenant, who had completely turned his back on the Death God and embraced his new life...as an official adventurer. He started from Porcelain Rank, and despite his incredible power, he never used it unless he absolutely had to; he never even harvested any souls despite the temptation to do so, and the siege of the goblins' citadel proved his powers were limited anyway. As a direct consequence, he rose through the ranks just like everyone else did, and became Silver Rank within a year. His immortality was also waned as his age showed like everyone else's would as the years went by. However...when he embraced his life fully, he settled down with Sword Saint and even married and had a child with her.

As for the Hero herself, she retired from the life of an adventurer after she returned to the capital. As much as she loved being the tip of the people's spear, being among them and smelling the roses was something she desperately needed, and wasn't even aware of it. She even locked her sword in her house's basement under lock and key so no thief could find it. The whole time, she had hoped she had done enough to keep the country and the rest of the world peaceful...she was dead wrong; within a year, she had heard of the terrible doings on the front lines, and took it upon herself to go there and stop as much of the bleeding as she could while ironically spilling gallons of their enemies' blood, with and without her friends.

* * *

The rest of the team had their own lives to live; GS actually became a landlord of the farms his and Cow Girl's fortress oversaw, and she bared him a single son: Cow Boy. He was the spitting image of his mother, with the same childlike face and hair color, but his father's blood-red eyes. Along with his parents, he gave the farmers a hand with their produce at first, but after GS took the initiative and solved problems for the farmer that went above and beyond the call of duty, such as figuring out ways to improve the livestock's quality of life, how to upgrade the buildings' hygiene, structure, and even storage space, and even pulling some strings with the mages of the oceanic city, he was deemed fit to be a landlord.

None of that changed a thing aside from the family having to keep some officials happy with paperwork, and the occasional visitor however. They were just as hands-on with the farmers' homes and businesses as ever when they needed to be. Cow Girl in particular used her clone spell to great effect either by managing their home, getting their paperwork in order faster with more hands, and...behind closed doors with GS when night fell.

Through it all, Ranger's horse continued to live with GS' family, with frequent visits from Ranger's own family, or when he was alone. One time he came back to find that his horse had made herself a stallion to have a family with. Cow Boy always stuck to Ranger's side when he visited so he could teach the boy a thing or two about how to treat a horse; maybe he could ride the young horse someday like Ranger rode it's mother. The horse's armor was stored away, not never sold or forgotten; it wasn't needed except for very rare occasions when outlaws threatened the place in one way or another, and GS rode the horse into battle to take care of them with Cow Girl on foot sniping or using her armor to keep up with him.

* * *

Ranger's plan to have contact with every person in power he knew of was effective, but far easier said than done. Not only were there too many fronts to cover, but keeping everyone in the loop was a chore, even for them. The elf queen had her own people to look after since their own military tried to stage a coup d'etat and was only stopped thanks to the team, the lizard people actually had more children per family to replenish their numbers since their outcast uprising, and that was only their population problem. The dwarves were more concerned with amassing wealth and military power than repairing damage...which the elves in particular found pretty suspect to say the least. It was no secret the two peoples were at odds, and it was greatly feared that a civil war would add to the carnage , but thankfully, no one was foolish enough to provoke one side into taking actions, and those who...somehow, thought it was a good idea were dealt with before any real harm could be done.

Abbot, the new pope, fit into his role with a decent amount of friction based on how he became pope so quickly, but with Priestess and even Sword Maiden pulling strings whenever possible, no one was able to challenge him too seriously. As for his role itself, he did everything he could to ease the political pressure the team had to deal with, from insisting that certain elements be used in certain ways, to commanding certain people to aid the team's agenda, to doing so in person, to letting them know what they could do. The miracle of Vision was especially beneficial, considering how much ground there was to cover.

Even H.E. Druid and D.R. were of use to the cause. As the princess and sister to the elf queen, H.E. Druid was finally able to take her focus away from wiping out the goblins, to carrying out her older sister's will, and enforcing her own of course, which was always for the sake of progress. D.R. himself became an ambassador for Her Majesty for the dwarven kingdom. They were not pleased that a fellow dwarf was an ambassador for the elves, especially since he was a demon hunter, and husband to the elven princess, but he made it clear that his intentions were for everyone's benefit, and...in his particular brand of wisdom, he simply stated that he knew both the elves' and the dwarves' secrets, and he alone held the key to their people's futures. He wasn't bluffing either; in confidence, he told his wife everything he felt comfortable with sharing when they were alone, and that's taking into account the elves' superior hearing.

Somehow, D.R. was able to kept up his demon hunting with H.E. Druid getting involved, and ironically, they discovered a way to give D.R. the same longevity that elves possess with the demons' tongue being used on the two of them. However...there was a great deal of alchemy and purification to be done; the demons' tongue was not a holy one, and without pacification, their problems will have multiplied severely. Luckily, all of the proper care was taken, so despite the fear and uncertainty, it was a success.

Eventually, even D.R. and H.E. Druid had a daughter...one of the only hybrids between elves and dwarves that ever existed. Both the dwarves and elves were torn between seeing her as the perfect sign that the elves and dwarves were or at least could be on good terms, and others saw her as an abomination that should not even exist. Ultimately, whenever their daughter faced any discrimination, her parents, and especially her aunt, the elf queen, stepped in and either condemned those who shunned her, or glorified her as the living symbol she was. As the elf-dwarf hybrid girl grew, she went from a sensitive child who hated the idea of being such an outcast, to someone who returned the hatred she received, to a preteen girl who picked up the same pose and composure of her millennia-old mother and aunt, as well as the attitude of her father that fell in line with those who believed that if others don't see your redeeming values and only focus on your negatives, it's their problem not yours.

Lizard Priest was always involved in his people's affairs as an actual priest, but his people could do little for the outside world. They were too busy rebuilding their own homes, and even changing their lifestyles. The cheese that Cow Girl gifted to his people inspired them to finally herd and raise cattle themselves, and even cease their hunter-gatherer lifestyle and generalize agriculture...to an extent. There were plenty of cases were farming was either not possible, or not entirely acceptable, which did make sense, not only because of the drastic change, but also because of how some foods and other goods could not be obtained via farming. Nevertheless, Lizard Priest was a key lifeline between the political ears of his people and that of the rest of the world.

* * *

Keeping things calm wasn't easy for the team; nevermind how politics took getting used to, nevermind how much ground they had to cover, nevermind how not everyone agreed with their agenda...but balancing everything with their family lives was insufferable. Family came first before everything, but the fear that the team's political agenda would clash with their family lives lingered longer than it had any right to, whether it was founded or not. It was cleaner and less heartbreaking than fighting goblins all the time, but that only went so far.

Thankfully things did get easier in their family lives, especially when their children became old enough to occupy each other, but at a minor but attention-grabbing price. Everyone neglected their plan altogether and lost precious time they could have spent on their plan, despite how well that time was spent, no one felt like there was no right decision to make. Everyone made due however; their loss was no worse than the country's, and they made up for lost time in every way they could, from taking advantage of the lulls in the war to spending time together and reliving the days they fought the goblins side by side, to celebrating anniversaries and birthdays, to simply training people, to having duels with each other, some of which were encompassed entire swaths of spare land with them throwing miracles and magic into their matches.

Warrior and Wizard in particular was focused on training people; since Warrior was eventually made an official officer in the royal army, his role was focused heavily on making sure the soldiers were as prepared as possible. Wizard's role as one of the leaders of the army's mage division wasn't much different either, and with countless graduates from the Sage's Academy benefiting from the new policies and standards, there was little to compete with outside of the battlefield. Warrior and Wizard both had enchanted weapons and armor became standard-issue for most of the troops...when they were deemed ready to receive them. In-turn, this inspired many troops to pull their weight, and possibly more; there was no one who did not wish to obtain equipment that pushed their physical and even mental limits.

Having the students go beyond their limits without equipment was decently easy and effective as well, especially considering how many dozens there were. Years ago, training this many people would have been unthinkable, but thanks to Wizard and her experience with spending over a year training people, the adjustments to the policies were obvious. The ways to explain higher-level spells and methods were better-know, the skill required to use each spell was slightly lowered, as was the level of advancement one needed to learn each spells. The methods of monitoring progress were more advanced, and the standards especially were raised. Wizard even hand-picked people to help her with creating the enchanted equipment, and the scrolls she discovered from the spire at the occupation of Water Town drastically helped the process of enchanting items en masse.

Unsurprisingly, they didn't have to enforce this on their own; Wizard's brother, and Rhea Fighter were directly involved themselves. Rhea Fighter in particular aided Warrior in training the troops and adventurers who to use weapons properly, and even some unarmed skills if anyone desired. Wizard's brother was involved in the political aspect of his sister's job, but he was mostly the one who kept her in the loop in regards to the training results themselves. As a consequence of those results, Rhea Fighter was unintentionally an advocate for rheas not being do devious afterall, a sharp contrast to the legacy left by the late Rhea Scout.

Wizard also classified certain spells to the highest-level mages, such as the clone spell, Fusion, the portal gems, the blessing part on Warrior's sword, and especially the power to morph armor and weapons with alchemy. That kind of power could be devastating if used in the wrong hands; the two even kept demonstrations to a minimum unless people were somehow proven to be trustworthy. These people were few and far between since that kind of power was what helped them become Platinum Ranks, and even the knowledge the power existed was kept a secret; there weren't even any records of it. Those who did know about it even accused them of being power-hoarders, and even though it was clarified that the power was too dangerous for most people, the results were mixed. Some believed the clarification, others just left it be, and others didn't believe them, or even demanded to be given the power, which in extreme cases, led to them being expelled or even beaten. Two Platinum Ranks made the perfect guards for the Sage Academy's secrets...

* * *

In their personal lives, Warrior and Wizard had a single daughter who grew into the spitting image of her father, but took after her mother in the arcane arts. Their little Warrior Girl took a page out of her parents' boss by training in both the martial and arcane arts since childhood, and even as she reached her preteens, she was outclassing most of the adventurers, who had just got started training in their mid-teens. At first, she was unfamiliar with the difficulties of her fellow students and even disrespected them because of their failures in areas she couldn't understand were hard for them. However, when she saw other people were impatient with their progress, or greedy with how far they wanted to go and tried stealing enchanted items before they were ready and were punished for it, she became downright sickened with them for stupidly wanting to go past their limits before they were ready. Her father actually challenged her personally...and didn't pull any punches either; if she was so great, then fighting a Platinum Rank should be easy for her.

The results were both explosive, painful, and necessary; Warrior never attacked his daughter full-force for every obvious reason in existence, but it was good for her to have been humbled. He even carefully picked the time and place so he wouldn't humiliate her in public, that wouldn't have been teaching her a lesson, let alone a simple punishment, that would have been cruelty. In the end, Warrior set the standard for what his daughter believed was greatness. From that point forward, she took the time to help her fellow students when she could get past their distaste for her. It filled both parents with pride to see their daughter try to atone for her arrogance towards her comrades

Wizard's brother and Rhea Fighter even married and had their own daughter, Half-Rhea Witch, who grew quite close to her cousin, and even warned her about the risk she was taking by looking down on her comrades. Her warnings fell on deaf ears however, but after being humbled by her father, Warrior Girl grew even closer to her cousin. People came from all over the capital to see H.R. Witch since rhea hybrids were pretty uncommon to say the least. She grew to be her mother's size when she reached her preteens, and it was estimated she'd grow even more in the years to come.

* * *

Ranger himself kept to the northern kingdom, with Fighter, their daughter, newly-born son, and even a second daughter born to the now-older parents. Thanks to the network Ranger and Priestess set up, the high king was kept informed about the on-goings of the country, and they were all informed about what was happening to the rest of the world. Fighter and especially Ranger, sometimes checked in with the others to see what he could do to aid their work. They were especially interested in Warrior and Wizard's set-up, and even received a decent amount of hero worship of their own, along with people practically begging to be trained by either of them.

Ranger was also torn about meeting with the King; he was mortally disgusted with him for essentially turning his back on the Sword Maiden, but at the same time, understood that there was little point making an enemy of him, especially since the goblins were extinct now, Cambion was keeping an eye on them in Hell, Sword Maiden was with Storm Mage in Heaven, happier than anyone could be on Earth, and they had a network of people to keep up with. Despite all of it, it took him almost a month before he got up the nerve to approach His Majesty.

When he did however, the first person he met with the Princess GS rescued from being sacrificed, and when she learned who Ranger was...she was beside herself with excitement. She heard of how he led his team to fight with GS against the very creatures she was nearly killed by, and how he killed the vampire queen after leading the siege of her fortress up north. She even asked to see his children when she could, and eventually her wish was fulfilled, but not until they grew up and got to see an actual princess in the flesh.

Ironically, the person Ranger came to see interrupted their fun after it was over...and Ranger's mood in particular was soured. Despite being of a higher rank than the Princess, whom Ranger showed respect to, if Fighter was not there to distract Ranger's fury, he probably would have spoke to the King through his teeth instead of with proper speech. Their meeting itself was surprisingly pleasant; the King agreed that keeping in-touch with everyone who was anyone in the country was the wisest action by far, and he practically ordered Ranger to go through with it. Ranger's loyalty to him was asked about, but Ranger simply made it clear his loyalty was to the entire world, not just a single person, or country.

Fighter herself actually shared her teachings with her children as they grew, if not the elements used for combat, then her katas and philosophy she picked up from both her father and her husband, both of whom she loved as much as her children. On occasion she traveled with Ranger to the oceanic city to help Master Fighter as an official assistance, and even took it over when he passed away. Eventually, her ambition and her opportunities grew and she had similar dojos opened wherever she could...although it was somewhat unnecessary considering the guild halls throughout the country had like-minded people like her who fought with their bodies themselves and trained on their own terms.

Her most successful place to run outside of the oceanic city was in the north, not far from where she and her family lived. At first, it was somewhat strange for the northern people to have a style so alien to their own be practiced in their land, but now was a time for adaptation, and some people added her teachings to flavor their own styles, with marvelous results. Ranger also took part in these lessons, sometimes as a teacher, sometimes as a so-called guest appearance.

Ranger and Fighter also occasionally fought each other...and they never lost their spark over the years. Multiple matches ended behind closed doors, and even though they never truly needed the skills themselves, it was better than letting them go to waste. Besides, those who master a weapon, and their bodies together are much better than those who only master one of either. Neither of them went by without training people with weapons either; despite magic not being either of their strong points, they did teach utility spells like Life Sight, or Repair. Fighter eventually taught people about their chakras...on occasion, and when people believed her. Granted she only taught her most loyal students, but still, the ability made quite a difference in people's lives, and on quests.

Ranger's parents kept in touch with their son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren as well, with both of them taking a more active role in the training system then ever. Ranger soon wasn't the only one who had his and GS' skillset either; scores of unconventional warfare specialists flooded the armies of the union between different peoples. Even GS trained some people every now and then when he could, and Cow Girl was also able to show people a thing or two. The two grandparents spent as much time as they could with their three grandchildren as well. Unfortunately, it didn't last for too long; Ranger's mother passed away, and his father died from a sickness months later. The sour irony is that Ranger's mother could have easily made a cure for his sickness was lost on no one.

Unsurprisingly, Ranger was devastated by the loss of his parents...but at least he and Fighter had something else in common, and he did wasn't surprised by the fact they lived lives as rich and long as theirs were. He even went to the Ether Gazer beneath the Temple of Law to see them on occasion, and swore right to their faces that he would not stop until he passed on what they gave him to as many people as he could. Knowing Ranger...he and Fighter would continue training people until they were even older.

* * *

Ranger and Fighter's children were never interested in the adventurer's life at first, aside from being on imaginary adventures in the forest with one or both parents. Both of their teachings never went past their three children either; both of them were far more analytical than most children, and more disciplined as well. They kept the same innocence one would expect from children, but nothing would stop their fresh, flexible minds from growing too attached to anything beyond hope of it being changed on a whim. Eventually, as predicted, both of Ranger and Fighter's oldest children wanted to get involved in their parents' work, with the youngest remaining too young for their work.

Their firstborn daughter, who spent her tempest of an infancy inspiring her parents to finish the war, grew up in her father's image, and even gravitated towards his skillset more than her mother's despite them having the same capacity for love as a concept. Their daughter, Ranger Girl, learned the trade as well as her father did despite having less time to grow into it. She hunted and fished with a crossbow, she learned to throw knives, and axes, she even learned various mixtures from what little Ranger picked up from potion-brewing.

Their secondborn son, Fighter Boy, picked up his mother's side of the spectrum. He learned the same unarmed skills his mother learned, and thanks to the passion and ambition he picked up from his father, he became stronger than either of his parents did at his age. He knew advanced moves and acrobatics by the time he was in his preteens, but the most advanced moves, like throwing multiple kicks while in mid-air was still above his paygrade.

Unfortunately, he also picked up his father's aggression, as well as his desire for power. Granted he had the same desire to use it for good, but lust and wrath were slippery slopes, and thanks to years of first-hand experience, both parents knew that keenly, and as such were well-prepared. Ranger made it clear that wrath itself was a weapon and did not care what it hit, including the user. He even tested his son's anger by challenging him to hit him, and making him fail miserably. Most of the time he succeeded in making his son lose his temper and charge at him, but eventually, Fighter Boy took his father's advise to heart and learned to accept that what he was angry about was something he couldn't change, and that it was wiser to take steps to prevent things from happening in the future rather than be needlessly displeased over something that already happened.

Their third child was of course too young to be an an adventurer, and never even cared too much for becoming one. He never had become one however; her parents and siblings loved him with all their hearts. Her innocence even kept her older brother's temper in check; he actually made her cry because of an outburst...and he was so guilty he insisted on comforting her himself. At first, she wanted nothing to do with him, but overtime, she accepted his apology. Even though her desire to become an adventurer never came, the decade they spent together was brightened all the more by her presence alone; she was a constant reminder of how much their family grew.

After the decade was over however...Fighter became pregnant with their fourth child...

* * *

Everyone's children grew up miles upon miles apart, but thanks to the gateway network Wizard set up, the children could meet up and play or train together. Ranger Girl and Warrior Girl had so many matches together their fathers lost count, Fighter Boy had an equal amount of spats with her, and even a somewhat-friendly rivalry, and Cow Boy even developed a crush on Ranger Girl. Ranger and Fighter both noticed this, and when they were alone, she noted how GS and Cow Girl had the same dynamic as kids, and if they grew up to become parents, then Ranger and GS' bloodlines will have mixed. Ranger also noted that their son and Warrior Girl warmed up overtime despite hating each other at first, and if they have their own children Fighter and Warrior's bloodlines will have mixed, along with Wizard's as well.

Sword Maiden and Storm Mage occasionally visited the team, and especially the Summoner siblings, but for obvious reasons, it was never once public. When their children got older, they got to meet the Sword Maiden in person...and were completely awe-struck by the angelic woman. For the most part, Sword Maiden never did anything aside from see the family she was pleased beyond words to see grow and mature as much as it did. Outside of that, she gave bits and pieces of advice to Priestess on how to be an archbishop under uncertain times, which for the most part was to remind her of how she was surrounded by people she could trust, which was without question the best position she could be it.

Even Cambion was of direct use; Storm Mage told Summoner that it was safe to use Hell Rifts for transportation now that Hell was under Cambion's iron-fisted rule, and although it was understandably awkward for Summoner to accept help from his brother's killer, he could see the use such an ability could give...and he was right. There were many times Summoner or Female Summoner used a Hell Rift to enter Hell and come out in their destination, saving countless hours in travel time.

Eventually, both summoners met Cambion himself...and he was neither pleased nor displeased to see his human visitors. They could not say the same however; Summoner was still tense from how the murderer of his brother got off the hook, even if Sword Maiden herself forgave him and even encouraged him to rise to power like this, and Female Summoner was awe-struck to be in the presence of someone who was now even stronger than the Demon Lord. Be that as it may however, neither could deny that Cambion has proven his honesty and desire to aid the world for years at this point, and even if their desire for revenge was justified, neither of them were strong enough to defeat him, even if they summoned a legion of World Spawns and drained every ounce of their power.

* * *

After the decade was over, there was a time of relative peace and quiet, but there was no way things would not become turbulent again. Until that time however, the family composed of multiple different teams would have to watch over their homes, and continue to be the heart and soul of the country. No rest was too long, no corner was cut, no danger was too great, no coin wasn't spent, every person received what they were owed.

Only time and fate could tell what was in store for everyone...

* * *

**And with that I-can't-believe-it's-not-dramatic ending...I think I'm done. I've covered virtually everything I planned to, or think deserves to be covered. If there's anything I can do to extend this two-parter, I legitimately cannot think of it, like I said before, I cannot think of a single thing that could be done in a 3rd part, because without the goblins, this isn't even Goblin Slayer anymore. Besides...not that many people are invested in this story (at the time I'm writing this) and I know some people probably think it was probably too much, but...for those of you who think that, please keep in mind why I'm writing this...online novel so to speak.**

**Well...there is one thing, but it basically has the kids get ambitions about fighting in rings around the country for glory rather than for the sake of the world, and of course bonding and socializing along the way...but I have SERIOUSLY mixed feelings about that, so...it's not an official part of the story. Another thing I could do as a possible sequel to this is have Ranger raise his children on a make-believe quest that turns into a real one, but then things pick up to the point where the apocalypse itself threatens the world...but that's insane; the team already has a ridiculous amount of claims to fame as it is.  
**

**As for Ranger himself...even though he's the main focus, I only focused on him so much because as a wise man said: he's the missing piece, and I agree with that sentiment. Not as his creator, but as a human being, I must thank him for leading the Team to the glory they richly deserve, and I do not care that he's not real; his impact is VERY real.  
**

**Anyway, thank you all for following the Team on this, the journey that should have been, and hopefully in the hearts of quite a few people is, the actual thing. Let this be the final nail in the goblins' coffin, and a cautionary tale to anyone who wants to do no better than they did...for the eyes of the Ranger are upon you.**

**Also...I'd like to dedicate the song "Immortalized" by Disturbed to the team, because I cannot think of a better one to fit the bill, and I've tried.  
**

**So...with that last bit of tribute, I've got other stories to cover. This has been GLG-3883, and I wish you all well. Over, out, and away...**


End file.
